AN IMPROVE- MENT IN ORGANS AND SIMILAR WIND INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I, AUGUST GERN of Boundary Road Notting Hill in the County of Middlesex,
Organ Builder do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN ORGANS AND SIMILAR WIND INSTRUMENTS "to be as follows:-
In my Specification No 2408 of 1883 I described an arrangement for working
pneumatically the valves which govern the passages to the pipes of organs or to the
sounding parts of other wind instruments. My present invention relate to
additional arrangements whereby I am enabled to sound a note of any stop by the
depression of the appropriate key of any one of several manuals or pedals or to
couple keys of several manuals or pedals, and whereby I am also enabled to effect
more complete and certain action of the pneumatic valve apparatus.
In order to simplify explanation, I will suppose that a pipe valve is to be opened
by the descent of a piston subject to the pressure in the wind chest when the
pressure below the piston is relieved, as described in my Specification No 2408
of 1883 above referred to and illustrated by Fig. 3 of the drawings annexed to the
said Specification. From the cavity under the piston I make two, three or more
openings, in the bottom or sides thereof, or in both, according to the number of
stops to which the particular note is to be appropriated, and the number of manual
or pedal keys that are intended to sound this particular note. Each of these
openings has a valve opening inwards to the cavity, the stem of the valve being
attached to a leather or other flexible diaphragm at the side of a stop-duct, so that,
when this duct is charged with wind the diaphragm bulging outwards opens the
valve, and when the duct is not so charged the valve closes, bulging the diaphragm
inwards. The aperture which this valve covers is the mouth of a key-duct, and in
this duct, near its mouth, there is a second valve which operates as a check valve
preventing back flow of wind. Now if the key-duct be as usual charged with
wind, and if at the same time the stop duct is charged, then on allowing the wind
to escape from the key-duct, the pressure under the piston is relieved and the note
is sounded, the check valves of the other ducts preventing any part of their wind
charges from entering the cavity under the piston. If however the stop-duct is
not charged with wind so that its diaphragm is not bulged outwards, then, the
valve of the key duct remaining closed, the discharge of wind from that duct has
not the effect of relieving the pressure in the cavity under the piston, and conse-
quently the note is not sounded. It may be readily understood that the key-duct

page_text: controlled by a valve, operated as described by the diaphragm of a stop duct, may
itself branch into several separate key-ducts each controlled by a similar arrange-
ment of valves, coupling of keys or pedals being thus effected by controlling the
communications of their several ducts with each other and with the main duct of
which they are branches.
Although I have described this arrangement of valves as applicable to key-ducts
kept charged with wind except when they are opened by their keys, it is obviously
applicable to ducts which are usually not charged above atmospheric pressure, but
become partially exhausted by vacuum action on opening their keys. And con-
versely, by so arranging the pipe valves that they will be opened by excess of
pressure under their pistons, the key ducts may be made to receive a supply of
compressed air on the depression of their respective keys.
Dnted this obth
" 1002
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improvement in Organs and similar Wind Instruments.
I, AUGUST GERN of Boundary Road Notting Hill 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 :-
In my Specification N° 2408 of 1883 I describe an arrangement for working
pneumatically the valves which govern the passages to the pipes of organs or to the
sounding parts of other wind instruments. My present invention relates to
additional arrangements whereby I am enabled to sound a note of any stop by the
depression of the appropriate key of any one of several manuals or pedals or to
couple keys of several manuals or pedals, and whereby I am also enabled to effect
more complete and certain action of the pneumatic valve apparatus.
In order to simplify explanation, I will suppose that a pipe valve is to be opened
by the descent or a piston subject to the pressure in the wind chest when the
pressure below the piston is relieved, as described in my Specification N° 2401
of 1883 above referred to and illustrated by Fig. 3 of the drawings annexed to the
said Specification. I arrange valves and passages shown in the section Fig. 1 of
the accompanying drawings. From the cavity C under the piston P which operates
the pipe valve V, I make two, three or more openings, in the bottom or sides
thereof or in both, according to the number of stops to which the particular note is
to be appropriated and the number of manual or pedal keys that are intended to
sound this particular note. In Fig. 1 I shew four openings K K K K communi-
cating with 4 key or pedal ducts. Each of these openings has a valve B1 B2 B3 B₁
opening inwards to the cavity C, the stem of the valve being attached to a leather
or other flexible diaphragm D1 D2 D3 D' at the side of a stop duct, so that, when
this duct as for instance that behind D¹ is charged with wind the diaphragm D₁
bulging outwards opens the valve B¹, and when the duct is not so charged the valve
as B B and B closes, bulging the diaphragm D2 D3 or D' inwards. The aperture
which the valve B¹ &c covers is the mouth of a key duct K¹ &c, and in this duct
near its mouth, there is a second valve E¹ Es E3 E' which operates as a check valve
preventing back flow of wind. Now if the key-duct for instance K¹ be as usual
charged with wind, and if at the same time the stop duct behind D¹ is charged,
then on allowing the wind to escape from the key duct K¹, the pressure under the
piston P is relieved the piston descends opening the valve V and the note is sounded,
the check valves E E³ & E of the other ducts preventing any part of their wind
charges from entering the cavity C under the piston. If however the stop duct is
not charged with wind so that its diaphragm is not bulged outwards, as shewn for
instance at D', then the valve B' of the key duct K* remaining closed, the discharge
of wind from the duct has not the effect of relieving the pressure in the cavity C
under the piston, and consequently the valve V is not opened and the note is not
sounded. It may be readily understood that the key-duct controlled by à valve,
operated as described by the diaphragm of a stop-duct, may itself branch into
several separate key-ducts each controlled by a similar arrangement of valves,
coupling of keys or pedals being thus effected by controlling the communications of

