Improvements in Reed Organs and other like-operating Musical Instruments.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 18.94-Accepted, 9th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reed Organs and other like-operating Musical
Instruments.
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which
has been communicated to me by Andrew Jackson Reynolds, Engineer,
now of the City and State of New York, United States of America), to be as
follows:-
The said improvements specially relate to reed organs, harmoniums, æolians and
organettes, and generally to musical instruments that are operated by exhaust
bellows or other exhaust appliance, and the invention consists chiefly in the addition
to, or incorporation in, one of these instruments of one or more vibrators, the interior
of each of which is connected with the interior of the reed chest by air passages or
apertures, which admit air and sound vibrations into said vibrators direct from the
reeds, said passages and vibrators forming extensions of the reed chest; through
one or more of which vibrators the air and tones are drawn by the exhaust bellows
or other exhaust appliance, the ordinary air passage through the foundation board
of the reed chest into the reservoir bellows being closed, when these improvements
are applied to old instruments and dispensed with in the manufacture of new
The invention also consists in the novel construction of the vibrators
and the novel mode and means for connecting the vibrators with the ordinary parts
of reed organs and other like musical wind instruments.
instruments.
The accompanying drawings show said improvements applied to a reed organ, in
which drawings, making a part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section, showing one form of said improvements and
a manner of combining the same with the parts of an ordinary reed organ; and
Figure 2 a horizontal cross section of the vertical vibrator as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical cross section showing another form of construction and
manner of combining said improvements with the parts of an ordinary reed organ.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the horizontal vibrator shown in Figures 1
and 3 located within the case of the organ and enclosing the sub-bass suspended in
the same.
Like letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.
The said improvements are shown applied to a reed organ, A, of the ordinary
construction, but they are applicable to all reed organs and by obvious modifications
to other descriptions of musical instruments which are operated by the means of
exhaust bellows or other exhaust appliance. The organ, A, being of the usual form,
a description of the parts is not necessary to an understanding of the construction
and arrangement of said improvements.
The vertical vibrator, B, when attached to or formed in the organ, becomes a
resonant extension of the reed chest, B', as well as a part of the passage through
which the air and sound vibrations are drawn by the exhaust bellows, the usual air
passage through the foundation board, A', being closed or dispensed with in the
improved instrument. The dimensions of vibrator, B, should be such as to produce
with any given instrument or class of instruments the desired volume and quality of
tone. The larger this vibrator as a general rule, the greater the resemblance of
the tones to those of a pipe organ, and within reasonable limits, the better the
effect. The vibrator B is placed on the back of the organ and is preferably made
sufficiently large to cover the entire back, as shown in the drawings, the ordinary

page_text: back of the instrument being removed when said vibrator is applied to completed
organs and dispensed with when organs are constructed with special reference to
this invention.
The shell C of vibrator B is preferably made of thin, resonant wood, but glass,
metal or other material or combination of materials may be employed in its
construction. The best effects have been attained by the use of well seasoned
boards about three-eighths of an inch thick, and this wooden shell is inexpensive.
The boards used for the shell may be of uniform or variable thickness or thicker
boards may be used as a frame and thinner ones for panels D, as shown in the
drawings. These panels are made of thin resonant material and their use is
especially desirable in the manufacture of large shells, in which they should be
made self-adjusting, in reference to the thicker portions which they should overlap,
by the enlargement or extension of the bolt holes E, as shown. The thin panels D
are secured to the thicker parts of the shell by bolts F, a washer F' sufficiently
large to cover the hole E being placed under the head of the bolt. The object of
this construction is to allow for the expansion and contraction of the wood caused
by atmospheric changes. A strip of rubber or other packing is secured between
the overlapped portions of the panels and the other portion of the shell to make
air-tight joints. These central panels may be made so thin and sensitive that they
will be quickly responsive to the lightest notes of the instrument which would
not by themselves affect the whole shell, which is vibrated by the heavier notes.
