Improvements in or relating to Reed Blocks and Pneumatic Valve Operating Devices for Musical Instruments.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Reed Blocks and Pneumatic Valve
Operating Devices for Musical Instruments.
I, MELVILLE CLARK, of 12th and Canal Streets in the City of Chicago, County of
Cook, State of Illinois, and United States of America, Musical Instrument
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
Fig 1 is a vertical fore-and-aft section through an organ embodying my
improvements.
Figs. 2 and 3 together constitute a section at the line 2-3 on Fig. 1, the middle
portion being broken away to condense the figures laterally.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section at the line 4-4 on Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section at the line 5-5 on Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a detail showing a modified communication from the vacuum chamber
proper and the pneumatic operating supplement thereof.
Fig. 7 is a section at the line 7-7 on Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a detail section at the line 8-8 on Fig. 1.
Fig. 9 is a detail section showing an exteriorly operated tension device for
regulating the "touch" of the keys.
Fig. 10 is a detail section at the line 10-10 on Fig. 1.
In the drawings, A represents the upper end of the bellows, of which the wind-chest or
vacuum chamber B is substantially an extension. This wind-chest or vacuum chamber
is vertical and may extend all above, or all below, or partly above and partly below,
the manual. Blocks CCC etc., containing reed chambers C' CC etc., are shown
mounted both on the front and on the rear walls of said vacuum chamber B. In each
block I have shown four reed chambers controlled by the same valve. Such blocks
to any number, according to the vertical extent of the vacuum chamber, may be
arranged one above another, the valves of their corresponding reed chambers falling
in vertical rows. The width of each reed chamber, including necessary partition
walls between laterally adjacent chambers, is ordinarily equal to the lateral space
apportioned to each key of the manual; but by the expedient of offsetting the reed
chambers for consecutive keys, double, treble or more space can be obtained for each
reed chamber. This is necessary, usually, only in the bass, and at this part fewer sets
of reeds are usually required, so that the space afforded by the omitted sets can be
utilized for offsetting and lapping the reed chambers, as seen in the bass portion in
Fig. 4.
One feature of my invention is especially important in constructions in which the
reeds comprise several sets whose corresponding individuals have their chambers in
the same block which is mounted on or connected to the wind-chest in such manner
that the air passages leading to said several individual reed chambers increase in
length successively, the necessary length of the longest passage of the group
being dependent, therefore, upon the number of reed chambers formed in one block
successively more and more remote from the wind-chest. Heretofore, it has been
customary to provide each reed chamber with an independent throat to the vacuum
chamber, and the number of sets of reeds which could thus be mounted in one block
has heretofore been found to be very limited, because a short throat or passage from
the wind-chest to the reed chamber has been found necessary to make the reeds speak

page_text: throughout the entire range of the instrument; and, practically, good speaking
quality has not been heretofore obtained with more than two reeds mounted one back
of the other in one block. 1 overcome this difficulty and make it possible to mount
any number of reeds in this manner in one block by providing for all or a large
number of reeds controlled by a given mute, a single or common throat or air passage
from the wind-chest to the reed chamber, which I do by merging all the individual
throats in one. For, from the lower ends of all the reed chambers CC, which
pertain to each set of reeds, a single or common channel or furrow C10 leads toward
and through the wall of the wind-chest on which the block is mounted. There is
thus formed for all or any desired number of the reeds of each set, a single throat
whose width is not limited by the width of the reed or its chamber. The extended
throats thus formed give such perfectly free and unrestricted access to each and every
reed in the set, that the depth or distance from the wind-chest proper out to the reed-
chamber is of no consequence, the throat being so large as to be in effect an extension
of the wind-chest reaching to the very reed itself; and all the reeds, however remote,
in the block, when their respective valves are opened, experience equally the suction
due to the partial vacuum in the wind-chest. So many of the continuous throats C¹º
as pertain to reeds of the same set, are controlled within the wind-chest proper by a
single mute, these several mutes being denoted by the letters D' D₁ D₁ etc. and
D² D² D² etc. cc etc. represent not partitions, but mere bridges across the throat to
afford support to the long mutes. The mutes D1 and D2 have crank arms D1 and D20,
(Fig. 5) outside of the end walls of the vacuum chamber, which are connected by
suitable links D³ to the stops D4, which may be supported and operated in a familiar
manner at the opposite ends of the organ front. The reed-blocks CC etc., in which
the reed chambers are formed, are cut off obliquely at the upper ends, through which
the reed chambers emerge, and through which the reeds are inserted, and the
valves CC etc. are adapted to seat upon the upper sloping ends of the blocks, being
