IMPROVEMENTS IN REED ORGANS
Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY WALTER METCALF, Manufacturer, of the City, and County of Worcester,
and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, do hereby declare,
the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN REED ORGANS, and in what manner,
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in, and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to Reed Organs, and consists in certain novel features of
construction of the organ action, of a reed organ, as will be hereinafter described.
Heretofore in organ-actions, as usually constructed, the reed valves have been
located under the keys, and operated by pitmen, running from the underside of the
keys, pivoted at their rear ends, to the valves.
The valves have heretofore been located below the reeds, they therefore have to
close against the action of the suction bellows, requiring a strong spring to keep them
closed;
and in order to get at the valves, it has been necessary to remove the whole of
the organ action from the top of the bellows.
In order to level the keys properly, it has been necessary to file off the ends of the
pitman, and it often happens that the end of a pitman is filed off too much, requiring
the substitution of a new pitman.
In my improved organ action, I do away entirely with the use of pitmen, heretofore
employed for connecting the keys with the recd valves. I locate said valves over the
reeds instead of under them, as has been done heretofore, the valves are thus easy of
access, requiring only the removal of the swell-box. I open the reed valves by means
of keys pivoted at their centre, or approximate centre, acting directly on said valves
through regulating buttons.
The valves are closed by means of a spring in the usual manner, but the valves
being placed above the reeds, as before stated, instead of below them, are closed in the
direction of the action of the suction bellows, and not against the action thereof, as
heretofore.
By means of the regulating buttons, upon the rear ends of the keys, or upon the
front ends of the valves, connecting the keys with the reed valves, the proper leveling
of the keys can be easily obtained.

page_text: .
Figure 1, of the drawing represents a vertical cross-section, through my improved
organ-action, detached from the other parts of an organ, as the same form no part of
my present invention; and,
Figure 2, represents the key and valve detached, showing a modification of my
invention; the regulating button being secured upon the front end of the valve,
instead of on the rear end of the key, as illustrated in figure 1.
The key, and reed valve are shown in elevation, the full lines representing the same
in their normal position, and the dotted lines their active position, as will be herein-
after fully described.
In the accompanying drawing, the part marked A represents the top board of the
bellows, upon which are supported the key frame B, and the wind chest C. Upon
the wind chest C are supported the reed chambers D, and the reed boards E, con-
structed in any usual manner, having the openings a, therein, and supporting the
reeds b, which are placed in a vertical position.
Open spaces c, extend upon the outside of said reeds, to allow of the free passage of
air to sound the reeds, drawn in by suction bellows, of any usual construction, located
directly under the board A, in the ordinary manner. An opening d, connects the
wind chest C with the bellows; and openings e, provided with mutes f, of any
ordinary construction, connect said wind chest with the reed chambers D.
Said
The open spaces e, upon the outside of the reeds b, are closed at their upper ends,
by means of a valve F, of the usual construction, extending over the same.
valve F is pivoted at its rear end, upon a small pin y, a pin h, extending through a
slot at its forward end, prevents any sideways motion of said valve, and felt i, secured
upon the underside thereof, prevents any leakage or passage of air, when the valve is
closed.
A spring, of the ordinary construction, tends to keep the valve F closed, the action
of the suction bellows also acts with said spring, and not against it, as is the case in
organ-actions as heretofore constructed.
A swell-box G, provided with a cover k, of any ordinary construction and operation,
is located and supported over the valves F, enclosing the same; the front ends thereof
project out through an opening, in the front side of the swell-box G, as shown in
the drawing. If preferred, the front ends of the valves F need not project through
the front side of the swell-box G, but may be entirely inclosed within said swell-
box, and the back portion of the name board may form the front portion of the
swell-box.
Upon the key frame B is supported the key H, pivoted at its centre, or approximate
centre, in this instance by means of a pin 7, extending up from the frame B. A piu m,
extending up from the front part of the frame B, fits into a hole made in the under-
side of the key H, at its front end, in the usual manner, to prevent any sideways
motion of said key.
Felt n, is secured upon the top of the key frame B in the usual manner.
A regulating button, or screw I, is attached to the key H, at its rear end, in this
instance by means of a screw o, entering into the key H, and into the button I; said
button I is provided with felt o¹, upon its upper end, and is arranged to come in
direct communication with the front end of the valve 1', which rests and bears upon
said button. The spring pressing upon the top of the valve F, keeps the front end
of the valve in contact with the button I, and at the same time tends to hold the
key H in its normal position, shown by full lines in the drawing. The front half of
the key H being made heavier than the rear half, prevents the rear end from dropping
down too far, and if desired a stop may be provided, upon which the end of the
key H will rest, but this is not necessary, except in the case of the black keys, in
which the rear end will be heavier than the front end, the pivot being nearer the front
end of the key.
The regulating button, or screw I, instead of being attached to the rear end of the
key H, as above described, and illustrated in figure 1 of the drawings, may be secured
upon the front end of the valve F, as shown in figure 2, the manner of operation of
the key and valve being substantially the same in each case.