The thin panels may also be placed to advantage in the bottom, top and sides of
deep vibrators. The shape of the shell C, shown in the drawings, is rectangular,
which is the simplest and least expensive, but elliptic, oval or other shapes may be
substituted and it is intended, especially in the manufacture of instruments with
special reference to these improvements, to make the shells of such a shape as will
produce the most desirable tones. The shell of vibrator B should be provided with
one or more steel springs, G, G, as shown in Figure 2. These springs extend
across the back and front of the shell either on the outside or inside, of the same,
as found most convenient. The best effect has been obtained by the use of
elliptic springs extending across the shell. When they are applied on the outside
as shown in Figure 2, the ends are secured rigidly at the edge of the shell but are
loose on the bolts F. When they are applied ou the inside of the shell, as
shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, the ends press against the sides of the
vibrator and are allowed motion on the bolts F by an extension of the bolt holes
in the springs.
The springs G, G, answer the two-fold purpose of sustaining the thin shell when
a partial vacuum is produced by exhaustion of air in the vibrator and of auto-
matically producing a strain or tension upon the front and back surfaces of the
shell while the instrument is operated, thereby augmenting the resonance of the
vibrator and the power of the instrument, proportionately to the power applied to
the bellows, the strain or tension being automatically relieved when the playing
ceases, which leaves the vibrator in its normal condition, like an unstrung violin or
bass-viol.
The shell C may be sustained by spiral springs placed between its front and
back and other forms of springs may be used, but those above described have
proved the most satisfactory. The sides of the vibrator as a rule being of thicker
material and less width than the front and back, require no support, but springs
may be applied to the sides in deep vibrators to increase the tension.
The vibrator B may be provided with a vertical central partition extending
across the interior and from the extension of the foundation board A' upward.
This partition would form, in connection with an opening between the reed chest
and the vibrator, an air-tight passage, through which the air and sound vibrations
might be drawn from the reed chest by the action of the exhaust bellows.
The back of the reed chest in this arrangement is removed or partially dispensed
with and a corresponding aperture is made in the vibrator and an air-tight con-
nection formed in any convenient manner. This connection may be made by metal,

page_text: wooden, rubber or paper pipes passing from the interior of the reed chest to the
interior of the vibrator. While it is desirable to deflect the sound vibrations
upward by a partition, or by pipes H, as shown in the Figure 1, a good result is
obtained by a simple passage or large straight pipes extending from the interior
of the reed chest into the interior of said vibrator. The pipes H, Figure 1, opening
into the reed chest and extending upwards in the vibrator, not only elevate and
amplify the sound vibrations and thereby produce a better effect, but by increasing
the length of the passage between the reed chest and reservoir bellows, prolong
and broaden the tones which have heretofore passed directly downward from the
reed chest into and been muffled by the bellows. The pipes H may be made
flaring or funnel shaped as shown, which will augment and improve the tones, and
the shape of the pipes or the mouth of the pipes may be varied as found best
adapted to produce a pipe organ tone.
The connection between the vertical vibrator B and the reservoir bellows may
be made by an air passage into the neck of the bellows or by one or more pipes I,
as shown in Figure 1. These pipes are of necessity made elastic or flexible to
accommodate them to the movement of the reservoir bellows. The passage into
the neck is necessarily indirect and contracted in organs of the usual construction,
for which reason the pipes I are preferable by the use of which the distance between
the ingress and egress air ports of the vibrator is increased and the air currents
will pass freely and directly into the exhaust bellows without affecting the tones
and the power required for operating the instrument will be lessened.
