IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANS AND IN THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY AND HYDRAULICS THERETO
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bryceson, John. Bryceson, and Thomas
Honor Morten, all of 4, Stanhope Street, Euston Road, in the Parish
of Saint Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANS AND IN THE APPLICATION
OF ELECTRICITY AND HYDRAULICS THERETO."
Sealed the 27th July 1869, and dated the 4th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bryceson,
John Bryceson, and Thomas Honor Morten at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th February
1869.
-----We, HENRY BRYCESON, JOHN BRYCESON, and THOMAS HONOR MORTEN,
-all-of-4, Stanhope Street, Euston Road, in the Parish of-Saint Pancras,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANS AND IN THE
APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY AND HYDRAULICS THERETO," to be as follows:-
These improvements refer to an arrangement for maintaining for any
required length of time the current of electricity round the electro-

page_text: magnets of the draw stop apparatus however great the rapidity with
which the knobs are moved by the performer, and for actuating on the
inflation of the main bellows of the organ the positive or negative
electro-magnet of each draw stop apparatus, so as to insure a corre-
spondence between the position of each slider and the position of the
knob at the keyboard to which it belongs.
Also to an adaptation of hydraulic cylinders and a column of water for
opening the swell louvers, whereby great saving of friction is effected
when the motion is required to be transmitted to a distance or in an
indirect line.
Also to an adaptation of hydraulic cylinders and a pressure of water
for working the combination movements, so that they can be commanded
by the performer without offering the usual great resistance.
Also to an arrangement of the keys, rocking levers, and contacts in
the console, so that they can be casily removed from their position to
allow the mercury cells to be attended to and replenished.
Also to an arrangement for signalling from the console to the bellows
blowers.
Also to an arrangement for indicating at the console whether the
bellows are inflated or not.
In order to prolong the current of electricity round the electro-
magnets of the draw stop apparatus each draw stop trace is provided
with a metallic forked spring. Three metal plates are fixed near it in
such positions that one arm of the spring is always in contact with the
first plate, while the other arm is in contact with either the second or the
third plate according to the position of the draw stop trace. These two
last plates are respectively connected by two insulated wires with the
positive and negative electro-magnets respectively of the draw stop ap-
paratus, by means of which the slider in the organ is moved, and thence
with one and the same pole of the battery. The first plate is connected
by an insulated wire to one of a pair of mercury cells placed near each
other, and the other mercury cell communicates by another insulated
wire with the other pole of the battery. Hence when the two mercury
cells are connected together an electric circuit is completed round either
the positive or negative electro-magnet of the draw stop apparatus. The
position of the draw stop trace will show whether the forked spring is

page_text: connecting the second or the third plate with the first, and will therefore
determine round which electro-magnet the circuit is completed.
The mode of establishing a connexion between the two mercury cells
is as follows:-A small pneumatic bellows, called the contact bellows, is
fixed on a table and kept distended by a suitable spring. The end of
the top board. of this contact bellows carries two metallic points con-
nected together and respectively fixed in such positions as to dip into
the two mercury cells respectively on the depression of the top board.
Each draw stop trace is also provided with a double incline, and one arm
of a roller or lever is raised by this each time the trace is moved out
or in; the other arm of the roller or lever then pushes down the top
board of the contact bellows (the air being allowed to escape from the
interior by a valve placed externally for that purpose), and by immersing
the two metallic points in the two mercury cells establishes a connexion
between them: When the draw stop trace is either quite out or quite in
the lever roller will exert no pressure on the top board of the contact
bellows, which will be slowly raised by the spring and thus the electric
circuit will be broken. The duration of the contact and therefore of
the current of electricity can be regulated by the dimensions of the
bellows, the depth of the immersion of the metallic points in the
mercury, the strength of the spring that returns the top board, and the
size of the inlet to the bellows. One contact bellows may be made to
serve for a group of draw stop traces by connecting all the first plates
together and arranging each trace so as to move the roller or lever that
depresses the top board of the contact bellows.
:
In order to insure a correspondence between each slider and the knob.
at the keyboard to which it belongs, in case such knob has been moved
while the wind was not in the bellows of the organ, a small tube is con-
nected with the interior of the contact bellows and carried into one
chamber of a box near the battery; in this box there is another chamber
which communicates by another tube with the interior of the main
exhaust bellows. The partition between these two chambers is fitted
with a valve which is connected by means of a lever and trace or other
suitable mechanical contrivance to the frame, holding the electrodes in
such a manner that when the eléctrodes are fully immersed the valve is
closed and the communication between the main exhaust bellows and the
contact bellows is cut off, but when the electrodes are only partially
immersed the communication is open. When the blowers begin to blow
:

