Improvements in Organs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Organs.
I, ROBERT HOPE-JONES M.I.E.E. of 55 and 57 Argyle Street, Birkenhead in
the County of Chester, Consulting Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Whereas it has been the practice to construct flue organ pipes in such a manner
that the active edge of the flue or flues is at right angles, or approximately at right
angles, to the length of the resonant column of air; this invention in part relates
to various means and methods of 'forming organ pipes in which this active edge is
not at right angles to the said resonant column or columns.
The flues and lips of such pipes may be formed longitudinally or obliquely with
regard to the resonant column or columns of air, and may be of any desired shape,
formed and placed in such a manner as to obtain, in some cases, a greater intensity
of the vibrations within the pipe, not only with regard to those vibrations producing
its fundamental note, but also with regard to those required to produce any desired
harmonic or harmonics, and, in others, special combinations of the fundamental and
certain over-tones desirable for use in organs; in combination with, or apart from,
the aforesaid methods, a small hole or holes may be made in the said resonant tube
or tubes, in such a place or in such places as shall influence or cause nodal points
and create, strengthen or produce any particular harmonic or harmonics of the
fundamental note without materially changing the pitch of the fundamental note.
In some cases, it is also found desirable to use a resonant box of novel form.
In the case of this resonant box and also in all forms of flue organ pipes matters
may be so arranged that any number of mouths may be formed. In cases where
these mouths are arranged in pairs facing one another, the usual form and position
of lip may with advantage be departed from and a lip of a flat, hollowed, triangular,
or other similar form may be placed between the said mouths, either parallel with
or at any suitable angle to them in such a manner that the stream of air issuing
from the flue of each mouth shall strike the said lip. Any number of mouths may
be formed, and, in cases where they are arranged in pairs facing one another, the
usual form and position of lip may, with advantage, be departed from, and a lip of
more suitable form may be placed between the said mouths, either parallel with, or
at any suitable angle to, them.
Up to the present time, considerable difficulty has been encountered in designing
organ cases which will not seriously impede the passage of sound-waves from the
organ; this invention in part relates to the use of thin membranous diaphragms in
the construction of the organ case to transmit, and indeed reinforce, the said
sound-waves.
In cases where it is desired to make use of harmonium or similar reeds in pipe
organs, arrangements may be made by means of which the air pressure on either
or both sides of the said reeds may be varied in order to regulate the pitch or
power of the said reeds, use being made of the above mentioned membranous
diaphragms where necessary.
In cases where tones of extraordinary strength or quality are desired reed
tongues made of solid material may be so combined with reed tongues formed of air
and with a resonant column or block of air that the tones produced by the solid
reed are reinforced by the resonant column or block of air and by the vibrations
produced by the.reed tongue of air, while the vibrations of the said reed tongue of

page_text: air are reinforced and strengthened by the resonant column or block of air and by
the vibrations produced by the agency of the reed tongue of solid material; the
effect of a united reed and flue pipe being thus obtained with the advantage of a
reflex action of each upon the other.
And whereas it has been the practice to make use of flue pipes or reed pipes in
organs, each of these being an independent rank or ranks, this invention in part
relates to the use of a novel form of organ pipe, which is indeed a combination of a
flue pipe and reed, or reed pipe.
Dated this 19th day of March 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Organs.
I, ROBERT HOPE-JONES M.I.E.E. of 55 and 57 Argyle Street Birkenhead, in
the County of Chester, Electrical Engineer, 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 :-
Whereas it has been the practice to construct flue organ pipes in such a manner
that the active edge of the flue or flues is at right angles or approximately at right
angles to the length of the resonant column of air; this invention in part relates
to various means and methods of forming organ pipes in which this active edge is
not at right angles to the said resonant column or columns. The flues and lips of
such pipes may be formed longitudinally or obliquely with regard to the resonant
column or columns of air, and may be of any desired shape formed and placed in such
a manner as to obtain, in some cases, a greater intensity of the vibrations within the
pipe, not only with regard to those vibrations producing its fundamental note, but
also with regard to those required to produce any desired harmonic or harmonics,
and, in others, special combinations of the fundamental and certain overtones
desirable for use in organs.
In order that the invention may be the more readily understood, I append the
following sheets of drawings, in which,
"
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 show some forms of flue organ pipes in which the active
edge of the flue is not at right angles to the length of the resonant column and
thus the column of air is excited at several different points along its length.
Figures 1 and 2 show a form of these flue pipes in which the active edge of the
"Alue
is placed obliquely with regard to the length of the vibrating column of
air. Figure 2 is a vertical section through section line A B, Figure 1. Thus it
will be seen that that portion of the reed tongue of air near the extremity a of the
flue a b, will excite the column in a different manner and produce different harmonics
or partial tones to those which are being excited at or near the end 6 of the flue a b
and by this means I am enabled to produce tones which are impossible of production
from a pipe of ordinary construction. Figures 3 and 5 show other forms of pipes
constructed on this new principle. Figure 4 is a cross section through Figure 3.
It will be seen that Figure 5 differs from Figures 1 and 3 in that the flue b a b is no
longer a straight line but a curve, and this in order that the proportion of the
different harmonics may be varied. In some cases too I form the active edge
parallel with the resonant column of air.
In some cases it is also found desirable to use a resonant box of novel form.
Figures 6 and 7 and Figure 6 which is a plan of Figure 6 show two forms of
these resonant boxes. In Figure 6 the wind enters at a and escapes in a circular
sheet from the orifice or flue 6, this sheet of wind strikes on the inside of the lip c
and thus raises the pressure in the interior of the box or cavity; the effect

