IMPROVE- MENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE NATURE OF ORGANS, IN WHICH REEDS ARE EMPLOYED
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustine Thomas Godfrey, of No. 8, Offord Road,
Barnsbury, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE NATURE OF ORGANS, IN WHICH REEDS
ARE EMPLOYED."
Sealed the 25th August 1865, and dated the 1st March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustine Thomas Godfrey
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st March 1865.
I, AUGUSTINE THOMAS GODFREY, of No. 8, Offord Road, Barnsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE NATURE OF ORGANS, IN
WHICH REEDS ARE EMPLOYED," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in musical instruments in
the nature of organs, in which reeds are employed. In constructing such
instruments I place the reeds beyond the pallets, so that the wind, when it is
allowed to pass on, opening a pallet, strikes the reed suddenly, and causes it
immediately to speak. This, however, although it differs from the usual
arrangement, is not entirely new. The reeds, as is usual in harmoniums, arè

page_text: free to vibrate in the current of air, that is to say, they are without any stop
or surface against which to beat. According to my Invention I place over
each reed a pipe or chamber; these pipes or chambers vary in form according
to the quality of the sound which it is desired to produce; and in length
they vary to some extent, according to the pitch. In all cases, however, I
close the pipe or chamber at the top, and make an opening or mouth on one
side, usually the front, and at the upper end of the pipe or chamber. This
opening or mouth is always less in area than the section of the pipe or
chamber, and it is made more or less, according to the quality of sound
desired. The position of the parts is by preference such that the plane of the
reed may be at right angles to the length of the pipe or chamber, so that the
tongue vibrates to and fro in the direction of the length. As before mentioned,
the length of the pipes or chambers varies to some extent with the pitch of
the notes, that is to say, I increase the length of the pipes or chambers from
the treble towards the bass until a length of, say, ten inches or a foot (or
more for pedal notes) is arrived at. From this point, however, I make all
the pipes.or chambers in the bass of one length, or thereabout, and I arrange
all their mouths to open into a passage which is open only at one end, viz.,
that nearest to the treble, so that the wind and sound from any of these. bass.
pipes or chambers bas to pass along this passage for a greater or less distance
according as the particular pipe or chamber is further from or nearer to the
treble. In front of the other pipes or chambers, or those towards the treble
end, a board is placed, so as to compel the wind and sound to pass downwards
before it can escape, which it does at the lower edge of the board. Usually I
hinge this board at its lower edge, or that nearest to the foot of the pipes or
passages, so that it can be turned back out of the way when the softness of
sound which it produces is not for the moment required. The forms of the
pipes or chambers vary greatly, according to the quality of sound required.
Sometimes they are of the same section from end to end, or they are small at
the lower end, or that nearest the reed, and increased towards their upper end,
and some pipes or chambers again are largest in the middle. In some cases
I further modify the quality of the sound by lining the pipe or chamber with
leather or other soft material. At the lower end of each pipe or chamber is
a stopper, which can be removed readily to permit the reed to be withdrawn
for tuning or otherwise. In order to actuate the pallets which are within the
wind chest, I connect the pallets to levers, and these with short stickers, in
such a manner that the end of each of these stickers may abut upon a
diaphragm of leather or similar flexible material, and these diaphragms form
as it were portions of the bottom of the wind chest. On the outer side of the

