An Improved Form of Relay applicable to Pneumatic or Electric Organs or to other Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Form of Relay applicable to Pneumatic or Electric
Organs or to other Apparatus.
ROBERT HOPE-JONES, 55, Argyle Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-:
By means of this invention, movements which are commenced by a mechanical
impulse, imparted by the finger or other motive power, are automatically com-
pleted through the agency of pneumatic pressure or suction, or through the
agency of electro-magnetic force or through a combination of these two forces.
The invention is applicable to a variety of purposes, but is specially convenient
for use in organs or elsewhere where compressed air or electricity is available.
Without in any way limiting myself to these particular applications a couple of
illustrations of methods of carrying out this invention may be given.
In the case say of the drawstop or stopkey of an organ it has hitherto been
customary for the organist (when moving the said drawstop or stopkey) to have
to exert mechanical force throughout the whole or the greater part of the stroke
or travel of the said drawstop or stopkey.
Now according to this invention matters are so arranged that when the organist
commences to draw out the said stop-knob he operates (through any convenient
mechanism) a small simple or compound valve through which air passes in such
manner as to energize a puff. bellows or motor which so acts upon the drawstop
knoh (or mechanism connected therewith) as to cause the said drawstop knob to
complete its outward travel automatically & without assistance from the
organist.
Upon his commencing to push the drawstop knob in again the reverse action
takes place that is to say a small valve is immediately moved in such manner as
to allow wind to escape from or to admit wind into a bellows or motor connected
with the drawstop in such manner as to cause the drawstop to complete its
inward travel automatically.
As another illustration I may cite say an organ swell pedal so arranged that
directly its depression is commenced by the foot of the organist an electrical
contact is made in virtue of which an electro-pneumatic lever (connected with the
swell pedal itself) is so operated as to cause the pedal to travel down to the
bottom of its stroke. The aforesaid electrical contact is made in a compound form.
& is so arranged that directly the slightest upward impulse is given to the said
swell pedal the action of the pneumatic lever is reversed or the action of a second
pneumatic lever is brought into play with the result that the swell pedal is
pushed upward throughout its limit of travel.
In either of the above arrangements the place of the pneumatic motor may be
taken by a solenoid or electro-magnet the small valve of course being in such
case replaced by an electrical contact.
As a further illustration of a method of carrying out the invention the follow-
ing may be cited:

page_text: A wooden lever 18 inches in length may be pivotted at or about its centre &
may be arranged so that each of its ends shall be free to travel in an upward or
downward direction through a space of say five-eighths of an inch. On the other
end of this lever may be attached an ivory tablet bearing the name of a stop in an
organ.
Underneath the front end of this lever & at a point about midway between the
ivory tablet & the centre of the lever may be placed a spring exerting force in
an upward direction. Underneath the front end & underneath the back end of
the lever may be placed a small bellows or motor capable of being inflated by
the admission of air under pressure & when so inflated of moving the particular
end of the lever under which it is placed into its highest position. The travel
of the lever may be limited by convenient steps.
Through the back end of the lever may be placed, in a vertical position, a wire
spindle furnished with leather buttons one above & one below the lever. Lower
down on this spindle may be placed two pneumatic valves an arranged that when
the spindle is lifted the valves shall admit wind to the motor under the back end
of the lever & shall allow the compressed air to escape from the motor under the
front end of the lever thus causing the position of the lever to he reversed & so
arranged that when the valves are depressed the compressed air shall be allowed
to escape from the motor at the back end of the lever while air under pressure is
admitted to the motor under the front end of the lever thus causing the position
of the lever to be again reversed.
Now with an apparatus as described above it will be obvious that if the finger
be pressed upon the ivory tablet at the front end of the lever it will descend &
that when it has moved through a small fraction of an inch it will have raised
the valves on the spindle at the back end of the lever. This will result in the
wind rushing into the motor under the back end of the lever thus causing the
lever to complete its stroke automatically & without any further aid from the
finger.
On commencing to lift the tablet at the front end of the lever the reverse action
will take place.
An Improved Form of Relay applicable to Pneumatic or Electric
Organs or to other Apparatus.
ROBERT HOPE-JONES, M.I.E.E., 4. Berners Street, London, W., late of Argyle
Street, Birkenhead, Consulting Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved form of relay.
The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a relay in the form of a stop-key worked
pneumatically.
Figure is a plan of same showing position of grooves or windways to the
small motors or bellows.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation illustrating another method of working a
relay or key in a somewhat similar manner.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a drawstop worked pneumatically.