The reservoir bellows may be located within vibrator B as indicated in Figure 3
or outside of said vibrator, in which case an air port would be made in the shell of
the vibrator behind the bellows or bellows board to admit air to the bellows, and
the egress pipes I would connect direct with the exhaust bellows located in the
usual position or removed and secured to the front of vibrator B, as shown in
Figure 3, inside or outside shell C. By thus removing the reservoir bellows, space
will be obtained to extend the reed chest downward, as the exhaust bellows of
organs are made shorter than the reservoir bellows. Should the exhaust bellows
remain in the usual position, the space hetween the exhaust bellows and the back
of the organ may be utilized by an extension of the vibrator, to the front side of
which extension, exhaust bellows may be secured, thus dispensing with separate
bellows board. The location of the reservoir bellows upon the shell of the
vibrator may be undesirable, especially in applying these improvements to
completed organs as this arrangement would necessitate greater alterations in the
instrument.
The vibrations of the shell of vibrator B re-enforce the reservoir bellows and
in case the reservoir bellows is dispensed with, as has been done with fairly good
results, the space occupied by then will be saved, the cost of manufacture be
considerably decreased and the vibrations of the shell be strengthened.
A resonant horizontal vibrator J, as large as the 'construction of the organ will
permit, may be placed on or above the reed board J with one or more large
openings direct into the reed chest, as shown. A vibrator J having no openings
except into the reed chest, may be used to advantage in organs not provided with
the vibrator B, in which case the air would be drawn into the bellows in the
ordinary manner, but the tones or sound vibrations would be qualified according to the
size of the vibrator, which will, in organs that have no sub-bass, in a large measure,
produce the effects of a sub-bass. As shown, vibrator J is divided into three
chambers or compartments, K, K', K, by a vertical partition and by the horizontal
sub-bass box. The chamber K is tightly closed, except the openings into the reed
chest and vibrator B. The closed chamber K' is provided with a mute or valve L,
which opens and closes air port M, admitting air through the reeds into compart-
ment K and out through passages N into vibrator B to the bellows without having
passed into the reed chest. In this form of construction the sub-bass reed box is
removed from the reed board and suspended or secured in the vibrator Jas shown,
and by this arrangement it has been found that the sound vibrations or tones

page_text: emanating from the sub-bass are both amplified and mellowed, being changed into
those of a well voiced pipe organ.
The air and sound vibrations may be drawn into vibrator B entirely through
pipes H, the passage N at the back of vibrator J being closed or both means of
exit may be provided as shown. By removing the bottom of compartment K, as
shown in Figure 1, this compartment becomes a simple extension of the reed chest
and by removing the entire back of this compartment and the back of the reed
chest and forming a corresponding opening into vibrator B, as shown in Figure 3,
the connected area becomes a great vibrating chamber.
These improvements are especially valuable when incorporated in large reed
organs designed for churches, hails and lodge rooms, the effect of their adoption
being to produce tones almost identical with those of a pipe organ and to more
than double the value of the instrument without much increase in the cost of
manufacture when made with special reference to said improvements.
The construction of other like operating musical wind instruments, with these
improvements, is not much more expensive than that of the same class of instru-
ments without them, while the best manner of applying these improvements will
readily suggest itself to those skilled in the construction of such instruments and
the improved instrument will have a greatly increased artistic and commercial
value.
Dated this 1st day of August 1893.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reed Organs and other like-operating Musical
Instruments.
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, (which
has been communicated to me from abroad by Andrew Jackson Reynolds,
Engineer, now of the City and State of New York, United States of America)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The said improvements relate to reed organs, harmoniums, æoleans, organettes
and other musical instruments that are operated by means of exhaust bellows or
other exhaust device, and the invention consists :-First in the addition to or
incorporation in these instruments of one or more vibrators or sound chambers
provided with flexible or yielding sides or panels, the interior of each of which is
pneumatically connected with the lower surface of the reeds so that air and sound
vibrations pass direct into said vibrators, and through one or more of said vibrators
the air is drawn by the exhaust bellows, or other exhaust appliance without passing
through the foundation board. Second: In the novel construction of said
vibrators or sound chambers and in the novel means of connecting the same with
the ordinary parts of reed organs and other like-operating musical instruments, and
Third in the novel construction and combination of the parts of my improved
instruments.
