Improvements in Chamber Organs.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chamber Organs.
I, JOHN TREADWAY HANSON, of 54, Gloucester Crescent, Regents Park, in
the County of London, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of chamber organs,
the object of the improvements being to so simplify and arrange the parts as to
allow of obtaining a real pipe organ within a case which shall not occupy more
floor space than an ordinary cottage piano.
In carrying out my invention I so place the sound-boards of the great and the
swell organ that one wind chest, and one set of pallets, serve for both.
I employ a new action by which an accent can be laid on any one or more notes,
either in a scale, a passage or a chord, using only one manual. I also employ
one octave of bass notes in the position of a second manual which, when put down
remain so until the end of the note is touched when it is released, whereby I obtain
the effects of pedal notes.
Externally the case is closed up to a height slightly above the level of the key-
board, the top of it forming the sound-board on which two or more stops of pipes
are placed forming the great organ.
All pipes are placed in the natural order of the scale, so that, each pipe being
nearest to the, key which sounds it, no roller-board is required.
The back portion of the top of the instrument is raised to a sufficient height to
form the upper part of the enclosure of the swell. On the front of this enclosure
and facing the key-board, are placed the shutters of the swell adapted to be regu-
lated by a knee-swell.
Internally the whole of the lower part of the case is up to nearly the level of
the key-board occupied by the bellows which are filled by two pedals.
Immediately over the bellows at the back portion of the instrument, and extend-
ing under the whole of the upper portion of the swell-box, is placed the sound-
board on which stand the pipes enclosed in the swell. This sound-board may be at
any level below that of the front sound-board.
The vertical back of the wind-chest is carried down to the level of the sound-
board of the swell, and joined on to it.
The sound-board of the swell is grooved in the ordinary manner.
These grooves
communicate with corresponding grooves in the back of the wind-chest, which
grooves are open inside the whole of their length in the upper portion above the
level of the pallets, and closed below that by a thickness of veneer fixed on air-
tight.
The pipes of the swell, which may be one or more stops, are worked by slides in
the ordinary manner sliding in the thickness of the sound-board of the swell itself,
and the wind may also be conveyed down to the swell by means of gutta-percha or
india-rubber pipes contained in the thickness of the continuation of the vertical back
of the wind-chest between two thicknesses of veneer of wood.
For obtaining the particular accent to a note I employ for each note a slide
working in the thickness of the sound-board, immediately under and at right angles
to the slide of one stop. The ends of the slides project a certain distance from the
front of the sound-board and are kept normally from projecting further by means
of a bar which is so regulated by a pull as to allow the ends of the slides to
project to a further distance equal to the diameter of a small hole in the slide
which is made immediately under the corresponding hole in the ordinary slide of
the stop which works at right angles to it. In the normal position these two holes.

page_text: coincide but when the accent is to be used, the ends of the slides are allowed to
come out to the further distance which they normally tend to do, under the action
of a spring placed at the back of the slide in the thickness of the sound-board.
When out to this distance the back portion of the slide shuts off the wind from the
hole in the ordinary slide above it.
By pushing back the slide the spring at the back is compressed and the holes in
the two slides again coincide.
For the purpose of pushing back the slide I provide under each key on the
manual a spring which only gives way under more than the usual pressure used in
playing, but when extra pressure is exerted the key is forced down slightly lower
and so forces down the upper lever, to the end of which the wire which moves the
pallet, is attached and, as this lever is made to project a short distance past the
point where the wire is attached, the extreme end of it works a crank which pushes
back the slide.
By this arrangement it will be obvious that in playing with the usual pressure
only one stop speaks, but by striking any note harder, the holes in the slides of
that particular note are made to correspond thus sounding two notes in unison
simultaneously, doubling the power of it and consequently giving an accent above
the others.
The octave of notes capable of being locked down and released is made as
follows I pierce the ledge at the back of the keys in an ordinary manual with a
small hole above each key for the space of one octave of the bass, fitting loosely in
each of these holes is a small spindle resting on the continuation of the key which
runs under it and projecting above the ledge a distance equal to the depression of
the key in that part when down.
Over the top of each spindle and at this height I insert in the upright piece of
wood at the back a small spring-key, which in its normal position just touches the
top of the wood-spindles, but when the key is pressed it puts down the ordinary
key of the manual by means of the spindle.
My spring-key projects slightly past the edge of the ledge turning over in the
form of a roll, thus forming a hook, the diameter of which is slightly greater than
the depression to which the key can go.
Standing just clear of the surface of the upright part of the wooden-ledge is a
spring having a tendency to press outwards; it has a projection at the top on to
which the hooked edge of my spring-key takes thus when the key is pressed down
it hooks onto the spring and is kept from returning, but a touch of the finger on
the spring releases the key and so unlocks the note.
By this means one or more notes in the bass may be tied down and released at
pleasure producing effects only otherwise to be obtained by means of pedals.
Dated the 11th day of July 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chamber Organs.
I, JOHN TREADWAY HANSON, of 54, Gloucester Crescent, Regents Park, in
the County of London, Architect, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in chamber organs, and more particularly
of the kind described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 141 of 1890.
According to my invention I employ a new action by which an accent can be
laid on any one or more notes at will, either in a scale, a passage or a chord, using
only one manual. I also employ in connection with one octave or other series of

