Improvements in Reed Organs.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
COMPLIM
Improvements in Reed Organs.
1, MORRIS SHELDON WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at No. 15 May Street, in the City of Worcester, in the County of
Worcester, and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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 and accompanying drawings :-
My invention relates to reed organs, and consists, First, in the peculiar
construction and combination of the various rigid parts of the instrument, usually
called the "reed-pan"; Second, in the combination and arrangement in a reed
organ, of a series of air chambers, a series of qualifying pipes, and a series of hinged
stops; Third, in the combination and arrangement in a reed organ, of a peculiarly
constructed reed-pan, the same having its induction air ports and air valves, and
mechanism for operating the same, located and arranged in the large air chest, while a
series of openings are arranged between a series of qualifying pipes, for the insertion
and removal of the reeds; Fourth, in the combination with the induction air passages
or ports, and a given series of reeds, of the perpendicular pendulum air valve;
Fifth, in the combination with a pendulum valve, suspended on a pin, of lower guide
pins extending in slots in the lower end of the valve, and an operating spring, and a
buffer in the rear of the valve; Sixth, in the combination with the lower end of the
pendulum valve, of a bell crank lever, a screw stemmed metal eye forming one arm
of the lever to engage the lower end of the pendulum valve, and a rod for operating
the bell crank lever, to operate the valve from the key board; Seventh, in the
combination with a series of reeds, and a series of air chambers, of a series of
horizontal qualifying pipes, with horizontal open spaces between them for the
passage of the reeds, and air exit openings at the front of the qualifying pipes, and
series of hinged stops; Eighth, in the combination with a series of reed air
chambers, and a series of reeds, one only to each set of air chambers, and a series
of openings for the insertion of the reeds, said reeds provided with plug pieces or
projections to close the openings in the reed-pan, and a series of qualifying pipes
secured in the front ends of the air chambers, with open spaces between them, all
as will be hereinafter fully described.
I have only shown in the drawing so much of a reed organ as is necessary to
illustrate my improvements. The key board, keys, and their connections, stop
operating devices, casing, and the proper means for supporting the instrument at
he desired height, may be of any ordinary construction.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, on line 2, 2, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of
arrow a, same fig., showing a series of air chambers, and qualifying pipes, and,
Fig. 2 is a cross section, on line 1, 1, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow b,
same fig. the spring for operating the pendulum valve is not shown in Fig. 2, and
some of the valves are left off, to show the air induction ports.
In the accompanying drawing, 1 is the first tube or cell board, which board runs
from end to end, and is made from a single piece of wood. 2 is the next, or second
section of the tube or cell board, made in one piece, which runs from end to end of
4 is a
the reed-pan. In this section 2 are arranged the first series of reeds 3.
dividing board, which runs the full length of the reed-pan, and is made in one
piece, and cut out, as shown in Fig. 1. The division 4 divides the second section 2
from the third tube or cell section 5. 6 is the next dividing board, which also runs
the full length of the reed pan, and is made to correspond with the division 4, and
divides the section 5 from the next fourth section 7. 8 is the dividing board which
divides the section 7 from the next section 9, and the dividing board 8 extends the

page_text: full length of the reed-pan, and is cut out, as shown in Fig. 1. 10 is the top board,
which extends the full length of the reed-pan, and is cut out as shown in Fig. 1.
It will be understood, that any desired number of tube or cell sections may be
used, and one great advantage of my mode of making and uniting the parts of the
reed-pan is, that it enables the manufacturer to keep his stock all prepared, ready
to be glued, and fastened together in sections, as above described, whereby he can
quickly put up any desired size of reed organ from such prepared material, and at
short notice. Then again, when the structure above described, and which I call
the "reed-pan," is made up from separate pieces running from end to end of the
structure, there is not that liability of the parts to warp and spring out of line, or
out of their proper relative positions, as in reed organ structures as heretofore
made.
It will be observed, that the air chambers proper, as 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
and 18, are all cut, or cored out of the pieces 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9.
The qualifying tubes or pipes 19, are connected with the front ends of the air
chambers, one to each reed and reed chamber, and the lower qualifying pipe is
preferably made in two parts, as shown in Fig. 1. Each qualifying pipe has an
opening 20, of the desired size, to admit of the escape or exit of the air, and each of
said openings is provided with a hinge stop 21, and if preferred, the stop 21 may
consist of a single hinge piece extending the length of the organ, so that one whole,
series of openings may be closed and opened by one motion of the player from the
front of the organ.