page_text: the electrodes are gradually immersed, and consequently the communi-
cation between the main exhaust bellows and the contact bellows is at
first open and then closed. The result of the communication being open
is that the top board of the contact bellows is depressed, and the electric
circuit is completed. Hence if at the time the blowers begin to blow the
position of the slider does not correspond with the position of the knob
at the keyboard to which it belongs it is at once moved into its cor-
responding position by the action of the electric current on one of
the electro-magnets, and then the communication being closed between
the main exhaust bellows and the contact bellows the top board of the
contact bellows rises and the electric circuit is again broken. A valve
prevents the air in the tube from passing into the contact bellows when
depressed. If a battery be used in which the electrodes are always
immersed a separate pneumatic bellows can be used to open and shut
the valve between the two chambers of the box, which may then be
placed in any part of the organ.
In order to open the swell louvers by hydraulics. a cylinder and
plunger are placed in the console and another cylinder and plunger
in. the organ.
A communication is established between the two
cylinders by means of a metallic pipe, and this pipe and the
cylinder in the console are filled with water when in a state of rest.
The plunger in the console is attached to the swell pedal and the one
in the organ to the rod connecting the swell louvers. When the swell
pedal is depressed it depresses the plunger in the console cylinder and
so forces the water into the cylinder in the organ, whereby the plunger
and the connecting rod attached thereto are raised and the swell
louvers are opened. When the swell pedal is released the weight of
the swell louvers depresses the plunger and raises the plunger in the
console cylinder, and so the pedal is restored to its original position.
In order to adapt hydraulic power to the combination movements a
hydraulic cylinder with a suitable plunger and slide is placed in the
console. The plunger is attached to the fan and the slide is connected
to a knob or pedal. On the depression of this knob or pedal the slide
admits water from a cistern placed in some convenient position above
to the under side of the plunger and raises it. On releasing the knob or
pedal the slide returns to its former position and allows the water to
escape from the cylinder and the plunger to descend again.
In order to facilitate the removal of the keys, rocking levers, contacts

page_text: in the console they are fixed to a strong frame which is hinged to the top
front rail of the main framework of the console. On removing suitable
fastenings this frame, with the keys, rocking levers, and contacts, can
be folded over to the front, out of the way, and again folded back into
its original place.
In order to enable the performer to signal from the console to the
bellows' blowers a small pneumatic bellows is placed in the console
and kept distended when at rest by a suitable spring. The top board
of this bellows is attached to the signal knob, and from the interior
of this bellows a small tube is carried to the blowing chamber and
the end fitted with an organ pipe. On pulling out the signal knob
this bellows is collapsed, and the air from the interior being driven
through the tube causes the organ pipe at the other end to sound.
The wind index consists of a small pneumatic bellows in the console
held shut when in a state of rest by a suitable spring or weight. A.
tube connects this bellows with the main bellows, while the top board is
connected to a hand placed where the performer can conveniently see it.
When the main bellows are inflated the small pneumatic bellows is also
inflated and moves the hand to "wind in;" when the main bellows are
collapsed the small pneumatic bellows is also collapsed and moves the
hand to "wind out."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Bryceson, John Bryceson, and Thomas
Honor Morten in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th July
1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COMF, we, HENRY
BRYCESON, JOHN BRYCESON, and THOMAS HONOR MORTEN, all of Four,
Stanhope Street, Euston Road, in the Parish of Saint Pancras, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Henry Bryceson, John Bryceson, and
Thomas Honor Morten, Her special licence that we, the said Henry

page_text: Bryceṣon, John Bryceson, and Thomas Honor Morten, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry
Byceson, John Bryceson, and Thomas Honor Morten, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORGANS AND
IN THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY AND
HYDRAULICS THERETO," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Henry Bryceson, John Bryceson, and Thomas Honor Morten, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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.
L
-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jolin Bryceson, on behalf of
myself and of the said Henry Bryceson, and Thomas Honor Morten, do
hereby declare the nature, of our 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 Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the Letters and Figures marked thereon.
. The first improvement relates to an arrangement for maintaining
for any required length of time the current of electricity round the
electro-magnets of the draw stop apparatus however great the rapidity
with which the knobs are moved by the performer, and for actuating
on the inflation of the main bellows of the organ the positive or
negative electro-magnet of each draw stop apparatus, so as to insure
a correspondence between the position of each slider and the position
of the knob at the keyboard to which it belongs...
The second improvement relates to an adaptation of hydraulic
cylinders and a column of water for opening the swell louvers, whereby
a great saving of friction is effected when the motion is required to be
transmitted to a distance or in an indirect line..
The third improvement relates to an adaptation of hydraulic cylinders
and a pressure of water for working the combination movements, so