hinged at their own upper ends proximate to the wall of the wind-chest, being opened
by lifting their lower free ends and being thereby adapted to be seated by gravity,
while the reed valves are designed to be operated by pneumatic motors, and above
each vertical row of reed valves there is mounted a pneumatic motor. In order that
each motor may be of sufficient area to operate an entire vertical row of valves, these
pneumatic motors are arranged in two horizontal rows, whose individuals
alternate with each other, that is, individuals of one row lapping the intervals or
junctions between the individuals of the other row,--and by this means I obtain for
each pneumatic a lateral space equal to that apportioned to two reed valves. In the
construction illustrated, the wind-chest is provided with a supplement B', which is
extended horizontally forward and rearward of the vertical front and rear walls,
respectively of the main portion of said wind-chest, and the pneumatic motors are
mounted on the under side of the horizontally extended supplement B' of the wind-
chest, which thus overhangs the reed-blocks and valves and is connected with the
wind-chest proper by the hollow standards B³ at the ends. The individuals of the two
rows of pneumatic motors are indicated respectively by the letters E and E', the former
being mounted directly upon the under wall of the overhanging supplement B 1, and
the latter being mounted on the same wall, but connected thereto by hangers B100,
which are thin ribs of wood, whose upper edges are glued fast to the under side of the
under wall of the supplement B' of the wind-chest, their lower edges being similarly
secured to the lower side of the upper fixed wall of the pneumatic, the duct e' which
communicates between the chamber of the pneumatic E and the supplemental
wind-chest or vacuum chamber B' being a broad flat duct, as seen in Fig. 8,
affording free communication, but requiring minimum space laterally. The lower
fluctuating walls of the pneumatic motors are hinged at their ends proximate to the
vertical wind-chest proper, their remote ends being adapted to fluctuate as the
pneumatic is inflated and exhausted. These fluctuating ends are connected by
tapes E2 E2 etc. to the free edges of the reed valves in the vertical rows beneath and
corresponding to the pneumatics respectively; a single tape extending from the
pneumatic down past the edges of all the pneumatics in the row and being attached

page_text: thereto, the attachment being made in such manner as to permit the taking up of
the slack which may at any time occur, so that all the valves in the row will be lifted.
simultaneously when the pneumatic is operated. If necessary in order to insuro
vory quick response of the valve, the lowest valve may be provided with a spring C³,
tending to seat it and operating therefore to seat all the rest above it by means of the
tape connection described; but ordinarily gravity may be depended upon to seat the
valves with sufficient promptness.
The pneumatics are designed to be operated to actuate the reed valves, either
through connections from the manual, or, by means of a perforated music strip
operating over a tracker range in a manner which is familiar. The operation of the
pneumatic motors, in either caso, is caused by opening communication between them,
respectively, and the wind-chest or vacuum chamber. Such communication is made
through the base-board by means of ducts 610, (Fig. 3) said ducts opening at one
extremity into the wind-chest and at the other extremity into the pneumatic motors
respectively. The same ducts are utilized to vent, or admit the outer air to,-tho
pneumatic motors by causing them to open into cross-ports 6 which extend directly
through the base-board B, the inner end of the cross-port constituting the opening
of the duct within the wind-chest, while the outer end constitutes the opening of the
same duct to the outer air. As there are corresponding vertical rows of reed valves
on the front and rear sides of the main chamber of the wind-chest, or wind-chest
proper, so there are pneumatic motors mounted upon the under side of the extension
or supplement B¹ above each of said vertical rows of reed valves, (the two pneumatics
pertaining to each pair of corresponding vertical rows of reed valves on the front and
rear sides, respectively, being in line with each other fore-and-aft on the under sido
of the supplement B') and the same cross-port 611 serves for ducts 610 610, which lead
to the two pneumatics of each pair, as seen in Fig. 1. Through the cross-port 1, a
valve stem extends, carrying at the lower end a valve F¹and at the upper end a valve F2,
said valves being adapted to seat, one over the inner and the other over the outer
mouth of said cross-port. The lever G, fulcrumed at any suitable point fixed with
respect to the wind-chest and the remainder of the action, as, for example, on the
fulcrum 9 mounted on the rear side of the case A, which contains the perforated
music strip and operating mechanism, at its rear end is adapted to actuate the valves
on the stem in a direction to seat the valve F', closing the outer mouth of the
cross-port, and by the same action to lift the valve F2, thereby opening
communication between the wind-chest supplement and the pneumatic-motors,
thereby causing the latter to be exhausted and their fluctuating sides to be lifted and
lift the reed valves. This action is produced in respect to any pair of pneumatics and
corresponding reed valves by either one of two means. The first means is the
corresponding manual key H, which is fulcrumed at in a customary manner, and
being depressed oporates at its rear end beyond said fulcrum upwardly against the
