An Automatic Harmonizer for Organs and like Keyed Instruments.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1805
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Harmonizer for Organs and like Keyed
Instruments.
I, ISIDORE NICOLAS VICTOR BABLON, of 42, Rue Boulard, Paris, in the
Republic of France, 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 :-
This invention relates to an automatic harmonizer for organs and like keyed
instruments whereby a person unacquainted with harmony can obtain upon the
organ or like instrument the correct and full harmonization of a melody by simply
playing the note of the said melody on a keyboard.
My invention is especially adapted for putting into practice the method of
harmonization invented and described by the Abbé Allier and published by him in
several works.
The following is a succinct theoretical explanation of this method. A note
may be accompanied by various other notes according to the part it plays in the
melody as it may be a tonic, a third, a fourth, or a fifth and the Abbe Allier
has limited the number of chords he wished to render with each note to 15, and
the number of notes he wished to subject to this harmonization to 32, these 32
notes being comprised between the second Fa and the fifth Do and including these
two notes, The question is then to sound, by striking a single note of the
keyboard of 32 notes, one of these 15 chords at the same time with the note of
the melody.
Each of these chords is composed of five notes, as follows:-The note of the
melody and that of its higher octave, accompanied by three other notes of which
two are bass notes played in octave.
I do not confine myself in the apparatus which forms the subject of the present
invention to 32 notes harmonized beforehand or to 15 different chords per note and
to five notes per chord and I can by an extension, which will be easily understood,
act upon any number of chords and notes, the means for arriving at this end only
constituting a repetition of that hereinbefore described.
Besides the principal effect of harmonization I have just mentioned I propose to
produce the following secondary effects at option viz.: (1) Transposition of the
melody to a higher or lower key, (2) Reduction of the number of accompanying
notes to a single note forming a duet with the note of the melody, (3) Elimina-
tion of all accompanying notes and thus rendering the melody alone.
In carrying out my invention I actuate the notes of the organ, serving to
effect this harmonization, by means of electro-pneumatic levers such as are often
employed in organs or by simple electric levers and I distribute the current
in the manner hereinafter to be described and forming the subject of the present
invention.
To simplify the description without at all taking away from its clearness I have
reduced the number of the notes subjected to the action of the harmonizer to
three instead of 32 and the number of chords possible for each note to 3 instead of
15. It will then be simply a matter of repetition of parts to extend the action of
the harmonizer to any number of notes and chords.
I would here remark that I have represented the conducting wires in the
accompanying drawings by lines formed by a dash and a dot alternately. The

page_text: points of contact of the wires with one another or with the various parts of
the apparatus are indicated by round dots so that a simple crossing of two wires
in the figure does not indicate contact between them if there is not at the same
time a dot at the point in question.
In the accompanying drawing the three keys, to which I reduce the action of
the harmonizer, when struck have the effect of causing three guides A, B and C,
Figures 1 and 5, (the functions of which will be hereinafter explained) to rise.
The distance apart of these keys (which are not shewn in the drawing) is
represented by the distance apart of the three guides and is much greater than the
usual distance between the keys of a keyboard, and they are so shewn to render
the drawings clear. This distance could, in practice, be reduced to the usual
dimensions by arranging the wires and contacts shewn on the drawing sufficiently
compactly or by simply reducing them in size, allowing in this case a greater
distance between the keys than is usually the case.
The drawings also shew the harmonizer more with regard to the arrangement of
the electric circuits to be established and of the means to be employed for carrying
this out, than to the construction of the harmonizer itself, the details of which can
be modified in any suitable manner.
On a table D, D, D, D Figure 1 of wood or any other suitable non-conducting
material are arranged three registers I, K, L also of wood so arranged that they
can be moved from right to left in the direction of their axis and strike against the
stop M.
