Reed Organ Actions.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Reed Organ Actions.
I, ALBERT LORENZO WHITE, of 2529 Indiana Avenue Chicago, in the County of
Cook, State of Illinois, United States of America, Artisan, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for Reed Organ Actions, 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 reed organ actions.
The object of the invention is to improve the tone of a reed organ so as to make it
similar to the tone of a pipe organ.
Like letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawings, in
which-
Fig. 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a preferred form of the invention.
Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a part of a reed-organ embodying
a modified form of the invention.
It is a well recognized fact that the tone of a pipe organ is superior in fulness;
softness and other respects to that of the ordinarily constructed reed organ, and, of
course, the comparative compactness and cheapness of the latter has heretofore made
it preferable for general use. The present improvement is designed to he embodied
in a construction which obviates many defects in the tone of a reed organ;
and, in fact, make it difficult, if not impossible, for the human ear to detect the
difference between this reed organ and the pipe tone. The principle of the
improvement resides in the employment of what may be properly termed an over-
draught pipe cell, in connection with a reed cell, although, of course; other details
add to the beneficial effect. This overdraught pipe cell is illustrated in both figures
of the drawing and is designated by the letter A. In this organ aetion there is,
first, the reed cell proper, which is designated by the letter B, and is in essential
respects like the ordinary reed cell; second, there is a tube or hole extending -
directly over the reed cell and parallel thereto at the bottom, and near the back
end of which is a graduated throat or opening, which permits the air to pass through
the pipe cell and enter the reed cell over the reed and directly on the point of the
tongue of such reed, which upper cell may be technically designated as the over-
draught pipe cell. It is found in practice that a reed organ constructed with this
over-draught pipe cell is much improved in tone, and, in fact, made to closely
resemble a pipe organ in the quality of its tone. Dead or tuning mutes are hinged
to the cells and used to close the open ends thereof, as shown in both figures of
the drawing, but an increased effect is gained by using a double mute of the kind.
illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, in which the upper portion, or that portion in
line with the pipe cell, has a hole bored through it and separately covered, thus
making the pipe cell much longer than the reed cell or reed, and thereby subduing
any possible rankness remaining in the tone. This double tuning mute is, as shown
in Fig. 1, hung over the heel of the reed, covering both the reed cell and the pipe
cell; then a set of graduated tube holes are bored through the top of such mute,
directly in line with the pipe cell these holes are graduated as to their relative size -
from treble to bass and forming practically an extension of their respective pipe-
cells; and, finally, a speaking mute is hung over the tube cells on the inner mute;-
thus making it a double mute. In the drawings, the double mute is designated by
the letter C, and the outer speaking mute, which is hinged-to such inner or double

page_text: mute, is designated by the letter D. The plain, ordinary form of dead mute, which is
illustrated in Fig. 2, is designated by the letter E.
The organ contains the same number of stops as is usual and is employed in the
customary manner, and in the respects and particulars, not described specifically, it is
constructed in the well-known manner.
In Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is shown a view of the usual parts of the reed
action, such as the key and the valve G, connected by the rod H and all
mounted upon the main body of the instrument in accordance with the usual
construction.
It will be readily understood that many changes and variations may be made by
those skilled in the art in the construction specifically illustrated and described,
without departing from the principle of the invention. I do not wish, therefore, to be
limited to such exact construction.
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 reed organ action, the combination with a reed cell, of an overdraught
pipe cell, having a graduated throat forming an air communication between the two
cells, and a compound mute arranged to control both of said cells; substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a reed organ action, the combination of a reed cell, of a superposed
parallel pipe cell, having a graduated throat formed in the wall between the cells and
constituting a communicating passage for the air, and a single compound mute
arranged to control both of said cells; as set forth.
3. In a reed organ action, the combination with a reed cell, of an overdraught
pipe cell, each cell being open at one end, and a mute hung over the said open
ends and provided with a graduated opening forming an extension of said pipe
cell; as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a reed organ action, the combination with a reed cell, and an overdraught
pipe cell communicating with such reed cell, both cells being open at one end,
and a double mute hanging over the open ends of both cells, said mute provided with
an opening communicating with said pipe and with the outer air; as and for the
purpose set forth.
5.. In a reed organ action, the combination with a reed cell and an overdraught
pipe cell, having an air passage through its wall, communicating with the reed cell
directly over the point of the tongue of the reed, and a mute arranged to control both
of said cells, said mute provided with an opening communicating with said pipe cell
and the outer air, and means for controlling said opening; as and for the purpose
set forth.
6. In a reed organ action, the combination with a reed cell and an overdraught
pipe cell, each open at one end and having an air communication between them
near their other ends, of a double mute covering both the reed cell and the pipe
cell, and having its top portion formed with a hole therethrough, and a second
mute hung over the hole thus formed on the inner mute; as and for the purpose
set forth.
7. In a reed organ action, a series of reed cells, a corresponding series of pipe cells,
an air passage formed in the wall intervening between each reed cell and its
corresponding pipe cell, a mute arranged to control the entrance to both sets of cells
and provided with a series of apertures, corresponding in number and arrangement
to said pipe cells and forming extensions thereof, said apertures being graduated
from base to treble, and means for controlling said apertures; as and for the
purpose set forth.
8. In a reed organ action, a series of reed cells, a corresponding series of pipe
cells, an air passage formed in the wall intervening between each reed cell and
its corresponding pipe cell, said passages being graduated from base to treble, a
mute arranged to control the entrance to both sets of cells and provided with a

page_text: series of apertures, corresponding in number and arrangement to said pipe cells,
and each forming an extension of a pipe cell, said apertures being graduated from
base to treble, a second mute arranged to control said apertures; as and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 21st day of March 1906
ALBERT L. WHITE.