Harmonium and with an American Organ.
Year: 1885

page_text: Harmonium and with an American Organ.
I CHARLES FREDERICK CULLUM of 108 Euston Road in the County of Middlesex
Pianoforte Harmonium and American Organ Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF COMBINING A
PIANOFORTE WITH AN HARMONIUM AND WITH AN AMERICAN ORGAN to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to combine a pianoforte an harmonium and an
American organ in one instrument in such a manner that either the pianoforte
can be played alone or at the will of the player either the harmonium or the
American organ can be played with the pianoforte or if required all three instru-
ments can be played simultaneously and I effect this object without in any sensible
degree or to any great extent increasing the size of the pianoforte casing that
contains the other two instruments in addition to its own proper mechanism.
I will describe my invention as applied to an ordinary upright pianoforte to the
which it is chiefly applicable.
To carry out my aforesaid object I take an ordinary upright pianoforte and to
add and adapt an harmonium thereto I place the usual series of reeds in an
ordinary harmonium reed pan immediately above or near the central pivot pins of
the keys of the pianoforte and the pallet of each reed is actuated by a wire or rod
attached to each or some of the said keys. The feeders are placed immediately
under the key bottom of the pianoforte and are actuated by the usual pedals which
are placed near the bottom of the pianoforte casing and are preferably so arranged
that they can be folded up against the bottom door of the said casing or may form
part of the same. The wind is taken from the feeders up at each extremity of the
key bottom near the cheeks of the pianoforte into the reed pan above and these
passages are governed by valves actuated by one or more ordinary draw stops.
For the American organ the usual series of reeds and the ordinary reed board
thereof are placed on the top of the pianoforte and the pallet of each reed is con-
nected by a rod or wire passing down in front of the pianoforte action to the
corresponding key of the pianoforte keyboard. The same pedals as supply the
haumonium are utilized and actuate the exhaust bellows of the American organ
which are placed in the casing near thereto and the connecting wind passages pass
77

page_text: up preferably behind the sound board of the pianoforte and between or behind the
framing thereof to the reed board above which passages also are governed by
valves actuated by one or more ordinary draw stops all which stops preferably pass
in convenient positions through the name board of the pianoforte.
Thus either or both of these aforesaid supplementary instruments can be played
at the same time as the pianoforte by connecting if necessary and working the
pedals and drawing out the required stops.
Instead of utilizing the same set of keys I can also mount a supplementary row
of keys above the keys of the pianoforte arranged somewhat as are organ manuals
and I can use this supplementary row of keys to actuate and play the harmonium
or the American organ or both as may be required and the corresponding or other
keys in each keyboard can also be coupled in any usual or convenient manner if
I should so desire.

page_text: Harmonium and with an American Organ.
I CHARLES FREDERICK CULLUM of 108 Euston Road in the county of Middlesex
Pianoforte Harmonium and American Organ Manufacturer 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:-
The object of my invention is to combine a pianoforte and an harmonium or a
pianoforte and an American organ or a pianoforte an harmonium and an American
organ in one instrument in such a manner that either the pianoforte can be played
alone or at the will of the player either the harmonium or the American organ can
be played with or without the pianoforte or if required all three instruments can
be played simultaneously and I effect this object without in any sensible degree or
to any injurious extent increasing the size of the pianoforte casing that contains
the other one instrument or two instruments in addition to its own proper
mechanism and apparatus while at the same time I so arrange the aforesaid instru-
ments in the pianoforte casing that all the various and several parts thereof shall
be very accessible and can easily and quickly be exposed for tuning or fitting or
other purposes.
In order the more clearly to explain this my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which I have shewn an harmonium and an American
organ combined with an ordinary upright pianoforte.
.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of my combined instrument.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same also partly in section. Figure 3 is a view
of the back of the same taken at a. b. in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a vertical transverse
section of part of the same shewing an elevation of one note of the harmonium and
of the American organ on an enlarged scale. The letters refer to the same parts in
all the Figures.
A is the ordinary upright pianoforte the action B whereof may be of any usual
or convenient type or kind.
To add adapt and combine an harmonium to and with this pianoforte I procced
as follows. The keys C of the pianoforte A are mounted as usual on the key
frame D and immediately above the central pivot pins of the said keys C is the
usual harmonium valve board E which extends entirely across the said pianoforte A
and is supported from the said key frame D or by the cheeks of the casing or
otherwise and on the said valve board E is centrally placed the usual reed pan F
containing the usual series of reeds F¹ and the pallet of each of the said reeds F¹ or
as shewn in Figure 4 where there are more than one row of reeds the pallet of
each set of corresponding reeds F' is actuated by a wire or rod G attached to or
standing on or actuated by the corresponding key C through any usual or suitable
apparatus that shewn in this figure being very convenient. The reservoir H of
any usual type is placed immediately below and works inside of the key frame D
and the usual bellows or feeders I are placed closely below the said reservoir H
and the same are supported from the said key frame D or from the frame or casing

