IMPROVEMENTS.
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tlie said Thomas Casson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th October 1882.
THOMAS CASSON of Denbigh in the County of Denbigh
ORGANS"
"IMPROVEMENTS. IN
My invention relates to organs of the kind that have, besides the manual key
boards, a set of pedals for bass and couplers by which the pedals can be connected
to or disconnected from the keys. In some organs the pedals work only one group
of pipes called a pedal organ but can be coupled to one or more of several manuals;
in other organs the pedals work several groups of pipes forming separate pedal
organs appropriated respectively to the manual organs and provided with means of
coupling as in the former case. It is to organs of the latter kind that my invention
applies, the chief object which I have in view being to bring the pedal pipes and
couplers under complete and easy control of the organist. For this purpose I
provide for each manual organ and its corresponding pedal organs a subsidiary set
of coupling actions (which set together with its pedal organ I may for the sake of
distinctness term a "Pedale") capable of bringing into action the ordinary couplers
which serve to connect the manual to the pedal action; and for each such Pedale
I provide a special pedal, or it may be a slide push stop or key which can bring
its Pedale into action and throw out of action all the other Pedales. Such special
pedal, slide push stop or key may for the sake of distinctness be termed a "Pedale
Help." These Pedale helps are so arranged that when two or more manuals
are coupled, they effect the coupling of the two or more pedal organs belonging
to these manuals. When the organ is provided with composition or combination
movements I arrange them in such a manner that they combine the pedal stop.
actions as well as the manual stop actions of each manual and the ordinary couplers
which connect them.. The Pedales and Pedal Helps may be arranged to operate
like other actions usually employed in organs either mechanically through levers

page_text: and trackers or pneumatically by pressure or exhaust or both, or by the electro
pneumatic action which is occasionally employed, in organs. In order to illustrate
their arrangement and operation I will describe them as applied to an organ with
lever and tracker action and also to an organ having pneumatic vacuum action
referring to the accompanying diagrams. Fig 1 is a diagram of part of an organ
having two manuals G and S each with its set of coupling levers Grand Sj
controlled in the usual manner for coupling to the pedal stickers h. Instead of
connecting theso directly to the pedal stickers, I connect them through intermediate
sets of levers Gf and Sf which with their connections and respective pedal organs
constitute what I have termed the "Pedale." The action is determined by two
Pedal helps which in this case I have shown as Pedals Ga and Sa. These pedals
are provided with catch studs Gd and Sd so arranged in relation to spring
catches G band Sb fixed on a rocking shaft that when either pedal is depressed
it releases the latch of the other but is itself held down by its own latch. The
depression of one of the pedals Ga besides opening by the pull Ge the valve for
admitting wind to its special pedal organ, also pulls down the fulcrum frame of
the levers Of and thus brings these levers into such a position that they completo
the coupling connection from the manual G through the levers G to the pedal
stickers h if the ordinary coupler be in position to act. The other pedal Sa not
being depressed the fulcrum frame of the lovers Sf is kept up by a weight or
spring and therefore these levers are freed to move along with the pedal stickers h
without completing the coupling connection to the manual S even though the
ordinary coupler be in position to act. When the manuals G and S are themselves
coupled together their pedales have also to be appropriately coupled. For this
purpose a diagonal lever K is arranged so that its fulcrum is depressed by the same
action which effects the coupling of S to G. When this is done the depression
of G a causes the fulcrum frame of Sf to be depressed as well as that of Gf and
consequently not only are both manuals coupled but also both pedales. As
however the Pedale help Sa throws off the pedale of G the pedale of S can be
separately used; the arrangement thus corresponding with that ordinarily employed
for coupling manuals in such a manner that one can be separately used. Instead
of arranging the intermediate levers Gf and Sf of the pedales to work in combi-
nation with the valve pulls Ge and Se they might be combined with separate
trackers for each pedal organ and instead of the Pedale helps being pedals such as
GaSa they might be pushes, stops or keys with mechanical or pneumatic connections
to the Pedales. In organs in which the draw stops are worked pneumatically tho
pedales also may be thrown in or out of action by pneumatic levers, the valves of
which are worked by the pedale lielps. Fig. 2 is a perspective diagram illustrating
this arrangement as applied to an organ having three manuals with pneumatic
vacuum action. Figs. 3 and 4 being respectively an elevation and a section of the
wind chests and valves employed. I will suppose that there are three-manuals GU
and S. and that the Pedalo Helps are in the form of slides or pushes, one under or
adjacent to each manual which can be pushed in by hand to bring its appropriate
pedale into action and returned by a spring. Connected to these slides by.any
convenient mechanism are three stickers Ga Ca and Sa each of which when
depressed opens a small valve Gb CS6 to a corresponding pneumatic lever Gd
Cd Sd, which thereupon by depressing its sticker GC for Sfopens the main
valve Ge Ce or Se. On the stickers Gf Cfaud Sfare catches which engage
with the latches Gg Cg Sg as explained above in reference to fig. 1 so that
cách Pedale help in bringing its own pedale into action releases the others. This
arrangement of catches is obviously applicable to the action of couplers generally.
