Improved Means for Controlling and for Effecting Combinations in the Stops of Electro-Pneumatic Organs
Year: 1896

page_text: Improved Means for Controlling and for Effecting Combinations in the
Stops of Electro-Pneumatic Organs
I ARTHUR GEORGE HILL 372 York Road Camden Road London N Organ Builder do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide pneumatic means whereby, in an electro-
pneumatic organ, the player may, without disturbing the combination he is then
using, arrange a combination of stops for subsequent employment during a
performance.
To this end I provide the following system:
The drawstops, stop keys, or other contrivances whereby the player controls the
individual stops of the organ each operates in the first instance upon a slide valve
attached to a wind chest from which wind is admitted alternately into one or other
of a pair of small pneumatic bellows or motors.
To these motors are attached the Contacts which, by the operation of the former,
establish an electric current through the wires leading to the organ, and bring the
stop on or off in accordance with the action of the player.
So long as the wind chest is charged with compressed air the stops can be actuated
by the performer in the manner described; but if the wind chest be exhausted the
motors will not move, the action of the apparatus will be incomplete, and even if the
player shifts the drawstops or stop keys no changes will be effected in the stops of
the organ.
In order that the action of the stops may be arrested at the will of the player, I
provide a pedal, button, or other suitable contrivance in connexion with the supply
valve of the wind chest, whereby the wind can be admitted to or exhausted from the
latter.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:
The wind being admitted into the wind chest by the player, through the operation
of the pedal or button, which I term the Ventil Key, the stops can be selected and
brought into action at pleasure.
If now, during a performance, the player wishes to prepare another combination
of stops for future use, he can exhaust the wind from the wind chest. The
combination in use at the time will not be affected, but all the stops connected with
the wind chest will be thrown out of action. He can thus continue the use of the
stops already employed while at the same time shifting the drawstops or stop keys
and arranging a new combination at will without any immediate result.
When the time arrives for using the new combination the latter can be brought
instantly into operation by readmitting the air into the wind chest, when the newly
selected combination will come into action, thus affording the player the advantages
described.

page_text: The wind which charges the wind chest may be conveniently conveyed thither
from the organ by means of a flexible tube through which the electric cable or wires
can also pass. If the tube is of the armoured type it will form an excellent protection
to the delicate electric wires:
1
1000
Improved Means for Controlling and for Effecting Combinations in the
Stops of Electro-Pneumatic Organs.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE HILL, of 372 York Road, in the County of Middlesex, Organ.
Builder, 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 :-
My invention relates to improved means for controlling and for effecting combinations
in the stops of electro pneumatic organs.
The object of this invention is to provide pneumatic means whereby, in an electro
pneumatic organ, the player may, without disturbing the combination he is then
using, arrange any desired combination of stops for subsequent employment during a
performance.
One form of apparatus by which my invention may be carried into effect is
illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through the wind chest of the apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a cross section on line x-x of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow
and showing in addition the electric circuit completing device.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the slide valves shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and
Fig. 4 is a plan of the circuit completing device shown in Fig. 2.
According to my invention I attach the ordinary draw knobs, stop keys or other
contrivances whereby the individual stops of the organ are shifted by the hand of the
performer to what may be termed slide valves a which are connected to the draw
knobs or the like by means of rods b.
The slides a are enclosed by a suitable cover c (which is shewn removed in Fig. 3)
and each has two slots a¹ a2 therein, which are adapted to correspond with ports
d d' and d² d³ respectively dd2 of which communicate with a wind chest e
while d d communicate with bellows f f¹ (or it may be motors).
These bellows are connected together by means of a rod g which passes to a sliding
contact maker h of vulcanite or like insulating material which carries a metal contact
plate h¹. The base i on which the contact maker is mounted carries metal contact
springs jjj which form terminals of electric circuits connected with and adapted to
operate the draw stop action of the organ itself at the point where the change of
stops is finally effected and which mechanism is outside of the present invention.
The wind chest e also communicates with a chamber k (Fig. 1) in which is a
diaphragm ¹ and a pallet ² the latter adapted to cover a port ka leading to the wind
chest e. The diaphragm and pallet are connected by a rod which also carries a
pallet adapted to close an air escape port m in the wind chest e. Communicating
with the chamberk is a supply pipe n connected to the wind supply, and connected
with a space o above the diaphragm k is a pipe o communicating with an air
supply such pipe being controlled by a key or valve of any suitable construction
which I term a "Ventil" key adapted to admit air under pressure into the pipe o
and chamber o and to open or empty same, or the "Ventil " key may be a mechanical
key adapted to operate the rod of the pallets 2 and ¹ directly or otherwise.