page_text: of the pianoforte or otherwise. The pedals K are placed near the bottom of the
pianoforte casing on each side of the usual pianoforte pedals L and a frame M is
fitted in the front of the lower part of the pianoforte but preferably behind the
front panel of the casing thereof over suitable pulleys or rollers M¹ on which the
usual cords pass to connect the pedals K with the feeders I and to actuate the said
feeders I by and from the said pedals K. The air from the feeders I passes
through the trunks H' into the reservoir H and thence up through the passages E¹
at each extremity of the key frame D near the cheeks of the pianoforte casing into
the valve board E and thence again in the usual manner into the reed pan F and
the said passages E¹ are governed by valves N which may be actuated by the
ordinary draw stops N¹ which draw stops N¹ preferably pass in convenient
positions through the name board of the pianoforte as shewn or in other convenient
manner by suitable apparatus. When however there is only one row of reeds in
the harmonium I can if I should so desire dispense with the valve or valves N.
According to this aforesaid method therefore all the parts of the harmonium are
very accessible for instance the name board of the pianoforte if any can easily be
removed and when the said harmonium is fitted as shewn the reed pan can easily
be turned forwards on its hinges thus exposing the reeds for tuning or otherwise
and the said harmonium adds very little if at all to the usual size of the pianoforte
casing as is desired.
To add adapt and combine an American organ to and with this pianoforte or to
and with the combined instrument herein before described I proceed as follows.
The ordinary bellows board O is placed over the top of the pianoforte A closely
above the back A¹ of the same and is secured on the back Z of the casing thereof
and on the said bellows board O is placed the ordinary cavity board P fitted
centrally with the ordinary series of reeds P¹ and the pallet of each of the said
reeds P or as shewn in Figure 4 where there are more than one row of reeds the
pallet of each set of corresponding reeds P¹ is actuated by a wire or rod R passing
down in front of the pianoforte action B and attached to or standing on or actuated
by the corresponding key Cor as is preferable when an harmonium is also combined
with the pianoforte by the lever or the rod G of the corresponding note of the said
harmonium through any usual or suitable apparatus that shewn in this figure
being very convenient. The whole series of wires or rods R are preferably
mounted in a frame R¹ so that the same can easily and quickly be removed when
required for which purpose the said wires or rods R as also may be the case with
the wires or rods G herein before described are preferably not secured to but are
merely in contact with the corresponding parts of the apparatus with which the
same work as shewn in the drawings. The ordinary reservoirs S and the ordinary
exhaust bellows T are secured on the back Z of the casing and are so shaped and
constructed and placed as to work in and between the bracings All of the back of
the pianoforte. Each of the aforesaid pedals K is preferably divided vertically into
two parts and one part K¹ of each of these so divided pedals actuates the feeder I
as herein before described and the other part K" actuates the exhaust bellows T
through the ordinary cord which passes over a pulley or roller M on the frame M
and then through the sounding board of the pianoforte as shewn in Figure 1.
Suitable passages are made between the bellows board O the reservoirs S and the
exhaust bellows T through which the air can be drawn by the said bellows T
which passages are governed by any required valves and the said passages may
lead direct from the said reservoirs S to the said bellows T across and behind the
bracings A but this method of construction and arrangement may necessitate a
slight widening of the pianoforte casing and when this would be the case and the
same is not desirable I preferably proceed as follows and as is shewn in the
drawings. Suitable valve boxes V are formed inside the bellows board O from
which the passages V₁ communicate separately with the reservoirs S and with
the exhaust bellows T and the apertures in these said boxes V which open into
the said bellows board O are fitted with the required valves. The mutes W that
govern the admission of air to the reeds P' in the cavity board P are connected by.