I prefer to have each section or stop piece arranged to be closed by a spring. As
the stops are all arranged on the outside or front ends of the qualifying pipes, they
always work easily and freely, and close tightly, and they never stick or bind in
lamp weather, nor are they loose in dry weather, consequently the action of the
instrument in this respect can always be relied upon. The stops are arranged at
the front or air exit ends of the qualifying pipes, thus bringing the latter between
the stops and the reeds. The dust is thus excluded from the air chambers, and the
reeds work with greater accuracy of tone.
The reeds 3, have on their base ends, plug pieces, or projections 3', which close,
when the reeds are in the position shown in the drawing, Fig. 1, the openings 22,
through which the reeds are run into position. To tune the reeds it is only
necessary to swing or slide the front of the organ case, when the reeds can be
withdrawn one at a time, and the valve operating devices do not have to be
disturbed, or the wind chest or large chamber 23 opened.
The reeds 3 are supported in channels, cut in the walls of the air chambers, as
indicated in Fig. 1.
Extending within the wind chest or large chamber 23, are a series of pendulum
valves 24, extending in a vertical direction over the air induction ports, or openings
leading from the wind chest, into the air chambers or sections. The pendulum
valves 24 are suspended on pins 25 secured within the 'wind chest, at the upper part
thereof.
The face of the valve is provided with a suitable packing material 26, see Fig. 1,
and the lower end of the valve is provided with a longitudinal slot 27 therein,
through which extends a pin 28, secured within the lower part of the wind chest,
and which acts as a guide pin.
A spring 29, is secured at one end to a cross bar 30, supported within the wind
chest, and at its other end to the valve 24, as is shown in Fig. 1, and serves to keep
said valve closed. The valve is opened by means of a bell crank lever 31, pivoted
on an arm 32, secured within the wind chest 23. One arm of said lever consists of
a metal screw eye 33, the eye end of which is adapted to engage the lower end of
the valve, as shown in Fig. 1. The other end of the lever is connected with a
rod 34, which is operated from the key board.
A buffer 35 is secured to the inner edge of the cross bar 36, and the valve strikes
said buffer when it is open, to prevent it from being thrown too far back, as
indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1.

page_text: The wind chest 23 consists of the back board, and the top and bottoni boards 23',
and the front boards 23", interposed between the wind chest and the air and reed
chambers.
When the valve is open the air passes from the wind chest through the reeds and
air chambers, as indicated by the arrows.
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 the reed-pan of a reed organ, the combination with the separate tube or
cell pieces 2, 5, 7, and 9, extending from end to end of the reed pan, of a series of
separate dividing boards 4, 6, and 8, arranged over their respective air chambers,
and extending from end to end of the reed-pan, without a break or opening,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, in a reed-organ, with the series of air chambers 11, 13, 15,
and 18, of a series of qualifying pipes 19, securely fastened to the air exit ends of
the air chamber pieces, and having communicating ports or openings with their
respective air chambers, said openings being smaller than the qualifying pipes, and
a series of hinge stops 21, at the outer ends of the qualifying pipes, substantially as
set forth.
3. The combination in a reed organ, of a reed pan, having its induction air ports
and air valves, and mechanism for operating the same, located and arranged in the
large wind chest or chamber 23, of openings for the insertion and removal of the
reeds, provided with plug pieces or extensions to close the openings, and located
and arranged in front of the reed-pan, and between the qualifying pipes,
substantially as set forth.
4. The combination in a reed organ, with a series of reeds, and induction air
passages leading from a single large wind chest, of a pendulum valve 24, extending
over the openings for a whole series of reeds, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with the pendulum valve 24, suspended on a pin 25 within
the wind chest, of a guide pin 28, extending in a slot 27 in the lower end of the
valve, and an operating spring 29, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with the lower end of the pendulum valve 24, of a bell crank
lever for operating the same, one arm of said lever consisting of a screw eye, the
eye of which is adapted to engage the lower end of the valve, substantially as
set forth.
7. The combination with the pendulum valve, 24, of a bell crank lever 31, having
a screw eye 33, forming one arm thereof, to engage the lower end of the valve, and
the other arm thereof connected with the rod 34 which is operated from the key
board, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 2nd dox of luns 1000
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.