Improvements in or relating to Organ Pipes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Organ Pipes.
I JOHN THOMAS CUSSONS of Keldgate, Beverley, in the County of York,
Tanner, 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:-
This invention consists in a constructive application or attachment of free reeds
to organ flue pipes or similarly sounding air chambers, the effect of such attach-
ment being that the reeds are caused to vibrate without direct wind pressure upon
the reeds but by the vibrating air columns of the pipes communicating with and
acting upon the reeds so inducing sympathetic vibration of the reeds which in turn
react upon the pipes.
:
The principal results of the reaction of the vibrating free reeds upon the vibrating
air columns of organ flue pipes, forming the objects of this invention, are severally
or collectively to control the pitch of the pipes, compelling them to give the fixed
free reed pitch in varying temperatures; to develop or reinforce sound in the
pipes; to impart resonance, causing the sound of the pipes to reverberate for a
short time after they have ceased speaking, by reason of the continuing vibration
of the reeds in free air.
Organ flue pipes so constructed are thus capable of being used in conjunction
with independent free reeds sounded by direct wind pressure; a combination which
the variation in pitch between organ flue pipes and independent free reeds,
consequent upon changes of temperature, has hitherto rendered impracticable.
Thus also, organ flue pipes whether or not controlled as to pitch by the free reed
attachment may be caused to ring or reverberate after speaking, so giving a
resonant effect to the pipes in non-resonant situations.
In the accompanying drawings the
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 shew longitudinal sections of organ flue pipes and of free
reeds attached to them in representative positions with relation to the air columns
of the pipes as hereinafter described.
Figure 6 shews a cross section of organ pipe and of free reeds attached.
Figures 7, 8 are front elevations of the attachment.
At a convenient point in the sounding length of an organ flue pipe or similar air
vibrating chamber of the nature of and acting as an organ flue pipe, in the region
of active vibration of the air column and preferably at the lower or mouth end as
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, an aperture a is pierced, superimposed upon which is
attached a free reed 6 of equal sounding pitch with the pipe so that the tongue c
of the reed lies free to vibrate over the aperture a. Upon the pipe being sounded
in the usual manner of organ flue pipes, the vibrations of the pipe or air column d
are transmitted through the aperture a to the tongue c causing it to vibrate
sympathetically with and to react upon the pipe.
Alternatively or additionally, at any other point in the length of the air column d,
as exemplified near the top of the open pipe Fig. 3 and of the stopt pipe Fig. 4,
the free reed b may be attached in similar relation to the vibrating air column
by means of the aperture a.
Preferably the position of the reed or reeds is as shewn in Fig. 1, namely outside
the pipe, the aperture a forming a communication between the air column and the
reed, nevertheless the reed or reeds may alternatively be placed within the pipe as
in Fig. 5, the free reed blying between the air column d and the aperture a.
Ordinarily it will suffice to place a single unison free reed in communication with
each pipe by means of a single aperture as in Fig. 7, in which the position of the

page_text: aperture a is indicated under the tongue c, nevertheless additional apertures may
be pierced and free reeds applied, either of equal pitch as in Fig. 8, or in unison
with the natural harmonics or overtones of the pipe as represented in the section
of the pipe at its mouth Fig. 6 wherein the air column d communicates by means
of the apertures a, a, a with the reed tongues c, c, c.
Generally and preferably the extent of the aperture a is limited to a fractional
part of the length of the tongue c as shewn in the Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8,
but it may be proportionally extended or diminished according to the exigency of
the vibrating energy of the pipe, the rigidity or flexibility of the reed tongue, or
the degree of reaction required.
As organ flue pipes or similarly sounding air chambers suited to the purposes of
this invention are of considerable variety of construction, it will be obvious that.
modifications may be made in details of the foregoing described free reed attach-
ment without departing from the spirit of the invention, hence I do not limit myself
to the precise disposition of the reeds or apertures as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings; but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In an organ flue pipe or air vibrating chamber of the nature of and acting
as an organ flue pipe, an aperture or apertures pierced, substantially as herein before
described and for the purposes set forth.
2. In an organ flue pipe or air vibrating chamber of the nature of and acting as
an organ flue pipe, a free reed or free reeds attached or applied, substantially as
herein before described and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 5th day of June 1894.
JOHN THOMAS CUSSONS..