Improved Means for Controlling the Valves of Pneumatic Levers of Organs.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Controlling the Valves of Pneumatic Levers of
Organs.
I VINOENT WILLIS of 9 Rochester Terrace, Camden Town, in the County of
Middlesex, Organ Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to quicken the repetition action of pneumatic levers
of organs, and thus to enable the organist to play, for example, rapil passages with
great facility.
The rapid transmission of motion from the keys for sounding musical notes, has
already been effected, but in order to provide for a rapid repetition of the same notes,
it is necessary that the wind employed to set the pneumatic levers. in action should
have an instantaneous escape on the termination of the action.
To this end, I provide the following contrivance. The air channel provided for
each key, for conducting wind, on the depression of the key, from a wind chest A,
which provides the initial pneumatic motive force, terminates in a closed chamber.
This chamber is fitted with two disc pneumatic levers, set opposite to each other: One
of these discs carries a valve which has its seat in a wind chest which I will term B,
such wind chest serving to supply wind to the pneumatic levers, which control the
utterances of the organ pipes.-The other disc carries a similar valve for closing the
escapo passage leading from the pneumatic lever. This pneumatic lever, being in
communication with the wind chest B, receives wind therefrom; on the depression of
its corresponding key.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
Supposing it is desired to sound any given note, say C, the pneumatic lever corre-
sponding to that pipe is set in action, as heretofore, on the depression of the correspond-
ing key C, and the pipe continues to sound until the performer permits the key to
rise. The depression of this key, by opening a valve in the wind chest A, and closing
another on the same valve rod, in communication with the open air, causes wind to
pass into the chamber in which the two disc pneumatic levers are situate, and acting
upon the back of these discs, moves them opposite directions, lifting the valve in
the wind chest B, and closing the escape valve of the other disc. Wind from the
wind chest then passes to the pneumatic lever which controls the C pipe, causing that
pipe to sound so long as the key remains depressed.
Immediately on the player removing pressure from the C key, the valves which it
controlled will be reversed in position, the wind being cut off from the chamber,
and that contained in the chamber being allowed to escape by the escape valve.
The disc pneumatic levers being this simultaneously relieved from back pressure,
the valve of the wind chest B will drop into its seat, and the escape valve of the
other disc will be lifted from its seat, thus opening a passage for the escape of
the wind from the pneumatic lever of the pipe C, and allowing that lever to return
instantly to its nornial or quiescent. position.
This contrivance, it will be understood, is applicable wherever, in the organ, the
pneumatic lever is required to be instantly returned to its normal position.
Dated this 26th day of September 1889.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Controlling the Valves of Pneumatic Levers of
Organs.
I VINCENT WILLIS of 9 Rochester Terrace, Camden Town in the County of
Middlesex, Organ Builder 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:
The object of this invention is to quicken the repetition action of pneumatic levers
of organs; and thus to enable the organist to play, for example, rapid passages, with
great facility,
The rapid transmission of motion from the keys, for sounding musical notes, has
already been effected by mechanical means in a patent granted to me bearing date
November 7th 1884, No. 15114, but in order to enable me to do this at a greater
distance than heretofore, without affecting the rapid repetition of the same notes, I
use an arrangement of pneumatic apparatus which enables une to ensure an instans
taneous escape of the wind on the termination of the action.
In order to illustrate my invention, I have shewn, in the accompanying drawings,
the apparatus which I employ for supplying the pneumatic levers with wind, and
discharging the wind therefrom, to produce a rapid repetition of sound, and I have
also shewn an efficient means, such as that already applied to organs, for setting in
action the novel apparatus which forms the subject of the present invention.
My invention, it may be remarked, lias a general application where pneumatic
energy is required, whether it be for the coupling of various organs together, or for
coupling together several stops of a pedal or other organ, or for effecting mechanical
movements, such as the drawing or withdrawing of stops.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows, in suctional elevation, my novel arrangement for securing the
independent action of the supply and escapo valves of a pneumatic lever; and,
Fig. 2 shews the mechanism which may be used for transmitting the movement of
a key or pedal for putting into action the pneumatic lever for reiterating the sound of
an organ pipe.
Fig. 3 shows a modification of the wind passages required for bringing two or
more .pneumatic levers into connection with one pair of the supply and exhaust
valves.