page_text: diaphragms other stickers also abut, and these are in connection with the
finger keys, so that the sticker outside can give motion to the sticker inside.
the wind chest, although the chest is closed perfectly wind-tight by the
diaphragm. By this arrangement also greatly facility is afforded for separating
the wind chest and parts connected therewith from the finger keys and parts
attached to them. In order to maintain a uniform pressure of wind in the
wind reservoir without the inconvenience of employing heavy weights, I
employ a spring, to which one end of a strap is attached, whilst the other
end thereof is fixed to the periphery of a wheel. Thus the contraction of the
spring tends to rotate the wheel by drawing the strap off it. On the wheel,
or fixed to the same axis, is an eccentric surface, and this, as the wheel is
partly rotated by the spring, winds upon itself another strap, and draws
inwards the cover of the wind reservoir, and the wind is thus compressed.
until its pressure balances the force of the spring, and the form of the
excentric surface is such that the balance will always be at the same pressure-
whether the reservoir be nearly full, and the spring consequently greatly.
stretched, or whether the reservoir be almost empty and the spring nearly.
collapsed, as the excentric surface winds up its strap more and more rapidly.
as the power of the spring increases.
Also according to my Invention I arrange these instruments and other-
similar reed instruments to fold in the following manner :-I make the-
instrument in parts, by preference, three, and each part is made complete in
itself in so far as it has its own finger keys, wind chest, reeds, and parts
connected therewith. I make the centre part double the length of the two-
side portions, so that these may fold inwards, like the doors of a cabinet, to
The two sides conveniently have the feeding bellows
mounted on them, and the centre portion carries the wind reservoir. The
parts are so arranged that when the instrument is open the feeders commu--
nicate. with the wind reservoir, and the wind chests communicate the one with.
the other
close the instrument.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Augustine Thomas Godfrey, Her special licence that I, the said Augustine
Thomas Godfrey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Augustine Thomas Godfrey, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE NATURE OF
ORGANS IN WHICH REEDS ARE EMPLOYED," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Augustine Thomas Godfrey, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Augustine Thomas Godfrey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in musical instruments in
the nature of organs in which reeds are employed.
In constructing such instruments I place the reeds beyond the pallets so
that the wind when it is allowed to pass on opening a pallet strikes the reed
suddenly and causes it immediately to speak, this however although it differs
from the usual arrangement, is not entirely new. The reeds, as is usual in
barmoniums, are free to vibrate in the current of air, that is to say, they are
without any stop or surface against which to beat, According to my Invention
I place over each reed a pipe or chamber; these pipes or chambers vary in
form according to the quality of the sound which it is desired to produce,
and in length they vary to some extent according to the pitch; in all cases,
however, close the pipe or chamber at the top and make an opening or
mouth on one side, usually the front, and at the upper end of the pipe or
chamber. This opening or mouth is always less in area than the section of
the pipe or chamber, and it is made more or less according to the quality of
sound desired. The position of the parts is by preference such that the

page_text: reed
may
be at right angles to the length of the pipe or chamber, so that
the tongue vibrates to and fro in the direction of the length of the pipe.
As before mentioned the length of the pipes or chambers varies to. some
extent with the pitch of the notes, that is to say, I increase the length of
the pipes or chambers from the treble towards the bass until a length of say,
ten inches or a foot (or more for pedal notes), is arrived at; from this point
however I make all the pipes or chambers in the bass of one length or there-
about, and I arrange all their mouths to open into a passage which is open
only at one end, viz., that nearest to the treble, so that the wind and sound
from any of these bass pipes or chambers has to pass along this
passage for
a greater or less distance according as the particular pipe or chamber is
further from or nearer to the treble. In front of the other pipes or chambers
or those towards the treble end a board is placed so as to compel the wind
and sound to pass downwards before it can escape, which it does at the lower
edge of the board; usually I hinge this board at its lower edge, or that nearest
to the foot of the pipes or passages, so that it can be turned back out of the
way when the softness of sound which it produces is not for the moment
required. The forms of the pipes or chambers vary greatly according to the
quality of sound required; sometimes they are of the same section from
end to end, or they are small at the lower end or that nearest the reed and
increase towards their upper end, and some pipes or chambers again are
largest in the middle. In some cases I further modify the quality of the
sound by lining the pipe or chamber with leather or other soft material.
At the lower end of each pipe or chamber is a stopper which can be removed
readily to permit the reed to be withdrawn for tuning or otherwise. In
order to actuate the pallets which are within the wind chest I connect the
pallets to levers, and these with short stickers in such a manner that the.
end of each of these stickers may abut upon a diaphragm of leather or
similar flexible material, and these diaphragms form as it is were portions
of the bottom of the wind chest. On the outer side of the diaphragms other
stickers also abut, and these are in connection with the finger keys, so that
the sticker outside can give motion to the sticker inside the wind chest
although the chest is closed perfectly wind tight by the diaphragm; by this
arrangement also great facility is afforded for separating the wind chest
and parts connected therewith from the finger keys and parts attached to
them.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of part of a free reed organ constructed in
the manner above stated; a, a are. portions of the frame of the instrument
which are supported in any ordinary manner: on the case of the instrument;

