Improvements in Combination Organs and Harmoniums.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Combination Organs and Harmoniums.
I JOHN JONES (trading as Jones & Co) of 21 and 22 Bridge Street and of the
"Bristol Organ Works" Broad Plain both in the City and County of Bristol Organ
builder Harmonium and American Organ Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINATION ORGANS AND
HARMONIUMS" to be as follows :—
My Invention relates to the application to and combination with an organ on
the American system having exhaust wind, of an organ on the free reed or
harmonium system having pressure wind the two instruments each perfect in
itself constituting when combined together a single instrument of one or two
manuals whereby effects of contrast of quality in the tones are obtainable which
cannot be produced by either instrument singly, a Solo bold and prominent being
obtained by means of the harmonium having the subdued tones of the American
Organ as accompanyment. By means of my invention those who possess an organ
on the American or exhaust system are enabled at comparatively small expense to
combine therewith the pressure quality for solo purposes for which the exhaust
quality is not adapted.
My invention also relates to the arrangement of the pedals in a combined
instrument of the above kind whereby the feeders of either or both instruments -
may be worked at will.
My invention also relates to the construction of the air chambers for the reeds
of the harmonium or pressure instrument and particularly to the employment in
the cell of each note of an adjustable slide whereby the harmonic colouring of
tone characteristic of the different instruments of the orchestra intended to be
represented may be more effectually produced that is to say the quality of the
tones of the notes may be varied so as to represent different orchestral solo
instruments My invention also relates to the form and arrangement of the
bellows of the harmonium this improvement being applicable also to instruments
of this class generally.
In carrying out my invention the two instruments (whether combined in the
same case or in different cases adapted to be fitted the one on the other) are
superposed and whether the combined instrument has one or two manuals the
usual means are provided for coupling the mechanism and keys or action of the one
instrument with that of the other as required.

page_text: The feeders of the two instruments are worked by independent pairs of pedals
placed side by side so that either pair can be worked at will or both pairs at once
by placing the feet upon two of each pair. By this means either instrument may
be played separately whether by the same or different manuals and a subdued
legato effect may be obtained on the American Organ & at the same time a bold &
prominent solo with expression and emphasis as may be desired on the solo Organ.
The feeders and reservoirs of the harmonium are contained in an air chamber
and are so placed respectively against the front and back thereof as to economise
space in said chamber-At the bottom of this chamber is the chamber in which are
placed the reeds and in the reed cells beneath are fitted adjustable slides forming
partial divisions interposed in the direct line between the, reeds and pallets
whereby each cell is divided more or less in such a way as to alter the reflection of
the sound wave and the distance the sound wave must travel before its exit
through the pallet hole. The approximate lengthening of the column of air thus
effected produces the harmonic which blending with the fundamental tone of the
reed imitates most nearly the instrument intended to be represented. One or more
series of reeds each or either provided with these harmonic slides may be used
according to the size of the organ each series being in tones characteristic of the
instrument registered on the stop label, and being drawn into action by stop
mechanism of the kind usually employed in organs.
The feeders and sound board may also be contained in the cornice at the top of
the case of the instrument.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combination Organs and Harmoniums.
I JOHN JONES (trading as Jones & Co) of 21 and 22. Bridge Street and of the
"Bristol Organ Works" Broad Plain both in the City and County of Bristol Organ
builder, Harmonium and American Organ 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 :-
My Invention relates to the application to and combination with an organ on
the American system having exhaust wind, of, an organ on the free reed or
harmonium system having pressure wind, the two instruments, each perfect in
itself constituting when combined together a single instrument of one or two
manuals whereby effects of contrast of quality in the tones are obtainable, which
cannot be produced by either instrument singly, a Solo bold and prominent being
obtained by means of the harmonium, having the subdued tones of the American
Organ as accompanyment. By means of my invention those who possess an organ
on the American or exhaust system are enabled at comparatively small expense
to combine therewith the pressure quality, for solo purposes for which the exhaust
quality is not adapted.
My invention also relates to the arrangement of the pedals in a combined
instrument of the above kind, whereby the feeders of either or both instruments
may be worked at will.
My invention also relates to the construction of the air chambers for the reeds
of the harmonium or pressure instrument and particularly to the employment in
the cell of each note of an adjustable slide whereby the harmonic coloring of tone
characteristic of the different instruments of the orchestra intended to be represented,
may be more effectually produced, that is to say, the quality of the tones of the
notes may be varied so as to represent different orchestral solo instruments. My
invention also relates to the form and arrangement of the bellows of the
harmonium, this improvement being applicable also to instruments of this class
generally.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification wherein Figure 1 represents a general view in perspective of an
American organ having exhaust wind with an harmonium having pressure wind
fitted to it, forming a combined instrument of two manuals, of which the upper
one corresponds to the pressure system and the lower one to the exhaust system
Figure 2 is a detail plan of the pedals shown in figure 1. Figure 3 an end
elevation of the pedals showing the connection of the outside pair of pedals with
the bellows of the pressure system. Figure 4 is a vertical section through the
combined instrument, showing the general arrangement of the wind chamber and
the position of the pressure instrument over the keys of the American Organ, part
of which only is represented in broken lines to distinguish it from the pressure
system. Any construction of American organ may be used. Figure 5 is a front
view of the feeders of the pressure organ the front of the air chamber and the

page_text: reservoir being removed. Figure 6 is a vertical section through the reed chamber
of the pressure system, showing the arrangement which would be adopted when
two sets of reeds are used, instead of one set as in the arrangement shown in
figure 4. Figures 4 and 6 also show the arrangement of the barmonic slide.
