Improvements in the Construction of Combined Pianofortes and Harmoniums.
Year: 1898

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Combined Pianofortes and
Harmoniums.
A communication by VICTOR CHARLES PAUL DUCUP DE SAINT PAUL, of 8, Faubourg
Poissonnière, Paris, in the Republic of France, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
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; —
The invention which forms the subject of the present application relates to
improvements in the construction of piano-harmoniums. These improvements
comprise a peculiar arrangement for operating the whole of the pistons of the
harmonium, owing to which by the simple pulling out of a single register the
whole of the pistons are brought under the keys of the key-board and simultane-
ously the valve is opened which allows of air being introduced into the corre-
sponding register of the harmonium, the piano being then ready for the combined
playing of the two instruments. This operation hitherto required two manipula-
tions.
On the other hand my correspondent has designed a special method of operating
the bellows of the harmonium which reduces to a considerable extent the work
put upon the performer in operating the same. He has also modified and
improved the means of operating the dampers and the loud pedal of the piano.
These various improvements are shown in detail in the accompanying drawings,
in which;
-
Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section representing the whole part of the
harmonium situated above the bellows in a position of repose, that is to say.
before the register 4 is pulled out. In this position the pistons 2 are separated
from the key-board for the independent actuation of the piano;
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan view of the same;
Figure 3 is a transverse section similar to that of Figure 1, but representing
the several parts in a different position, in which the register 4 is drawn out,
the piston brought under the keys of the keyboard, and one of these keys 3 is
supposed to be supported on the piston 21 corresponding to a reed 16 of the
harmonium;
Figure 4 is an elevation of the whole of the parts for operating the bellows
of the harmonium and for transmitting the movement of the piano pedals to the
dampers and the loud pedal action;
Figure 5 is a plan view of these parts made below the bellows;
Figures 6, 8 and 9 are sections respectively on the lines 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8
of Figure 5.

page_text: To each of the harmony boxes A of the harmonium which contains a set of
reeds 16 corresponding to the keys of the piano there also corresponds a register 4.
The manipulation for the various registers is the same. At the end of the rod 4
is pivoted a finger 5 pivoted at 6 to a longitudinal bar or rail B. When the
register is brought into the position shown in Figure 3, the finger 5 bears on a
plate 7 fixed to a transverse shaft 9 turning in a bracket a' and in bars C and C¹.
By the side of this plate 7 there is fixed on the shaft 9 an arm 8 which rises
when 7 is lowered and lifts by means of a stud an arm 10 fixed to a longitudinal
shaft 11 common to all the registers and intended for the manipulation or
operation of the piston arrangement. Whichever register 4 is pulled out, the
shaft 11 will turn and carry with it in its movement an arm 12 fixed thereon
and a rod 13 connected to the extremity of this arm. This rod pushes forward
the whole of the piston arrangement, stretches the restraining spring d and brings
the whole of the pistons 21 under the keys 3 of the piano, (Figure 3).
The pulling out of the register 4 has at the same time produced another result.
The shaft 9 has at its rear extremity an arm 17 which, when turning with said
shaft, moves a finger 18 which is guided in the bar and the lower extremity
of which rests on a flexible plate 19 attached or hinged at 191 to the cross bar C³.
The plate 19 is thus lowered and depresses in turn a rod 20 which operates a bell-
crank lever 21 and thus effects the opening of a valve 22 mounted in a reservoir E.
The latter is full of air fed therein by means of the bellows. The opening of the
valve 22 causes a discharge of air from the reservoir E by means of orifice 15 into
the wind box A which contains one of the sets of reeds 16 of the harmonium.
The parts being now in the position shown in Figure 3 a simple examination of
this figure shows that the depression of one of the keys 3 of the piano will allow
air to escape by the orifice 14 situated above the corresponding reed in order to
produce a vibratory movement of the tongue. The hammer of the piano and the
reed of the harmonium will thus function simultaneously.
The bellows 30 and 31, Figure 4, into which the air is admitted by means of
the valves 32 are intended to maintain the reservoir 23 full of air as in all
harmoniums, from which reservoir the air passing by the orifices 34, pipes 33
and chamber 35 passes by a central valve 231 into the chamber E which com-
municates with the various registers or sets of reeds by as many valves 22.
The operation of the bellows is facilitated by the arrangement shown in detail
in Figures 5, 7 and 9. To the free end of each of the pedals P, the lower
extremity of which is pivoted on a hinge to the case of the piano, is connected
a lever by means of a link g. Lever Q has two arms and carries at its free end
a roller R which bears on the lower part of the base of the bellows. The lever Q
pivots on a fixed axis S and a spring T serves to return the lever to its position
of repose. Figures 5, 6 and 8 show details of the transmission of movement from
the pedals p 22 of the piano respectively to the wires t¹ and 2 operating the loud
pedal action and the dampers.
Each of the pedals p¹ 22, by means of a stud or projection, bears on the free end
of a lever U pivoting on axis u. The other extremity of said lever is connected
by means of an angle piece to a lever V pivoting on an axis v, the end of said
lever being connected to the operating wire t¹ or t³. A recoil spring ≈ is
attached to the shorter arm of the lever V.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In piano-harmoniums, the combined system for operating the pistons and the
valves of the harmonium in such a way as to allow of all the parts of the piano-
harmonium being brought into the necessary position for the combined action or
functioning of the two instruments by the simple drawing out of a register, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described, and shown in the accompanying drawings in
Figures 1. 2 and 3.

page_text: 2. In a piano-harmonium such as described, the system of operating the valves
of the harmonium and the wires of the loud pedal action and the dampers sub-
stantially as herein before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. The general construction and combination of parts taken as a whole con-
stituting the improvement in piano-harmoniums substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of October 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & CO.,
Agents.