IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT: to Edouard Alexandre, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline,
Paris:Empire of France; Knight of the Legion of Honour, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANS."
Sealed the 24th April 1867, and dated the 29th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edouard Alexandre at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th October. 1866... :
I, EDOUARD ALEXANDRE, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris, Empire of
France, Knight of the Legion of Honour, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANS," to be
as follows:-
My Invention is applicable to expressive organs called independent or
loose reeds (anche libre), and consists in diminishing as much as possible the
external size of the instrument, at the same time preserving the same number
of stops and the same power to organs producing sound, all as hereafter
described:-
In order to clearly describe my Invention I will suppose the instrument to
be composed of two distinct parts, first, the case; second; the stops, the sound-
boards, the key-board; and all the mechanism. The first part or case is:

page_text: reduced in thickness in a considerable degree; and the second part, in which
I have preserved the same volume, exceeds the case by the length of the key-
board; when the instrument is played it has thus given to it the ordinary
appearance of a piano. I balance the second part on a central axis, and when
the instrument is not required for use I turn it on this axis and the case hides
it; that which formed the bottom becomes the front, which may be orna-
mented in any desired way. Wind canals or passages may be applied in
different ways, but I prefer to place them on the front so as to form a slight
front piece. Fittings are employed as in ordinary instruments to form a
perfect joint between the sound-boards and the wind canals. I would here
remark that the wind canals are only in connection with the sound-boards
when the second part is flattened; when it is disconnected with the case the
wind canals are again covered by a moulding hinged to the second part, and
which follows its motion to prevent the admission of dust..
By extension or modification I make instruments also according to this
Invention known as "melodiflutes," which are placed on the cases in several
parts, entering one into another telescopically in such manner that when the
instrument is not in use the size of the case may be reduced by lowering the
bellows and using the place it occupied for that part of the instrument pro-
ducing the sound.
My Invention further consists in making instruments capable of being.
supplied with air by the foot or hand; for this purpose the instrument must
be supplied with a bellows below and another on the face at the rear. When
it is desired to supply the instrument it is placed on a reducing case or not
by putting the pedal in communication by means of a cord with the bellows
placed below; the foot can then supply it; when, on the 'contrary, it is desired
to supply with the hand, the instrument may be placed on the knees or on a
table, and the bellows at the rear thus caused to act.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edouard Alexandre in the Great Seal Patent Office on the s
29th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDOUARD
ALEXANDRE, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris, Empire of France, Knight of
the Legion of Honour, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters s
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord,

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign;
did, for Herself, Her heirs and 'successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edouard Alexandre, Her special licence that I, the said Edouard Alexandre, my
executors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as I, the 'said Edouard
Alexandre, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edouard Alexandre, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under' mine, or their; or one of their hands and seals, 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 Edouard Alexandre, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :—
My Invention is applicable to expressive organs called independant or
loose reeds, and consists in diminishing as much as possible the external size
of the instrument, at the same time preserving the same number of stops and
the same power to organs producing sound, all as. hereafter described.
+
In order to clearly describe my Invention I will suppose the instrument to
be composed of two distinct parts, first, the case; second, the stops, the sound-
boards, the key-board, and all the mechanism. The first part or case is
reduced in thickness in a considerable degree; and the second part, in which
I have preserved the same volume, exceeds the case by the length of the key-
board; when the instrument is played it has thus given to it the ordinary"
appearance of a piano: I balance the second part on a central axis,.and when
the instrument is not required for use I turn it on this axis and the case bides
it; that which; formed the bottom becomes the front, which may be orna-
mented in any desired way: Wind carials or passages may be applied in
different ways, but: I prefer to place them on the front so as to form a slight
front piece. Fittings are employed as in ordinary instruments to form a
perfect joint between the sound-boards and the wind canals. I would here'
remark that the wind canals are only in connection-with-the-sound-boards

page_text: when the second part is flattened; when it is disconnected with the case the
wind canals are again covered by a moulding hinged. to the second part, and
which follows its motion to prevent the admission of dust.
By extension or modification Imake instruments, also, according to. this
Invention known as "melodiflutes," which are placed on. the cases in several
parts, entering, one into another telescopically in. such. manner that when the
instrument is not in use-the size, of the case may be reduced by lowering the
bellows and using the place it occupied for that part of the instrument pro-
ducing the sound.
My Invention further consists in making instruments capable of being.
supplied with air. by the foot or hand; for this purpose, the instrument must
be.supplied with a bellows below and another on the face at the rear. When
it is desired to supply the instrument it is placed on a reducing case or not by
putting the pedal in communication. by. means of a cord with the bellows placed
below the foot can then supply it; when, on the contrary, it is desired to supply
with the hand, the instrument may be placed on the knees or on a table, and
the bellows at the rear is thus caused to act.
The accompanying Drawings show the manner in which the Invention may
be carried into effect.
a is the fixed part or case containing the pumps, air reservoirs, wind canals;
6 is the movable part comprising the,sound-board, key-board; it is jointed on
a centre c. When the instrument is to be used the part 6 is lowered, as in
Figure 1; the key-board d is then uncovered, and the wind canals e are in
direct communication with the air chamber f, and the instrument is ready to
work. If, on the contrary, the instrument is not required to be used, and it
is desirable to reduce its size, I reverse the part 6, which then rests in the case,
as shown at Figure 2, and it becomes a piece of furniture of small size, and
more pleasing to the eye than an ordinary organ having an equal number of
stops, and occupying much less space than other instruments.
In constructing instruments according to my. Invention there are a great
number of details which, without in any way changing the essential features of
the Invention, have at the same time some importance; I therefore give as
examples some arrangements employed in constructing them. Thus, to fix
the position of the movable part 6 when it is opened I employ the arrange-
ment of bolts shown at Figures 3 and 4. The motion of these bolts is bound
by that of the rod h, which is under command of the hand either by a handle h¹
placed on the front of the instrument, as in Figures 1 and 2, or in one of the
two methods shown at Figures 5 and 6.
In Figure 5 the rod h carries a 'curtain on which the lower end of a

page_text: guide i rests, to which motion is communicated by a quadrant worked by a
button j.
In Figure 6 motion is communicated directly to the guide, which acts on
the rod h by means of a button k placed at the end of the said guide.
b
Figure 7 shows a method of applying a moulding 1 for covering the wind
canals when the instrument is closed; this moulding being hinged at on
the movable part 6 has a groove at 1 to receive the end of a spring m fixed
to the case a, and arranged so as to enter the groove when the part 6 is
turned down into the case a; it thus keeps the moulding secure, and prevents
dirt or other foreign matters entering the wind canals.
Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 18 each show two views of different arrange-
ments of pivots for obtaining the oscillation of the movable part 6 on the fixed
part a.
It is not necessary to enter into a minute description of these parts, as by
inspecting the Drawings the arrangements will be clearly understood, and
which are intended to allow of the easy and immediate separation of the two
parts a and b when such is required for repairs, allowing a rotary motion to
the part 6 when the instrument is in its ordinary condition.
Instead of jointing the instruments, I sometimes make the cases to slide, as
shown in Figure 14, one into the other, so that the size of an instrument when
not required for use may be greatly reduced.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself to
the particular arrangements herein-before described, as it is easy to modify
them without departing from the Invention; but I claim the construction of
musical instruments known as organs in two parts, one being fixed and the
other movable, and jointed on a centre or pivot, all substantially in manner
and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, -I, the said Edouard Alexandre, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
E. ALEXANDRE. (L.S.)