IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO COMBINED REED AND STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: Musical Instruments.
.
I, ROBERT ALEXANDER KEMP of 50 New Bond Street in the County of
Middlesex, Musical Instrument Maker do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO COMBINED REED AND STRING
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to improvements in combined pianofortes and organs and
has for its object, the provision of mechanical arrangements as hereinafter described
whereby the quality of tone will be considerably improved.
It is well known that a perfect combination of reeds and strings has not hitherto
been attained by reason of the difficulty of blending the tone of the organ with
that of the string or pianoforte, but by means of my present invention the difficulty
is overcome, the tone of the reed being propelled against the sound-board of the
piano thereby blending the vibrations of the reed with those of the string, and.
prolonging the tone of the strings while the keys are held down, beyond the
normal length of time such strings vibrate, the vibration of the strings continuing
in sympathy with the vibration of the reeds and thus producing a continuity of
sound not previously obtained.
In carrying my invention into practice I place a tongue of vibrating metal such
as tempered brass or steel (commonly known as a tremolo) in the air-passage
leading from the reeds to the exhaust bellows, which, when in operation, gives a
wave-like motion to the air in front of the sound board; a tremolando is thus
imparted to both strings and reeds and the tones become so blended, that it is
sometimes impossible to decide which tones are heard, that is to say, whether it is
the vibrations of the strings or of the reeds. The tremolo is governed by a valve
and rod attached to a draw knob, pedal, or knee-lever at pleasure so that the
vibratory motion of the tremolo can be instantly arrested when not wanted.
I place the free reeds or vibrators in a line immediately opposite the strings of
the piano so that the vibrations of the reeds are imparted to the strings and sound-
board, and by that means cause the strings to vibrate in sympathy with the reeds
a longer time than they would otherwise do that is to say without the vibrations of
the reeds.

page_text: The organ mechanism can be detached from the pianoforte mechanism with great
facility leaving the key board and touch in its natural state, untrammelled by
extra mechanism. I use a rail which carries a series of bent and flattened wires
which act as levers for depressing and opening the valves of the organ when the
keys of the pianoforte are pressed down; when not in use this rail is lowered
beyond the touch of the pianoforte by means of a knee lever, thus shutting off the
tone of the organ, and leaving the key-board of the pianoforte in its normal
condition and entirely free.
To actuate the piano only, it is simply necessary to play as on an ordinary
instrument, and using the soft or loud pedals at pleasure. To actuate the organ
only, the left hand pedal inust be held down and the right hand pedal which is a
blow lever must be worked in the ordinary manner of using such blow levers. By
playing softly any legato or sustained music can be executed without the sound of
the piano being audible, or a melody may be sustained on the organ and a
pianissimo or soft accompaniment produced at the same time from the strings, thus
actuating both strings and reeds without change of the stop or pedal. By releasing
the soft pedal the pianoforte can be made to dominate the organ.
For upright pianos I use a vertical bellows of extreme thinness and great
strength, with the reeds and valves at right angles, the whole of the bellows and
mechanism being adjusted between the bottom door or panel and under the key
board and without increasing the size of the pianoforte or altering its design or
shape; and for grand pianofortes, I use the same mechanism but the whole is placed
horizontally underneath the body of the instrument.
D
...
1 ..
100M
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Combined Reed and String
Musical Instruments.
J, ROBERT ALEXANDER KEMP, of 50 New Bond St., in the County of Middlesex,
Musical Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO COMBINED REED AND STRING MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS" 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 musical instruments in which the mechanism of an
ordinary pianoforte is combined with that of a reed-organ.
The objects of the said invention are to improve the quality of tone, and obtain
a compact and convenient form and arrangement of the parts of such instruments.
My improvements are applicable to upright, or grand or other pianofortes either
in the course of, or subsequently to, their construction. In the case of ordinary
upright pianofortes, the said improvements can be applied without increasing the
size of the instrument or altering its general external appearance.
A perfect combination of reeds and strings in one instrument has not hitherto
been attained by reason of the difficulty of so constructing the mechanism that the
tones of the reeds will blend with those of the strings; but, by my present
invention, this difficulty is overcome, and, in my improved instrument, the sound-
waves from the reeds are directed against the sound-board and strings of the
pianoforte; the blending of the vibrations of the reeds with those of the strings is
thus ensured, and the sounds of the strings, while the keys are held down, are
prolonged beyond the length of time during which such strings would vibrate
under ordinary conditions; the vibrations, of the strings continuing in sympathy
with the vibrations of the reeds, and thus producing a continuity of sound not
heretofore obtained in combined reed and string musical instruments.
