Improvements in Accordions.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
TROVIRTUAL DI MUIFICATION.
Improvements in Accordions.
1, THOMAS RICHARD SHILLITO of 89 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by Otto Spaethe trading under the style of Wilhelm Spaethe of Gera,
in the German Empire, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, to he as follows:-
This invention relates, firstly, to means for the production in accordions of a vor
humana or tremulous tone, which is accomplished by conducting the air through two
passages provided with weighted valves in the manuer that one valve is always in
motion by the pressure or draught, which valve by the effect of its weight interrupts
the air current and so causes a tremulous tone.
In order to produce or stop this action whilst the instrument is being played there
is arranged behind the handle a lever with a forked slot at its lower end. The fork
comes over a screw on a rod having at both ends bent wire levers. By the operation
of the fork lever the rod is so moved that its arms either press down the valves for
the avoidance of any obstacle to the air current so as not to give a tremulous tone, or
the arms of the rod are so moved back that they permit of the valves closing and
therewith an interruption of the air current by the weighter valves to give a
tremulous tone.
Secondly, to a piano and forte attachment. In order to be able to change the tone
of an accordion provided with two sets of tones, that is to say, to play piano and forte
there is arranged at the back of the finger board a lever having at its end a peculiar
tail or extension on which bears a stud in firm connection with a wood valve. This
latter which is covered with felt is so mounted over one set of tones that it is normally
kept down by by a spring thus allowing the air current to pass over the tone arrange-
ment. By an operation of the lever the stud on the valve slides over the surface of
the lever tail or extension closing the valve, shutting off the air current and producing
a piano tone. Upon the reverse motion the valve is opened again by the action of
the spring both sets of tones then sounding and producing the forte.
Thirdly, to a bellows fastener. In order to readily close the accordion from the
inside there is arranged at the bottom thereof a lever with a recess on the narrow
side of its lower end and inside the bellows a cross rod of metal wire the strength or
thickness of which corresponds to the recess in the lever. Upon the lever being
pressed sideways it. either engages by its recess with the wire cross rod to close the
bellows or sets the cross rod free to open it.
Fourthly to an arrangement of felt slides to prevent loss of air in the operation of
the levers referred to in respect of the three foregoing arrangements. For the opera-
tion of these levers it is necessary to have oblong slots in the cover or bottom of the
instrument. These slots have however the disadvantage that they allow of air passing
unutilised from the bellows, and causo the instrument to leak air. To prevent this
the lever rods inside the instrument are provided with a felt slide fixed firmly to the
ever and so large that upon each movement the slot is quite covered. It is guided
by two wires arranged above it.
Dated this 10th dose of Dotahan 1000
THOMAS RICHARD SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Accordions.
I, THOMAS RICHARD SHILLITO of 89 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by Otto Spacthe, trading under the style of Wilhelm Spaethe of Gera,
in the German Empire, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention relates to accordions and like musical instruments. It consists,
firstly, in the provision of means for enabling a vox humana or tremolo tone to be
produced or stopped whilst the instrument is being played; secondly, in an arrange-
ment in instruments of the kind provided with two sets of reeds for two sets of tones-
piano and forte for instance-for enabling the forte tone to be produced or stopped
whilst the instrument is being played; thirdly in an arrangement for fixing the
instrument in the closed position, and fourthly in an arrangement of slides of felt or
other yielding material to prevent leakage of air into or from the instrument through
apertures in which levers are carried for the purpose of being operated from the out-
side of the instrument.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a back view of an accordion with a portion of the bellows removed for the
purpose of more clearly shewing the invention.
Fig. 2 a view of the under side of the top cover.
Fig. 3 an end view of the bottom cover with the closing arrangement in connection
therewith and
Fig. 4 a view from above of the inside of the accordion as seen when the top cover
is removed.
The vor humana or tremolo tone is produced by the passage of air through two
passages a, a', each provided with a weighted flap valve 6, 61, so that upon pressing
the instrument inwards or pulling it outwards one of the valves b or b¹ is always set
in motion and by reason of its being weighted interrupts the air current so as to
produce the vox humana or tremolo tone.
