IMPROVEMENTS TO STATIONARY AND PORTABLE ORGANTO SEMITYTH
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Antoine Corvi, Organ Builder, of Paris, in
the Empire of France, and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn, City,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS TO STATIONARY AND
PORTABLE ORGANTO SEMITY KAWA
Sealed the 23rd February 1854, and dated the 15th October 1858.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Antoine Corvi at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 15th day of October 1853, pursuant to the
9th section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
I, ANTOINE CORVI, Organ Builder, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn, (City,) London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS TO STA-
TIONARY AND PORTABLE ORGANS WITH KEYS AND CYLINDER" to be as fol-
lows:-
My Invention consists in a new arrangement of reed, and entry of
the air in the pipes of organs, which allows of obtaining the notes
and qualities of the sounds produced with the flute, hautboy, and
flageolet in instruments of all dimensions, and which may be played
by aid of a row of keys or by a cylinder furnished with points.

page_text: Secondly, in a mechanical arrangement whereby the air played by
the instrument is always indicated by a needle upon an index; this is
effected by the lateral movement of the motive cylinder which governs
the said needle. Thirdly, in the addition to organs of the sounds of the
castanets, which may be suppressed at will. Fourthly, in the addition
to organs of a new kind of triangle. Fifthly, in a new arrangement of
parts which compose organs, of which the Drawing annexed gives an
example.
Fig. 1, is a vertical section of a reed and of a pipe or tube, for
imitating the flute, the hautboy, or flageolet. Fig. 2, shows an exterior
view and a vertical section of one of these pipes, but smaller and closed.
Fig. 3, is an elevation of a cylindrical organ seen exteriorly on the
index side. Fig. 4, is a-plan-of-the-upper-part- of the instrument; and
Fig. 5, is a view of the lower part. Fig. 6, is a transverse section made
through the 'line 1 and 2, of Fig. 3:
The movement is transmitted in this new cylindrical organ by a
handle fixed by a screw or otherwise upon the outer extremity of the
axle a, furnished with a screw gearing with a wheel fixed at one
end of the motive cylinder b, furnished with points' which cause the
keys c to move and open the valves corresponding to the pipes ;
see Figs. 1 and 2; there they are supposed to be of wood, but they
may be of metal,. and of all sizes, according to the instrument in
which they are used and the intensity of sound which is desired. To
change the airs played by these instruments it is necessary' to make
the cylinder b, slide laterally. By aid. of this movement. I. make a
needle f work in this way upon the pin of the cylinder ; I fix a
rod e, the end of which is rivetted to a cylindrical rod g, held between
two trunnions to allow it to oscillate; the rod g is also attached to a
rod, the other extremity of which is joined to a toothed bar i, gearing
with a pinion j, fixed upon the axis of the needle f, but a spring of any
form is preferable for producing the return of the toothed bar i
By this arrangement it is evident that by making the cylinder b
slide laterally, the needle will advance at the same time. This move-
ment is necessary to change the air played, and thus the needle will
indicate upon the index the air played by the instrument. The result

page_text: is, that each tinie the cylinder is changed, and the airs to be played,
it will also be necessary to change the indications marked upon the
index; or to change the index entirely. To play the castanets I have
taken advantage of the keys c, which rest on the pilot m, the lower part
of which pass into the tubes n, which cross the air box p; this avoids
friction and the escape of air which the motion of these pilots would
occasion. The lower parts of the pilots m rests upon the prolonga-
tion o' of the upper part of each castanet o; the lower halves are also
mounted on
na pivot, besides which they are supported each by, a spring,
which allows them to receive the blow without injury and to produce
exactly the blow of the castanets. In the airs where the castanets are
useless they may be suppressed by turning the rod by the button 1,
furnished with small levers s, the extremities of which, when lowered,
rest upon the keys c, corresponding to the castanets, so that the opposite
end of these keys being raised, and being no longer met by the points
of the cylinder b, do not work the castanets. To make them work, the
button g must be turned, and the small levers s put in the opposite
direction; then the keys c, and all the mechanism, return to their former
position, as above described. To make the triangle t vibrate I use a
key c, by attaching to it a rod furnished with a hammer u, striking
upon the triangle t, the three sides of which are brought together, as
shewn in Figs. 4 and 6. This triangle t is held up or let down by a
cord, which allows it to vibrate as if it were held and suspended by
hand. In certain airs, when "fortes" are desired to be produced, the
dimension of the orifices for the exit of the air from the air box is
increased; in this way a rod is held in the air box w; it is bored with
transverse openings corresponding to those of the air box; and it is evi-
dent that the spaces between these openings of the rod v may more or less
stop those of the air box. This rod may have a movement suitable for
the fortes which exposes completely these openings, which in the normal
state of the instrument are partially closed. The movement is given to
this rod v by two of the keys c, each actuating a rod, the end of which
rests upon a lever fixed upon a small axle a, which has a second small
lever, causing the rod v to advance. An axle a, is placed near each
end of the instrument; one forces the rod in one direction, and the other

page_text: in another, which opens or shuts in part the orifices for exit of the air.
When these instruments are played in a small room, if loud tones are
objectionable, a rod z, placed below the rod v, and passing to the ex-
terior of the instrument, allows of regulating it; that is to say, by with-
drawing or pushing it in, so as to diminish the strength of tone.
Ordinarily the pipes for the emission of the air are placed outside
the instruments are closed, but here they are opened.
In witness whereof, I, the said Antoine Corvi, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
A. CORVI. (L.S.)