On this French site, the database of 19th century French patents, one can find the 1829 patent by KAYSER Philippe-Auguste. it is called a “piano éolien”, a sort of Aeolus piano, including a flexible tube like the ones on present melodicas
If you click on “voir le dossier”, you can read the 13 pages. The last pages show the drawings.
http://bases-brevets19e.inpi.fr/index.asp?page=rechercheAvancee
On the net I have read Charles Wheatstone also made an early form of a melodica like the one by Kayser.
(He made some variations on his symphonium: horizontal and frontal, vertical and lateral, etcetera etc ) But apparantly he also had his “melodica” patented. But nowhere can I find this patent online.
Does anyone know where to view this Charles Wheatstone early “melodica” patent ?