page_text: of this is that the sheet of wind becomes deflected outside the lip & is not
drawn in again until the pressure within the box or cavity has fallen to less
than that of the atmosphere, it will be understood that this rarefaction au:l
compression within the box or cavity is produced by the sheet of wind acting as
does the jet in an injector. Figure 7 shows a slight modification of this arrange-
ment in which the flue does not pass into the chamber; in other respects however
the action is similar to that described in reference to Figure 6.
"
It will be understood that the principle of action involved in these resonant
boxes differs from that which governs the pitch and tone of the "pyramidon
form of organ pipe invented by the late Sir Fred G. Ouseley, in which the nxial
length of the pyramidical column determines in a more or less correct ratio the
pitch of the note produced by a "pyramidon" pipe, whereas my resonant box
consists merely of a cavity of a definite capacity and it will be seen that the shape,
and thus the length, may be varied within certain limits without changing the pitch
or tone of the note. Moreover the "pyramidon" follows the law governing the
pitch of organ pipes constructed with the general form of vibrating air columu,
but my resonant box, on account of the manner in which the compression and
rarefaction takes place acts independently of this law. These resonant boxes like
ordinary organ pipes may be excited by Hue mouths or reed tongues.
It will be seen that in addition to the advantages gained by constructing organ
pipes in accordance with the principles set forth above, by reason of the modified
form of flue a more extended edge is obtained and thus a greater intensity of
sonorous vibrations may be produced within the pipe.
Up to the present time, considerable difficulty has been encountered in designing
organ cases which will not seriously impede the passage of sound waves from the.
organ; this invention in part relates to the use of thin membranous diaphragms in
the construction of the organ case to transmit and indeed reinforce the said sound
waves.
Figures 8 and 9 show sectional and front elevations of diaphragms for use in
organ cases, to transmit and reinforce the sound-waves from the portions of the
instrument within the case work. In Figure 8, a is the diaphragin fixed in the
position by the stretching frame. It will be seen that the speaking portions of
the instrument d, Figure 8, may with impunity be placed behind the case work.
Figure 9 shows the front elevation of such an arrangement, the exterior surfaces
of these diaphragmous panels a a may be painted to represent wood-work or may
be otherwise suitably decorated. In some cases in order to prevent the sound
vibrations from being transmitted along adjoining timber work etcetera and thus
being to a large extent lost in molecular friction, 1 connect the frames to the,
acoustically speaking, more rigid portions of the case by means of a joint of a more
or less non-conducting nature, such for instance as soft felt.
And whereas it has been the practice to make use of flue pipes or reed pipes in
organs, each of these being an independent rank or ranks, this invention in part
relates to the use of a novel form of organ pipe, which is indeed a combination of
a flue pipe and reed or reed pipe.
Figures 10, 11 and 12, show forms of pipes in which the vibrations of the
column of air are not only excited and maintained by the usual reed tongue of air
but also by a reed tongue of metal or other suitable material. It will be seen that
by adopting these improvements, not only a very much thicker reed tongue of metal
may be made use of, but the reed tongue of air may also be considerably thickened
on account of the mutual reinforcement of each upon the other.
In Figure 10 the reed tongue of metal a is placed at the nodal point of the flue
pipe b, and is thus governed for pitch by the alternate compression and rarefaction
of air in the vibrating column; thus the compression occurring at that point helps
the reed to open and allows a puff of wind to greatly increase the compression.
This impulse given to the column as a vibrating body also assists the rarefaction
following the compression by reason of the increase given to the amplitude at every
second vibration.

page_text: Figure 11 shows another form of combined reed and flue pipe the action being
the same as that just described, in that the reed a is operated by a stream of air
passing through it but is controlled for pitch by means of the flue pipe, the reed of
course being tuned to a suitable note.
"6
Figures 10 and 11 make use of reeds known as free" reeds. Figure 12 shows
a form of this combination in which a "beating" reed a is substituted for this "free"
reed, the action of mutual reinforcement however being similar.
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. Organ pipes having the active edges of their flues formed obliquely to the
length of the resonant column of air for the purpose set forth.
2. Organ pipes having the active edges of their flues formed parallel to the
resonant column of air for the purpose set forth.
3. Organ pipes having the active edges of their flues of curved form for the
purposes set forth.
4. For the purpose of producing musical tones in organs, the use of spheres,
cubes or other like cavities" to contain a pulsating body of air, substantially as
and for the purposes described.
5. In organ cases the use of vibrating membranous diaphragms substantially as
and for the purposes described.
6. In organ pipes a vibrating air tongue and a vibrating solid tongue combined
and arranged so that the one shall control the other in such manner as to cause the
two to synchronise, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In organ pipes a vibrating air tongue and a vibrating solid tongue combined
and arranged so that the vibrations emanating from the air tongue shall re-act
upon and increase the vibrations executed by the solid reed tongue, and so that the
ariel vibrations resulting from the movements of the solid reed tongue shall act upon
and reinforce the vibrations of the air tongue and those escaping to the atmosphere
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 19th day of December 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, and London, Patent Agents.