Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1887
Complete Left; 5th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 18th May, 1888
I, RICHARD SMITH, of 36 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Organ Builder,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improved and more simple arrange-
ments and combinations of mechanism for controlling the action of the "Swell"
movement and its pedal lever, of organs and such like instruments, so as to be able
to instantaneously fix the swell lever in any position or release it, and give a silent
and more perfect automatic action thereto and to the swell louvre boards to produce
the increasing and diminishing volume of the sounds, than has been possible in such
instruments as heretofore constructed. These improvements are susceptible of con-
siderable modification to suit the construction of the instrument to which they are to
be applied.
The nature and novelty of the invention or improvements under one modification as
applied to the usual swell pedal of an ordinary organ consist all as follows:-In
jointing a vertical rod, bar, or tube to the under side of the swell pedal, which is
depressed by the foot of the player and rises automatically by the power of a spring
or weight, or it might be by a pneumatic arrangement. The vertical rod is made to
pass through a corresponding shaped hole or recess, preferably lined with felt, leather,
or other soft material, so that it will glide smoothly and noiselessly through the recess
in a stationary block, which does not rise or fall, but may oscillate to the angle of the
bar. In the one side of this block an angled or inclined recess is formed with a small
india rubber or elastic hall, roller, or other equivalent fitted in it, which is raised by
the horizontal arm of a light bell-crank lever to insert the ball within the angled recess, and
cause it to be gripped therein by the automatic rising of the bar and rolling action of
the ball, so as to instantaneously stop the rising motion of the bar and pedal in any
position by the lateral movement of the foot of the player acting on a swinging rod,
as ordinarily in use for the purpose of locking down the pedal, but so modified to suit
this arrangement as to be placed between the foot of the player and the vertical arm
of the ball lever that the lateral movement may be transmitted through the arm to

page_text: the ball, and so fix the pedal in any desired position while being actuated. The
slightest depression of the pedal would disengage the ball and allow the pedal and bar
to rise freely and noiselessly up through its recess in the stationary block, the ball lever
falling back to its normal position by gravitation or by the power of a re-acting light
spring. Although I consider the elastic ball inserted into the angled recess acting
against the rising bar under the pedal actuated by a bell-crank lever, as the simplest
gripping and relieving stop, and therefore prefor it, (as also the general arrangement
as described to which it is specially applicable); yet it will be evident that many other
equivalents for this gripper and its actuating lever of these improvements, may be
adopted, such as a straight lever; and in place of the ball a light fulerunted friction
block might be used, actuated by a lever or a tread rod; or a friction lever with recess
encompassing the bar or tube jointed to the pedal might be used as a silent friction
stop in place of the ball, actuated by a lateral or other acting lever at the side of or
pass through the pedal in an equivalent manner to the lever for actuating the ball, which
would automatically by gravitation or otherwise be brought back to its normal position
when not in action gripping the rod of the pedal.
Some modification of these friction grippers might be made to act on a horizontal
pedal rod or tube when that was preferred to the vertical acting pedal rod or tube
described, to suit the usual actuating swell mechanism or pedal, and to be actuated
either by the knee or hands when that was preferred to the foot pedal; and when the
hands were used an electro-magnet and small voltaic battery with a make and break
contact spring or switch, might be employed for putting this friction gripper into and
out of action, whether the ball or lever silent friction gripper were used and a re-acting
weight or a spring might act on the armature lever in the reverse direction to the
attracting power of the electro-magnet.
A further improvement consists in fitting within the tube or other equivalent attached
to the swell pedal, a fixed inverted cup leather piston by an adjustable rod passing out
through the open end of the tube, and it might be with a regulating adjustable air
hole in the upper part of the tube for allowing the free action of the pedal by the foot
downwards, but which would control its gradual ascent or re-action, in regulating the
closing of the swell louvre boards, and give great power of regulating this.
Where there are two or more swell pulals used in the organ, each would be fitted
with my improved stopping and releasing mechanism, and so fitted with swinging rods
and connections as to fix or release any one, two, or more of the pedals simultaneously
by one movement of the foot.