These registers carry on their faces nearest to the table flexible metallic
contacts a, b, c which rest, according to the position of the register either on the
wood of the table, as shewn in the figure, or on the metallic plugs m, n, o let into
the said table and connected electrically to the various notes of the organ to be
played (see also the horizontal and vertical sections of the figure in which the
same letters have reference to the same parts).
For clearness I have in Figure 1 represented these spring contacts and these
plugs as if they could be seen through the registers I, K, L.
The striking of one of the three keys of the keyboard causes, by the means
hereinafter explained, an electric current to be sent in one of the three groups of
wires P, N, O. The explanation of what passes in one of these groups will be
sufficient and I will therefore confine myself to the consideration of the group P
corresponding to the note Do' of the keyboard.
When this key is pressed downwards it sends a current through the wires h, i, j, k,l
of this group. The two wires k, I pass directly without going through the
harmonizer, to the organ where the wire k is connected to the note Do and the
wire to the higher octave of this note, that is to say, Do³.
As to the three wires h, i, j they pass to the harmonizer where the wire h is
connected to the bottom contact c of each of the registers I, K, L, and the
wire to the middle contact whilst the wire ; is connected to the top
contact a.
If then none of the registers are actuated, the current passing in the group of
wires can only pass through the two wires k, I causing therefore the two notes
forming the note of the melody and its higher octave to sound. If now one of
the registers be pulled, the current will pass by the three wires h, i, j, the spring
contacts of this register and the corresponding plugs which will transmit it through
the wires m', n', of (see the vertical section to the right of the figure) to the three
notes of the organ giving the desired chord.
It will be seen by the names of the notes that are written by the side of the
plugs of the group of wires P that the note Do' can be accompanied by the three
notes Mi flat, Dos and Do' when the register I is pulled out, with the three
notes Fa sharp, Re, Re' when the register K is pulled out, and with the
three notes La³, Mi, Mi¹ when the register L is pulled out. The three wires
h, i, j are enabled to follow each register in its movements by being suitably
coiled or by any other suitable arrangement.

page_text: Having thus described the harmonizer properly so called, I will now describe
the means by which I obtain the various secondary effects hereinbefore
referred to.
(1) For the transposition of the melody to a higher or a lower key I employ the
arrangement represented in Figure 4. The 61 notes of the organ (if an organ of
5 octaves he employed) or more correctly the 61 electros of these notes are
connected respectively to 61 metal strips or switches d, d fixed to the register R.
These 61 strips are in contact with the same number of metallic spring contacts r, r
carried by a movable register S which can be displaced if desired to the right or to
the left in the direction of its axis. These spring contacts are connected to
61 strips p, p arranged on a fixed register T, by means of extensible wires g, g
enabling the movable register S to move freely to the right or to the left, and the
61 strips of the register T receive the wires coming from the harmonizer and from
the keyboard, which wires form contact with these strips according to the note
which each of them is to sound.
The trausposition is effected by moving, by means of the movable register S, the
spring contacts r. on the strips of the register R; a displacement to a distance of
three or four strips, for instance, to the right or to the left will send the currents
to notes of the organ three or four semitones higher or lower than the notes of the
melody.
(2) and (3) Reduction of the number of the accompanying notes to a single note
forming the duet, and elimination of the accompanying notes.
To render possible the reduction of the number of accompanying notes to the
single note of the duet I connect the note, which in each chord is capable of
forming the duet, with one of the plugs of the table preferably always the same
plug in each group. The drawing shews this note connected with the upper
plug m of the group. This may be effected by any of the four following
methods.
FIRST METHOD.
I make the top plug, which is connected to the note of the duet, longer than the
other two to ensure that it makes contact with its spring contact before the two
others do so with theirs. For this purpose the stop M against which the registers
strike, is placed either in the position t, t, as shewn in Figure 1, or in the
position, t. In the first case the movement of the registers is arrested when all
three spring contacts touch their respective plugs giving effect therefore to the
whole of the accompanying notes and in the second case the registers would be
stopped in the position in which only the spring contact a touches the lengthened
plug m thereby rendering only the note of the duet.