:-
The drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification to which reference is
here made illustrate my improvements, and in which
Figure 1, is a vertical cross-section showing one form of said improvements and
the manner of connecting the same with the ordinary parts of a reed organ, and
Figure 2, is a horizontal cross-section of the vertical vibrator.
Figure 3, is a vertical cross-section showing a modified form of constructing and
combining my improvements with the ordinary parts of a reed organ, and

page_text: Figure 4, a detached view of the horizontal vibrator, shown in Figures 1 and 3,
located within the organ case and enclosing the sub-bass.
Like letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.
The said improvements are illustrated in the drawings, as applied to a reed
organ A of ordinary construction, but these improvements are applicable to all
reed organs and by obvious modifications to other like-operating musical
instruments. This organ being of a well known form a detail description is not
necessary to an understanding of the combination therewith of my said
improvements.
The vertical vibrator B as shown in Figure 1 is attached to a completed organ
of ordinary form, the horizontal vibrator J being placed within the case of the
organ, and the sub-bass being removed from the reed board and suspended or
supported in vibrator J as shown detached in Figure 4. The usual aperture
through the foundation board A' is closed and the current of air as well as sound
vibrations are drawn from the reeds into vibrator B by the exhaust device. The
dimensions of vibrator B should be such as to produce in any given instrument or
class of instruments the desired volume and quality of tone. The larger this
vibrator within reasonable limits the greater the resemblance of the tones produced
to those of a pipe organ. The vibrator B as shown in Figure 1 is placed on the
back of the organ and covers the entire hack surface, a part of the ordinary back
being removed from the instrument. The modified form of vibrator B as shown in
Figure 3 is best adapted to reed organs constructed with special reference to my
invention, though it might be applied to completed organs. This form of vibrator
extends under the foundation board A' or the said board may be removed in
completed organs as far back as the front of vibrator B, Figure 3, and be so far
dispensed with in organs that are constructed according to my invention. By this
construction the space in vibrator B is greatly enlarged and by removing a portion
of the back of vibrator J the ordinary reeds and the sub-bass reeds speak directly
into vibrator B, which becomes a great sound chamber.
The shell C of vibrator B is preferably made of thin resonant wood but other
materials or combination of materials may be employed in its construction. The
best effects have been obtained by the use of well seasoned boards so thin that the
shell will be readily vibrated by the sound vibrations of the instrument.
The wooden shell is inexpensive and flexible, but other flexible material may be
employed and rigid material made yielding in any suitable manner will answer a
good purpose. The panels may be connected to the frame by elastic flexible strips
which will allow the panels to yield readily, and to expand or contract without
injury to the vibrator.
The boards used for the shell may be of uniform or variable thickness but I
prefer to use thicker hoards for the frame and to provide the frame with thin
yielding panels, of wood or other flexible material. The use of panels is especially
desirable in the manufacture of large shells, and in such shells the panels should be
made self-adjusting with respect to the frame or thicker portions of the shell, which
they overlap, which may be done by means of an enlargement or extension of both
holes E as shown in the drawings. The panels D as shown are secured to the
thicker portion of the shell by bolts F, a washer sufficiently large to cover the
hole E being placed under the bolt head or nut. The object of making the panels
self-adjusting is to allow of expansion and contraction of the shell caused by
atmospheric changes. A strip of rubber or other suitable packing is secured
between the overlapped portions of the panels and the other portions of the shell to
make air tight joints. It is essential for the best effects that the vibrator shall be
air-tight in every part. The panels D are made so flexible or otherwise yielding
that they will be quickly responsive to the lightest notes of the instruments which
would not vibrate the whole shell, which may be vibrated by heavier notes. These
panels may also be fitted to advantage in the bottom, top and sides of deep
vibrators. These panels may be joined to the frame by means of strips of rubber
or other elastic material which would allow for the expansion and contraction of

page_text: the wood and at the same time allow the movement of the panels independent of
the frame. The shell of vibrators B when of large dimensions should be provided
with one or more steel springs G as shown in Figure 2. These springs extend
across or partially across the back and front of the shell either on the outside or
inside of the same as found most convenient. The best effect has been obtained
by the use of elliptic springs extending across the shell. When they are applied
on the outside as shown in Figure 2 the ends are rigidly secured at the edge of the
shell, which are loose on the bolts F, and when applied on the inside the shell as
shown in dotted lines, the ends press against the sides of the vibrator and are
allowed motion on the bolts F by an extension of the bolt holes in the springs.