page_text: bass keys, another series of keys in the position of a second manual, each of which,
when put down, carries with it one of the said bass keys, both keys remaining
locked in such lowered position until released, whereby I obtain the effects of pedal
notes.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front and side elevation of a chamber pipe
organ of the kind hereinbefore referred to and having my improvements applied
thereto :
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the organ; and,
Figure 4 is a front sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken on the
linex of Figure 3. In this figure the pipes and pallets are shewn removed for
the sake of clearness :
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are respectively a front elevation, a sectional plan and a
transverse section of a part of the organ drawn to an enlarged scale, shewing a
portion of the mechanism for enabling the notes to be accented :
Figures 8 and 9 are details of the same drawn to a still larger scale:
Figure 10 is a section on the line yy of Figure 6 also drawn to a larger scale:
Figures 11, 12 and 13 are respectively a front elevation, a plan and a transverse
section of the key-board or manual shewing a series of the keys and the
additional keys I employ for holding them down to obtain the effect of pedal
notes.
Figures 14 and 15 are views similar to Figures 12 and 13. but shewing a slight
modification.
Similar reference letters indicate similar or corresponding parts throughout the
drawings.
I will first briefly point out, by reference to Figures 1 to 4, all the parts
of the organ described in the Specification of the Letters Patent hereinlefor a
referred to.
a is the case, b the key-board or manual, and c the sound-board on which ai
arranged two stops of pipes marked d and e respectively. All the pipes are placed
in the natural order of the scale, the pallet of each pipe being nearest to the
key g which operates it, so that no roller-board is required.
The back portion of the top of the instrument is raised to a sufficient height to
form the upper part of the enclosure of the swell h. On the front of this enclosure
and facing the key-board, are placed the shutters of the swell h, adapted to be
regulated by a knee-swell through the medium of the lever h³, rod
cranks, and h².
and
Internally the whole of the lower part of the case is, up to nearly the level of the
key-board, occupied by the bellows which are filled by two pedals i¹, i¹.
Immediately over the bellows i, at the back portion of the instrument, and
extending under the whole of the upper portion of the swell-box, is the sound-
board j on which stand the pipes j enclosed in the swell h.
The vertical back of the wind-chest is carried down to the level of the sound-
board of the swell, and joined to it.
k and are the slides for the stops d and e respectively, which slides are connected
to draw-rods n through the medium of the levers n', rods n' and bell-cranks n³.
I will now describe my improvements, and firstly the arrangement illustrated by
Figures 5 to 10 for accentuating the notes at will. By this arrangement I arrange
that the partial depression of any key shall only allow the pipes to speak of the
stop or stops which belongs to the stop-rod or rods which are drawn out, but if it
be required to accentuate a note, I arrange that the further depression of the key
will cause the corresponding note of another stop to speak and thereby increase the
power of the note. To enable such additional notes to be sounded, I employ for
each of such notes a slide t, shewn detached in sectional elevation and plan.
respectively by Figures 8 and 9, which slide works in a box t' in connection with a

page_text: Each of
pipe of one of the stops, the end of each slide projecting from its box. In
Figures 6 and 7 two only of the said slides and boxes are shewn in connection with
two of the pipes e for the sake of clearness. Instead of each slide t working in a
box t¹ it can be arranged to work in the thickness of the sound-board c.
the boxes t¹ is provided with a hole which is in connection with one of the said
pipes e and one of the holes in the sound-board controlled by the slide 1, and each
slide t is provided with a hole t, which, when in conjunction with the holes t³,
allows the air to pass to sound its pipe e but, when moved away from the said holes,
as shewn in Figure 9, cuts off the said supply of air. Each hole is kept normally
in the latter position by a bell-crank, provided with a weight (or spring), the
said bell-crank being pivoted in an extension on each box t', and engaging by one
of its arms with the slide working therein, as shewn clearly in Figure 8. is a
stop-pin for limiting the movement of each slide. Each slide is connected to a
key g through the medium of its bell-crank t, a rod u, bell-crank u', rod u², bell-
crank u, rod u', lever us, shaft and lever u', the latter being provided with a
hole through which passes a pin 48 attached to the said key g¹. The pin us is
provided with a nut or collar u°, arranged upon it at a short distance above the
lever u', so that the key g' can be depressed partially so as to make the pipes to
speak of the stop or stops which belong to the stop-rod or rods drawn out. By
still further depressing the key g', the nut or collar u will impinge against the
lever u and move it so as to operate the slide t connected therewith, and thereby
allow air to pass to sound the pipe in connection with the said slide so as to give
the accent required.
In connection with each key g' I arrange on the ledge a spring b, the free end
of which is located beneath the lever connected to the said, key, and against
which spring the extra pressure, required to accentuate the note is exerted, the
resistance of the said spring serving to indicate to the player the limit of the
unaccentuating movement of each key g' and the commencement of the accentuating
movement. Instead of each spring being arranged as shewn it may be arranged.
beneath its key 9. 1 is a nut for regulating the position of the free end of each
spring relatively with the lever ' it operates in conjunction with.
As hereinbefore described, the hole in each slide t is normally in a line with
the hole so as to allow the air to the pipes e to be controlled by the slide 1 in the
usual manner and in order to keep the slides t in this position, when the notes are
not required to be accented, I provide a pull or stop-rod which is connected by a
lever to a cam-bar v which is located above and in contact with the levers u.
By this construction, when the notes are not required to be accentuated, the stop-
rod is kept in, so that the cam-bar v depresses the levers u' and opens the
slidest but, when it is required to accentuate the notes, the said stop-rod is drawn
out so that the cam-bar is rotated and allows the levers u' to move up and close the
slides t, the said levers being then in the position required to enable the accentuation
to be effected.
By the arrangement of mechanism described, it will be obvious that in operating
the keys g' with the usual pressure, only the pipe or pipes speak which belong to
the stop-rod or rods drawn out, but by striking any key harder it is moved down
lower, thus sounding an additional note simultaneously and in unison with the
others, thereby increasing the power of the note or notes and consequently giving
them an accent above the others.
By this arrangement also, if a stop at the interval of an octave above or below
the accent stop be used simultaneously with it, by striking any note of the former
stop harder than the rest it will sound its octave, a result not hitherto attained.
The said arrangement also enables a player to pick out the melody notes of a
piece of music on one stop with accompanying notes or chords of another stop, with
the same hand, on one manual, and in doing this to have a range of two octaves
under one hand available without moving the position of the hand.
Although I have described one stop only to serve as the accent stop, it will be