page_text: The object of the button I, which forms a means of direct connection between the
key H and valve F, so that the latter may be operated directly by the key without
the intervention of any pitman, usually employed, is to allow of the relative positions
of the several keys of the key-board, being properly leveled, by simply turning up or
down the button I.
The operation of my improved organ-action is very simple, and will be readily
understood by those skilled in the art from the above description, in connection with
the drawing, and is as follows.
.
The front end of the key H being depressed, to sound the corresponding reed, or
reeds, will take the position shown by dotted lines, and the valve F, controlling the
air passages to the reeds, will at the same time be raised, as shown by dotted lines,
(the button I, pressing against the under side of the front end of said valve,) allowing
the passage of air, as shown by the arrows, to sound the reeds, drawn in by suction
bellows in the ordinary manner, the mutes f having been first opened by means of
mechanism, of any usual construction and operation.
I have shown in the drawing two sets of reeds, but one, or more sets may be used,
in which case it will only be necessary to vary the length of the valve F. The
manner of construction and arrangement of the wind chest, the reed chambers, and
other parts connected therewith, may be varied from that shown in the drawing
without departing from the principle of my invention, which consists essentially in
the novel construction of the keys, to operate the reed valves, located above the reeds,
by direct communication therewith, without the intervention of pitmen, or levers, and
in the manner as hereinbefore fully described and set forth.
It will be readily seen that the regulating buttons I may be located upon the under
side of the keys, instead of upon the upper side, as shown, and engage the reed-valves
located above the reeds, by having the ends of the valves extend out and rest upon
the top surface of the buttons, the screw o fitting into the slot, formed in the end of
the valve in the usual manner to receive the pin h.
Instead of the button I, on the screw shank o, shown and described, a plain screw,
or equivalent device may be used, for regulating the proper level of the keys.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,
1. In a reed organ, the combination with the keys, and regulating buttons, as a
means of connection between said keys and the reed valves, of said valves, located
above the reeds, and adapted to be operated by the keys, substantially as set forth.
2. In a reed organ, the combination with the keys, provided with regulating
buttons at their rear ends, of the reed valves, located above the reeds, and adapted to
be operated by the keys, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the key H, of the valve F, hinged at one end, and
provided with a spring j, and a regulating button I, as a means of connection between
the free end of said valve, and the rear end of the key, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the key H, of the valve 1, and the regulating button 1,
secured upon the front end of said valve, and adapted to engage directly with the rear
end of said key, to be operated by the same, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with key H pivoted at its centre, and provided with an
adjustable button I at its rear end, of the reed-valve F, and its actuating spring,
located above the reeds, substantially as shown and described.
6. The combination with the key H, and the regulating button I, secured upon the
rear end of said key, and adapted to engage directly with the free end of the reed
valve, to open the same, of the reed valve F, provided with a spring, and hinged at
one end, and having its free end extend out beyond the rear end of the key, to be
acted upon by the same, in the manner substantially as set forth.
7. The combination with the key H, and the regulating button I, secured upon the
rear end of said key, for the purpose stated, of the reed valve F, located within the
swell-box, and hinged at its rear end, and having its forward free end extend out

page_text: beyond the rear end of the key H, and adapted to engage therewith, for the purpose
stated, substantially as shown and described.
8. The combination with the key H, and regulating button 1, secured upon its rear
end, of the reed-valve F, adapted to engage with, and operated by the button I, and
located within the swell-box G, and said swell-box G, and the reed-boards E, for
holding the reeds in a vertical position, below the reed-valves, substantially as shown
and described.
In witness whereof 1, the said Henry Walter Metcalf, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 26th day of November, A.D. 1886.
In presence of
JOHN C. DEWEY,
M. RALPH DRYDEN.
HENRY WALTER METCALF.