Any two of the pedalo actions can be coupled by a diagonal lever K, as described
with reference to Fig. 1. In this arrangement the coupling actions of each pedal
organ are moved by pneumatic levers controlled by the pneumatic valves of the
couplers. The pneumatic valves of the pedal stops and couplers are contained in
separate wind chests GC and Sk which are connected by tubes or passages
with the main valves Ge C'e and Se. Thus the connection opened by any main

page_text: valve to its separate chest brings into action the stops and couplers having their
valves opened in that chest, all other pedal stops and couplers being thrown out
of action by the closing of their main valves even though their pneumatic valves
be opened. The pedale organs might however be brought into action by opening
pneumatically or otherwise a trunk valve or ventil, the pneumatic valve for the
coupler only being enclosed in a separate casing. When separate chests are
employed, the pneumatic valves of the pedal keys instead of those of the pedale
stops may be arranged in them together with those of their respective couplers.
The pneumatic levers may obviously be worked either by air pressure or exhaust.
or both, their valves being arranged accordingly. Tur organs having electro-
pneumatic action the Pedale helps may be applied either to work pneumatic valves
directly or to close or open electric circuits.
•
It will be evident that this invention may also be used with exhaust pneumatics,
in which case the lever is enclosed in a plenum chest and "collapses" by" being
opened to the atmosphere. In this case the exhaust would have to discharge into
i 9 Pipit 14
separate chests as in the vacuum plan.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Casson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th April
1883.
THOMAS CASSON of Denbigh, in the county of Denbigh " IMPROVEMENTS IN
ORGANS."
My invention relates to organs of the kind that have, besides the manual key
boards, a set of pedals for bass, and couplers by which the pedals can be connected
to or disconnected from the keys. In some cases, the pedals work only one group
of pipes, called a pedal organ, but can be coupled to one or more of several
manuals; in other organs, the pedals work several groups of pipes, forming
separate pedal organs appropriated respectively to the manual organs and provided
with means of coupling as in the former case. It is to organs of the latter kind
that my invention applies, the chief object which I have in view being to bring
the pedal pipes and couplers under complete and easy control of the organist. For
this purpose, I provide for each manual organ and its corresponding pedal organ a
subsidiary set of coupling actions (which set, together with its pedal organ, I may,
for the sake of distinctness term a "Pedale") capable of bringing into action the
ordinary couplers which serve to connect the manual to the pedal action; and, for
each such Pedale, I provide a special pedal, or it may be a slide, push, stop or key,
which can bring its Pedale into action, and throw out of action all the other Pedales.
Such special pedal, slide, push, stop or key may, for the sake of distinctness, be
termed a "Pedale-Help." These Pedale-helps are so arranged that when two or
*more manuals are coupled, tlicy effect the coupling of the two or more pedal
organs belonging to these manuals. When the organ is provided with composition
or combination movements, I arrange them in such a manner that they combine
the pedal stop actions as well as the manual stop actions of each manual and the
ordinary couplers which connect them. The Pedales and Pedale-helps may be
arranged to operate like other actions usually employed in organs, either
mechanically through levers and trackers, or pneumatically by pressure or exhaust,
or both, or by the electro-pneumatic action which is occasionally employed in
organs. In order to illustrate their arrangement and operation, I will describe
them as applied to an organ with lover and tracker action, and also to an organ
having pneumatic vacuum action, referring to the accompanying diagrams. Fig. 1
is a diagram of part of an organ having two manuals G and S, each with its set of
coupling levers G j and Sj, controlled in the usual manner, for coupling to the
pedal stickers h. Instead of connecting these directly to the pedal stickers, I
connect them through intermediate sets of lovers Gf and Sf, which, with their
connections and respective pedal organs, constitute what I have termed the Pedale.
The action is determined by two pedale-helps, which, in this case, I have shewn as
pedals Ga and Sa. These pedals are provided with catch studs, G d and Sd, so
arranged in relation to spring latches G brand Sb, fixed on a rocking shaft, that
when either pedal is depressed, it releases the latch of the other, but is itself held
down by its own latch. The depression of one of the pedals Ga, besides opening
by the pull Ge, the valve for admitting wind to its special pedal organ, also pulls
down the fulcrum frame of the levers Gf, and thus brings these lovers into such a
position that they complete the coupling connexion from the manual G through
the levers G to the pedal stickers h, if the ordinary coupler be in position to act.
The other pedal Sa not being depressed, the fulcrum frame of the levers Sf is kept
up by a weight or spring, and therefore these levers are free to move along with
the pedal stickers without completing the coupling connection to the manual S,
even though the ordinary coupler be in position to act. When the manuals G

page_text: and S are themselves coupled together, their pedales have also to be appropriately
coupled. For this purpose, a diagonal lever K is arranged so that its fulcrum is
depressed by the same action which effects the coupling of S to G. When this is
done, the depression of Ga causes the fulcrum frame of Sf to be depressed as well
as that of Gf, and consequently not only are both manuals coupled, but also both
pedales. As, however, the pedale help Sa throws off the pedale of G, the pedale
of S can be separately used, the arrangement thus corresponding with that
ordinarily employed for coupling manuals in such manner that one can be
separately used.