thrust rod H 1, said rod being provided with vertical guidance in the fixed
bars Hand H", and at its upper end operating upwardly against the lever G
rearward of the fulcrum of the latter, causing its rear end to be elevated to operate the
valves F and F2, as above described. A spring F3 is interposed between the rear
end of this lever and the valve F2, said spring reaching the valve when the latter
is off its seat and the lever is depressed at the rear end. When, therefore, the
manual key is depressed, the first effect of such movement is to lift the
valves F1 and F2 through the medium of the spring F³, until the valve F2 is
seated, the further depression of the key and corresponding lifting of the lever G
causing the spring to be compressed and the valve F2 to be held by the tension of the
spring more firmly seated over the lower mouth of the cross-port 61. This gives an
elastic action to the keys of the manual, which require but very slight movement,-
scarcely more than a sixteenth of an inch,-in order to operate the valves F' and F2,
but which, by means of this interposed spring, obtain a range of movement more
nearly what is customary. But by virtue of the shortness of the movement which is
necessary to operate the valves, the response of the reeds to the manual action is

page_text: rendered exceptionally prompt, the tone being produced almost before the operator
is aware of having depressed the key. The other means of operating the
valves F1 and F2 to obtain thereby the opening of the reed valves is a perforated
strip J, operating over the tracker range J', whose ducts are connected by flexible
tubes J2 to corresponding ducts J³, which open at the forward edge of the base B10 of
the wind-chest supplement; said ducts respectively at their opposite ends opening
through the upper surface of said base-board into auxiliary pneumatics K K etc.,
which are located within the wind-chest supplement, which, at their upper fluctuating
sides operate by contact against the forward ends of the levers K', which are
fulcrumed at their rear ends in a familiar manner upon a rib K³, located within
the wind-chest supplement, said levers at a point intermediate their ends overhanging
and being adapted to act downwardly upon the valves F2 F2, respectively, and being
provided each with a spring K³, tending to hold it downward to seat the valve F2,
the operation of these auxiliary pneumatics will be well understood, being familiar in
the art. When a perforation in the music strip passing the end of a duct in the
tracker range uncovers the same and admits atmospheric pressure to the interior
of the auxiliary pneumatic, the latter is inflated, the air within the wind-
chest supplement being partially exhausted, and by such inflation lifts the lever K¹
at the forward end, permitting the air to pass in under. the valve F2 from the
chambers of the pneumatic motors which are collapsed by the exterior atmospheric
pressure and lift the reed valves in the same manner as when such collapse is brought
about by operating the valves F' F2 by the connections from the manual key.
•
It will be evident that in the same manner in which two pneumatic motors are
operated by valves F1 and F2, controlling the cross-ports into which the ducts
from said pueumatic motors both lead, any additional number of pneumatic-motors
may be simultáneously operated, provided their ducts lead into the same cross-ports;
advantage may be taken of this feature to operate pneumatics and reed valves
which they control located at any distance from the wind-chest and manual or
tracker range, additional ducts being made in the base-board B10 of the wind-chest
supplement B¹ leading to the rear edge thereof or to any other convenient point
at which flexible tubes may be connected to said ducts respectively, which may
extend to remote pneumatics. In Fig. 10 I have shown the plan arrangement of
such additional ducts which are denoted by the letters Ba Ba etc., to which the
flexible tubes Bb Bb etc. are shown connected at the rear edge of the board B,
at which said ducts emerge. The base-board may be made thick enough to contain
several series of such ducts at different levels, as shown in Fig. 1, and by this
means, a single manual or single music strip operating over its tracker range may
reproduce the same music at points remote from each other, the only requisite
being that the power of the bellows be equal to the task of maintaining proper
vacuum in the wind-chest or vacuum chamber. Even when no more than two
pneumatics are thus connected to the safe cross-port and controlled by the same
valve, I am able, by arranging the reed valves and the reed chambers which they
control in vertical rows so that each pneumatic operates an entire row, and by
constructing the reed blocks as described,-with a plurality of reed chambers having
their throats blended so as to obtain good speaking quality from all, to get the
full tone from a larger number of reeds than ever before attempted. In the
construction illustrated, for example, by means of a depression of the manual key a
distance from one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch against a resistance which is no
greater than it would be if only a single reed would be operated, I obtain the full tone
of twenty-four reeds. The resistance at the manual key is, in fact, so slight that I find
it useful to increase it to prevent the reeds from speaking upon accidental touches
upon the keys. This is done by the springs P, secured to a shaft P', which is supported
on brackets P² mounted on top of the wind-chest proper underneath the supplement B',
said bracket being slotted or notched vertically to afford guidance to the levers G.
