IMPROVEMENTS IN HARMONIUMS AND OTHER SIMTERA LEED INSTRUMENTS.
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bentham, of Halifax, in the County of
York, Music Seller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARMONIUMS
AND OTHER SIMTERA LEED INSTRUMENTS.
Sealed the 16th April 1858, and dated the 19th October 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bentham, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th October 1857.
I, WILLIAM BENTHAM, of Halifax, in the County of York, Music Seller,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HARMONIUMS AND OTHER SIMILAR REED INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to means for producing a "swell" or variation in
the tone or power of such musical instruments, and in such manner that one
part of the instrument, or a series or number of the "reeds," can be played
piano, or caused to vibrate softly, whilst another part or series of reeds,
can be played forte or loud, and vice versa, or all parts may be played
soft, or all loud, simultaneously, at the option or pleasure of the performer.
And the improvements consist in the application to air-tight cells or compart-
ments formed between the wind chest and the "reeds" of valves so constructed.
and arranged as to be capable of being opened and shut gradually and sepa-
rately, thus enabling me to produce à gradual increase or decrease in the

page_text: 66
expression," or a "swell" in the tone of any series or set of "reeds" inde-
pendently of any other set, which I effect by means of slide valves with vee
or other suitable formed openings, or by flexible valves capable of being rolled
off or coiled up from the seat, by means or through the medium of a combi-
nation of lever motions which are actuated or operated by the knees, legs, and
feet of the performer, thereby dispensing with the present practice of drawing
out and pushing in "stops" by the hand of the performer, consequently avoiding
the necessity of removing the hands from the "key-board" during a performance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bentham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BENTHAM, of Halifax, in the County of York, Music Seller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did,. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Bentham, Her special licence that I, the said William
Bentham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Bentham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HARMONIUMS AND OTHER SIMILAR REED INSTRUMENTS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Bentham, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the. said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Bentham, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement (that is to say) :-

page_text: My Invention relates to means for producing a "swell" or variation in the
tone or power of harmoniums and other similar reed musical instruments, and
in such manner that one part of the instrument or a series or number of the
"reeds" can be played piano, or caused to vibrate softly, whilst another part
or series of reeds can be played forté or loud, and vice versa, or all parts may
be played soft, or all loud, simultaneously, at the option or pleasure of the
performer. And my said improvements consist in the application to air-tight
cells or compartments formed between the wind chest and the "reeds" of
valves so constructed and arranged as to be capable of being opened and shut
gradually and separately, thus enabling me to produce a gradual increase or
decrease in the "expression," or a "swell" in the tone of any series or set of
"reeds" independently of any other set, which I effect by means of slide valves
with vee or other suitable formed openings, or by flexible valves capable of
being rolled off or coiled up from the seat, by means or through the medium
of a combination of lever motions, which are actuated or operated by the
knees, legs, and feet of the performer, thereby dispensing with the present
practice of drawing out and pushing in the "stops" by hand, and consequently
avoiding the necessity of removing the hands from the "key-board" during a
performance.
The manner in which my said Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and the
letters of reference thereon, similar letters referring to the same parts in each
Figure.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a harmonium drawn on a scale of
about two inches to the foot, shewing the levers or apparatus to be acted
upon by the knees, &c. of the performer applied to the front of the instrument.
Fig. 2 represents a plan of the same with the keyboard and reedboard re-
moved, shewing a board with ribs or projections thereon, forming six cells,
compartments, or divisions, corresponding to the other six cells or compart-
ments formed on the under side of the reed board, which when together form
separate air-tight cells, compartments, or chambers, with openings' and covers
or valves to each, for admitting the wind to the several sets of reeds thus
formed by divisions as required. Fig. 3 is a plan' of the upper side or top of
the wind chest, with valves for regulating the quantity of wind allowed to
escape to supply the other valves above. Fig. 4 is a plan of the under side of
the valve board, (the upper side of which is shewn in Fig. 2), drawn on a'
larger scale for the purpose of shewing more clearly the application and mode
of operating the said valves, and Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same. Fig. 6

page_text: is a plan of the under side of the reed board also on the same scale as
Figs. 4 and 5, shewing the reeds and compartments; Fig. 7 is a vertical
and longitudinal section of the principal portion of the instrument on the
same scale, shewing the arrangement and construction of the different parts.
thereof.
A represents the casing or framework of the instrument; B, the bellows or
wind "feeders;" C, the wind chest, in the top of which are two openings,
covered by the slide valves D, which are operated or opened by the legs or
feet of the performer through the medium of the combination of rods and
levers E, and shut by a spiral spring F, connecting the two valves together,
which valves are kept to their seat by a bow spring G; H is the valve board,
as shewn in plan at Fig. 4, with openings and covers, or slide valves I, which.
are connected by rods, &c. to the levers J, which are actuated by the knees
of the performer to open the valves, and by the spiral springs K to close them.
L, L, represent valves, which are opened or closed alternately by means of
the lever M, actuated by the legs of the performer. N is the reed board, as
seen in plan at Fig. 6, and P the keys.
It will be observed that by means of these my improvements, I can gradually
regulate the admission of wind, or open and close any of the valves, by the
knees or legs so as to admit any desirable quantity of wind to any compart-
ment or series or set of reeds by which the tone or expression is rendered
forté or loud, piano or soft, accordingly, in any of the compartments or sets of
reeds independently of any other set, and it is also evident that any number
of compartments may be formed of the reeds, or the reed board divided in any
desirable number of cells.
Figs. 8 and 9 are plan and section of a flexible valve to be rolled off the
openings, which may be operated in like manner as the slide valves and with
similar effects. Fig. 10 is a plan of a pair of slide valves, which oscillate
upon a pivot R by means of the lever S, and slide rod T, which valves would
also substitute the slide valves I.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would have it distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth,
as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof. But I claim as my Invention, and which I believe to be new within
the realm, firstly, regulating the admission of wind to the reeds of harmoniums
or similar reed instruments by means of valves or equivalent apparatus;
and, secondly, the method of actuating the valves or stops of such instru-

page_text: ments by the knees, legs, or feet of the performer as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bentham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
WILLIAM BENTHAM. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named William Bentham, in the presence of
W. TASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.