The elimination of the accompanying notes is obtained by moving the regulator
to the position of rest shewn in Figure 1.
SECOND METHOD.
I introduce in the path of the five wires of each group two transverse
registers U, V which are movable in the direction of their length and which carry
current interrupters s, s. In the position shewn in Figure 1 the interrupters allow
the passage of the current in the wires in connection with them, but when the
registers are pushed against the stop the interrupters break the circuit in these
wires. Two stops u, v fixed to the registers U and V respectively, cause the
register U to be carried with the register V when the latter is moved from right to
left without, however, causing the register V to be displaced when the register U
is moved from left to right.
By this arrangement when the register U is moved to the left it will break the
circuit in the two wires h, i which as seen in the figure conduct the current to the
two lower plugs in connection with the two bass notes, causing therefore only
the note of the duet to be heard, and when the register V is moved to the left the

page_text: rupted and, as the register U is displaced at the same time, by means of the
stops u, v, the whole of the accompanying notes would be suppressed. The
accompaniment could be again rendered, if desired, by causing the two registers to
return to their position of rest shewn in the figure.
THIRD METHOD.
I cause the current to pass to the five wires h, i, j, k, 1 of each group by means
of the contact pieces a, y, z fixed to the guides A, B, C and rising with these
guides when the corresponding keys of the keyboard are struck and I make the
terminal contacts of these five wires of different lengths, as shown in the figure, in
such a way that the current passing through these contact pieces goes simply
through the two wires k, which are connected to the two notes of the melody in
octave, if the upward movement of the guides be stopped soon enough, or the
current may also pass through the wire j, sounding the note of the duet, if the
guide pieces be allowed to move a little farther upwards, or the current may pass
through the five wires, if the guides be allowed to complete their upward movement,
thereby rendering the whole of the accompanying notes. The upward movement
of the guides is arrested at the three different points by means of a horizontal stop
bar G which can be lowered and which comes in contact with a pin e, fixed in each
guide, thereby stopping the latter at the desired points in their upward path. It is
therefore sufficient to place this stop bar G beforehand in any of the three positions
to obtain any of the three effects herein before described.
I may also, in order to momentarily eliminate the accompanying notes by
Jimiting the upward movement of the guides or the movement of the key, employ
an elastic stop at which the finger may be stopped when desired but which it can
pass by being more hardly pressed, the movement of the key up to this stop
only making connection between the contact piece and the two notes of the melody,
and its movement beyond this stop bringing about contact with the other notes of
the chord.
FOURTH METHOD.
When employing any one of the three methods which have just been described
the current may be conducted to the five wires by a single terminal fixed to the
guide. The employment of the fourth method, which I will now explain,
necessitates the division of the terminal into three separate contact pieces x, y, z as
shewn in the figure, which contact pieces receive respectively the current from the
three separate wires a¹, y', 'all branching from the wire Z, the first by way of
the key, the second by way of the key y" and the third directly.
These keys
are represented on the drawing as consisting of flexible metallic strips having one
end fixed to a support and the other end resting against a contact stop f. The
lowering of the key will interrupt the current in the wire ', thus cutting off the
current from the terminal x, which is connected to the two bass notes of the chord,
thereby causing only the note of the duet to be heard. By pressing on the key y
the current proceeding to the note of the duet will be interrupted, and the key."
being at the same time pressed downwards by the pin the current will be cut off
from the two bass notes thereby eliminating the whole of the accompanying notes
and only causing the two notes of the melody to be heard.
9
Any one of the four methods hereinbefore described may be used to obtain the
desired effect but they can also be used in conjunction with one another.
Winding the wires, x, y, z' spirally or in any other suitable manner, as herein-
before mentioned with reference to the registers of the harmonizer, will give the
necessary play for enabling the wires to follow the guides in their vertical
movements.
