IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and
323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." A communi-
cation from abroad by Moses Harris, of the City, County, and State of
New York
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st December 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn
in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS."-A communication from abroad by Moses Harris of the City
County and State of New York.
This Invention relates to wind musical instruments that are operated manually
by keys or are played and controlled by means of one or more strips or sheets of
paper or other suitable material perforated to represent the different notes or
sounds it is desired to produce and caused to automatically pass over air ducts
which accordingly as they are opened by the perforations in the paper cause the
reeds or other sounding devices to be played as desired.
The Invention consists in its application to a reed organ in constructing an organ
with manually-operated sounding devices on one side and mechanically-operated
sounding devices opposite thereto and in placing the pneumatic keys in the wind
chest that is common to both sections and in which the reed valves are located so
that the mechanically operated valves may be acted upon by the pneumatic keys
independently of the valves pertaining to the manual keys or tracker-pins and so
that the instrument may be played either mechanically or manually independently
of the other method or manually and mechanically at the same time. And the
Invention further consists of valves of novel construction and arrangement for
controlling the passage of air through the air ducts and of gravity note-readers
operating said valves.
―:
The principal parts of the apparatus are as follows:-
A wind chest similar to that of an ordinary reed organ communicating with
exhaust bellows through port.

page_text: One portion or section of the instrument is capable of being mechanically
operated and another portion or section is capable of being manually operated.
A Series of pneumatic keys are provided with exhaust ports secured within the
wind chest beneath the air tubes or ducts and connected with the reed valves of
the mechanically operated section by suitable connections, said valves being held
closed by springs.
The air ducts have their upper ends closed together so that a narrow music sheet
and small valves may be used to control the passage of air through or by thein
and are made to spread or diverge at their lower ends so as to accommodate
themselves to or meet the valves of an ordinary organ.
The upper ends of these air ducts or tubes are supported by being secured to a
brace which is supported between the ends of the instrument case and projecting
upward from this brace are lugs to which are pivoted the vertically-moving valves
that close the outer ends of the tubes or air ducts.
Said vertically moving valves are preferably set at an inclination of thirty
degrees or thereabouts and are so pivoted that in their normal positions they close
the air ducts by their gravity.
An angle cap also supported between the ends of the instrument case covers the
tops of the tubes or air ducts and encloses as well the vertically moving valves with
the exception of their upper ends which are seen in the open channel between the
brace and the cap.
A block also secured between the ends of the instrument is provided with a series
of contiguous and parallel mortices having internal shoulders formed near their
mouths to prevent the disengagement of the contained note-readers and in these
mortices are placed the gravity note-readers that correspond in number with and
operate the valves.
Said-note-readers are provided on their under edges with shoulders which prevent
their falling from said mortices by contact with the opposing mortice shoulders and
said note readers have rounded notes that are designed to be always in contact
with the vertically moving valves or with the perforated music sheet or strip that
passes over the latter.-The rounded noses face toward the direction from which
the sheet is unwound and cause the note readers to rise easily over the edges of
the perforations in said sheet.
The said sheet or strip is designed to be drawn over the air-ducts from a drum
in the usual manner.
When the instrument is mechanically operated the noses of the note readers fall
by gravity through the perforations in the music strip as the latter is moved along
over the vertically moving valves thereby raising the latter and allowing air to be
drawn through the air ducts by the action of the exhaust bellows whereby the
pneumatic keys are expanded and thereby caused to draw open the reed valves,
when the first set of stops being open air is drawn by the action of the exhaust
bellows through the reed openings over the first set of reeds causing the latter to
sound.
While the instrument is thus mechanically operated there is no interference with
or movement of the reed valves of the manually operated section of the organ said
valves being retained closed by their springs.
The tracker-pins of the said manually operated section are held from contact
with the reed valves by springs that pass through said pins and thereby support
the weights of the manual keys.
It will be seen that the instrument can-independently of the music sheet and
its auxiliaries be played by manipulation of the keys after the usual manner of
organs in which case the tracker pins open the reed valves which are in turn closed
by their springs and the second set of stops being open air is drawn by the bellows
through the reed openings over the second set of reeds causing the latter to sound.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
.30th June 1882.
"
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in
the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS."-A communication from abroad by Moses Harris, of the City,
County, and State of New York.
This Invention relates to wind musical instruments that are operated manually
by keys or are played and controlled by means of one or more strips or sheets of
paper or other suitable material perforated to represent the different notes or
sounds it is desired to produce, and caused to automatically pass over air ducts
which according as they are opened by the perforations in the paper cause the
reeds or other sounding devices to be played as desired.
The Invention consists in its application to a reed organ in constructing an organ
with manually operated sounding devices on one side, and mechanically operated
sounding devices opposite thereto, and in placing the pneumatic keys in the wind
chest that is common to both sections and in which the reed valves are located, so
that the mechanically operated valves may be acted upon by the pneumatic keys
independently of the valves pertaining to the manual keys for tracker pins and so
that the instrument may be played either mechanically or manually independently
of the other method, or manually and mechanically at the same time. And tho
Invention further consists of valves of novel construction and arrangement for
controlling the passing of air through the air ducts, and of gravity note-readers
operating said valves."
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a reed organ embodying the improvements.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of an improved gravity note-reader in
position.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the Drawings A represents the wind chest similar to that of an ordinary
reed organ communicating with exhaust bellows A¹ through part a.
A³ represents
that portion or section of the instrument capable of being mechanically operated
and A³ that portion or section capable of being manually operated. B, B, represent
a series of pneumatic keys provided with exhaust ports a secured within the
wind chest A beneath the air tubes or ducts D. D. and connected with the reed
valves c of the mechanically operated section A2 by suitable connections E said
valves E being held closed by springs b.
The air ducts D. D. have their upper ends close together so that a narrow music
sheet and small valves may be used to control the passage of air through or by
them and are made to spread or diverge at their lower ends so as to accommodate
themselves to, or meet the valves of an ordinary organ.
The upper ends of these air-ducts or tubes D are supported by being secured to
a brace D' which is supported between the ends of the instrument case and
projecting upward from this brace D' are lugs c to which are pivotted the vertically-
moving valves F that close the outer ends of the tubes or air-ducts D.
Said valves F are preferably set at an inclination of 30° or thereabouts and are
so pivotted that in their normal positions they close the air-ducts D by their
gravity.
An angle cap G also supported between the ends of the instrument case, covers
the tops of the tubes or air duct D and encloses as well the valves F with