page_text: the rods X with the ordinary draw stops N' preferably placed as herein before
described or the same may be actuated in other convenient manner by suitable
apparatus. When however there is only one row of reeds in the American organ
I can if I should so desire dispense with the mute or mutes W. According to this
aforesaid method therefore all the parts of the American organ are very accessible
for instance the top of the pianoforte casing can easily be opened and when the
mutes if any are turned back the reeds can easily be drawn out for tuning or
otherwise while when the back of the casing is fitted as shewn the said back can
easily be turned backwards on its hinges thus exposing all the parts of the said
organ and the said organ also adds very little to the usual size of the pianoforte
casing as is desired.
The whole series of wires or rods R when mounted in a frame R³ as is herein-
before described can also easily be removed and then with a tuning hammer with a
sbank a little longer than is usual the pianoforte wires can be tuned when required
or when the back Z of the casing which carries the American organ is turned back
on its hinges any ordinary tuning hammer can be used for the aforesaid purpose.
The pedals K are preferably so fitted that they can be folded up against the front
panel of the pianoforte casing or still more preferably may form part of the same
when so folded up as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
Thus and in this manner either or both of these aforesaid supplementary
instruments can be played at the same time as the pianoforte by placing the feet
on one or both of the divided pedals on each side and working the same in the
usual manner and by drawing out the required stops or otherwise actuating
the desired valves or mutes if any and I can also if I should so desire fit any usual
or convenient apparatus that will when required prevent the pianoforte hammers
from striking the wires or from producing sounds thereby so that only the
harmonium or the American organ or both of the same may be heard.
I have thus described and I have shewn in the accompanying drawings what
I consider to be an extremely suitable method of performing this my invention
and very convenient details of construction and arrangement of the several parts
thereof but I would have it clearly understood that I do in no wise limit myself
thereto for the precise method and exact details of construction and arrangement
aforesaid may obviously be varied as may be expedient or desirable in each
particular case. For instance I can mount one or more supplementary row or
rows of keys above or below the keys of the pianoforte arranged somewhat as are
ordinary organ manuals and I can use the supplementary row or rows of keys to
actuate and play the harmonium or the American organ or both the harmonium
and the American organ as may be desired and the corresponding or other keys in
each key board can be coupled in any convenient manner if I should so desire.
Again the pedals also can be dispensed with and the feeders and the exhaust
bellows can be actuated by any outside or other lever or levers in the usual
Inanner. The harmonium reeds and the American organ reeds can also be caused
to sound by and through any usual or suitable mechanism and the reed pan and
cavity board the valve board and bellows board the valves mutes reservoirs
and feeders and bellows thereof and the connecting passages parts and appliances
of the same can also be made and formed and constructed and arranged in such a
manner and of such forms and shapes as may be expedient or desirable or
convenient in each particular case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
nvention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
[ claim is
1. The method of combining a pianoforte and an harmonium in one instrument
he said method being the placing of the harmonium feeders and reservoir
mmediately below the key frame of the pianoforte and the other parts of the
aid harmonium immediately above the key board of the said pianoforte the said
nstruments and the several parts thereof being connected together and the whole

page_text: instrument being combined and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. The method of combining a pianoforte and an American organ in one
instrument the said method being the placing of the American organ exhaust
bellows and reservoirs on the back of the casing of the pianoforte to work in and
between the bracings of the back of the said pianoforte and the other parts of the
said American organ immediately above the said back of the said pianoforte the
said instruments and the several parts thereof being connected together and
the whole instrument being combined and operating substantially as herein before
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
3. The method of combining a pianoforte an harmonium and an American organ
in one instrument the said method being the placing of the harmonium feeders and
reservoir immediately below the key frame of the pianoforte and the other parts of
the said harmonium immediately above the key board of the said pianoforto and
the placing of the American organ exhaust bellows and reservoirs on the back of
the casing of the said pianoforte to work in and between the bracings of the back
of the said pianoforte and the other parts of the said American organ immediately
above the said back of the said pianoforte the said instruments and the several
parts thereof being connected together and the whole instrument being combined
and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in the accom-
panying drawings.