page_text: their several ducts with each other and with the main duct of which they are
branches. Instead of the piston P a flexible diaphragm may be used, and the two
valves B' E' shewn in Fig. 1 may be combined into one, under control of the stop
duct diaphragm D¹ as shewn in Fig. 2, in which the pipe valve V is represented as
opening upwards and being kept seated by the pressure on a diaphragm Q (sub-
stituted for a piston) aided by a spring S, for which a weight might be substituted.
Assuming the stop-duct behind D¹ to be charged with wind which bulges D¹ and
keeps B closed then whether the key duct K¹ be charged with wind or discharged,
no effect is produced on the diaphragm Q. If however the stop duct be discharged
as that behind D leaving the valve B3 free, then on discharging the key-duct K³
and so relieving the pressure above the diaphragm Q, the valve V is opened by the
pressure in the wind chest, causing the note to sound. In order to accommodate
the required number of key ducts under the wind chest, in cases where there
are two manuals, or a manual and a pedal action, either or both of which should be
effective on the pipes of any stop, I adopt an arrangement of valves such as is
shewn by Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on Z Z of Fig. 6, Fig. 4
is a vertical section on W W of Fig. 6 which is a sectional plan on V V of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 being a sectional plan on X X of Fig. 3. I arrange the pipes of a stop not
in a straight line but in quincunx as indicated in Fig. 5, so as to give more room
for the required valve boxes. The wires which operate the valves V of the pipes
are passed through holes in a guide G and attached each to a diaphragm Q within
a cavity. The upper part of this cavity communicates by an aperture d with a
stop duct D that extends along the whole range of valve boxes within the wind
chest. The lower part of the cavity under Q communicates by an aperture q with
two valve chambers, the one opening to a key-duct K¹ and the other to a parallel
key-duct K. The valves B¹ B₁ are free to slide along a guide wire, but between
them there is strung on the wire a stem T of such length that both of the valves
'B' B' cannot be closed at the same time. Assuming both key-ducts K¹ K³ to be
charged as they normally are with wind, but the stop duct D to be not charged,
then the discharge of either K¹or K² or of both will not not affect the diaphragm Q,
and the valve V will remain closed. But if D be charged with wind then the dis-
charge of K¹ or K2 relieves the pressure below Q, and the pressure above it causes
it to bulge down opening the valve V and admitting wind to the pipe. If it be K¹
that is discharged the valve B¹ is free to open but B closes, and on again charging
K', if B¹ tends to close, it can only do so by partially opening B2 so that the cavity
under Q becomes charged from the one duct or the other or from both, and the
pressure below Q being thus equalised with that above it, the valve V is closed by
the pressure in the wind chest.
Although I have shewn key ducts and stop ducts with their valves and con-
trolling diaphragms applied to operate directly the valves of the pipes, it is obvious
that similar arrangements can be used to operate such valves indirectly, as for
instance in case of coupling octaves. Thus if by the depression of one key such as
that for the note C it is desired to sound not only the one C appropriated to that
key but also the octave C above or the octave C below or both of these, I provide
wind ducts from the box of the valve that is opened by depressing the key to three
other ducts each leading to a valve box of one of the key ducts that extend across
the wind chest, namely those for the three C's above mentioned, and in each of
those three ducts I place a valve connected to a diaphragmn, as B' is connected to D1
in Fig. 2, that diaphragın being subjected to pressure of wind in a coupling duct
behind it. As long as that coupling duct is charged with wind, the valve B¹ is
kept closed and consequently no wind enters the duct in which that valve is
situated. But if the coupling duct behind D' is discharged allowing the valve B¹
to open, then the depression of the key causes wind to be supplied to the duct from
B and the wind operates a valve which opens the key duct leading to one of the
C pipes which it is desired to sound. If, in like manner either or both of the other
two diaphragms such as D¹ allow their valves such as B² to open, then on,
depressing the one key. C, either or both of the other notes-C will be caused to

page_text: sound. This mode of coupling is applicable not only to manual keys but also to
pedals.
Although I have described these arrangements of valves as applicable to key
ducts kept charged with wind except when they are opened by their keys, it is
obviously applicable to ducts which are usually not charged above atmospheric
pressure, but become partially exhausted by vacuum action on opening their keys.
And conversely, by so arranging the pipe valves that they will be opened by excess
of pressure under their pistons or diaphragms, the key ducts may be made to
receive a supply of compressed air on the depression of their respective keys.
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 organs and similar wind instruments the pipe valves of which are opened
and closed by the movements of pistons or diaphragms subject to wind pressure, in
combination with the piston or diaphragm operating the valves of one of a range
of pipes and with the stop duct or with several stop ducts belonging to that range,
two or more key ducts provided with valves so governed and arranged that the
change of pressure in any key duct is effective in causing the pipe to sound only
when the pressure in the corresponding stop duct is adapted for that action, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In combination with the key ducts leading to the valve boxes of several pipes
separated by octaves and with the valves worked by the several corresponding
keys, a corresponding number of coupling ducts provided with diaphragms con-
nected to valves in such manner that, according as the pressure in the coupling
ducts is relieved or not, the octaves to which the coupling ducts are appropriated
are sounded or not by the depression of one key, substantially as herein described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.