Improvements in Organs and like Musical Instruments.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Organs and like Musical Instruments.
I FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY of 36 Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention as
communicated to me by Gustav Sander of Braunschweig, Germany, Organ
Builder, and Conrad Euler of Gottsbueren, near Trendelburg (Hessen-Nassau)
Germany, Organ Builder, to be as follows
:-
This invention relates to an improved form of organ wind chest by which all
devices hitherto used for closing and opening reed pipes are dispensed with. These
devices consist up to the present either of playing cylinders with valves or small
bellows with valves or of membranes, all of which are rendered useless after being
a certain time in use.
In this invention all these devices are replaced by a very simple arrangement by
which the pipe holes may be closed and which is operated by the varying pressure
of atmospheric air and is in no way affected by the temperature. The apertures of
the pipes open completely, and are closed with security without need of more
pressure than that of the ordinary wind of the organ which operates the pipes in
question. Every oblique side of the wind chest corresponding with a pipe register
shews as many angular wind tubes with their apertures, as there are different tones
in the corresponding registers. Before each pipe aperture a block is placed in
which a compartment is cut, corresponding with the said aperture and forming the
valve chamber. The compartments are partly covered in by strips of wood or other
material and in each is placed a valve. These valves may be constructed of wood,
aluminium or of any other suitable substance and have the form of a hollow wedge
open at the top. The valve is simply dropped loosely into its appointed chamber
with its sharp edge downwards.
Under the lower extremity and at the side of each tube case and valve chamber
is a strip of wood or other material which forms the register channels, also
another set of valve chambers which are similar in construction to the upper
chambers, but smaller in size. Small valves composed of thin light metal sheets
and covered with leather on both sides, are dropped loosely into these lower valve
chambers. Bore holes communicate with these small valve chambers, one opening
into the larger valve chamber above and one on either side of the chamber leading
to the playing channels and the register channels respectively.
The working of the above described wind chest and its various parts is as
follows:
:-
The wind chest is hermetically closed by its surrounding parts and by its air
pipe closed top and bottom. It receives when set in action organ wind in all its
parts, except in the pipe apertures, which are closed by the valves in the upper
chambers while in the lower chambers the register valves rest against the apertures
leading into the playing channel.
Now, if a register should be put into action, the rushing in of the organ wind in
the register channel is shut off by a suitable register device and at the same time
the register channel is brought into communication with atmospheric air. Then, the
pressure on the small valve being diminished it will be forced from its position
over the aperture leading to the playing channel and will fall over and close the
register channel and thus a free communication will be produced from each playing
channel to the upper valve chamber, into which the organ wind is forced under
pressure. Owing to the inner surface of the wedge shaped upper valve being larger
than its opposite surface this compressed air acting on this larger surface forces

page_text: the valve over against the other side of the chamber and the organ wind is thus
admitted to the respective pipes which produce the respective tones.
The upper
valve remains in this position until either the register channel is again filled with
organ wind or the wind is again admitted to the playing channel by the depression
of a key note, when the valve will again close the aperture and no atmospheric
air will be permitted to enter the organ pipe.
Dated this 15th day of April 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Organs and like Musical Instruments.
I FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY of 36 Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention as
communicated to me by Gustav Sander, of Brunswick (Braunschweig) Germany,
Organ Builder, and Conrad Euler of Gottsbueren, near Trendelburg (Hessen-
Nassau) Germany, Organ Builder, and in what manner the same
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
is to be
Hitherto it has been the custom to construct organs in such a manner that the
reed pipes thereof are opened or closed, either by means of playing cylinders,
membranes or bellows-valves, and all such devices have been found very
unsatisfactory, for the reasons that those which were durable were not easily
operated and those which were easily operated were not durable, and utterly failed
to properly perform their function after being in use a short time.
The object of this invention is to provide a device, in which all the difficulties
mentioned will be overcome, and in which the register and reed-pipe valves will be
operated, when desired, by the action of the compressed air, or the vacuum, as the
case may be, in the wind-chest, which operates the organ pipes or reeds; and to
that end the same consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of the
various parts of the improved organ wind-chest, shewn and described in the following
Specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, wherein similar
letters of reference designate like or equivalent parts, wherever found throughout
the several views, and in which :-
Figure 1 is a view of the lower portion of this improved wind-chest, shewing two
of the reed-pipes and accompanying valves thereof in central vertical section;
Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section of Figure 1, on the line thereof;
Figure 3 is a view in vertical section of Figure 1, on the line thereof;
Figure 4 is a view in vertical section of Figure 1 on the line y y thereof, and
Figures 5 and 6 are views in detail of various portions of the apparatus.
It will be understood that every oblique branch a corresponds to one register of
pipes and contains as many pipe apertures or angular wind tubes a¹ as there are
different tones in the corresponding registers.
Before the bottom port of each of said wind-tubes a¹ is placed a strip of wood
or other material having formed therein a compartment b', which is of sub-
stantially the shape and size shewn, and which forms the valve chamber of the
valve d, which normally closes the entrance to the wind-tube a¹ as shewn at
the right wind-tube of Figure 1.
This valve d is preferably of the form shewn in detail in Figure 5, being sub-
stantially wedge-shaped and provided with a hollow central portion or chamber,
open at the top, and that side of the same, which is normally to rest against and
close the wind-tube a', is made slightly shorter than the other side or wall of said
valve d, as shewn in Figure 1. Said valve d is placed in position in the chamber &¹
simply by being dropped into the same, point downward, and such point rests