page_text: Figure 5 is a section of same.
Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of a swell pedal worked electrically.
Referring to Figure 1. A is a windchest containing wind under pressure.
B, B2, B3, B4 are valves carried by a spindle. B being open the wind is allowed
free access through groove C to motor D, & B being open allows the wind in
motor D3 to escape to the atmosphere through groove C², thus holding the relay
or key F in the position shown.
Upon the relay or key F being slightly depressed by the finger of the organist
the valves B & B are closed by means of the spring friction clutch K and at
the same time B and B³ are opened, the wind now passes into groove C² thus
inflating motor D2 whereas the wind in motor D is able to escape to the atmo-
sphere through groove C and valve B, thus the position of relay or key F is
reversed. By this means the slightest impulse in the desired direction (either
up or down) will reverse the positions of the valves and thereby reverse the
motors D and D2 which cause the key F to complete its required stroke.
Referring to Figure 3. A² is a chest containing wind under pressure. Band B³
are valves carried by a spindle. A slight depression on the extremity of key F
will open valve B and close B2 thus allowing the wind in chest A² to enter
groove C3 and so on to motor D³ causing it to inflate and by this means complete
the travel of key F against the resistance of spring E.
Upon a slight upward impulse being applied at the end of key F. the valve B
will close and B3 open thus allowing the wind in motor D3 to exhaust, conse-
quently the pressure being removed from the inside of motor D³ the spring E will
immediately raise the kev F and motor D³ to their original positions as shown
by Figure 3.
Referring to Figure 4. AA is a chest containing wind under pressure, the
wind having free access through port or passage B in slide H to groove
inflates motor n4 and thus holds the slide H and drawstop F F
in the position shown, the wind in D³ being allowed to escape to the atmosphere
through grooves C5 and C6.
Upon the drawstop FF being pushed in until the block E which is attached
to slide H comes in contact with the intermediate slide HH the
positions of the supply and exhaust ports are reversed. Thus the
wind in motor D is allowed to escape to the atmosphere through grooves C+
and C; the wind in chest A A now enters into groove C through port B and thus
inflates motor Ds. As the motor inflates it pushes the slide H forward to the
full extent of its stroke and at the same time the intermediate slide HH is
brought forward by means of block E.
All that is necessary on the part of the operator is to pull or push the draw-
stop FF until the block E or EE comes in contact with the intermediate slide H H
after which the full travel of the drawstop is completed automatically. In place
of the drawston FF the small vertical lever or stopkey G pivotter at G² can be
used or any other form of stopkey.
Referring to Figure 6. A is a balanced swell pedal or treadle centred at E
and actuated by the foot of the operator. Upon a slight pressure being applied
at A the balance lever B centred at F is depressed at 12 thereby
breaking the electrical contact at 09 and making it at C thus
causing solenoid D2 to be energised in place of D and by this means causing
the lever Be to descend to the full extent of its stroke. On pressure being applied
at A³ the action is reversed.
The rod F which carries the contact blocks G and G is moved up or down by
the contact arm C & C³ respectively, the extent of its travel being limited by the
buttons L&LL. The spring friction clutches H & H just grip the rod F
with sufficient force to prevent it slipping too readily. Some suitable form of
insulation is placed between the contact arms C & C³. The wire lead K may be
joined up to a switch which is placed under the control of the operator so that
when required the relay may be disconnected and the pedal used as an ordinary

page_text: swell pedal. The swell shutters may be connected either mechanically or through
a pneumatic or electro pneumatic device with the arm of the pedal A or with the
lever B or rod F.
Electro pneumatic levers may be used in place of the solenoids D & Dª.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. Arrangements for completing through the agency of an extraneous force
such as electro magnetism or fluid pressure or a combination of these, movements
which are commenced by a mechanical impulse imparted by the finger or foot
of the operator, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a relay or stop-key with valves, motors and friction
device as and for the purposes set forth and described in relation to Figures 1 & 2.
3. The combination of a stop key with the spring E valves B and motor D) as
set forth and described in Figure 3.
4. The combination of a drawstop or stopkey or swell pedal with slides H
and HH and motors D as set forth and described in Figures 4 and 5.
5. The combination of a lever or pedal with electrical contacts and solenoids
or electro pneumatic levers or the like as set forth and described in Figure 6.
Dated this 30th day of August 1898.
ROBT. HOPE-JONES.