I can control the movements of the registers or interrupters of the harmonizer

page_text: as well as of the keys either by means of levers and gearing purely mechanical or
by levers worked pneumatically or electro-pneumatically such as are employed at
the present time for the stops of organs. By pulling out a register the one previously
employed will be pulled back by the means employed in organs for changing the
stops.
As the pressure of the spring contacts of the registers of the harmonizer upon
the table tends to lift the registers from the table, I employ, to counteract this
thrust, springs instead of guide slots which would give place to increased friction,
these springs being arranged as shewn in Figure 2 which represents one of these
springs J fixed at one end to the table D and at the other end to the register I
which it pulls towards the table. Its length is such that its inclination and con-
sequently its reaction in the direction of the length of the register is not sufficiently
large to need to be taken into account.
Instead of conducting the current to the contacts of the registers I can lead it
to a supplementary plug ml Figure 3 and then employ double spring contacts a
and a', the branch a being always in contact with the plug m" whatever be the
position of the register I. The displacement of the register to the left shifts the
branch a from the wood on to the plug m whereby the two plugs are put in com-
munication and a current is sent to the note attached to the plug m.
The contacts of the registers can also be put in communication with the plugs of
the table not only by a movement parallel to the surface of the table but also by
a vertical movement to and from this surface. In the latter case I employ the
arrangement shewn in Figure 1 in modifying the movements of the registers in
the manner indicated, or I employ the modification of this arrangement shewn in
Figure 5 and of which the following is a description.
The three registers I, K, L are arranged horizontally on a vertical table D, D,
D, D and in front of these registers the three guides A, B and C are placed,
movable vertically and corresponding to the three keys of the keyboard as in
Figure 1 the letters of which represent similar parts.
Figure 5s is a side view of Figure 5 and Figure 5ter shews a guide, seen
from the front, which guide in Figure 5 is placed face to face with the table
and the registers that it carries.
The registers consist in this case of bellows fixed to the table and capable of
being inflated, when desired, with air, or emptied by causing the expulsion of the
air by the action of other bellows acting in a contrary way.
Each of these bellows is provided with three flexible metallic springs m, n, o
situated opposite to the guides and connected by wires m', n', o¹ to the three notes
of the organ which are to furnish the chord. The bellows, when inflated, bring
these springs into the path of the contact pieces A, B, C fixed to the guides,
which contact pieces will thus make contact, when the guides are raised, with the
springs of the bellows which have been inflated.
When one of the guides is caused to rise by one of the keys of the keyboard
being struck, the first effect is the sending of a direct current by two special
wires, which it was unnecessary to represent on the drawing, to the two notes of
the organ sounding the note of the melody and its higher octave.
The second effect of raising the guide is to send the current to the three notes
of the accompaniment by means of the spring contacts a, b, c of the guides and
of the springs m, n, o of the bellows.
I have shewn on the drawing a more complete method of changing the number
of the accompanying notes than that shewn in Figure 1 and enabling one of the
two bass notes or both or the whole three notes forming the accompaniment to be
cut off, leaving, in the last case, only the note of the melody.
To accomplish this I connect the spring o of each group of register springs to
the note of the organ sounding the lower bass note of the chord, the spring n
I connect to the higher bass note and the middle spring m to the note of the
duet. In order to eliminate one or other of the different notes of the chord it is
only necessary to interrupt the current in that one of the wires x, y, which is

page_text: connected to that note through the spring contacts of the guide, and I do this by
means of the keys x, y, I have shewn in Figure 5 a different arrangement
of keys from that shewn in Figure 1. In the latter the movement of one of
the keys (y) interrupts the current in the wire counected to the other key (1),
whilst in Figure 5 I obtain the same result by means of an arrangement entirely
electrical. In this case it will be seen that, by pressing the key a¹, the current,
passing to the lower bass note, is interrupted, by pressing the key y' the current
going to the two bass notes and by pressing the key the current to the three
notes of the accompaniment is interrupted.