The shaft which extends outside the organ case is provided with a handle P screwed
through the crank arm P", by which the shaft P1 may be rotated, the handle swinging
+

page_text: over a plate P1, against which said handle may be screwed tightly to hold it at any
desired point. Any desired tendency may thus be given to the springs P, causing the
action of the keys to be "soft" or "hard," as desired.
I prefer to enclose the entire system of reed-valves and the wind-chest on which they
are mounted within swells or slat shutters, the opening and closing of which will
moderate the volume of sound, and the points at which it emerges. These swells I
locate at the front, rear and right and left hand ends. R R are slats constituting a
swell at the forward side. RIR¹ constitute the swells at the rear; R' R² constitute
the swells at the right and left hand ends, respectively. Any convenient means of
opening and closing these slat shutters may be employed, the same being connected as
is customary to stop knobs (not shown) at the organ front.
Any desired means of coupling and transposing may be employed, the structure
shown admitting of any familiar appliances for these purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an organ, in combination with the manual and the valves which control the
sounding devices, au air chamber and the pneumatics communicating with such
chamber arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows and conducted to and operating
said valves respectively; valves which control the communication of said pneumatics
respectively with the air chamber and connections from said valves respectively arranged
in parallel vertical fore-and-aft planes and extending to the respective keys of
the manual.
2. In a pneumatic organ, in combination with an air chamber having ports leading
through its wall; valves which control said ports respectively and means for operating
the same; a plurality of ducts leading into said ports and a plurality of pneumatics
connected with such ducts respectively and valves which control the sounding devices
corresponding to and operated by said pneumatics respectively.
3. In a musical instrument in which the valves which control the action of the air
upon the sounding devices are operated by pneumatic motors, manual keys and the
wind-chest, said sounding-device-controlling-valves, and connections therefrom to the
motors being exterior to the wind-chest; valves which control communication between
the pneumatic motors respectively and the wind-chest, and mechanical connections
from the keys of the manual to the latter valves respectively.
1
4. In a musical instrument in which the valves which control the action of the air
upon the sounding devices are operated by pneumatic motors and in which the said
valves and pneumatic motors are exterior to the wind-chest, manual keys and
connections therefrom to the valves which control the communication between the
pneumatic motors and the wind-chest, the pneumatic motors and said mechanical
connections being exterior to the wind-chest.
5. In an organ, in combination with a vertical wind-chest, reed chambers mounted
upon the vertical sides thereof in vertical rows; exterior valves for said reed chambers
respectively; pneumatic motors located exterior to the wind-chest in line with said
vertical rows of valves, and connections from said pneumatic motors to the several
valves in their respective rows; the valves which control communication of said
pneumatic motors respectively with the wind-chest, and suitable means for operating
said latter valves.
6. In an organ, in combination with a manual and the wind-chest, reed chambers
mounted upon the vertical sides of the wind-chest in vertical rows; exterior valves for
such reed chambers respectively: pneumatic motors located exterior to the wind-chest
in line with the vertical rows respectively of reed-chamber-valves; connections from
the pneumatic motors respectively to the several valves in their respective vertical
rows; valves which control communication from the wind-chest to the pneumatic
motors respectively, and mechanical connections to said valves from the keys of the
manual respectively.
7. In an organ, in combination with the reed chambers mounted upon the vertical

page_text: sides of the wind-chest in vertical rows; exterior valves for said reed-chambers
respectively; pneumatic motors located exterior to the wind-chest in line respectively
with the vertical rows of valves and above said rows, and provided with connections
downward to the several valves; valves which control the communication of the
pneumatic motors respectively with the wind-chest, and suitable means for operating
said latter valves.