11
L
CT.1007

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
'
Improvements in and relating to Organs and such like Key-board
Wind Instruments.
I, RICHARD SMITH, of 86 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Organ Builder,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the followings
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Two Sheets of Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention has reference to and comprises improved and more simple arrange-
ments and combinations of mechanism for controlling the action of the "Swell"
movement and its pedal lever, of organs and such like instruments, so as to be able
to instantaneously fix the swell lever in any position or release it, and give a silent
and more perfect automatic action thereto and to the swell louvre board to produce the
increasing and diminishing volume of the sounds than has been possible in such
instruments as heretofore constructed. These improvements are susceptible of con-
siderable modification to suit the construction of the instrument to which they are to
be applied.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
two explanatory Sheets of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figure 1 on Sheet 1 is a
sectional side elevation of a three manual keyboard A and pedals B B' marked sharps
and naturals in the Drawings, of an organ, showing my improvements as applied to
one ordinary foot pedal or swell lever thereof, convenient for the organist to control,
very simply by one foot as or while using the lever (Figures 2 and 3 on Sheet 2
are respectively a side and front elevation both partly in section and taken on the
lines 11 and 2---1
-2, each on the other, of the new or improved parts to a large scale
to show the construction of these more clearly.
Referring to these Drawings, the nature and novelty of the invention or improve-
ments under one modification as applied to the usual swell pedal of an ordinary.
organ, consist all as follows:-In jointing at a' a vertical rod, bar, or tube a preferably
the latter for the reasons hereinafter described, to the underside of the ordinary swell
pedal C, which is depressed by the foot of the player and held down, while the swell
is required to be used, and rises automatically and gradually by the power of the usual
weight or spring attached to the swell lever or louvre mechanism acting in the
direction of the arrow on the wire or rod attached to the lever C to close tlie louvre
boards of the swell mechanism or it might be by a pneumatic arrangement. The
vertical tube a is made to pass through a correspondingly shaped hole or recess
the block preferably lined or fitted with felt, leather, or other soft material at 11 so
that it will glide sinoothly and noiselessly through the recess in the stationary block b
secured by screws to the rail B of the frame of the ordinary. foot pedals B, B1, and
in

page_text: which does not rise or fall with the swell lever C, but may be made to oscillate to the
angle of the tube a when desired. In the one side of this block an angled or
inclined round recess 3 is bored or formed with a small india-rubber or elastic ball c
or it might be a roller, or other equivalent fitted in it, which is raised by the horizontal
arm e, of a light bell-crank lever e¹, e, fulerumed in a recess at el in the block 1, to
insert the ball e up within the angled recess and cause it to be gripped therein by
the automatic rising of the tube or bar a and rolling action of the ball e so as to
instantaneously stop the rising motion of the tube a and pedal in any position while
the swell was required to be used or sounded by the lateral movement of the foot of
the player acting on the ordinary swing or hanging rod D, for the purpose of locking
down the pedal C, but so modified to suit this arrangement as to be placed between
the foot of the player and the vertical arm of the ball lever e¹, e, as indicated par-
ticularly in Figures 2 and 3, that the lateral movement may be transmitted through
the arm to the ball e, and so fix the pedal in any desired position when pushed down.
The slightest depression of the pedal and tube a releases and disengages the balle
and allows the pedal C, and tube a to rise freely and noiselessly up through its recess
in the stationary block the ball lever e, e, falling back to its normal position by
gravitation or it may be assisted by the power of the re-acting light spring lever
also raised by the lever c,, fitted on the top of the block while bringing the balle,
into action by the pin et. Although I consider the elastic ball e inserted into the
angled recess 3 acting against the rising tube a under the pedal actuated by a bell-
crank lever c, c², as the simplest gripping and relieving stop, and therefore prefer it,
(as also the general arrangement as described to which it is specially applicable) ; yet
it will be evident that many other equivalents for this gripper and its actuating lever
of these improvements, may be adopted, such as a straight lever, and in place of the
ball a light fulerumed friction block might be used, actuated by a lever or a tread rod;
or a friction lever with recess encompassing the bar or tube jointed to the pedal might
be used as a silent friction stop in place of the ball, actuated by a lateral or other acting
lever at the side of or pass through the pedal in an equivalent manner to the lever e',,
for actuating the ball, which would automatically by gravitation or otherwise be brought
back to its normal position when not in action gripping the rod of the pedal.