page_text: preferably upon suitable wool or other packing, as shewn, and rings of like material
are also preferably provided surrounding the apertures to the passages or tubes a¹
and 2 located on each side of said valve, as shewn in Figure 1. After the valves d
are placed in position, as shewn, the compartments & are partially covered by strips
of wood or other material e against which the upper edge of the longer sides of
such valves loosely abut so as to allow free movement of the same back and forth
beneath such strips e, which project forward sufficiently far to just barely prevent
the longer side of the valves from passing out from under the same when in the
extreme forward position, shewn at the right wind-tube of Figure 1.
Located beneath the strips of wood or other material are the register strips e
having located therein the valve chambers e¹ which communicate at the top with
the passages 62 in the strips and at one side with the passages 9 which com-
municate with the register channels f, and at the other with the passages g' which.
communicate with the playing channels which are preferably formed in the
bottom of the wind-chest as shewn. Located in the valve chambers e¹ so as to
move freely back and forth therein, are valves d' which like the valves d rest upon
their bottom edges and are preferably formed of any suitable light material such as
wood or aluminum and are covered with leather on both sides, as shewn.
The channels are provided with suitable valves (not shewn) actuated by the
motion of the keys in the operation of playing, and the register channels fare also
provided with similar valves (not shewn) actuated by the appropriate register stop,
by which the admission thereto of air at ordinary atmospheric pressure or at the
pressure sustained in the wind-chest may be regulated as desired.
The operation of the device is as follows:-
The wind-chest being of course closed and being filled with compressed air in
the usual manner, it will receive such air in all its parts, which acting upon the
interior chamber of the wedge-shaped valves d will force the same down upon the
openings or ports of the tubes a¹, so as to close the same, and at the same time
the compressed air rushing into the chambers e¹ by way of the register channels f
will close the valves d tightly against the ports of the passages g' and the air then
rushing up through the channels 62 will assist in holding the valves d firmly against
the ports of the wind-tubes a', when the parts will be in the position shewn at the
right tube a¹ of the Figure 1, and the register stops being in the position known as.
"off," no sound can be got from that register of the organ. It being then desired
to bring such register into operative connection with the keyboard, this is done by
pulling the organ stop (not shewn) into the position known as "on," when suitable
valves (not shewn) will be operated by the action of such stop, and the channels ƒ
of such register will be shut off from communication with the wind-chest and will
be brought into communication with the atmosphere, and the instant this is done,
by reason of the pressure of the air in the channel f, port g, and chambers e¹ and 62
being lowered to that of the atmosphere, the pressure of the organ wind in the
channel will act upon the valve d' and will force the same over against the port g of
the register passage f, so as to firmly close the same, as shewn at the left side of
Figure 1, and the compressed air will then pass from the playing channel up
through the passage into the chamber and pressing against the back of the
valve d will assist the air of the wind-chest in keeping it in the position shewn at the
right side of Figure 1 while the valve d¹ will still be in the position shewn at the left
side of Figure 1. The key connected with the appropriate channel 4 being then struck
suitable valves (not shewn) connected therewith will be actuated and such channel /
will at once be cut off from communication with the wind-chest and brought into
communication with the atmosphere, the instant this is done, the pressure in the
channel passage g', valve chamber e', and passage 62, will of course be reduced,.
when the air pressure in the wind-chest acting upon the central chamber of the
hollow wedge shaped valve d will force such valve away from the port of the wind
tube a back under the strip of wood or other material c and against the port or
opening at the upper end of the passage b². When the ports being in the position
shewn at the left side of Figure 1, the compressed organ air will pass to the proper

page_text: pipe by way of the wind-tube a' and will continue to so pass and consequently
sound the note required so long as pressure is exerted upon the key, but the
instant such key is released by the player the channel being instantly cut off
from communication with the atmosphere and being brought. into communication
with the compressed organ wind in the wind-chest the equilibrium will be restored
between the two bodies of air in the channel and in the chamber above the
strip c, when the valve d will of course be at once forced forward into the position
shewn at the right side of Figure 1, so as to completely close the port to the wind-
tube a¹ and thus cut off all access of air to the pipe.
The valves d and d' are preferably made of wood or aluminium, but may if
desired, be made of any suitable light material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an organ or like musical instrument, the combination with the entrance of
the wind-tube of a wedge shaped valve therefor, provided with a central hollow
open at the top, one side wall of such bollow being higher than the other,
substantially as shewn and described.
2. In an organ or like musical instrument, the combination with the wind-tube
entrance of a hollow wedge shaped valve therefor, one side wall of which is higher
than the other, adapted to be actuated by the air pressure, a passage b² having an
opening opposite to the wind-tube entrance adapted to be closed by the valve when
the same is moved from the wind-tube entrance and means for controlling and
varying the pressure of the air in the passage 62, substantially as shewn and
described.
3. In an organ or like musical instrument, the combination with the wind-tube of
a valve adapted to close the entrance to the wind tube and to be actuated by the
air pressure, a passage, having an opening opposite to the opening of the wind-
tube adapted to be closed by the valve when the same is moved from the wind tube
opening, a channel h, means for controlling the air pressure in the same, a valve
chamber e, a passage g¹ forming a communication between the valve chamber e
and the channel h, a register channel f communicating with the valve chamber e
by means of a passage g, means for controlling and varying the pressure of the air
in the channel and a valve d' located in the chamber e¹ and adapted to close the
passages g and g', substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 15th day of January 1894.
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.