PNEUMATIC ORGAN SOUNDBOARD
Year: 1885

page_text: This Specification was, upon the 5th day of October 1888, amended under
Sections 18 to 21 of the Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1883.
Frederick Alfred Slater, 43 Tredegar Koad Dow, London,
lo hereby declare the nature of my invention for PNEUMATIC ORGAN SOUNDBOARD,
o be as follows:-
This Soundboard is a box two inches deep inside and may be three feet wide
and six feet long, or any width and length according to the size of the Organ it is
for, and the number of stops it is intended to have upon it; made of Mahogany
or Pine, and of sufficient strength to carry the pipes it is intended to place
upon it.
The pipes are arranged upon the top or upper board in the same way as on an
ordinary Soundboard and the upper board bored to receive the feet of the pipes, in
the same way as usual.
The bottom board has fifty six, half inch, grooves cut in it outside the box, cut
from front to back, that is across the narrowest way of the board, covered over
with sheep skin leather tightly glued down thus forming wind channels or tubes,
one groove being connected to each key by a Pneumatic tube.
These grooves are cut straight under the pipes which are to speak when their
relative key is pressed down; thus Tenor pipes in every stop will stand straight
over the groove which is connected to Tenor key and so on all through the
Soundboard.
Hollow wooden cones one inch and a half in diameter across the bass, having a
piece of sheep-skin leather drawn loosely over the bass but glued down quite air
tight all round the edges, are fixed one under every pipe inside the box, with the
bass with the leather on it turned upwards half an inch away from the upper
board, the apex of the cones (through which a hole is bored to allow the wind to
pass from the grooves into the cones) being inserted into the groove in the bottom
board.
Bars are fixed from end to end of the box inside, three or four inches apart,
forming air tight compartments one compartment under each stop of pipes, which
compartments are charged with wind as the stops knobs are drawn by the
Organist.
are charged
When the keys are not pressed down the grooves and cones
with air at double the speaking pressure which causes the leather on the cones to

page_text: inflate and rise till it touches the upper board and consequently covers the hole
immediately over it in which the pipe stands thus preventing the wind passing
from the compartment into the pipes. When a key is pressed down it opens an
exhaust valve in connection with the groove, and also stops the supply of wind
from the Pneumatic tube to the groove; the pressure being thus removed from
inside the cones, the wind inside the compartment then presses the leather on the
cones down away from the holes in the upper board and allows the wind from the
compartment to pass into the pipe and make it speak.
Dated this ninth day of March 1885.
FREDERICK ALFRED SLATER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED.
Pneumatic Organ Soundboard.
FREDERICK ALFRED SLATER, 43 Tredegar Road Coborn Road Bow, E. Organ
Builder do hereby declare the nature of my invention for a PNEUMATIC ORGAN
SOUNDBOARD, 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 pneumatic soundboards for organs.
The main object of my invention is to provide an efficient pneumatic soundboard for
organs, that will act without the intervention of springs or the like.
According to my said invention. I provide a soundboard the bottom board of which has
grooves cut in it from front to back, that is to say across the board, the said grooves are
covered over with sheep-skin leather tightly glued down thus forming wind channels or
tubes, one groote being connected to each key by a pneumatic tube.
These grooves are cut straight under the pipes which are to speak, when their relative
key is pressed down; thus tenor C pipes in every stop will stand straight over the grooce
which is connected to tenor key and so on all through the soundboard.
A wooden cone one inch and a half in diameter more or less across the base and having
a piece of sheep-skin leather drawn loosely over the said base but glued down quite
air-tight all round the edges is fired under every pipe inside the boe, the base with the
leather on it turned upwards and about half an inch away from the upper board.
apex of the said cone (through which a hole is bored to allow the wind to pass) is inserted
into the groove in the bottom board.
Bars or
The
partitions are fixed from end to end inside the box three or four inches or
other suitable distance apart forming air-tight compartments, one compartment under
each stop of pipes. These compartments are charged with wind as the stops are drawn
by the organist. When the keys are not pressed down the grooves and cones are charged
with air at double the speaking pressure, which causes the leather on the cones to inflate
and rise till it touches the upper board and consequently covers the hole immediately over

