Improvements in Organs and similar Musical Instruments.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Organs and similar Musical Instruments.
1, JOHAN PETTER NYSTRÖM, of Karlstad, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Manu-
facturer, 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 organs and similar musical instruments in which exhaust
bellows are employed and the object of my invention is to provide for playing such
instruments either mechanically by means of perforated music sheets, or by the hands
on the ordinary manual or key-board.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of part of a two-stop reed organ having
my invention applied thereto, and
Figure 2 is a vertical cross section of the same.
a, a are the reed chambers one of which is provided for each reed, and a¹, a doors
or shutters which when open allow the entrance of air into the said chambers. », ware
valves which serve to control the passage of air through the reeds when using the
manual. The keys t of the manual act on the valves v, t by means of the rods p, p
to open the said valves, so that when one or the other of the doors a' is open or
when both are open the reed or reeds, the valve or valves of which is or are
open, will speak.
On the top of the reed chambers a, a is placed a chamber which is divided into
compartments, 6 similar to the compartiments a, a, each of which compartments in
the upper chamber communicates through suitable openings with the corresponding
reed chambers below it, that is to say, with the chambers a containing similar reeds.
Each compartment also communicates through a tube c with a corresponding
compartment in a box d arranged in the upper part of the organ, each compart-
ment in which box communicates through a hole e with a channel formed in a
music rest which extends the whole length of the box d, sufficient space being
left between the rest and the top or cover of the box d to allow the perforated
music sheet to pass therethrough. As shown in Figure 2, the music sheet is
endless and passes from between the box d and rest g around two rollers i, i,
thence over the rest and then down behind the box d and round a 'roller i³ which
serves to weight the music sheet. The music sheet is moved by the roller i¹ connected
by gear wheels to a lower roller which latter is, by means of rods, not shewn
in the drawing, connected either to a crank handle at the front of the organ or to
the pedals of the organ. The roller i is. rotated by friction so as to stretch the
music sheet.
-
n is a horizontal shaft extending across the organ behind the valve spindles p
which shaft is provided with pins m corresponding to the several valve spindles.
Each spindle p has a collar o on which one of the pins m rest. At one end of
the rod k of
the shaft n is fitted an arm which bears against a projection k¹ on
a stop.
When the organ is to be played mechanically the stop k is pulled out so that
all the valves are opened and the doors a', a' are closed by means of a special stop.
The music-sheet is then moved either by the crank handle which also actuates the
bellows or by the pedals whereby air is drawn in through the channel and through
the perforations in the music sheet and the holes e exposed by the perforations
into the chamber d. From the various compartments of the chamber d the air
current passes through the corresponding tubes c into the corresponding compart-
ments and thence through the reeds in the compartments a, thereby causing the
said reeds to speak.

page_text: By causing the air, after passing through the tubes e, also to pass through the
compartments in the chamber d and through the compartments b a fine and agreeable
sound is obtained which is nearly like that produced on pipe organs.
To enable only one set of reeds to be used I arrange plates, below the
compartments b, which plates have openings to correspond with those between
the various compartments a and b, and are adapted to be moved by stops.
It will be obvious that by moving one or the other of these plates 9, 9 the said
openings between one or the other set of compartments a, will be closed and the
corresponding set of reeds prevented from sounding. When the organ is to be
played by means of the manual the stop k is pushed in. Thereby all the valves
are closed and one or both of the doors a¹, a is or are opened by the corre-
sponding stop or stops according as to whether it is desired to sound one or both
of the sets of reeds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
(1.) The combination with an organ adapted to be operated by a key board or
manual of means for playing the same mechanically through the medium of a
perforated music sheet, such means consisting in arranging above the reed com-
partments a, a, other compartments b, communicating therewith through suitable
openings and with corresponding compartments in a chamber d in the upper part
of the organ through tubes e, e, the compartiments of the chamber d being provided
with openings in the top communicating with a passage in a rest g, between
which rest and chamber d the music sheet passes, substantially as described.
(2.) In organs of the kind referred to in the preceding claiming clause, the
use of a stop which actuates an arm attached to a rod n passing behind the valve
spindles p and provided with pins m which bear against collars o on the spindles p for
the purpose of opening all the valves by means of the stop so as to set the organ for
playing mechanically, substantially as described.
(3.) The manufacture and use of an organ provided with means for operating the
sane either manually or mechanically, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing,
Dated the 8th day of August 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.