Year: 1885

page_text: 1, EDMOND SECHES, of 1 Boulevard Saint-Denis, Paris, France, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of organs, and has for
its object the combination of a flue-pipe organ, with a free-reed organ, so that
they shall form one and the same instrument, and to render such combination
inexpensive.
The three principal obstacles which have heretofore interfered with, and
even entirely marred the success of the attempts undertaken with the object of
creating this combination instrument, have now been successfully overcome by this
invention.
In the first instance, the tuning in unison of the two different instruments
offered great difficulty, the free reed organ being a tone retaining instrument, that
is to say, once the reeds are tuned, they do not change their tone. The flue-pipe
organs, on the contrary, are subjected to all the influences of temperature, and of
the surrounding atmosphere, so that a set of pipes tuned in the morning at a mean
temperature does not retain its correct tone during the evening if it be placed in a
high temperature caused by heat, lights, or by any other reason. It will thus be
understood that the latter organ being played simultaneously with a free reed
organ would not have the same tone, which would produce a most disagreeable
effect on the ear. Hence in such occurences it was heretofore requisite to call in
the aid of a professional organ tuner in order to have the said pipes tuned.
Now according to my Invention, I provide simple and practical means for
enabling any person, whether a musician or not, to remedy this defect of unison.
I arrange at the extremity of each pipe, a screw corresponding to a disc having for
its object to close, more or less, the apertures of said pipes. By these means a
higher or lower tone is obtainable. The more the pipe is open, the higher is the
tone, the more it is closed, the lower is the tone. It is therefore sufficient to first
sound the note of the free reed organ and then to sound that of the corresponding
pipe of the flue pipe organ. If the two notes are in tune, there will be no
difference in the vibrations and the sound will be clear and pure to the ear, but if
the contrary is the case, then the flue pipe will be either too high or too low as
compared with the reed. It will then be sufficient to give one or two turns to the
screws either to the right or to the left according as it is required to heighten or
lower the tone of the pipe until the beats of the two sounds are exactly equal, the
two notes assuming then the same tone.

page_text: Another obstacle of no less importance consisted in the difficulty of transporting
the flue pipes, as it was necessary to first mount and fix the instrument in its
entirety, then when that was done it had to be tuned, examined, &c., and in order
to transport the said organ from one place to another it was necessary to unmount
the pipes one by one, and after the organ had reached its destination, these pipes
had to be remounted one after the other, and were naturally out of tune, so that
the assistance of a professional tuner became indispensible. The above defects are
now obviated by reason of my invention.
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The pipes are fixed permanently upon the wind board and held so that they
can be removed to great distances without becoming deteriorated, and without
having to unmount them and then to remount them. The arrangement is
such that the flue pipe organ is capable of being placed behind the free reed
organ (in the same manner as a drawer is pushed into an opening) all in one
piece, and so as to receive its necessary wind from the blowing mechanism of
the free reed organ or harmonium. The pipes are fixed upon the wind board in
the following manner: This wind board carries two uprights of different lengths
and upon these uprights rests a cross bar, the length of which is equal to that of
the space occupied by the flue pipes. This cross bar carries small hooks between
which each pipe is located and which serve to secure the string, band, or wire
designed to fix the pipes against said cross bar. These pipes are provided at their
lower extremity with a small plate of rectangular or of any other suitable form,
In order to
which is fixed to the wind board by screws or by any other means.
enable the wind board, and the pipes carried by the same, to be removed in one
piece, I arrange at each of its extremities an end plate or board in which are
formed two openings or slots, enabling the plate or board to be grasped with
sufficient force so as to remove the whole of the above described mechanism.
When one of the pipes requires to be changed, the same can be unmounted without
there being any necessity to interfere with the other pipes.
I further provide a special arrangement of acoustic device which enables sounds
of the same quality to be obtained by forcing as by exhausting wind, and which
produces the same result as the swell boxes used in large organs.
This acoustic device consists of a sound box or chest the lid or cover of which is
hinged so to be capable of opening and closing. This lid or cover is actuated,
through any means of transmission, by the foot or knee of the player, thereby
opening or closing the sound chest or box.

page_text: Improvements in the Construction of Organs.
I, EDMOND SECHES, of 1, Boulevard Saint-Denis, Paris, France, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of organs, and it has
for its object the combination or union of a flue pipe organ with a free reed organ,
so that they shall form one and the same instrument, and to render such combination
inexpensive.
The three principal obstacles which have heretofore been the only cause of
interference with, and have even entirely marred the success of the attempts
undertaken with the object of creating this combined or compound instrument,
have now been successfully overcome, owing to the combination which forms the
subject of this Invention.
Flue
In the first instance, the tuning in unison of the two different instruments
presented all kinds of difficulties, the free reed organ being a tone retaining
instrument, that is to say, the reeds once tuned do not change their tone.
pipe organs, on the contrary, are subjected to all the influences of temperature,
and of the surrounding atmosphere, so that a set of pipes tuned in the morning at
a mean temperature, does not retain its correct tone during the evening, if it be
placed in a high temperature caused by heat, lights, or by any other reason.
It will thus be understood that the latter organ being played simultaneously with
a free reed organ would not have the same tone, which would produce a most
disagreeable effect on the ear. Hence, it was necessary to call in the aid of a
professional tuner, to have the pipes tuned.
Now, according to my Invention, I provide simple and practical neaus for
enabling any person, whether a musician or not, to remedy this defect of unison.
I arrange at the extremity of each pipe a, a screw k, corresponding to a disc l,
baving for its object to close, more or less, the apertures of the said pipes (see
figs. 5. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings). It is by these means that a higher
or lower tone is obtainable. The more the pipe is open the higher is the tone, the
more it is closed the lower is the tone. It is therefore sufficient to first sound the
note of the free reed organ and then to sound that of the corresponding pipe of
the flue pipe organ. If the two notes be in tune, there will be no difference in the
vibrations, and the sound will be clear and pure to the ear, but if the contrary is
the case, then the flue pipe will be either too high, or too low, as compared with
the reed. It will then be sufficient to give one or two turns to the screw, either
to the right or to the left, according as it is required to heighten or lower the tone
of the pipe, until the beats of the two sounds are exactly equal, the two notes
assuming then the same tone.
Another obstacle, of no less importance, consisted in the difficulty of transporting
the flue pipes, as it was necessary to first mount and fix the instrument in its

page_text: entirety, then, when that was done, it had to be tune, examined &c, and in order
to convey the said organ from one place to another it was necessary to unmount
the pipes one by one, and after the organ had reached its destination these pipes
had to be remounted, one after the other, they were, naturally, out of tune, so that
the assistance of a professional tuner became indispensable. The above defects
are now obviated by reason of the novel combinations shewn in the annexed
drawings.
The pipes are fixed permanently upon the windboard and are so held that they
can be conveyed to great distances without becoming deteriorated, and without
having to unmount them, and then to remount them. The arrangement is such
that the flue pipe organ is capable of being placed behind the free reed organ
(in the same manner as a drawer is pushed-into its opening) all in one piece, and
so as to receive its necessary wind from the blowing mechanism of the free reed
organ, or harmonium; an entirely novel result which I claim for my invention.
The pipes are fixed upon the windboard in the following manner. This wind
board A, carries two uprights b, 61, of different lengths, and upon these uprights
rests a cross bar e, the length of which is equal to that of the space occupied by the
flue pipes a, a. This cross bar carries small hooks d, between which each pipe is
located, and which serve to secure the string, band or wire for fixing the pipes
against said cross bar. The pipes are provided, at their lower extremity, with a
small plate f, of rectangular, or of any other suitable, form which is fixed to the
wind board by screws g, or by any other means.
In order to enable the wind-board, and the pipes carried by the same to be
removed in one piece, I arrange at each of its extremities an end plate, or board, h,
in which are formed two openings or slots i, i, enabling the plate, or board, to be
grasped with sufficient force so as to withdraw the whole of the above described
mechanism, (see figs. 1. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.) When one of the
pipes requires to be changed, the same can be unmounted without there being any
necessity to interfere with the other pipes.
I further provide a special arrangement of acoustic device m, fig. 4, (porte-son)
which enables sounds of the same quality to be obtained by forcing, as by
exhausting wind, and which produces the same result as the swell boxes used in
large organs.
These acoustic devices or sonorous boxes m, are placed in the organ as shewn in
fig. 4 (Sheet II). They communicate with the wind chest W, of the harmonium
by means of the pipes w.
The air passing out of the bellows X, enters the wind chest W, and then passes
through the pipes of the sonorous boxes m, which have for their object to increase
the intensity of the sound, when desired.
As long as these sonorous boxes remain closed the sound is unchanged, as soon
as they are open, which takes place at will, by means of the action of the knees on
the two levers y, y, connected to the covers z, of these sonorous boxes, by any
means whatever, the sound acquires great power and a sonorousness much greater
than that ordinarily.
Figs. 8. 9 and 10 refer to a modification in which the moveable obturator instead
of being formed by a disc or sliding valve capable of turning horizontally inside
the pipe, may consist of a plate a, sliding vertically inside the pipe b, and having
the same curved shape as the cylinder which forms the pipe b. This plate a, is
worked by means of a vertical screw c, passing through two brackets d, d', one of
which is fixed to the pipe b, and the other to the upper part of the plate a.
By means of the vertical screw c, whose bracket d', forms a nut, or tapped
bearing, the plate a, may be raised or lowered, and thus the aperture f, in the
pipe b, may be more or less opened or closed.
To prevent the plate a, coming out of contact with the wall of the pipe b, and
thus rendering the regulation of the sound difficult, the said plate a, at its lower
part, is maintained by a spring g, which acts as a guide and keeps it in contact
with the wall of the pipe.

page_text: The effect produced by this modified and optional arrangement is the same as
that produced by the previous arrangement, that is to say, the more the aperture f
is opened or closed, the more the tone is higher or lower.
Having now described my Invention and in what manner the same may be
performed I declare that what I claim is:
1. The herein described combination, for the purpose of effecting the tuning of
the pipes in a rapid and easy manner, by means of a moveable disc or obturator
actuated by a screw, or other like contrivance, whatever may be the arrangement
of the details of these variable obturators.
2. The arrangement of the whole of the pipes upon a single windboard to which
they are fixed in such a manner as to be conveniently withdrawn altogether from
the organ, or placed therein, thus rendering the mounting of the said pipes and the
unmounting of the same easy and economical, as herein described.
3. The arrangement of the acoustic device, herein before described, for per-
mitting the same qualities of sound to be obtained by forcing as by exhausting
wind.