In carrying out my invention the two instruments (whether combined in the
same case or in different cases adapted to be fitted the one to the other) either as
shown in figure 1 or in any other way and whether the combined instrument has
one or two manuals, the usual means are provided for coupling the mechanism and
keys or action of the one instrument with that of the other as required. Such a
coupler is shown at G.
The feeders of the two instruments are worked by independent pairs of
pedals A, A, B, B, placed. side by side, so that either pair can be worked at will, or
both pairs at once, by placing the feet upon two of each pair. It is preferred to
use the inside pair of pedals for working the exhaust and the outside pair for the
pressure system, but I do not limit myself to this arrangement. By this means
either instrument may be played separately, whether by the same or different
manuals and a subdued legato effect may be obtained on the American Organ and
at the same time a bold and prominent solo with expression and emphasis as may
be desired, on the solo Organ.
In the case of a single manual instrument the pallet levers a of the pressure
organ would come direct on the keys of the American Organ, the upper manual
and coupler being dispensed with.
The feeders C and reservoir D of the harmonium are contained in an air
chamber E and are so placed respectively against the front and back of the said
air chamber as to economise space in said chamber, which chamber forms a
resonance chamber giving body of tone to the reeds of the pressure instrument.
At the front of this chamber on the outside is a valve b covering a small hole in
the front of the air chamber and leading into the reservoir D by which the free
inlet and outlet of air to and from the reservoir is prevented or permitted
according as emphasis is or is not required, this being opened or closed by a draw
rod bacting through any suitable mechanism. What I have termed a reservoir D
is similar to an ordinary bellows being a collapsible vessel pressed open by a spring,
but it does not pump air but simply equalizes the air pressure acting on the reeds.
so long as valve b is open.
The feeders C are worked each by a pedal B through a rock shaft f, arms f¹
(figure 2) connecting rod g, bell crank h, link and crank arm k (figure 3) on
shaft (figure 5) passing between the feeder and the reservoir and furnished with
arms m which take onto lugs at the ends of the movable part of the feeder. At
the bottom of the air chamber E is the chamber F in which are placed the reeds c
and in each of the reed cells is fitted an adjustable slide & forming partial divisions
interposed in the direct line between the reeds c and the pallets c, whereby each
cell is divided more or less in such a way as to alter the reflection of the sound
wave and the distance the sound wave must travel before its exit through the
pallet hole. The approximate lengthening of the column of air thus effected is
represented by the full line and dotted arrows in. figures 4 and 6 and it produces
the harmonic which blending with the fundamental tone of the reed imitates most
nearly the instrument intended to be represented. One or more series of reeds
each or either provided with these harmonic slides may be used according to the
size of the organ, each series being in tones characteristic of a particular instrument
and being drawn into action by stop mechanism of the kind usually employed in
organs.
In figure 6 there are two sets of reeds both in communication with the wind o
resonance chamber. The one set c is provided with the adjustable slides d as
before described and the other set c¹ is without the slides and the admission of ai
to the second.set is controlled by a valve adjusted by ordinary "stop" mechanisin
the air vents from.both sets of.reed cells being controlled by the same pallet e.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with an organ on the American or exhaust system of an
organ on the free reed or harmonium system having pressure wind, the two
instruments constituting when combined a single instrument of one or more
manuals, substantially as herein described and represented in the drawings.
2. The construction of an harmonium or organ having pressure wind in such a
way as to adapt it to be combined with an American organ substantially in the
manner and for the purpose herein described and represented in the drawings.
3. In a combined organ and harmonium, the combination and arrangement of
two pairs of pedals substantially as herein described for working the bellows of
the two instruments together or separately as specified.
4. In the construction of an harmonium or organ having pressure wind, the
placing the feeders and reservoir of the bellows within an air chamber, which is
in free communication with the reed of the instrument and acts as a resonance
chamber therefor, as specified.
5. In an harmonium or organ having pressure wind, the application within the
reed cells between the reeds and the air vents, of adjustable partitions or slides
whereby to vary the reflection and length of the sound wave, so as to produce the
harmonic coloring of tone characteristic of the instrument to be imitated, substan-
tially as specified.