An important feature of my said invention is the arrangement of a series of free
reeds in front of the soundboard midway, or about midway, between the ends of
the strings and at right angles to the strings, or nearly so, in order that the
Bound-waves from the said reeds shall impinge directly upon the soundboard and
strings.
My said invention, moreover, comprises various improvements hereinafter set
forth.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shewn how my improvements may be
conveniently and advantageously applied to an upright pianoforte.
Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of the instrument.
Figure 2 shows a portion of Figure 1 drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 3 is a plan or top view of the air-chamber of the reed-apparatus, with
some of the parts removed.
Figure 4 is a front elevation illustrating various details of construction.
Figure 5 is a plan shewing parts of the reed-operating mechanism.
Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section, drawn to an enlarged scale, of the
tremolo hereinafter described.

page_text: invention.
transverse section, Illustrating a modification of my said
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the frame or. case of the instrument; b the soundboard; c, o, are the strings;
and d, d, are the keys. These parts and the pianoforte action may be of any well
known or suitable construction.
e, e, are the organ-bellows, which, in the instrument shewn, are exhaust bellows;
fis the air-chamber; g is one of a series of free reeds secured in any suitable
manner upon the top of the air-chamber fin front of the soundboard b. Each reed
is arranged above an aperture in the top of the air-chamber, and within a reed
chamber or cell h; a valve i is hinged to the top of the air-chamber beneath each
of these apertures and is acted upon by a spring which tends to keep the said
valve closed. These valves are arranged in combination with the mechanism
hereinafter described and with the keys d, so that either of the said valves can be
opened by depressing the corresponding key. This mechanism is, however, so
arranged that the organ can be either connected with the keys d or thrown out of
action, as desired. In combination with each valve i, I provide a plunger k and a
bent or cranked lever 1, one end of which, when the parts are in the position
shewn, bears upon the top of the said plunger. A similar plunger m is provided
beneath each key d, and bears upon the other end of the corresponding lever l.
The plungers k, m, are fitted to slide up and down in suitable guides in a well
known manner. The bent levers are more clearly shewn in Figure 5. They
consist of pieces of wire bent to the required shape, and fitted in suitable bearings
in the lugs or blocks attached to the rail or table n. This rail or table is hinged
or pivotted at n¹ to the top of the air-chamber f, and, under normal conditions,
occupies the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2, the organ-mechanisın
being unconnected with the keys d. The said rail or table is shewn in full lines in
this Figure in the position which it occupies when the organ-mechanism is
connected with the keys d. It is raised to, and supported in, this position by the
following means, viz:-Three or any other suitable number of levers o are pivotted
at o¹ to the front of the air-chamber f, so that, when they occupy the position
shewn in the drawing, their upper ends abut against and support the rail or table n.
These levers are connected by a rod or link o. A knee-lever p is pivotted at pl
beneath the keyboard and is made with a fork at one end which engages with the
central lever o. By moving the lever p in one or the other direction, the rail or
table n can be very readily raised or lowered as required.
When the rail or table n is in its raised position, the plungers m are in contact
with the keys d as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and, if one of the said keys is
depressed, the corresponding valve will be opened by means of the corresponding
plungers k, m, and lever l; when, however, the rail or table n is lowered, the keysd,
when they are depressed, will not touch the plungers m, therefore the key-board
of the pianoforte will be in its normal condition and entirely free from, or
independent of, the organ-mechanism.
The air-chamber f is made with apertures f¹, f, to permit the passage of air
from the said chamber to the bellows e.. Over the aperture f¹ is fixed a box or
casing q having an aperture q¹ beneath which is arranged a tremolo q³ of the kind
usually employed in organs. When this tremolo is in operation, it produces a wave-
like motion of the air in front of the soundboard; a tremolando is thus imparted to
both strings and reeds, but the tones of the strings and reeds, when used together,
are so blended that it is sometimes impossible to decide whether the sounds heard,
when the instrument is played upon, are produced by the vibrations of the strings
combined with those of the reeds, or whether they are produced only by the
vibrations of the strings or only by those of the reeds. The tremolo is governed or
controlled by the following means, vizt; A valve r is hinged or pivotted to the air-
chamber over the air-passage f³. A rod r¹ is coupled to the said valve and is 5
arranged to be raised and lowered, to open and close the valve, by means of a
bent wire or lever 1ª operated by a knee-lever p³. By opening the said valve and.

page_text: permitting the air to pass to the bellows through the passage f*, the vibratory
inotion of the tremolo can be instantly arrested when not required.