The springs G auswer the two-fold purpose of supporting the shell and panels
when a partial vacuum is produced in the vibrators by the exhaustion of air, and
of automatically producing a strain or tension upon the front and back surfaces of the
shell while the instrument is being operated, thereby augmenting the resonance of
the vibrator and the power of the organ, proportionately to the force applied to the
exhaust bellows, the tension being automatically relieved when the playing ceases,
which leaves the vibrator in its normal condition like an unstrung violin or bass-
viol. The shell C of vibrator B may also be supported by spiral springs placed
between its front and back interior surfaces, and other forms of springs might be
used, but those above described have proved the most satisfactory. The sides of
the vibrator as a rule being made of thicker material and less width than the front
and back require no support but springs may be applied to increase the tension-if
found desirable.
The shape of shell C as shown in the drawings is rectangular which is perhaps
the least expensive, but other shapes may be substituted, and it is intended
especially in the manufacture of instruments to make the shell of such shape as
will produce the most desirable tones.
The pneumatic connection between the reeds or wind chest B₁ and vibrator B
may be made by apertures as shown in Figure 1, but one of these apertures may be
closed, in which case the air passing through the ordinary reeds and the sub-bass
reeds would be drawn through a single aperture. These passages H and N may be
formed of metal, wood, rubber, or paper tubes, which should be airtight. The
pipes H, Figure 1, may be employed for deflecting upward the air and sound
vibrations, but a good result is obtained by large straight pipes or apertures
extending from reed chest B' into vibrator B. The pipes H prolong and broaden
the tones which in organs now in use are drawn directly down through the
foundation board A' into the neck of the reservoir bellows and thereby muffled.
The pipes H may be made flaring or funnel shaped as shown which it is believed
will augment and broaden the sound, but the shape of the pipes or mouth of the
pipes may be varied as found best adapted to produce a pipe organ tone.
The connection between vertical vibrator Band the reservoir bellows is as shown
in Figure through the side of said bellows, by means of one or more pipes I.
These pipes are of necessity made of flexible or elastic material to adapt them to
the movements of the bellows. This manner of introducing air into the reservoir
bellows is preferable to introducing it into the neck of said bellows as has bereto-
fore been done. The distance between the ingress and egress air ports of the
vibrator is increased and the air currents will pass freely and directly through the
reservoir into the exhaust bellows, thereby lessening the power required for
operating the instrument.
The reservoir bellows may be located within vibrator B as shown in Figure 3, or
outside of said vibrator on the back of shell C, with suitable air ports formed in
said shell. The reservoir bellows being removed as stated, the egress pipe I may
be extended to connect direct with the exhaust bellows located in the usual position,
or said bellows may be secured to vibrator B inside of C' as shown in Figure 3 or
outside the shell and thereby avoiding the use of flexible pipes I, and the usual
bellows board, and also dispensing with the portion of the foundation board back of
the front side of the extension of vibrator B.

page_text: The movement of shell C caused by exhausting the air in vibrator B re-enforces-
the reservoir bellows, and the reservoir bellows may be dispensed with which has
been done with fairly good results, when a suitable vibrator B is employed. By
this arrangement the space occupied by the reservoir bellows will be saved and the
cost of manufacture considerably decreased.