page_text: obvious that more than one can be used, by the employment of additional slides t
operating in conjunction with each key g¹.
The series of bass keys_capable of being locked down and released will be
understood by reference to Figures 11 to 13. I form in the ledge b', at the back
of the keys in the key-board or manual, a small hole above each key for the space
of the series of notes required. Fitting loosely in each of these holes is a small
spindle w resting on the continuation of the key g' which runs under it and pro-
jecting a short distance above the ledge b'.
Over the top of each spindle I hinge to the case a small spring-key w¹, which
bears upon the top of the said spindle w and serves, by means of it, to press down
the key g' below.
My spring-keys w¹ project slightly past the edge of the ledge 6' in the form of a
roll so as to form a hook 20³.
Attached to the vertical face of the ledge, beneath each spring-key, is a spring-
catch w³, each of which, when the key to above it is depressed, engages with the
hook won the said key and locks it, together with its key g₁ in their lowest
position, but by a slight pressure of the finger against a knob wo on the spring-
catch, the spring-key w¹ is unlocked together with its key g'. By this means one
or more keys in the bass may be locked down and released at pleasure, producing
effects only otherwise to be obtained by means of pedals.
For unlocking a series of the keys just described I provide a bar a hinged at its
ends to the ledge b' and passing through openings in the knobs w* on the spring-
catches w³, it being in the said openings in such a position that, while each spring
catch can be operated to release its corresponding key g' in the manual, by pressing
against a knob on the bar ¹, the said bar will impinge against the whole series
of spring-catches and release any keys locked thereby.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 14 and 15 the spring-keys are formed of a
shape corresponding with the keys g₁ connected thereto instead of being of one
uniform shape, as shewn in Figures 11, 12 and 13.
As shewn in Figures 3 and 7, I convey the air to the grooves s, in the sound-
board of the swell, from the wind-chest by gutta-percha or india-rubber pipes o'
contained in the thickness of the continuation of the vertical back of the wind-chest
between two thicknesses of wood veneer o, o³, thereby avoiding any sharp bends.
Although I have described my improvements as applicable to chamber pipe
organs, it will be obvious that they are equally applicable to other chamber
organs.
By my invention it will be seen that I produce in a real pipe organ of only one
manual, and occupying only the same floor space as a cottage piano, many of the
effects of an organ of two manuals and pedals.
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 :-
1. In a chamber organ the arrangement, whereby, each key is capable of sounding
two notes, that is to say, one note during one part of its movement and another note
during the other part, substantially as described.
2. In a chamber organ, the combination with a stop or stops of pipes, of a slide
or slides adapted to be operated by one part of the movement of the keys in order
to augment the sound of the notes sounded by the other part of the movement of
the keys, substantially as described.
3. In a chamber organ means for enabling the notes to be accentuated substan-
tially as described and illustrated in Figures 5 to 10 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a chamber organ the combination with the ordinary keys of additional keys
adapted to lock one or more of the said ordinary keys in their lowest position, and
of means for releasing the same, substantially as, and for the purpose described,

page_text: 5. In a chamber organ, means for locking and releasing one or more of the keys,
substantially as, and for the purpose described with reference to Figures 11 to 13,
and Figures 14 and 15, of the accompanying drawings.
6. The improved chamber organ substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 13th day of April 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.