In Fig. 1, A is a closed chamber into which wind is admitted on tho depression of
a key or pedal for initiating the .action of the apparatus. A convenient means for
admitting wind to this chamber A is shewn in Fig. 2, where a is a pipe connecting
the chamber A with a passage B in the bottom of the wind chest 1. b,, are supply
and escape valves carried by a stem 6, the one having its seat in the wind chest, and
the other outside the wind chest: The pendent end of this rod 62 is connected to an
elastic arm ; fixed to the underside of the wind chest 1, and situnie between the
elastic arm and the bottom of the wind chest, is an electro-magnet, which, on the
depression of a key or pedal, that then closes an electric circuit, becomes magnetized,
and serves to lift the arm 3, close the escape valve, and open the supply valve b
Wind from the wind chest 1 will then pass by the passage B through the pipe a to
the chamber A, for the purpose to be presently explained, and, on the release of the
key or pedal, the wind will leave the chamber A and escape to the atmosphere by the
valve b
The closed chamber A is fitted with two disc pneumatic levers CC. The disc
lever C carries a valve c, which has its seat in a second wind chest 2, such wind chest
serving to supply wind to the pneumatic lover by a passage d, which pneumatic
lever may be assumed to control the utterances of the organ pipe with which it is in
connection, or effect some other desired operation in the organ for which it is
anulicable.

page_text: The disc lever 'C' carries a valve c' for closing the escape passage d' from the
pneumatic lever D.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:
"
'>
Supposing that it is desired to sound any given note, the pneumatic lever corre-.
sponding to that pipe is set in action, as heretofore, on the depression of the correspond-
ing key or pedal, and the pipe continues to sound until the performer permits the key
or pedal to rise. The depression of this key or pedal, by opening the valve b, Fig. 2,
in the wind chest 1, and closing its corresponding escape valve b, canses a compres
sion of the air in the chamber A, as already explained, thereby holding the escape
valve c firmly to its seat, whilst at the same instant it lifts the supply valve c
connected with the disc pneumatic lever C, and inflates the pneumatic lever D through
the passage d.
When the pneumatic lever D is inflated, the compression is practically equal on.
both sides of the disc pneumatic lever C, and the supply valve e, losing its support,
falls nearly down to its seat. Whilst the apparatus is in this condition, the note,
affected by the pneumatic lever D will continue to sound.
Upon allowing the key or pedal to rise, compression instantly ceases in the
chamber A, and the valve c being now actually closed by à double influence; viz.:
the pressure on the valve itself by the air in the wind chest 2, and by the pressure
of the wind on the upper surface of the disc pneumatic lever C, the compressed
air, which had inflated the pneumatic lover D, is instantly expressed through the
escape valve by the resistance it had previously overcome, and the pneumatic
lever 1 returns instantly to its normal or quiescent position.
To avoid back action in the chamber A, which is liable to occur when the
passage a is of great length, I may find desirable to provide an automatic inlet.
valve, in or near the chamber; for the admission of air to compensate for the
sudden movement of the column of air in the passage a.
To provide for operating two or more pneumatic levers by means of one pair.
of valves arranged as shewn in figure 1, I connect the group of pneumatic levers.
intended to be so actuated, with one and the same air supply pipe or passage.
This air supply passage I put in communication with both the supply and exhaust
valves, as illustrated at Fig. 3, where (as in figure 1) represents the supply
valve, and c the escape valve. In figure 3, E is a channel or cross passage connect-.
ing the air supply passage d with the exhaust passage d', and e is a pipe connecting
the channel E, by means of branches not shown in the drawing, with the several
pneumatic levers intended to be operated by means of my invention. On the
depression, therefore, of a key or pedal, and the admission thereby of air to.
the chamber A, the supply valve. c will rise, and deliver wind through the
passages d, E. e, &c., to the various pneumatic levers in connection with the supply
pipe e, or such of them as answer to the drawn stops of the portion of the organ
to which the group of pneumatic levers belongs. On the release of the key, the
supply of wind will be cut off, and all the pneumatic levers which have been
operated through the rise of the valve c, will exhaust through the pipe e, channel E,.
passage d', and the exhaust valve c'.
Should it be desired to use an exhaust, instead of a plenum of air, for working the
pneumatic levers, according to my invention, it will only be necessary to invert the
apparatus shewn in figure 1, and to reverse the position, with respect to their seats, of
the supply and exhaust valves.
From the above description it will be understood that provision is made both for
the instantaneous action of the escape valve, unliindered or unretarded by an open
supply valve, and for the instantaneous inflation of the pneumatic lever, unhindered
by an open escape valve, the valves initiating the movement counting for nothing by
reason of their minuteness.
A further advantage resulting from the use of my invention is, that the actions of
the supply and escape valves are automatically limited to the exact requirements of
the pneumatic lever.

page_text: 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 I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement above described, whereby the escape valve of pneumatic
levers of organs is enabled to act independently of, or uncontrolled by, the movements
of the supply valve.
2. The means described, for firmly seating the escape valve of pneumatic levers
simultaneously with the rise of the independent supply valve.
3. Providing for the sudden rise of the escape valve from its seat instantly following
the seating of the supply valve, as and for the purpose above set forth.
Dated this 15th day of November 1889.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.