other Wind Instruments having Keys.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1888
Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1888
other Wind Instruments having Keys.
I, JAMES JOHN WALKER of. 27 Francis Street in the county of Middlesex Organ
Builder do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED COMPOUND
VALVE ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO ORGANS OR OTHER WIND INSTRUMENTS HAVING
KEYS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object the production of a rapid response, more or less as
desired of the pipes or reeds of the Organ or other Wind Instruments to the keys or
pedals when pressed down in the usual manner by a performer or by mechanical means,
and also an equally rapid response, more or less as desired, when the key or pedal is
allowed to commence its return to its original position--In order to accomplish this I
place between the keys and the pipes, in any convenient situation a valve, so constructed
that upon the key or. pedal being pressed down the wind is allowed either to act
directly on the pallets of the soundboard, or through the pneumatic action of the
organ or to act in any other required manner in the case of other wind instruments-
In the following description of my invention I intend the word "key," to include the
pedals in such instruments as they are usually applied to. The valve is constructed of
wood or metal or partly of each, or of any other suitable material and consists of two
or more parts, one of which is allowed to slide or rotate upon or within the other or
others immediately the key is pressed down and having slidden or rotated a certain
distance, which I regulate as I find necessary but which is generally from about 16th
to of an inch, it causes the other part to slide or rotate with it during the remainder
of the time the key is being moved or depressed-The movement of the key causing
the first part of the valve to move, admits the wind to the pipes or grooves or other part
of the action and during the continuance of the motion of both or all the parts the
wind is being admitted, but directly the pressure on the key is removed the first part
of the valve returns to its original position by means of a spring or other suitable
mechanism, cutting off the supply of wind and consequently the pipe or reed ceases to
speak, or the wind is cut off from the action, and if the key is allowed to return to its
original position the valve also returns, but if after the key has been allowed to rise, a
short distance it is again depressed the valve immediately repeats its action. The one

page_text: part of the valve is so constructed that it has always a communication with a wind
chest or supply (the human lungs in the case of brass wind instruments) and also a
number of holes or slots or apertures of any convenient shape, the numbers of the
holes, their distances apart and whether they are arranged transversely or obliquely or
otherwise, is determined as is required in each particular instrument, the width of the
apertures determining the sensitiveness of the valve. The other part or parts have a
similar number of holes or apertures corresponding with those before mentioned and
is so arranged that when it slides or rotates the holes in each part come opposite those of
the other and thus establish a communication between the supply or wind chest and the
pipes or action whether electric or otherwise causing them to act as required-When
necessary I place suitable pads to prevent any sound from the friction or contact of the
various parts-A reference to the drawings (in which like letters represent like parts)
will help to explain the construction of my invention.
Figure 1 represents a section of the complete apparatus as it might be used with
the pneumatic action of the Organ, whether tubular or otherwise, and Figure 2, a plan
of the same A is the wind chest having the wind therein under pressure and Ba
second chamber open to the atmosphere, or an exhaust chamber; C, C, C, C are the
upper parts of the valve, having slots D, D, D D, open to their respective chambers,
-The slides C, C, C, C are connected together by means of adjusting screws and
nuts E, E, E, E, those in the chamber to the right being extended and carrying
an adjustable nut F, to regulate the tension of the spring G, that causes the valve to
return to its seat when released from the pressure of the key, and terminating in
a ring H, or other suitable fastening for its attachment to the other parts of the
action The lower parts of the slides I, I, I, I, carry at or near their extremities
pins or stops K, K, K, K, to regulate the distance the slides C, C, C, C, shall traverse
before moving the slides I. I, 1, 1, and it is clear that when the upper slides come in
contact with the stops of the lower they will move together, and also that the slots D D,
in chamber A will come opposite the slots L L of the slide I, I, in the same chamber,
and thus establish a communication between the wind chest A, and the passage M,
leading to the soundboard, pipes, or pneumatic action, tubular or otherwise-But, the
same movement in chamber B will cause the slots D D, to move away from the
slots L L and close the communication between chamber B and the exhaust
passage M³, and thus only allow the wind to go to the pipes or action-When the
valve is allowed to return these actions are reversed and any back pressure of wind
is allowed to exhaust itself through the valve in chamber B, (or in the event of suction
being used is drawn through the valve) and the wind is cut off from the pipes or
action, in chamber A. The valve might be constructed so that the slides I, I, I, I, were
above the slides C, C, C, C, or the lower slides I, I, I, I, might be made to move first
carrying the slides C, C, C, C, with them when they come in contact with the stops.
It will be clear from the above description and drawings of my invention that the
valve is applicable to any wind instrument having keys or any mechanical or electrical
equivalent It is quite immeterial whether the valve is placed vertically or horizontally
or whether it is inclined, the precise position being determined by the circumstances of
its application and it is in some cases convenient to use discs that rotate on, or tubes
that slide within, each other due allowance being made to counterbalance by weights or
springs pressure or suction-At times I connect the valve directly to the sound board
and use it without any connection with the pneumatic or electric actions, and in the
case of suction or pressure or both being used to work the action or to sound the
reeds or pipes I vary the arrangement of the parts of the valve and thus render it
suitable. In the drawing the valve is shown connected to another valve or duplicated,
the second valve acting as an exhaust valve as explained, but at times, as in the case of
a direct action I use the valves independently.
I can also employ my valves to work the various other parts of the organ such as the
swell, drawstops, couplers or composition pedals, as well as the pipes or reeds, connecting
them with the electric pneumatic or other suitable action of the organ when
convenient..

page_text: The great advantage of my valve is that I can cause an unfailing and rapid response
of the action to the movements made by the performer and that the sounds desired
commence and cease almost simultaneously with the action of the keys in either
direction, thus affording a great assistance in the playing of rapid passages and
abolishing the appreciable loss of time consumed by the ordinary action in returning
to its normal position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is;
1. The construction of a valve apparatus applicable to Organs or other wind
Instruments having keys, pedals or equivalent mechanical movements, constructed
in any suitable materials in two or more parts, for the production of a rapid response,
whether to produce or to stop the sound of the sounding parts to the keys, or the action,
substantially as above described.
II. The construction of a slide, flat tubular or otherwise having a continuous
communication with a wind supply, suction or exhaust and having one or more
apertures for the admission, withdrawal or release of the wind, substantially as above
described and worked by the keys, pedals or action of the Organ or other musical
instrument.
III. The construction of a slide, flat, tubular or otherwise having one or more apertures
for the admission withdrawal or release of the wind and having a continuous commu-
nication through a wind channel with the pneumatic or other action of the Instrument
substantially as above described and worked by the slide with the 2nd claim
referred to.
Dated this 18th day of lanuary 1888
GEORGE WILLIAM BUDD,
Agent for the Applicant.