A resonant horizontal vibrator J preferably provided with yielding sides that
will be vibrated or moved by the sound vibrations, as large as the construction.
of the organ will permit, may be placed with openings through the reed board and
the bottom of the vibrator to admit the sound vibrations into said vibrator from
the reeds. A simple vibrator with no other openings may be used without.
vibrator B, in which case the air passing through the reeds will be drawn into the
bellows in the usual manner, but the tones will be qualified by said vibrator which.
will in a measure produce the effects of a sub-bass in instruments not provided with.
a sub-bass.
The vibrator J as shown in the drawings and designed for use in orgaus provided
with a vibrator B is divided by a vertical partition into two compartments, and one
of these compartments is divided horizontally by the sub-bass box, as shown in
Figure 4. The compartment K2 is tightly closed except the openings into the reed
chest and vibrator. The chamber K is also closed and is provided with a mute or
valve L which opens and closes air port M admitting air through the reeds into.
chamber K and thence into the bellows as shown in Figures 1 and 3. In this form
of construction the sub-bass reed box is removed from the reed board and suspended
or secured in vibrator Jas shown, and by this arrangement, it has been found, the
sound vibrations or tones emanating from the sub-bass are both amplified and
mellowed, being changed into those of a well voiced pipe organ.
The air and sound vibrations may be drawn into vibrator B entirely through
pipes H, Figure 1, the passage N at the back of vibrator J being closed, or both
means of exit as shown may be provided. By removing the bottom of compart-
ment Kas shown in Figure I this compartment becomes a part of the reed chest,.
and by removing the entire back of this compartment and the back of the reed
chest and forming a corresponding opening into vibrator B as shown in Figure 3,
the connected area becomes a great vibrating chamber. The foundation board A
may be partially or wholly removed in this construction. The only purpose it
answers is as a part of the shell or casing of said vibrating chamber.
These improvements are especially valuable when incorporated in large reed.
organs designed for churches, halls and lodge rooms, the effect of their adoption
being to produce tones almost identical with those of a pipe organ and to more than
double the value of the instrument without much increase in the cost of manufacture.
when made with special reference to said improvements.
The construction of other like-operating musical instruments with these
improvements is not much more expensive, than that of the saine class of instruments.
without them, while the best manner of applying these improvements will readily
suggest itself to those skilled in the construction of such instruments, and the
improved instrument will have a greatly increased artistic and commercial value.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a musical instrument provided with reeds and exhaust device the
combination therewith of a vibrator provided with flexible or yielding sides or
panels, the air entering the instrument through the reeds passing into said vibrator
or vibrating chamber and out of the same into the exhaust device substantially as
described.
2. In a musical instrument provided with reeds and exhaust device the
combination therewith of a vibrator located above the reed board, the interior of
which is pneumatically connected with the reed chest or sound chamber by an open.
passage substantially as described.

page_text: 3. A vibrator B provided with ingress and egress air ports and tone qualifying
pipes H substantially as described.
4. A vibrator B provided with springs for giving automatic support and tension
to the shell when a partial vacuum is produced in said vibrator by the action of the
exhaust device substantially as described.
5. A vibrator B provided with self-adjusting vibrating or yielding panels
substantially as described.
6. A vibrator J divided into compartments by a vertical partition and connected
with the reed chest or sound chamber by one or more passages, substantially as
described.
7. A vibrator J divided into compartments one of which is provided with a mute
valve to admit air to the sub-bass reeds, the other compartments being provided
with ingress and egress air passages substantially as described.
8. In a musical instrument provided with reeds and exhaust device the
combination therewith of a solid foundation board A', the air passing from the reeds
to the bellows substantially as described.
9. In a musical instrument provided with reeds, exhaust device and vibrator B,
the combination therewith of an elastic pneumatic connection I between said
vibrator and the reservoir bellows, substantially as described.
10. In a musical instrument provided with reeds and an exhaust device the
combination therewith of a vibrator B or sound chamber, with vibrating or yielding
sides which are so constructed that the reservoir bellows may be dispensed with,
substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of April 1894.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.