Instead of arranging the intermediate levers Gf and Sf of the pedales to work
in combination with the valve pulls Geand Se, they might be combined with
separate trackers for each pedal organ, and instead of the Pedale helps being
pedals such as Ga Sa they might be pushes, stops or keys, with mechanical or
pneumatic connections to the pedales.
In organs in which the draw stops are worked pneumatically, the pedales also
may be thrown in or out of action by pneumatic levers, the valves of which are
worked by the pedale-helps. Fig 2 is a perspective diagram illustrating this
arrangement as applied to an organ having three manuals with pneumatic vacuum
action, Figs. 3 and 4 being respectively an elevation and a section of the wind
chests and valves employed. I will suppose that there are three manuals G, C
and S, and that the pedale helps are in the form of slides or pushes, one under or
adjacent to each manual, which can be pushed in by hand to bring its appropriate
pedale into action, and returned by a spring. Connected to these slides by any
convenient mechanism, are three stickers Ga, Ca and Sa, each of which, when
depressed, opens a small valve Gb Cb Sb to a corresponding pneumatic lever
Gd Cd Sd, which thereupon, by depressing its sticker Gf Cf or Sf, opens the
main valve Ge Ce or Se On the stickers Gf Cf and Sfare catches, which
engage with the latches Gg Cg Sg, as explained above in reference to fig: 1, so that
each pedale help, in bringing its own pedale into action, releases the others. This
arrangement of catches is obviously applicable to the action of couplers generally.
Any two of the pedale actions can be coupled by a diagonal lever K, as described
with reference to fig. 1. In this arrangement, the coupling actions of each pedal
organ are moved by pneumatic levers controlled by the pneumatic valves of the
couplers. The pneumatic valves of the pedal stops and couplers are contained in
separate wind chests Gk Ck and Sk, which are connected by tubes or passages
with the main valves Ge Ce and Se. Thus, the connection opened by any main valve
to its separate chest, brings into action the stops and couplers having their valves
opened in that chest, all other pedal stops and couplers being thrown out of action
by the closing of their main valves, even though their prismatic valves be open.
The pedal organs might, however, be brought into action by opening, pneumatically
or otherwise, a trunk valve or ventil, the pneumatic valve for the coupler only being
enclosed in a separate casing. When separate chests are employed, the pneumatic
valves of the pedal keys, instead of those of the pedale stops, may be arranged in
them, together with those of their respective couplers. The pneumatic levers may
obviously be worked either by air pressure or exhaust, or both, the valves being
arranged accordingly. By enclosing in chambers the outlet valves of the pneumatic
levers for a manual action, and putting those chambers in communication with the
supply chambers for the pneumatic levers of a pedal action, the coupling can be
effected without the intervention of levers or other mechanism, as illustrated
diagrammatically by Fig. 5. In this figure, a and b are respectively the inlet and
outlet valves for one of the pneumatic levers of a manual action, and a' and b¹ are
the corresponding valves for one of the pneumatic levers of a pedal action. I
enclose the valves b in a chamber c communicating by a pipe or channel d, with
the chamber e¹, so that when the valve al is opened, admitting air under pressure
to the chamber e¹, (b' being then closed) the pressure is communicated through the
passage d to c, and thence past the open valves b to e. When the supply to the
chest, containing the valves a¹, is cut off by closing the pneumatic coupler valve so

page_text: that no pressure can be transmitted through d, the manual and the pedal actions
aro uncoupled. A similar arrangement may be obviously applied to pneumatic
levers worked by vacuum.
In organs having electro-pneumatic action, the pedale helps may be applied
either to work pneumatic valves directly, or to close or open electric circuits. Fig. 6
illustrates diagrammatically electro-pneumatic action thus applied. A is an electro-
magnet, which, when excited by an electric impulso, transmitted on momentarily
moving the pedale help, attracts its armature, and so opens the valve v putting the
vacuum trunk B in communication with the pneumatic lever O. This, collapsing,
opens the valve supplying wind to the pedal organ, and it is retained in its collapsed
condition by a catch D on a small pneumatic lever E. In order to liberate it,
another electromagnet such as A, and situated at the side of A is momentarily put
in circuit by the movement of a pedale-help, and a valve such as v, opened by the
attraction of this second electro-magnet, makes communication from B to tho
pneumatic lever E. This lever collapsing, withdraws the catch D, allowing C to
distend and to cut off the supply of wind to the pedal organ.
Although I have described and illustrated by diagrams several methods of making
mechanical; pneumatic, or electro-pneumatic connections for the operation of the
pedale helps, it is obvious that those may be varied in construction and variously
arranged according to the conditions under which they are to be applied, without
departing from the character of the action which they have to perforin.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim, in respect of organs having several sets of manuals,
pedal organs and couplers, the combination with each such set, of a subsidiary
coupling action, having a special slide, push, stop, pedal or key, the movement of
which brings into action the pedal organ, and also, if desired, the couplers in its
own set, and throws out of action the pedal organs and couplers of the other sets,
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In-Witness whereof, I the said Thomas Casson have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Second day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand,
eight hundred and eighty-three,