Improvements in or Connected with the Swell Pedal Mechanism of Church, Chamber, and similar Organs.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with the Swell Pedal Mechanism
of Church, Chamber, and similar Organs.
We GRAY AND DAVISON Limited, of 370 Euston Road, Organ Builders and
THOMAS POYSER of 89 Burghley Road, Highgate, Organ Builder, all in the County
of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
Tho object of this invention is to automatically lock the swell pedal mechanism and
consequently the venetians or shutters immediately that the performer removes his
foot from the pedal thereby enabling him to fix the venetians or shutters in any desired
position more or less open and employ his foot for other purposes.
For this purpose the swell rod or the swell pedal or a projection therefrom is at
some convenient point nipped or held between the jaws of toggle levers or between
cams eccentrics or wedges or by any other suitable locking device and such device
is caused by means of a spring or weight normally to lock the swell mechanism against
movement.
The pedal lever is so arranged that in addition to oscillating upon its axis in the
ordinary manner it is also capable of slight vertical movement bodily at that point,
but it is normally held in its raised position by means of a spring or weight.
At its axis the pedal lever is by suitable connections connected with the locking
device so that when the foot of the performer is upon the pedal the pedal lever will be
slightly depressed at its axis thus withdrawing the locking device and permitting the
free movement of the swell rod and venetians or shutters but immediately that the
foot of the performer is removed from the pedal the pedal lever at its axis returns to
its normal position thereby freeing the locking device and fixing the swell mechanism
and venetians or shutters in whatever position they may assume at the moment.
In carrying the invention into effect the following arrangement of parts has been
found to answer well.
The pedal rod passes between the jaws of a pair of toggle levers each of which is
mounted upon an axis of motion and one of these lovers is at one end forked or
formed with extensions thereon which embrace the swell rod and these extensions at
their ends aro provided with slots which engage fixed studs upon the other toggle
lever so that when motion is given to one lever they are both caused to work in
unison.
These toggle levers are by means of a weight or spring, caused normally to nip or
engage the swell rod and one of such levers is prolonged beyond its axis and such
prolongation is by an adjustable link or connecting rod connected to the axis of the
pedal lever which latter is capable of slight vertical movement in a vertical slot
formed in a suitable bearing.
Dated January 5th 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with the Swell Pedal Mechanism
of Church, Chamber, and similar Organs.
We GRAY AND DAVISON Limited of 370 Euston Road, Organ Builders, and
THOMAS POYSER of 89 Burghley Road, Highgate, Organ Builder, all in the County
of Middlesex, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to automatically lock the swell pedal mechanism and
consequently the venetians or shutters immediately that the performer removes his
foot from the pedal thereby enabling him to fix the venetians or shutters in any
desired position more or less open and employ his foot for other purposes.
For this purpose the swell rod or the swell pedal or a projection therefrom is at
some convenient point nipped or held between the jaws of toggle levers or between
cams eccentrics or wedges or by any other suitable locking device and such device is
caused by means of a spring or weight normally to lock the swell mechanism against
movement.
The pedal is so arranged that in addition to oscillating upon its axis in the ordinary
manner it is also capable of slight vertical movement bodily at that point, but it is
normally held in its raised position by means of a spring or weight.
At its axis the pedal lever is by suitable connections connected with the locking
device so that when the foot of the performer is upon the pedal the pedal lever will be
slightly depressed at its axis thus withdrawing the locking device and permitting the
free movement of the swell rod and venetians or shutters but immediately that the foot
of the performer is removed from the pedal the pedal lever at its axis will return to its
normal position thereby freeing the locking device and fixing the swell mechanism and
venetian's or shutters in whatever position they may assume at the moment.
In carrying the invention into effect the following arrangement of parts has been
found to answer well.
The pedal rod passes between the jaws of a pair of toggle levers cach of which is
mounted upon an axis of motion and one of these levers is at one end forked or formed
with extensions thereon which embrace the swell rod and these extensions at their
ends are provided with slots which engage fixed studs upon the other toggle lever so
that when motion is given to one lever they are both caused to work in unison.
These toggle levers are by means of a weight or spring, caused normally to nip or
engage the swell rod and one of such levers is prolonged beyond its axis and such
prolongation is by an adjustable link or connecting rod connected to the axis of the
pedal lever which latter is capable of slight vertical movement in a vertical slot formed
in a suitable bearing.
And in order that the said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully to
describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is a side elevation partly in section representing the swell pedal
mechanism of an organ with the present improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2. is an end elevation thereof with the venetians or shutters removed and
Figure 3. is a plan thereof.
Figure 4. is a side elevation of parts drawn to an enlarged scale showing more
clearly the peculiar form of joint by which the connection from the toggle levers is
attached to the pedal lever and
Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section thereof.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of parts drawn to an enlarged scale showing more
clearly the construction of the nipping jaws of the toggle levers and their relation to
the swell rod and

page_text: Figure 7 is a plan thereof.