page_text: that they can be commanded by the performer without offering the
usual great resistance.
The fourth improvement relates to an arrangement of the keys,
rocking levers, and contacts in the console for facilitating their removal
so as to allow the mercury cells to be attended to and replenished.
The fifth improvement relates to an arrangement for signalling
from the console to the bellows' blowers.
The sixth improvement relates to an arrangement for indicating at
the console whether the bellows are inflated or not.
Figure 1 in the annexed Sheet of Drawings is a longitudinal vertical
section of the arrangement for prolonging the current of electricity
round the electro-magnets of the draw stop apparatus; Figure 2 is
a plan of the same. Each draw stop trace is provided with a metallic
forked spring A; three metal plates B, B', B³, are fixed near it in
such positions that one arm of the spring A is always in contact with
the first plate B, while the other arm is in contact with either the
second plate B' or the third plate B according to the position of the
draw stop trace. These two last plates are respectively connected
by two insulated wires C, C', with the positive and negative electro-
magnets of the draw stop apparatus by means of which the slider in
the organ is moved, and thence with one and the same pole of the
battery. The first plate B is connected by means of an insulated
wire C³ with D one of a pair of mercury cells placed near each other,
while the other mercury cell D' communicates by another insulated wire
with the other pole of the battery. Hence when the two mercury
cells D, D', are connected together an electric circuit is completed
round either the positive or negative electro-magnet of the draw stop
apparatus. The position of the draw stop trace will show whether
the forked spring A is connecting the second plate B' or the third
plate B with the first plate B, and will also determine round which
electro-magnet the electric circuit is completed.
The mode of establishing a connexion between the two mercury
cells D, D', is as follows:-A small pneumatic bellows E called the
contaot bellows is fixed on a table E' and kept distended by a spring F.
The end of the top board G of this bellows carries two metallic points H
connected together and fixed in such positions as to dip into the two
mercury cells D, D', respectively on the depression of the top board G.
Each draw stop trace is also provided with a double incline I, and one

page_text: arm J of a roller or lever K is raised by this each time the trace is moved
out or in. The other arm J' then pushes down the top board G of
the contact bellows (the air being allowed to escape from the interior
by a valve L placed externally for that purpose), and by immersing
the two metallic points H in the two mercury cells D, D', respectively.
establishes a connexion between them (D, D¹). When the draw.stop
trace is either quite out or quite in the roller or lever K will exert
no pressure on the top board G, which will be slowly raised by the
spring F, and thus the electric current will be broken. The duration
of the contact and therefore of the current of electricity can be
regulated by the dimensions of the contact bellows, the depth of the
immersion of the metallic points in the mercury, the strength of the
spring F, and the size of the inlet to the bellows when any artificial
inlet is used. One contact bellows may be made to serve for a group
of draw stop traces by connecting all the first plates (B) together, and
arranging each trace so as to raise the arm J.
In order to insure a correspondence between the position of each
slider and that of the knob at the keyboard to which it belongs, in
case such knob has been moved while the wind was not in the bellows
of the organ, a small tube M is connected with the interior of the
contact bellows and carried into one chamber N (see Figure 3) of a
box placed near the battery; in this box there is another chamber N¹
which communicates by another tube M' with the interior of the main
exhaust bellows. In the partition between these two chambers N, N',
is a hole fitted with a valve P which is connected by means of a lever
and trace Q, or other suitable mechanical contrivance, to the frame
holding the electrodes in such a manner that when the electrodes are
fully immersed the valve P is closed and the communication between
the main exhaust bellows and the contact bellows is cut off, but when
the electrodes are only partially immersed the valve P and the communi-
cation are both open. When the blowers begin to blow the electrodes
are gradually immersed, and consequently the communication between
the contact and exhaust bellows is at first open and then closed. The
result of the communication being open is that the top board of the
contact bellows is sucked down and depressed. Hence if at the time
the blowers begin to blow the position of the slider does not correspond
with that of the knob to which it belongs it is at once moved into
its corresponding position by the action of the electric current on one