8. In an organ, in combination with a wind-chest erected vertically, reed chambers
mounted on the vertical sides thereof in vertical rows; downwardly seating valves
for said reed chambers; pneumatics mounted in line with said vertical rows respec-
tively and above the same; mechanical connections from the pneumatics to the
uppermost valves of their respective rows, and from each such valve successively to
the one below it in the row; and a spring acting upon the lowest valve in the row,
tending to seat the same and thereby seat all the valves above it in the row.
9. In an organ, in combination with the manual, a wind-chest erected vertically
and having at its upper side a horizontal extension; reed chambers mounted upon
the vertical wall of the wind-chest; pneumatic motors mounted on the under side of
said horizontal extension above the reed chambers respectively; downwardly seating
valves for said reed chambers and connections thereto from the paeumatics above
them respectively.
10. In an organ, in combination with the manual, a wind-chest erected vertically
and having at its upper side a horizontal extension; reed chambers mounted upon
the vertical wall of the wind-chest; pneumatic motors mounted on the under side
of said horizontal extension above the reed chambers respectively; downwardly
_ seating valves for said reed chambers and connections therefrom to the pneumatics
above them respectively; the valves which control communication of said pneumatics
respectively with the wind-chest, and mechanical connections from the keys of the
manual respectively to said latter valves.
11. In an organ, in combination with the manual, the wind-chest erected vertically
and having at its upper end a supplemental portion extended horizonally forward
I and rearward beyond the front and rear vertical walls of the main portion; reed
controlling valves mounted on the front and rear sides of said main portion;
pneumatic motors arranged in pairs, individuals of which are located above the
front and rear reed-controlling valves respectively and mounted on the horizontally
extended supplemental portion of the wind-chest and communicate therewith; a
valve for each pair of pneumatics controlling the communication of both individuals
of the pair with the wind-chest, and mechanical connections from the keys of the
manual to said latter valves respectively.
12. In an organ, in combination with the wind-chest, pneumatics mounted
exteriorly thereon corresponding respectively to the several notes or pitches to be
sounded; a plurality of reed-controlling valves corresponding to each note or pitch,
and connections from such valves respectively to the corresponding pneumatics;
valves which control communication between the pneumatics respectively and the
wind-chest, and suitable means for operating said pneumatic-controlling valves;
whereby each pneumatic operates a plurality of reed valves corresponding to the
same pitch.
13. In a reed organ, a block having formed in it a plurality of chambers for
reeds pertaining to the same set, separate valves which control said chambers
respectively at the speaking side of the reed, the chambers merging at the opposite
side of the reeds in a common throat leading from the reeds to the wind-chest.
14. In a reed organ, a block having formed in it chambers for reeds pertaining
to a plurality of sets, the reeds of each set having extended groups of contiguous
chambers merging in a common throat which extends from the reeds to the
wind-chest, and mutes which control said throats at their emergence into the
wind-chest.
15. In a reed organ, a block having individual chambers for the several reeds of
a plurality of sets; corresponding individuals of the several sets having their chambers
opening at an exterior surface of the block in rows transverse to the rows which

page_text: constitute the said sets respectively; valves which control said transverse rows
respectively, the several sets of reeds having extended groups of their contiguous
chambers merging at the side of said reeds towards the wind-chest in throats or
passages which are common to all the individuals of said groups respectively; such
throats or passages extending from the reeds to the wind-chest, and mutes which
control the throats at their openings into the wind-chest.
16. In a reed organ, in combination with a wind-chest, a block mounted thereon
having chambers for reeds pertaining to a plurality of sets, those of each set being
arranged in a row extending right and left; said rows being successively more and
more remote from the wind-chest; throats or passages from the inner ends of said
chambers ; extended groups of the reed chambers of the several sets respectively
having a common or single throat or passageway, whose lateral extent is the total
lateral extent of all the reed chambers of such group.
17. In a reed organ, in combination with a wind-chest erected vertically; a reed
block mounted upon one of the vertical sides thereof having its upper end bevelled
and sloping down away from the wall of the wind-chest; reed chambers pertaining to
a plurality of sets of reeds formed vertically in such block and arranged set by set
in rows which are successively more and more remote from the wind-chest; such
chamber emerging through such sloping surface; and throats or passages from their
lower ends respectively leading into the wind-chest; extended groups of contiguous
reed chambers in the respective sets having their throats or passages to the wind-chest
merged in one.
203
MELVILLE CLARK,
By Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.