In the earlier part of the 20th century there were many attempts in various countries to produce a double horn that combined the standard Bb horn with an f-alto instrument. Due to incorrect taper-proportions these were never successful in the longer Bb instrument, which should ideally shoulder most of the work. However, in 1959 Robert Paxman, in conjunction with Richard Merewether, built a single horn in f-alto, followed by the first dual-bore F/Bb-alto double horn, and subsequently an instrument in Bb(A-+)/f-alto. This development was seen as an important breakthrough in horn design.

Thirty-five years of technical innovation have produced the present Model 40. Launched early in 1986, this model uses the standard tapers on the Bb side, as they appear on the full and compensating doubles, thus achieving uniformity on the Bb side amongst all the models. A valve developed by Paxman gives the airway diverging routes from a point close to the mouthpiece where the tube calibre is still small. Each circuit then follows its longer or shorter route with the appropriate tapers, and converges again in another chamber of the same valve-cylinder with a much larger tube-diameter at a fit point in the expanding approach to the bell throat.

The latest development is the Model 45. This is essentially the same instrument but with narrower cylindrical tubing on the f-alto horn, which enhances the sound quality and helps to equate the resistance of the two sides.

In 1968 Paxman also produced the first Bb-soprano single horn, closely followed by the Model 60, a double Bb(A-+)/Bb-soprano horn. This was the instrument for which the valve that is so important to the Model 40 was first developed, being adapted to that model and to the triple horns in 1986.

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