page_text: t in which the pipes stand thus preventing the wind pussing from the said compartments
nto the pipes. When a key is pressed down it opens an exhaust valve in connection with
the groove and also stops the supply of wind from the pneumatic tube to the groove, the
pressure being thus removed from inside the cones the wind inside that compartment then
presses the leather on the cones away from the hole in the upper board and allows the
wind from the said compartment to pass into the pipe and make it speak.
This soundboard consists of a box I construct my improved soundboard in the form
of a box two inches deep or less inside, made of pine or mahogany the length and
width being regulated by the number of stops and the size of the Organ it is
intended for.
It may be made of Pine or Mahogany.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown in longitudinal vertical central section
how my said invention can be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
The pipes are arranged upon the top or upper board "A and it is bored in the
same way as an ordinary soundboard.
Fifty-six Grooves that is one for each key are cut across from back to front of
he bottom board B, forming air channels C.
Hollow cones D with the base turned upward, having a piece of thin sheep skin
leather E spread loosely over them, but being glued down quite air tight round the
edge so that when the cone is charged with compressed air the leather on the base
of the cone rises and when the air is drawn or permitted to escape from the cone the
leather falls. These cones may be made of any kind of wood.
One of these cones are is placed base upwards under each pipe inside the soundboard
and connected to the channel in the bottom board.
The number of cones on each channel will thus correspond to the number of
stops on the soundboard.
Bars or partitions F are placed inside the soundboard from end to end, forming a
separate air chamber G under each stop of pipes, these chambers G are charged with
air as the stops are drawn by the performer at the keys of the organ.
When a key is pressed down the air is drawn or escapes from the corresponding
channel in the bottom board B and also from all the cones D on that the said
channel which causes the leather E on the cones D to fall away from the feet H of
the pipes which are over above them thus allowing the air to pass from all those
chambers G which are charged (by the stops being drawn) into the pipes, causing
them to speak, thus where a stop is not drawn that chamber will not be charged with
air, and the pipes of that stop cannot consequently speak.
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. Great simplicity of construction.
2. Large-reduction in the amount of labor, time and cost of building an organ.
First. In an organ soundboard the employment for controlling the admission of air to
the pipes of the hollow cones covered with sheep-skin substantially as sit forth.
Second. The improved organ soundboard comprising the grooves or air channels, the
air chambers and the hollow cones covered with sheep skin constructed substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawing and operating as, and for the
purposes, above specified.
FREDERICK ALFRED SLATER.

page_text: FREDERICK ALFRED SLATER, 43 Tredegar Road Bow, London, Organ Builder,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for PNEUMATIC ORGAN SOUNDBOARD,
to be as folles. ~ :—
board is a box two inches deep inside and may be three feet wide
ag, or any width and length according to the size of the Organ it is
number of stops it is intended to have upon it; made of Mahogany
ud of sufficient strength to carry the pipes it is intended to place
e arranged upon the top or upper board in the same way as on an
Soundboard and the upper board bored to receive the feet of the pipes, in
the same way as usual.
.aly
The bottom board has fifty six, half inch, grooves cut in it outside the box, cut
from front to back, that is across the narrowest way of the board, covered over
with sheep skin leather tightly glued down thus forming wind channels or tubes,
one groove being connected to each key by a Pneumatic tube.
These grooves are cut straight under the pipes which are to speak when their
relative key is pressed down; thus Tenor C pipes in every stop will stand straight
over the groove which is connected to Tenor C key and so on all through the
Soundboard.
Hollow wooden cones one inch and a half in diameter across the bass, having a
piece of sheep-skin leather drawn loosely over the bass but glued down quite air
tight all round the edges, are fixed one under every pipe inside the box, with the
bass with the leather on it turned upwards half an inch away from the upper
board, the apex of the cones (through which a hole is bored to allow the wind to
pass from the grooves into the cones) being inserted into the groove in the bottom
board.
Bars are fixed from end to end of the box inside, three or four inches apart,"
forming air tight compartments one compartiment under each stop of pipes, which
compartments are charged with wind as the stops knobs are drawn by the
Organist.
When the keys are not pressed down the grooves and cones are charged
with air at double the speaking pressure which causes the leather on the cones to

page_text: inflate and rise till it touches the upper board and consequently covers the hole
immediately over it in which the pipe stands thus preventing the wind passing
from the compartment into the pipes. When a key is pressed down it opens an
exhaust valve in connection with the groove, and also stops the supply of wind
from the Pneumatic tube to the groove; the pressure being thus removed from
inside the cones, the wind inside the compartment then presses the leather on the
cones down away from the holes in the upper board and allows the wind from the
compartment to pass into the pipe and make it speak.
Pneumatic Organ Soundboard.
FREDERICK ALFRED SLATER, 43 Tredegar Road Coborn Road Bow, E. Organ
Builder do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A PNEUMATIC ORGAN
SOUNDBOARD, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This soundboard consists of a box two inches deep (or less) inside, the length
and width being regulated by the number of stops and the size of the Organ it is
intended for.
It may be made of Pine or Mahogany.
The pipes are arranged upon the top (or upper board A) and it is bored in the
same way as an ordinary soundboard.
Fifty-six grooves (that is one for each key) are cut across from back to front of
the bottom board B, forming air chaunels C.
Hollow cones D with the bass turned upward, having a piece of thin sheep skin
leather E spread loosely over them, but being glued down quite air tight round the
edge so that when the cone is charged with compressed air the leather on the bass
of the cone rises and when the air is drawn from the cone the leather falls. These
cones may be made of any kind of wood.
One of these cones are placed bass upwards under each pipe inside the soundboard
and connected to the channel in the bottom board.
The number of cones on each channel will thus correspond to the number of
stops on the soundboard.
Bars F are placed inside the soundboard from end to end, forming a seperate air
chamber G under each stop of pipes, these chambers G are charged with air as the
stops are drawn by the performer at the keys of the organ.
When a key is pressed down the air is drawn from the channel C in the bottom
board B and also from all the cones D on that channel C which causes the leather E

page_text: on the cones D to fall away from the feet H of the pipes which are over them thus
allowing the air to pass from all those chambers G which are charged (by the stops
being drawn) into the pipes, causing them to speak, thus where a stop is not drawn
that chamber will not be charged with air, and the pipes of that stop cannot
consequently speak.
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. Great simplicity of construction.
2. Large reduction in the amount of labor, time and cost of building an organ.