A modification of these friction grippers might be made to act on a horizontal pedal
rod or tube, when that was preferred to the vertical acting pedal rod or tube a
described, to suit any other arrangement of the pedal lever C. C, that is to say, if the
tube a is set horizontally it would act substantially in an equivalent manner, and be
actuated either by the knee or hands when that was preferred to the foot pedal C;
and when the hands were used an electro-magnet and small voltaic battery with a
make and break contact spring or switch, might be employed for putting this friction
gripper into and out of action, whether the balle or the lever silent friction gripper
referred to were used; and a re-acting weight or a spring might act on the
armature lever in the reverse direction to the attracting power of the electro-
magnet.
open
A further improvement consists in fitting within the tube a or other equivalent
attached to the swell pedal C, a fixed inverted cup leather piston a, secured by screw
nuts to an adjustable rod a³ or it might be a small tube, passed down through the
end of the tube a and secured by screw nuts at all to a stationary block at, secured
to the rail B³ of the pedal frame B, and it might be with a regulating adjustable air
hole in the upper part of the tube a or in the spindle a when that is made a tube as
indicated in dotted lines at a, for allowing the free action of the pedal by the foot
downwards, but which would control its gradual ascent or re-action in regulating the
closing of the swell louvre boards, and give great power of regulating this; and a
hole would preferably be formed in the lower part of the tube a, so that when the
pedal rose to its highest position as dotted-in in Figures 2 and 3, this hole a would rise
above the piston a², and allow air freely to the upper end of the tube a which would
ensure the complete rising of the pedal C and closing of the louvre boards of the swell
mechanism. Although I have shown and described the tube a as jointed to reciprocate
with the swell lever C, and made the block and gripping ball e as stationary and

page_text: fixed to the framing of the foot pedals, yet it will be evident that the tube a might be
made stationary and the block made to reciprocate with the lever; and that
although the whole is arranged under the swell lever, it might be arranged over it,
and in that case the pressure of air in the tube a and not the vacuum would check the
ascent of the lever a³, a², and closing of the swell louvre boards of the organ.
When there are two or more swell pedals Cused in the organ, each would be fitted
with my improved stopping and releasing mechanism indicated by the italic lotters a
and so fitted by their swinging rods D and connections as to fix or release any
one, two, or more of the pedals simultaneously by one movement of the foot.
to
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 :-
First. The construction or general arrangement and combination of the parts of
mechanisin for controlling the action of the swell movement and its pedal lover, in
organs and such like keyboard wind instruments, so as to be able to instantaneously
fix the swell lever in any position or release it to close gradually, substantially as and
in the manner and for the advantages herein described and distinguished by italic
letters, in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The controlling of the action of the pedal or swell mechanism of organs
and such like keyboard wind instruments by a reciprocating tube or rod and its
friction stop and controlling mechanism, all substantially as herein described and
distinguished by italic letters in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Third. In organs and such like keyboard wind instruments, the fitting of an elastic
automatic gripping ball e roller or other equivalent in an angled recess or manner,
acting against a reciprocating tube or bar a actuated by the ordinary swell pedal
lever or mechanism, as a gripping and relieving stop motion, substantially as and in
the manner herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. In organs and such like keyboard wind instruments, the fitting of a
stationary cup leather piston, a³, within a reciprocating tube a attached to the
ordinary pedal or mechanism for controlling the closing of the swell movement, sub-
stantially as and in the manner, and for the purposes herein described in reference to
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.