Figure 8 is a side elevation partly in section representing a modified arrangement
of parts and
Figures 9 and 10 are similar views representing further modifications.
In the several figures of the drawings like parts are indicated by similar letters of
reference.
b
Referring to Figures 1 to 7 a represents part of the frame of an organ ² represents
the swell pedal represents the pedal lever è represents the swell rod and c¹ represents
the swell shutters or venetians.
The swell rod c which is pinjointed at c to the inner end of the pedal lever b as
usual is normally nipped or held between the jaws of toggle levers de which are
mounted upon axes or centres of motion de carried by brackets a fixed to the
frame a and the lever e is at its inner end forked or formed with extensions & thereon
which embrace the swell rod c and these extensions e at their ends are provided with
slots which engage fixed studs d' upon the other toggle lever d so that when motion
is given to one lever they are both caused to work in unison.
The toggle levers de are by means of a spring for it might be a weight caused
normally to nip or engage the swell rod c and thus lock the venetians or shutters c¹
in any desired position.
The toggle lever e is prolonged beyond its axis e¹ and such prolongation e is by
an adjustable link or connecting rod 9 connected to a pin or shaft & constituting the
axis of motion or fulcrum of the pedal lever b.
The pin or axis of the pedal lever is mounted with capability of vertical move-
ment in vertical slots a³ formed in a bracket a² fixed to the frame a and the length of
the connecting rod or link g is so adjusted that normally the pin or axis is held
suspended above its bearings at the lower ends of the vertical slots a³ in the bracket a³
by the action of the spring f which at the same time causes the toggle levers d. e to
nip or engage the swell rod c.
It will thus be seen that the pedal lever b in addition to oscillating upon its axis
in the ordinary manner is also capable of slight vertical movement bodily at that
point but it is normally held in its raised position by means of the spring f
By these means when the foot of the performer is upon the pedal ² the pedal
lever will be slightly depressed at its axis 6' thus through the connecting rod or
link and prolongation e* of the toggle lever e withdrawing the jaws of the toggle
levers de from the swell rod c and permitting the free movement by the pedal
lever of the swell rod c and venetians or shutters c¹ but immediately that the foot
of the performer is removed from the pedal 6 the pedal lever at its axis & will
return to its normal position thereby freeing the toggle levers d e and thus fixing
the swell rod c and venetians or shutters c¹ in whatever position they may assume at
the moment.
In the arrangement heroin before described the swell rod c descends by its own
gravity aided if desired by a spring or weight in order to close the shutters or
venetians c' and the toggle levers de act to prevent it falling but in the modified
arrangement of parts represented at Figure 8 the action of the parts is reversed;
that is to say the swell rod c is raised by the action of a spring or weight (not
shown) in order to close the venetians or shutters and the toggle levers de are
inverted so as to nip or hold the swell rod c and prevent it rising the weight of the
pedal lever acting upon the prolongation e* of the toggle lever e being sufficient to
normally hold the jaws of the toggle levers in engagement with the swell rod c.
The point cat which the pedal lever b is pinjointed to the swell rod c is in this
case arranged near the outer end of the pedal lever b and the axis 6' and co-acting
parts are arranged at the inner end of such lever the vertical slots as being inverted
to correspond with the altered positions thereof as will be readily understood.
The modification represented at Figure 9. is substantially the same as that lastly
hereinbefore described but in this example the swell rod e terminates at the pedal
lever and a bar having the form of the arc of a circle extends downwards there-
from and is nipped between the jaws of the toggle levers de.

page_text: In the further modification represented at Figure 10. circular wedges cams or
eccentrics are substituted for the toggle levers d. e but in other respects the parts are
substantially identical with the arrangement shown and described with respect to
Figures 1 to 7.
We would here remark that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details
herein shown and described as it will be evident that any nipping device operated in
a similar manner may be employed for the purpose hereinbefore expressed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The improvements in or connected with the swell pedal mechanism of organs
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In an organ the employment of a locking device such as toggle levers cams or
eccentrics adapted to normally nip or engage and hold the swell rod and venetians or
shutters in any desired position and connected with the swell pedal in such manner
that pressure of the foot upon the pedal will disengage the locking device from the
swell rod and permit the free movement thereof substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
3. In an organ the employment of a locking device such as toggle levers cams or
eccentrics adapted to nip or engage and hold the swell rod and venetians or shutters
in any desired position one part of such device being formed with an offset connected
by a link or connecting rod with the axis or fulcrum of the pedal lever such axis or
fulcrum being mounted in bearings with capability of slight vertical movement so
that pressure of the foot upon the pedal will first move the axis or fulcrum of the
lever disengaging the locking device from the swell rod and permitting the free
movement thereof substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
Dated the 28th day of September 1889.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.