page_text: The operation of the apparatus is as follows:
According as the slide a is moved backwards or forward wind will be admitted.
alternately into the motors f¹ froin the wind chest e and the sliding contact maker h
will likewise move backwards and forwards, thus allowing an electric current to be.
sent alternately by the circuits; or (whichever pair are upon the plate h¹
together to the draw stop action of the organ.
It will be seen however, that the movement of the bellows ff, and therefore of the
electric contact maker h, depends entirely upon the compressed air in the wind
chest e.
If e is not charged with air the slide a can be shifted without any result and the
action of the apparatus will be incomplete.
I therefore employ the valve arrangement for the wind chest previously described
and which controls the admission of wind into such chest..
It will be understood that in its normal use the wind is admitted into the chamber k
by the supply pipe .
The diaphragin being considerably larger than the pallet sustains a superior
atmospheric pressure and so long as the space o is open through the tube o¹, will
be kept up thus raising the pallet. from its sent and allowing wind to flow into the
chest e the action of the hand draw stops being thus rendered effective as previously
described.
Supposing however that during a performance the player wishes to arrange a
combination of stops for future use, without disturbing those combinations being
employed at the time.
He has but to admit air under pressure into the tube o' in order to neutralize the
upward pressure on the diaphragm . The pallet will consequently close and the
small plallet open, thus emptying the wind chest e of air, through the aperture m.
Under these conditions the bellows or motors f f will not move, and thus the
existing stop combinations brought into operation by the contact slides will remain
unaltered, while allowing the draw stops or stop keys communicating with the slides
a to be set to any desired combination by the performer.
When the time arrives for him to use the new combination he has but to open or
empty the tube o¹, which will cause the air to be again admitted into the wind chest e
so that the various bellows or motors ff will be operated. The original combination
will then instantly be changed, and the new one come into action, without any further
shifting of the draw stops or stop keys.
The charging and exhausting of the tube o' may be effected by a small wind pallet
or slide valve of any convenient form, attached to a draw stop or stop key under the
control of the player or as stated by mechanical means.
The wind employed in the apparatus can be conveyed thither from the bellows or
feeders by means of a flexible tube through which the electric wires of the organ can
also pass, and this would prove of special advantage in the case of a moveable organ
console and, if of the armoured type, act as a protection to the electric wires.
1.
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. In an electro pneumatic organ the arrangement of parts for enabling a performer
to prepare any combination of stops for subsequent use during a performance without
disturbing the combination then existing substantially as described.
2. In an electro pneumatic organ the combination with a wind chest of motors
or bellows valves controlling the admission of air to same, electric contacts of the stop
mechanism connected to such motors or bellows, means for operating the valves and
means for controlling the admission of air to the wind chest, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
3. In an electro pneumatic organ, having means operated through a wind chest for
shifting the electric contacts of the stop mechanism, the combination with a
diaphragm valve controlling the wind chest of a key, stop or the like adapted to admit

page_text: air to a space on one side of said diaphragm and to open same substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
4. In an electro pneumatic organ the means for shifting the electric contacts of the
stop mechanism, consisting of the bellows or motors, a wind chest connected to same,
and slide valves adapted to control the admission of air to the bellows or motors,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. In an electro pneumatic organ the employment of a flexible protected tube
connected to a moveable console both for conveying the wind and for carrying the
electric wires substantially as described.
6. The improved means for controlling and effecting combinations in the stops of
electro pneumatic organs substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated the 10th day of July 1897.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent for the Applicant.