CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF THE PALLETS OR VALVES OF ORGAN SOUND BOARDS OR WIND CHEST?, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO SERAPHINES, EOLOPHONS, HARMONICUMS, HAR- MONIUMS, AND ALL OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONE IS PRODUCED BY THE ADMISSION OF WIND SUPPLIED BY BELLOWS OR OTHER MACHINERY TO PIPES, REEDS, OR SPRINGS, AND PLAYED UPON BY A KEY BOARD OR KEY BOARDS, AND ALSO TO VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES CONNECTED WITH ALL THE ABOVE-NAMED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HOLT, of Preston Place, Bradford, in the County of York, Organ Builder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of December
(One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine), in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho
said William Holt, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Holt, my
exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Holt, my
exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of Guernsey,
Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF THE PALLETS OR VALVES OF ORGAN SOUND BOARDS OR WIND CHEST?,
THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO SERAPHINES, EOLOPHONS, HARMONICUMS, HAR-
MONIUMS, AND ALL OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONE IS PRODUCED
BY THE ADMISSION OF WIND SUPPLIED BY BELLOWS OR OTHER MACHINERY TO PIPES,
REEDS, OR SPRINGS, AND PLAYED UPON BY A KEY BOARD OR KEY BOARDS, AND ALSO
TO VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES CONNECTED WITH ALL THE ABOVE-NAMED MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, tho
said William Holt, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had will more fully and at large appear.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Holt, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say :-
My Invention consists of improvements in the pallets or valves of organs,
and other wind musical instruments, wherein similar pallets or valves are used
and acted on in like manner by keys or pedals.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
It is well known that in organ and other wind musical instruments having
similar pallets or valves, that considerable force is required on the keys to open
the valves or pallets, by reason of the pressure of wind (acting on the areas
of the pallets or valves, which.has to be overcome, (in addition to the weight
of the valves or pallets when arranged to be lifted,) and the friction or re-
sistance of the mechanical parts between the keys and the valves or pallets.
Now, according to my Invention, I cause each valve or pallet to be made of
two parts, so that a comparatively small area of each valve or, pallet may have
to be first moved in opposition to the pressure of the wind, the other part,
comprising the larger area of the valve or pallet, being moved after the
pressure on either side of the valve or pallet has become equalized. By
means of which improvements in such description of wind musical instru-
ments various beneficial results will be obtained, amongst others the touch
will be greatly lightened and improved, and the valves or pallets will be more
under controul.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a side view, and Figure 2 an end view, of the valve or pallet
constructed according to my Invention. The valve or pallet is made in two
parts a, a', and it is hinged as usual at one end, and is constantly pressed on by
114

page_text: on it two nuts e, e, one above and the other below the projection a² of the
valve or pallet a; hence, when the wire d is moved by its finger key or pedal
the valve a, a, will be moved, the part a¹ being first moved by the wire, by
which means the pressure of wind on either side of the valve or pallet will be
quickly equalized, and the further touch of the performer on the finger key
will simply have to overcome the friction of the mechanism (and the weight
of the valve or pallet a, a', when the same is lifted), in place of the whole
valve or pallet having, as heretofore, to be moved from its seat in opposition to
the pressure of the wind. Figure 3 shews a side view, and Figure 4 an end
view, of a parallel moving valve or pallet. In this arrangement, as in the
previous one, the valve or pallet is made in. two parts a, a, the smaller part
a¹ being first moved by the wire d, which, as before, is connected to the part
a, a', of the valve or pallet, and it has two nuts e, e, thereon, and a short tube
e, so that in moving the wire d it first moves the, part a¹ of the valve or
pallet a', and then the armf of the spindle bar 9.; the spindle bar g, being
moved in its turn by means of the arm f¹, raises the other wire d', so that the
whole of the valve or pallet will be moved, the part a¹ preceding the part o
in its movement, so that the pressure of wind on the part a is equalised before
it is moved.
a
It will be evident to the mechanic that it is not essential that the two parts
of a valve should be connected, or that the, opening which a valve, covers should
be all. in one, as it will be evident that the openings may be divided, and that
the two parts of a valve may be separated, so long as the parts are arranged
to act in succession, as described.
And it is the making of the valves or pallets of such descriptions of wind
musical instruments each of two parts, and arranging the apparatus so that
only a part of a valve or pallet is moved against the pressure of the wind,
which constitutes the peculiarity of the Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the manner in
which the same are to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details as herein shewn and described, so long as the
peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but what I claim are the
improvements herein described in the construction of the pallets or valves of
organs and other wind musical instruments.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Holt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.
WILLIAM (L.S.) HOLT.

page_text: In the Matter of a Patent granted to WILLIAM HOLT, of Preston
Place, Bradford, in the County of York, Organ Builder, 'for his
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
PALLETS OR VALVES OF ORGAN SOUND BOARDS OR WIND CHESTS, THE SAME
BEING APPLICABLE TO SERAPHINES, EOLOPHONS, HARMONICUMS, HAR-
MONIUMS, AND ALL OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONE IS
PRODUCED BY THE ADMISSION OF WIND SUPPLIED BY BELLOWS OR OTHER
MACHINERY TO PIPES, REEDS, OR SPRINGS, AND PLAYED UPON BY A KEY
BOARD OR KEY BOARDS, AND ALSO TO VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES CONNECTED
WITH ALL THE ABOVE-NAMED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," bearing date at
Westminster, the Tenth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-nine.
ISCLAIMER proposed to be entered by the said William Holt with the
Clerk of the Patents of England, pursuant to an Act passed in the fifth
and sixth years of the reign of His late Majesty King William the
Fourth, intituled "An Act to amend the Law touching Letters Patent
for Inventions."
I, the said WILLIAM HOLT, do declare that since I obtained the said Letters
atent I have discovered that the Invention which was intended to have been
escribed under that part of the title which is contained in the following words,
and also to various other purposes connected with all the above-named musical
struments," is not of such practical utility as would make it desirable to
tain it in the said Patent, for which reason I am desirous to and do hereby
sclaim all that part of the title which is contained in the following words,
and also to various other purposes connected with all the above-named musical a
struments."
In witness whereof, I, the said William Holt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty.
WILLIAM HOLT. (L.S.)

page_text: To the Clerk of the Patents of England.
This is to certify, that the above-named William Holt, of Preston Place,
Bradford, in the County of York, Organ Builder, has applied to me for leave
to enter with you the above-written Disclaimer of part of the title of a certain
Invention, for which Letters Patent were granted to him under the Great Seal
of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine; and having considered of the,
said application, and no objection having been made to the same, I hereby
grant leave to the said William Holt to file his said Disclaimer, pursuant to
the Statute passed in the fifth & sixth years of the reign of His late
Majesty King William the Fourth, entituled "An Act to amend the Law
touching Letters Patent for Inventions."
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid William Holt came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand