IMPROVEMENTS IN HARMONIUMS AND OTHER MUSICAL REED INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARMONIUMS AND OTHER MUSICAL
REED INSTRUMENTS."-A communication from abroad by George W.
Scribner, of Chatham, Canada.
Sealed the 20th October 1871, and dated the 5th June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th June 1871.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
5 Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARMONIUMS
OTHER MUSICAL REED INSTRUMENTS,' a communication, to be as
AND
follows:-
-
"
This Invention relates to the construction of qualifying tubes and .
their application to the reeds of harmoniums, melodéons, and similar

page_text: instruments in which the tone is produced by the suction of air
through metallic reeds for the purpose of qualifying and softening the
metallic tone of the reeds and rendering it similar to that produced by
pipes.
The said Invention consists in the construction of tubes of wood or E
metal, the smaller ends of which enclose one or more reeds, while the
larger ends are closed, but each tube has an opening on the upper side
at the rear end, through which the air subsequently passing through
the reed enters, and through which the sound produced by the vibration
of the reed escapes. The tubes enclosing the reeds of the treble are
provided with adjustable valves or slides over the mouth opening by
means of which the tubes may be tuned in unison with the reeds to
produce a flute-like tone, such as that produced in pipe organs. The
wind chest or sounding board, the reeds and the keyboard are all of
the ordinary construction.
If it be desired to construct a reed organ having the appearance
of a pipe organ the reed board and qualifying tubes may be placed
vertically in the instrument with the advantage of having the sound
emitted from the tubes thrown forward into the apartment instead of
upward.
This improvement can be easily applied to any reed organ already
built at a trifling expense. I am aware that reed pipes in pipe organs
are now in use, but the reeds in such pipes are of an entirely different
construction. They are placed in the throat of the pipe through which
wind is forced by the bellows to produce the required sound, whereas
in the present Invention the tubes are simply brought into juxtaposition
to the reeds in the reed board of an ordinary reed organ, and produce
the same effect as the organ pipes by the resonance of the tone of the
ordinary reed in passing through them, the wind being drawn through
the tubes to and through the reeds.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agent,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN HARMONIUMS AND OTHER MUSICAL REED INSTRUMENTS,” a commu-
nication to me from abroad by George W. Scribner, of Chatham,
Canada, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said 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
Drawing, forming a part of this Specification :-
This Invention relates to the construction of qualifying tubes and
their application to the reeds of harmoniums, melodéons, and similar
instruments in which the tone is produced by the suction of air through

page_text: metallic reeds for the purpose of qualifying and softening the metallic
tone of the reeds, and rendering it similar to that produced by pipes.
The said Invention consists in the construction of tubes of wood or
metal, the smaller ends of which enclose one or more reeds while the
larger ends are closed, but each tube has an opening on the upper side 5
at the rear end, through which the air subsequently passing through
the reed enters, and the sound produced by the vibration of the reed
escapes. The tubes enclosing the reeds of the treble are provided with
adjustable valves or slides over the mouth opening, by means of which
the tubes may be tuned in unison with the reeds to produce a flute- 10
like tone such as that produced in pipe organs.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a plan of my Invention showing the same lying on the
wind chest behind the reeds and keyboard; Figure 2 is a perspective
view of one of my qualifying tubes; Figure 3 is a plan of the same with 18
a tuning slide attached; Figure 4 is a view of the same, showing a
modification of its form as may be required in an instrument of different
shape. Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A represents the top of the wind chest or sounding board of a reed
organ; B represents a part of the reeds; and O the keyboard of a five 20
octave reed organ, all of ordinary construction; D represents a tube,
preferably of wood, open at its throat or smaller end and closed at the
larger end. It lies flat on the sounding board and its throat encloses
one or more of the reeds. It is provided at its top rear end with an
opening or mouth d through which wind enters and sound escapes. 2
The tubes of the three lower octaves or bass register of the instrument
may be constructed in the form of a box having a series of longitudinal
⚫partitions shown by the dotted line dividing it into tube-like com-
partments. The lowermost compartment may embrace the reeds of
the lowest octave in the register, each subsequent compartment being 30
narrower and embracing a lesser number of reeds as it ascends the scale.
In the passage of the reed tone through the compartment its quality
is so altered as to resemble very closely that produced by an organ pipe,
its reedy twang being dissipated by its resonance in the passage through
the tube. The tubes of the bass register may be of uniform length 3
and have the volume of sound emitted from them diminished at will

page_text: by a slide E operated by a suitable stop or swell. The tubes of the
treble register may be constructed in like manner, except that they
diminish in length and width as they ascend the scale, the shorter
compartments enclosing but a single reed, while the larger ones may.
enclose two or more reeds. The tubes of the treble register are each
provided with an adjustable slide F for covering the mouth, and by
means of which it may be tuned in unison with the reed, and I thus
remove the disagreeable features of the reed tone and give the instru-
ment the flute-like quality so much admired in the organ pipe. In
tuning the tubes which embrace more than one reed, the slide may be
so adjusted as to divide the trifling discord, if any exists, between the
notes.
•
In practice the reeds are voiced and tuned in the usual manner,
and placed in the instrument, the tubes being subsequently placed in
position and tuned in unison with the reeds, as above described.
If it be desired to construct a reed organ having the appearance of a
pipe organ, the reed board and qualifying tubes may be placed vertically
in the instrument in the relative positions described, with the advantage
of having the sound emitted from the tubes thrown forward into the
apartment instead of upward.
1
These improvements can be easily applied to any reed organ already
built at a trifling expense. I am aware that reed pipes in pipe organs
are now in use, but the reeds in such pipes are of an entirely different
construction. They are placed in the throat of the pipe through which
wind is forced by the bellows to produce the required sound, whereas
in the present Invention the tubes are simply brought into juxtaposition
to the reeds in the reed board of an ordinary reed organ, and produce
the same effect as the organ pipes, by the resonance of the tone of the
ordinary reed in passing through them, the wind being drawn through
the tubes to and through the reeds.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,―
First. The tube D provided with two or more metallic reeds B with
mouths & and tuning slides E or F, constructed and arranged as herein
described for the purposes set forth.

page_text: Second. The reed organ above described and shown, consisting of the
chest A, tubes B, provided with mouths d and tuning slides E and F,
key board C, and suitable bellows, when the several parts are constructed
and arranged as herein specified for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here- {
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
EDWARD C. JACKSON.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)