The methods described with reference to Figure 1 could also be employed with
the arrangement shewn in Figure 5 to obtain the desired reduction in the number
of, or elimination of, the accompanying notes, total or partial displacement of the
registers of the harmonizer and of the interrupter and the total or partial elevation
of the guides.
The current may be conducted to the guides either by flexible wires able to
follow the guides in their movements or by sliding contact pieces.
It will be obvious that I may employ the harmonizer separate from the organ
connecting the two instruments by conducting wires acting on the bellows of the
organ by electros or by levers worked electro-pneumatically, or 1 may construct
the two instruments in one.
I can dispense with the special keyboard and use the keyboard of the organ by
providing its keys or guides with electric contact pieces which then act in the same
way as the keys or guides of the separate keyboard.
I have explained that the movement of the registers of the harmonizer is to be
effected by means of levers worked pneumatically or electro-pneumatically only
requiring simple pressure of the finger on a button or a key. As it is essential that
the performer should be able to quickly and easily find the button on which he is
to press with his finger, I arrange these buttons in separate groups each comprising,
for instance, five buttons. If there are 15 stops these 15 buttons would therefore
be arranged in three groups of five buttons each. I place these groups either one
beside the other at a suitable distance apart or I may place them one above the
other as in the keyboard of an organ.
This arrangement enables a performer to know beforehand from the number of
the button in which group he must search and his band would then easily find the
button required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is: :―
In an automatic harmonizer for organs and like keyed instruments
1. The arrangement of the registers such as 1, K, L, Figures 1 and 5, across the
wires conducting the current whereby a convenient point of departure for the
distribution of the current is obtained substantially as described.
2. For effecting the transposition to a higher or a lower key than that of the
melody, the arrangement of interrupters or switches operating substantially as
described.
3. The method of transmitting the current intended to sound the two notes
giving the melody and its higher octave, directly to the organ without causing it to
pass through the harmonizer substantially as described.
4. The constant connection of the three notes of the accompaniment (lower bass,
higher bass and duet respectively) with plugs or springs such as are shewn in
Figure 1, or with registers such as are shewn in Figure 1 or with registers such as
are shewn in Figure 5, and also the constant connection of the spring contacts of
registers such as are shewn in Figure 1 or of the contact pieces of guides such as
are shewn in Figure 5 with the wires conducting the current in such a way that it
is only necessary to stop the action of a single spring on each register, by changing
the position of the register, or of interrupting the current in one of the conducting

page_text: wires in order to eliminate one or several notes having a given position in each
chord produced substantially as described.
5. The method of eliminating notes of the chord either by varying the limit of
the movement of the registers of the harmonizer or of the registers for interrupting
the current or by varying the limit of movement of the contacts x, y, z Figure
transmitting the current to the various notes of the chord or by means of keys as
hereinbefore explained by reference to Figures 1 and 5.
6. The use of springs for counteracting the tendency of the spring contacts to
lift the registers from the table substantially as described.
7. Arranging the registers of the harmonizers shewn respectively in Figures 1
to 5 to move in a plane perpendicular to the table substantially as described.
8. Arranging the harmonizer separate from the organ or like keyed instrument
and connecting it thereto by conducting wires, or constructing the two instruments
together as set forth.
9. The employment of the keyboard of the organ for producing harmonization
by means of suitable electric contacts fixed on the keys or their guides and
connected to the wires leading to the harmonizer substantially as described.
10. The arrangement of the operating buttons of the registers of the harmonizer
in separate groups whereby a button can be easily found by the hand of the player
substantially as described.
11. The use of elastic stops for offering a resistance to the downward movement
of the keys of the keyboard when it is desired to arrest their movement before
the maximum is reached the resistance of the stops being overcome by pressing on
the keys with more force substantially as and for the purpose described.
12. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming an automatic
harmonizer for organs and like keyed instruments substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Mh 1905
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.