Improvements in Accordions and Concertinas.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Accordions and Concertinas.
I EUGEN KALBE, trading as J. F. Kalbe, of 13 Gips Strasse, Berlin, in the Empire
of Germany, Accordion Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to an improvement in accordions; and has for its object to
provide a means, within the reach of the performer's thumb or other part of the
hand when in its natural position for holding or playing the instrument, whereby the
"tremolo" effect may be brought into use or discontinued at the will of the performer
and without interrupting the playing of the music, which has heretofore been
unavoidable in operating the "tremolo stop of accordions as usually made. It
has also for its object to enable a "tremolo" effect to be produced in concertinas.
"
My Invention, as applied to accordions, consists in a means of operating the valve
controlling the passage of the wind through the ordinary flap valves whereby the
"tremolo effect is usually produced, said means consisting of a slide rod passing
directly through the top cover or keyboard of the instrument to the valve seated on
the "tremolo partition in the wind chest, the rod either being acted on directly (in
which case it would terminate in a key or knob within easy reach of the performers
thumb or other part of the hand) or through the medium of a lever mounted on the
hand rail of the keyboard, the valve itself being carried, or acted on, by a spring.
The valve is operated in the one direction by the spring and in the opposite direction
by the slide rod, according as the "tremolo" effect is, or is not, to be produced.
Or, the spring may be dispensed with and the valve be operated in both directions by
the slide rod.
A similar arrangement of valve-operating mechanism may be applied to a
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Accordions and Concertinas.
I, EUGEN KALBE of 13, Gips Strasse N. Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia,
German Empire, merchant 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 :-
My improvements in accordions consist of arrangements by means of which it is
possible to produce a tremulous effect when playing, by pressing a botton placed
conveniently near the thamb of the player.
In order to make my invention more clear in the following description, I make use
of the accompanying sheet of drawings in which similar letters denote similar parts
throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of an accordion showing the upper half in vertical section
through the line a ẞ.
Fig. 2 is a section through the upper box of the accordion showing a top view of
the "tremolo" valves.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 show slight modifications in the construction of the mechanism
for opening and shutting the tremolo valves.
PD037

page_text: In fig. 1 B is the valve through which the air passes in playing the accordion
without the tremulous effect. As soon however, as the valve b, which is held away
from the opening B by the spring-b³, is pressed down-the air is forced through the
tremolo-valve A or A³ as the case may be that is to say according to whether the
accordion is being drawn out or pressed together. The tremolo valves are constructed
in the usual manner.
The valve 6 is held continually open by means of the spring 63. When the valve
is open, the small disc g³ rests on the valve b as shown in fig. 1.
To this disc g is fixed the rod g which slides in the tube d. The rod
button c on its upper end and this button c runs in the angular slits
tube d.
has the
c² of the
The tube d is held to the plate f by means of the collar e and two screws, and the
plate is screwed to the accordion as shown in fig. 1 near the thumb band h, so
that in playing the button c can be conveniently pressed down and turned in the
corner of the slit c' by the thumb of the player.
When the tremulous effect is required, the button can be pressed down by the
thumb and turned into the corner of the angular slit c c and when the tremulous
effect is no longer required, the button can be pushed out of the corner c³ of the
slit c' and the valve opens of its own accord under the influence of the spring b³.
Instead of having a separate valve for closing, to effect the tremolo I can obtain
the same effect by the arrangement shown in figs. 3 & 4. where the tremolo valve
itself is held open by pressing the button c down, which moves the angle lever k.
The arm of the angle lever & then presses against the weight 61 of the flap a³ of
the tremolo valve holding the same open and permitting the air to pass through
without causing the tremulous effect.
The arrangement for opening or letting this tremolo valve loose can be effected with
or without a spring. As shown in fig. 4 it works without a spring, the rod g running
tightly in the tube d.
In this case a straight slit c¹ only is necessary in the tube, as the rod g will
remain in the position into which it is placed by the movement of the thumb.
In this modification a spring 6ª may also be introduced as shown in fig. 3 with an
angular slit in the tube.
can also arrange the movement of the valve, as shown in figs. 5 and 6 where
the valve 6 is directly fixed to the rod g which rod has a collar g³ against which
the spring presses. The rod g is fixed to the plate m. This plate mis moveable
on the bottom plate by means of the screw m¹ which slides in the slit m³ of the
plate m.
The plate m has a projection n on its upper end against which the thumb presses.
In addition to the spring 63 there is another spring nº lying behind the plate m
between it and the bottom plate f. The spring n' has its one end fastened to the
bottom-plate f. On its other end, which presses against the under side of the
plate m, is fixed the button o, over which the angular slit p slides. Besides
the button o there is a little block a fixed to this end of the spring nº.
This arrangement works in the following manner.
In playing, when the tremulous effect is desired, it is only necessary to press against
the notch n with the thumb. The valve 6 will now be pressed down and the spring b³
will be stretched. As soon as the valve 6 is down on its seat and the hole B closed,
the block 9 on the end of the spring n snaps into the broad part of the angular
slit p and prevents the spring 6 from pressing the valve 6 up again—accordingly
the air is driven through the tremolo valves A and A'.
To stop the tremulous effect it is only necessary to press the button o when the
block is pressed out of the corner of the angular slit p, the spring 68 then presses
the valve up and with it the plate m so far, until the end of the slit m³ strikes
against the screw m¹.
Lastly I can also make the arrangement of the valve 6 to work without any
spring at all by fixing the valve directly to the rod g and making this rod g slide

page_text: in the tube d tightly enough to prevent the button c from slipping about of its own
accord. In this case the arrangement would be the same as in fig. 1 only the
valve 6 would be fixed to the rod g instead of the disc g². The spring b³ would
be left away and the slit c c¹ would be a straight instead of an angular one.
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 :
In accordions :
1.) A bar g in connection with a valve 6 and a spring 6' working on the valve b,
for the purpose as described.
2.) A bar g with a stopping mechanism, in connection with a valve b, for the
purpose as described.
3.) A bar 9 with a stopping mechanism, in connection with a valve 6 and a
spring 63 working on the valve b, for the purpose as described.
4.) A bar g in connection with the tremolo valve a³, having a weight 6', and with
a lever for holding the valve open, for the purpose as described.
5.) A bar g with a stopping mechanism, in connection with the tremolo valve a³
having a weight 6', and with a lever for holding the valve open, for the purpose as
described.
6.) A bar
worked by a spring 6 in connection with the tremolo valve a³
having a weight 61, and with a fever for holding the valve open, for the purpose as
described.
7.) A bar g worked by a spring 63 and with a stopping mechanism in connection
with the tremolo valve a', having a weight 6', and with a lever for holding the valve
open, for the purpose as described.
Dated this Z2nd day of August 1889.
Dated is 22nd day of August 1889.
EUGEN KALBE.
By Rayner & Cassell,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.