page_text: the exception of their upper ends which are seen in the open channel d
between the brace D¹ and the cap G.
A block H' also secured between the ends of the instrument is provided
with a series of contiguous and parallel mortices o having internal shoulders o'
formed near their mouths to prevent the disengagement of the contained note-
readers H and in these mortices o are placed the gravity note-readers H that
correspond in number with and operate the valves F.
Said note-readers H are provided on their under edges with shoulders f
which prevent their falling from said mortices o by contact with the opposing
mortice shoulders o¹; and said note-readers H have rounded noses g that are
designed to be always in contact with the valves F or with the perforated
music sheet or strip I that passes over the latter. The rounded noses g face
toward the direction from which the sheet I is unwound and cause the note-
readers H to rise easily over the edges of the perforations in said sheet.
The said sheet or strip I is designed to be drawn over the air ducts D, from the
drun I in the usual manner.
When the instrument is mechanically operated the noses g of the note readers H
fall by gravity through the perforations in the music strip I as the latter is moved
along over the valves F, thereby raising the latter and allowing air to be drawn
through the air ducts D, by the action of the exhaust bellows A¹ whereby the
pneumatic keys B are expanded, and thereby caused to draw open the reed valves C
when the stops K being open air is drawn by the action of the exhaust bellows A¹
through the reed openings h over the reeds K¹ causing the latter to sound.
While the instrument is thus mechanically operated there is no interference with
or movement of the reed valves C¹ of the manually operated section of the organ
said valves C¹ being retained closed by their springs bl.
The tracker pins M of the said manually operated section A³ are held from
contact with the reed valves C¹ by springs m that pass through said pins M and
thereby support the weights of the manual keys L.
It will be seen that the instrument can, independently of the music sheet I and
its auxiliaries be played by manipulation of the keys L, after the usual manner
of organs, in which case the tracker pins M open the valves C which are in turn
closed by their springs b' and the stops K² being open air is drawn by the
bellows A¹ through the reed openings h³ over the reeds causing the latter to
sound.
I am aware that it is not new to construct musical instruments that are operated
both mechanically and manually hence I do not broadly claim such arrangement
but
Having thus described the Invention as communicated to me I claim as new and
desire to secure by Letters Patent.
1st In a wind musical instrument containing sound-producing devices such as
reeds, the combination with the wind chest enclosing the valves which regulate
the passage of air over or through said devices of pneumatic keys located within
said wind chest as set forth.
2nd In a wind musical instrument adapted to be operated mechanically and
manually, and containing sound-producing devices such as reeds, the tracker pins
of the manual mechanism provided with means for holding them in their normal
position, and holding them from contact with their reed-valves substantially as
herein shown and described.
3rd. In a wind musical instrument containing sound-producing devices such as
reeds, the combination with reed valves fixed within the wind-chest of pneumatic
valves also fixed within the wind chest for operating said valves substantially as
herein shown and described.
4th In a wind musical instrument provided with exhaust bellows the_com-
bination with the pneumatic keys B of air ducts D valves F, note readers H, and
perforated music sheet I all arranged to operate substantially as hereinshow n
and described, whereby the valves are acted upon by the note-readers through

page_text: perforations in the music sheet to permit air to pass through the air ducts to
the pucumatic keys as set forth.
5th. In a wind musical instrument adapted to be operated mechanically and
manually and containing sound-producing devices such as reeds and provided with
exhaust bellows the combination with the reed valves C¹, the manual keys L, and
spring supported tracker-pins M for manually operating the valves of tho
pneumatic keys B and valves C arranged within the wind chest, air ducts D,
valves F, noto readers H, and perforated music sheet I for mechanically operating
the instrument substantially as herein shown and described.
6th. In a wind musical instrument, the combination with the manual key, tracker
pins M of the supporting springs m, substantially as herein shown and for the
purpose described.
7th In a wind musical instrument adapted to be operated mechanically and
manually, the combination with the section or portion arranged to be operated
mechanically, and the section or portion arranged to be operated manually of a
common wind chest substantially as herein shown and described.
8th In a wind musical instrument operated by means of a perforated music sheet,
the combination with the air ducts D, and valves F, of the gravity note readers H.
substantially as herein shown and described.
9th In a wind musical instrument operated by means of a perforated music
sheet, the combination with the gravity note-readers H, of the mortised and
shouldered block H' substantially as and for the purpose described.
10th In a wind musical instrument operated by means of a perforated music
sheet, the (combination with the perforated music sheet, of gravity note-readers
constructed substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof I, the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty ninth day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.