page_text: b, is the wind trunk leading from the wind reservoir to the reeds, this trunk is
made sufficiently wide at the top to receive as many rows of pipes and reeds as
there are stops in the instrument; in the Drawing two only are shown, and
corresponding with each row of pipes and reeds there is an opening at the
top of the wind trunk capable of being closed and opened by a stop pallet, one
of these is shown at c; by drawing back either of these pallets so as to allow
the wind to pass the corresponding row of pipes and reeds is brought into
action; d, d, are the pipes or chambers over the reeds, these are not fixed
to the frame but each row of pipes with the pallets and parts connected with
it forms a separate part or bar which slides into its place in grooves in the
end frame of the instruments. At the bottom of each row of pipes is a wind
passage e with an opening e, into it at one end, which when the row of pipes
is in its place corresponds with one of the openings at the top of the wind
trunk, and it is made to fit air-tight to it by suitable packing as is shown; under
each of the pipes or chambers is a valve or pallet f connected to a lever f¹
turning on a centre at f, and having a tail f* projecting beyond the centre
and abutting on a short sticker g, sliding in a guide hole in the bottom of
the wind passage e, and leakage of air through this guide hole is prevented
by a diaphragm h, of leather glued around the hole, but not so closely as to
interfere with the descent of the short sticker to the required extent. The
diaphragms h for the several pallets may be made of one continuous strip of
leather running from end to end of the row of pipes. i is a spring which
presses the pallet constantly upwards towards its seat and keeps it resting thereon
except when it is displaced by the action of the sticker, moved by the finger
key; k, k, are the vibrators they slide into their places in the pipes or chambers d,
and to make a tight joint all round the pipe or chamber may have a strip of
leather glued into it all round for the edges of the vibrator plate to bear
against; 9, 9*, are plugs, also covered with leather, each pipe has its plug to
close the space left for introducing and withdrawing the vibrator; 1, l, are
the finger keys, seen in the front at Figure 2, from each of them a sticker m
passes down, and it rests on the arm n¹ of the roller n, so that when the key
is pressed down it causes the corresponding roller to turn on its centres ;
n³, n³, n³, are adjusted stickers or buttons on the roller, and these when the
roller is turned press on the corresponding diaphragms h, and move the stickers
9 and valves or pallets f above.
One of the rows of pipes or chambers is shown separately in front view at
Figure 3; they are built up of strips of wood glued together, the strips
running transversely across the row of pipes, being kept apart by longitudinal
strips, each of the width of a pipe..

page_text: As will be seen the pipes are deeper at the bass end of the instrument
than they are at the treble, and in front of the mouths of the pipes at the
bass end a passage is formed by fixing a board o in front of the mouths of the
pipes. This passage is open only at the end towards the treble, so that the
sound from the extreme bass note of the row has to traverse the whole length
of the passage. A passage of this description is formed in front of the bass
pipes of each row, although in Figure 1 it is shown applied to one row only;
p is a board which may be fitted in front of the treble pipes of each row, it is
jointed at pl, pl, at its lower end, and may be worked by a stop; when upright,
it closes tho mouths of the pipes and muffles and softens the sound, or when
this effect is not required it opens back on its centres a short distance, and
then the sound freely escapes. In any stop where great softness of tone is
constantly required I also line the pipes or chambers d with soft material,
leather I have found most suitable. The forms of the pipes or chambers d
is also, as already mentioned, much varied according to the quality of sound
required.
In-
Figures 4 shew the forms which are most useful, and the names of the
stops to which they apply are written over them. Also according to my
vention I arrange these instruments and other similar reed instruments to
fold in the following mauner:-I make the instrument in parts, by preference
three, and each part is made complete in itself, and in so far as it has its own
finger keys, wind chest, reeds, and parts connected therewith. I make the
centre part double the length of the two side portions, so that these may fold
inwards like the doors of a cabinet, to close the instrument; the two sides con-
veniently have the feeding bellows mounted on them, and the centre portion
carries the wind reservoir. The parts are so arranged that when the instru-
ment is open the feeders communicate with the wind reservoir, and the wind
chests communicate the one with the other.
Figure 5 is a front view of an instrument thus constructed: a is the wind
reservoir on the centre part of the instrument, and b, b, are the feeders on the
two sides; when the instrument is in use it is supported on a suitable stand,
and the feeders may be worked by a treddle thereon. The wind from the
feeders passes out by a hole in the side portion, which fits air-tight by means
of packing to a corresponding hole in the side of the central portion, and this
Lole leads by a passage to the wind reservoir. In other respects the different
sections of the instrument are constructed as if they were separate instru-
ments of small compass, the wind being taken from the passage between the
feeder and the wind chest. The lines drawn across the Drawing show the
levels of or the spaces occupied by the several parts. c are the keys for the

page_text: sharps and flats; d the natural keys; e is the fall allowed for the keys; fis
the frame of the keyboard; 9 the wind passages containing the pallets or
valves; the reeds or vibrators, and i the pipes or chambers beyond the reeds
or vibrators.
What I claim is the employing over or beyond the vibrators or reeds,
pipes or chambers, constructed as herein set forth, to modify the sound given
by the said vibrators or reeds.
I also claim the method of actuating the pallets through diaphragms as
described, so that the pipes or chambers and pallets may be readily separated
from the other parts without deranging the mechanisın.
I also claim the making the pipes or chambers at the bass end to open
into a common passage open only towards the treble end.
I also claim the lining the pipes or chambers with leather or soft material
to render the sound softer in quality where required.
I also claim the arranging reed instruments played with a key board to
fold in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustine Thomas Godfrey, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
A TICHISTINE THOMAS CODEREY
AUGUSTINE THOMAS CODEREV