page_text: of its electro-magnets. The communication then being closed between
the main exhaust bellows and the contact bellows, the top board G
gradually rises and the electric circuit is again broken. If a constant
battery be used in which the electrodes are always immersed in the
cells a pneumatic bellows can be used to open and shut the valve P,
or its lever can be attached to the main exhaust bellows so as to
complete its work with the first part of their action. In any case
the box with the valve P in it can be placed in any convenient position
about the organ. A valve r is placed in the tube-M near the contact
bellows to prevent the air in the tube from passing into the contact
bellows when depressed..
In order to open the 'swell louvers by hydraulics a cylinder A (see
Figure 4) fitted with a plunger B is placed in the console, and a
similar cylinder and plunger in the organ. A communication is
established between these two cylinders by means of a pipe C. This
pipe and the cylinder in the console are filled with water when in a
state of rest. The plunger in the console is attached to the swell
pedal, and the one in the organ to the rod connecting the swell louvers.
When the plunger in the console is depressed by the movement of
the swell pedal the water is forced into the cylinder in the organ,
and by raising the plunger and connecting rod opens the swell louvers.
When the swell pedal is released the weight of the swell louvers
depresses the plunger attached to them, and by raising the plunger
in the console restores the swell pedal to its original position.
In order to adapt hydraulic power to work the combination move-
ments a cylinder A (see Figure 5) with plunger B is fixed in the console
immediately under the combination fan it is to move (the plunger B
and the fan being connected together). Under the end of the com-
bination pedal is a slide box C fitted with a slide D which is attached
to the said pedal. The slide box is connected with the cylinder A
by a pipe E, and with a cistern placed in any convenient position above
by another pipe H. On the depression of the pedal the slide is raised
and the water from the cistern is allowed to rush into the cylinder,
and to raise the plunger B and therewith the combination movement
to which it is attached. When the pedal is released the slide returns
to its former position, and allows the water in the cylinder A and pipe E
to escape by the waste pipe F. and the plunger B to descend again
to its original position.

page_text: In order to facilitate the removal of the keys, rocking levers, and
contacts in the console they are fixed to a strong frame A (see Figure 6),
which is hinged to the top front rail B of the main framework C of the
console, so that on removing suitable fastenings this frame with all
that is attached to it can be folded over to the front out of the way,
as shown by the dotted lines in the Drawing, and again folded back
into its original position.
In order to enable the performer to signal from the console to the
bellows' blowers a small pneumatic bellows A (see Figure 7) is placed
in the console and kept distended when at rest by a suitable spring.
The top board of this bellows is attached to the signal knob by a
trace and spiral spring B, and from the interior of this bellows a small
tube C is carried to the blowing chamber. The end of the tube C
is fitted with an organ pipe D. When the signal knob is pulled out
a strain is put on the spring B, which gradually collapses the bellows A,
driving the air through the tube C, and causing the pipe D to speak.
On releasing the signal knob the bellows is again distended by the
first-mentioned spring.
The wind index consists of a small pneumatic bellows A (see Figure 8)
fixed in the console and kept distended by a suitable spring or weight.
A tube B connects the interior of this bellows A with the main exhaust
bellows. The top board C is connected with a hand D placed in the
front of the console. On working the main exhaust bellows the small
bellows A is also collapsed and moves the hand to the point indicating
"wind in." When the main exhaust bellows are at rest the small
index bellows A will be opened by the spring or weight, and the
hand will be in the position indicating "wind out."
This index may
also be made by adjusting the spring or weight so as to collapse the
bellows A when at rest by connecting the interior of the bellows A
with the main pressure bellows, and by reversing the positions of the
two words "in" and "out" shown in the Drawing.
We claim,-
Firstly. The arrangement herein-before described for maintaining
the draw stop contacts for any required length of time and for auto-
matically actuating the electro-magnets of the draw stop apparatus
each time the main bellows of the organ are inflated.
Secondly. The arrangement herein-before described for opening and
shutting the swell louvers.

page_text: Thirdly. The adaptation of hydraulic power for moving the com-
bination fans or rollers, as herein-before set forth.
Fourthly. The arrangement herein-before described for gaining easy
access to the mercury cells in the console.
Fifthly. The arrangement herein-before described for signalling from
the console to the blowers.
And, sixthly. The arrangement herein-before described for indicating
at the console whether the main bellows are inflated or not.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bryceson, have hereunto set
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
my
Witness,
ALFRED MORTEN,
23, Fellows Road,
Eton Park,
London, N.W.
JOHN BRYCESON. (L.S.)