The swell consists of a valve or swell-shutter 8 arranged to be opened and closed
by means of a bent wire or lever & operated by a knee-lever p³.
t is a pedal or foot-lever, which is connected with the bellows e by a cord or
chain passing over a wheel or pulley 2, and which is preferably placed on the
right-hand side of the ordinary pianoforte pedals. The bellows are provided with
springs e¹, e' which, by their reaction, assist in operating the said bellows.
In using the instrument as a simple pianoforte, it is only necessary to play as on
an ordinary instrument, holding down the soft or loud pedal at pleasure. In using
it as an organ or harmonium, without the pianoforte accompaniment, the left-hand
or soft pedal must be held down, the knee-lever p pushed to the left into the
position indicated in Figures 4 and 5, and the pedal t worked like the ordinary
blow-levers of an organ; then, by playing softly, any legato or sustained music
can be executed without the sound of the strings being audible. In using the
instrument as a pianoforte and organ combined, a melody may be sustained on the
reeds and a pianissimo or soft accompaniment produced at the same time from
the strings; both strings and reeds can thus be used without making any change
in the stops or pedals The tones of the pianoforte will, in this case, be augmented
and sustained or prolonged by the continued vibration of the reeds, and the tones
of the organ and those of the pianoforte will, as above stated, be so intermingled or
blended that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish the sounds of the
reeds from those of the strings, notwithstanding the fact that the strings are
vibrated by percussion, whilst the reeds are vibrated by wind. By releasing the
soft pedal, the pianoforte can be made to dominate the organ. The ordinary forte
pedal for raising the dampers from the strings is between the soft pedal and the
pedal or foot-lever t.
"
The reeds which I prefer to use for the purpose of my invention are those
commonly known as "American organ reeds " and I prefer to use exhaust bellows
as shown; but, where greater power of tone is required, I use the free reeds termed
Harmonium reeds," the action of the bellows for which must be the reverse of
that above indicated, that is to say, the air must be forced 'outward or expired
instead of being drawn inward or inspired; these two forms of reeds and bellows
are equally applicable for the purpose of my invention, the only difference being an
increased power and a more reedy quality of tone in the case of the harmonium
reeds and the expiratory bellows. In both cases, the sound-waves from the reeds
are directed against the soundboard of the pianoforte, thereby improving the
quality of tone of the reeds, and, as above stated, prolonging the vibrations of the
strings.
The reed-organ may be of any compass from one to eight octaves, according to
the extent of the key board or the will of the maker.
The chief advantages afforded by my invention are as follow, viz:-
The perfect blending of the tones of the organ with those of the pianoforte,
obtained, as above described, by placing the reeds in front of, and across, the
soundboard.
The prolongation of the sounds produced by the pianoforte beyond their ordinary
duration, by the continued vibration of the strings in sympathy with the vibratory
action of the reeds.
The power to produce a tremolando in the tone of the pianoforte in addition to
that obtained on the organ, by reason of the transmission of vibratory motion
from the reeds and bellows, to the sound-board and strings.
.
Also the power to apply reed-organs to upright pianofortes without increasing
the size of the instrument or altering its external appearance.
It is obvious that the construction of my improved instrument may be somewhat
modified without departing from the nature of my said invention. For instance,
the reeds, instead of being arranged horizontally as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, are
sometimes arranged vertically as shewn in Figure 7. In this case each lever lis

page_text: pivotted at 12 to the rail or table n and is connected directly with the valve i so
that it will lift the same instead of depressing it. By arranging the parts in this
manner, I am enabled to economize in respect of the space occupied thereby in
applying my invention to instruments of small size.
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
First. In a combined reed and string musical instrument, the arrangement of a
series of reeds in front of, and across, the soundboard midway, or about midway,
between the ends of the strings, in such a manner that the sound-waves from the
reeds will be directed against the said soundboard and strings, for the purpose
above specified.
Second. In a combined reed and string musical instrument, a tremolo arranged
within the air-chamber in combination with means for putting it into, or out of,
action, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. The combination of a reed-organ with a pianoforte in the manner above
described relatively to the interior arrangement, and so that the instrument is
unchanged in respect of its size and external appearance.
Fourth. In a combined reed and string musical instrument, the valve i held in
its closed position by the spring and arranged to be opened by the key d through
the medium of the plungers k, m, and lever 1, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. In the said instrument, the arrangement of the plungers k, m, and
levers upon a pivotted rail or table n provided with means for raising and
lowering it, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Sixth. The combination, with a pianoforte, of the bellows e, the air-chamber f
having the apertures f¹, f, and the tremolo q², the reeds g and reed-cells h, the
valves and springs, the plungers kc, m, and levers 7 mounted upon the pivotted
rail or table n, and means for raising and lowering the said rail or table, all
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Doted this let dow of December 1885
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.