с
To produce or stop this action whilst the instrument is being played there is
mounted on the back part of the top cover a finger lever c the bottom end of which
terminates in a fork taking on to pin d of vertical levere carried in bearing f. The
vertical lever e is fitted with a pin g by which it is in connection with horizontal
rod . This latter carries at each end a cranked wire i, i, oscillating respectively in
a bearing k formed in the upper part of air passage a and in bearings k', 2. The
cranked wires i, i, are furnished with bent wire levers l, l', located to come directly
in front of valves b, b. By operating finger lever c the vertical lever e and horizontal
rod are so moved as to cause the bent wire levers 1, l, to project from the air
passages a, a, and so prevent the valves b, b¹ from closing in the manner that there
shall be no obstacle to the passage of air; or to be withdrawn within the air
passages a, a, and so permit the valves b, b¹, to close in the manner that an interrup-
tion of the air current is caused by the action of these weighted valves and a voa
humana or tremolo tone thereby produced.
In order, in instruments of the kind provided with two sets of reeds, to enable the
tone to be changed whilst the instrument is being played, that is to say, to be able to
play both piano and forte, there is further mounted on the back part of the top cover
or key board a second finger lever m the bottom end of which is formed as a blade
for bearing by its narrow edge against a tongue n fixed on a wood plate o covered
with felt on its under surface. This latter is mounted in bearings p, p', so as to come
immediately over one-the forte-set of reeds. It is kept normally pressed upwards
by a spring y fixed by one end in the wood work of the side of the cover and by its
other end pressing against the under side of plate o. By operating finger lever m so
as to depress through tongue n the wood plate o the air current is prevented from

page_text: passing to the reeds underneath it and the forte tone suppressed. Upon a reverse
operation of finger lever m so as to take away the pressure from tongue n the spring q
lifts up wood plate o thus allowing the air current to have access to the reeds pre-
viously shut off from it and allowing the forte tone to be produced.
The arrangement for readily and securely fixing the instrument in the closed
position comprises a finger lever » mounted on the back of the bottom cover in a
manner similar to that of the two finger levers c, m, on the top cover. It has a slotted
end for taking on and engaging wire rod s held firmly in two blocks t, t¹, fixed to the
partition u which carries the vox humana or tremolo mechanism before described. To
6ix the instrument in the closed position the bellows is closely pressed inwards with
the slotted end of lover on the left hand side of wire rod s, say in the position shewn
in the drawing; the end of lover outside the instrument is then pressed to the left
to bring its slotted end to engage on wire rods and in this way fix the instrument
securely in the closed position by means of parts engaging together inside the instru-
ment. To open the same, the lever r is operated in the reverse direction to disengage
it from wire rod s.
In mounting the three finger levers c, m, », on the instrument so as when pushed
sideways by the finger to turn respectively on fixed pins v, v', v³, it is necessary
to provide somewhat long slits through the covers for the purpose of affording these
three levers sufficient space in which to move, but such slits if left uncovered, would
allow air in the bellows to pass out unutilised, to prevent which, the several levers are
at the inside of the instrument each provided with a slide w, w¹, w³, of felt or other
suitable yielding material. Each slide is firmly fixed on its respective lever and is
sufficiently large to quite cover at all times the slit along which the lever is moved.
The slides are further held in place and guided by wires a the ends of which are bent
round and secured in the wood work of the respective covers.
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
chim is:
1. In accordions, finger lever c in combination with vor humana or tremolo
mechanism for the purpose of enabling the vox humana or tremolo tone to be
produced or stopped by the player whilst playing the instrument, substantially as
described and shewn.
2. In accordions finger lever m in combination with tongue n and plate o for the
purpose of enabling one set of reeds to be set in or put out of action by the player
whilst playing the instrument so as to play piano and forte substantially as described
and shewu.
3. In accordions finger lever engaging inside the instrument for the purpose of
fixing the same in the closed position substantially as described and shewn."
4. Slides w, w¹, w³, for the purpose specified substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 19th day of July 1890.
T. R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.