Improvement in Organs.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Organs.
I GEORGE BARKER of 77 Colmore Row Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Consulting Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said invention as communicated
to me from abroad by Annie Dixon wife of Alexandra Hutton Dixon of No. 337
King Street West in the City of Toronto, in the County of York, in the Province
of Ontario, Canada, Gentleman, 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 the invention is to arrange the action of an organ in such a manner
that it may be instantaneously adjusted so that the music may be transposed from a
higher to a lower key, or vice versa, without the exercise of any skill on the part of
the performer; and it consists essentially, in so supporting the action of the organ,
that it may be instantaneously adjusted to bring a higher or a lower toned reed in
connection with the key in which the piece is written substantially as hereinafter
more particularly explained.
Figure 1, is a perspective view of an organ provided with my transposing
mechanism.
Figure 2, is a cross section of the same.
Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective detail, shewing screw mechanism arranged to
adjust the action.
Figure 4 is a perspective view shewing two alternative forms of mechanism for
adjusting the organ action.
In order to accomplish the object of my invention the entire organ action except,
The bellows, reeds &c., are
the key board, is made movable within its case.
connected to the wind-chest A which is supported by friction rollers, a suitably
journaled in the rails B. Each mute is provided with a pin C which projects below
its respective key. These pins are of the usual kind, and separated as usual from
the bottom of the key D, by a piece of felt or other soft material.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 1 show proper mechanism for adjusting the organ action.
E represents a spindle which is screwed through a nut F secured to the top of the
wind chest A. This spindle E extends through the side of the organ casing G and
has a crank handle H fixed to it as indicated in Figure 1.
I is a finger or pointer connected to the A¹ carrying the stops which strip is
connected to the front of the wind-chest as indicated in Figure 1. This pointer
indicates the position of the organ action by pointing on the index plate J which is
fixed to the key-board as indicated. K is an eccentric roller extending below the
keys D. A crank L is fixed to the end of the eccentric roller K and is connected
by the link M to the lever N which lever is pivotted at 6 and is held against
the cam O by the action of the spring P. The cam O is fixed to the spindle E.
In order to transpose the music from a higher to a lower key or vice versa the
crank handle H is turned so as to revolve the spindle E. Owing to the connection
of this spindle with the organ action already described, the whole action is moved a
given distance by the revolving of the said spindle. The moment that the spindle E
commences to revolve, the cam O which moves with it, acts upon the pivotted
lever N and owing to the connection described between the lever N and eccentric
roller K, the said eccentric roller is revolved so as to raise the keys D clear of the
mute pins C so that the said pins may move with the action without injury to
themselves or to the felt on the bottoms of the keys.
As the reeds of an organ are arranged in semitones each pin C represents a semitone,
consequently by adjusting the organ actior so as to move a pin C from one key to

page_text: "
the key next to it the music will be raised or lowered a semi-tone. The pointer
in conjunction with the index plate J clearly indicates to the performer the exact
position of the action.
As before stated the essence of my invention consists in constructing the organ so
that its entire action may be adjusted to alter the key. It therefore follows that
the mechanism by which this effect is produced may be altered to suit the style of
the organ and the taste of the manufacturer.
In Figure 4 I show two alternative forms of mechanisın.. In one of these forms
a rope Qis substituted for the screw spindle E. One end of this rope is connected
to one end of the wind-chest A and the opposite end of the said rope is connected to
the other end of the said wind-chest. In extending from one end of the chest to the
other the rope Q is carried around the rollers R and wound upon the pulley S
which is fixed to the spindle E'. By revolving the spindle E the organ action is
moved in either direction, and the same effect is produced as when it is operated by
the screw spindle E.
Instead of the rope mechanism just described the same effect may be produced by
placing a rack T on the bottom of the windchest A and meshing it with a pinion U
fixed to a spindle journaled in the casing of the organ. In both instances I use the
same eccentric roller K for the purpose of raising the keys D.
In the mechanism shown in Figure 4 a double ended lever is fixed to the eccentric
roller K, one end of the lever being held by a spring P' and the other end connected
to a rod V which extends down and connects with a pivotted lever W which is
placed below & operated by the treadle X. Before turning the spindle by which
the organ action moving mechanism is operated the treadle X is pressed down so
as to turn the eccentric roller K with the view of raising the keys D clear of the
mute pins C.
I do not show in the drawing the mutes or the reeds as I do not claim anything
particular in their construction.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the object of my. invention is
very perfectly accomplished by extreme simple mechanism, and that by my invention
I produce an instrument by which an inexperienced performer is able to transpose
music to any desired key.
ni
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what. 1
claim is :-
1st. An organ action made movable in its case wherein the key-board is fixed in
combination with mechanism arranged to adjust the organ action so as to bring a
higher or lower toned reed in connection with a given key substantially as & for the
purpose specified.
2nd. An organ action made movable in its case wherein the key-board is fixed,
and provided with mechanism arranged to adjust the organ action so as to bring a
higher or lower toned reed in connection with a given key in combination with
mechanism arranged to raise the keys clear of the mute pins during the movement
of the organ action, substantially as & for the purpose specified.
3rd. The wind chest to which the organ action is connected & friction rollers
arranged in rails to support the wind chest in combination with a spindle connected
to the windchest & arranged to adjust the same in relation to the keyboard so as to
bring a higher or a lower toned reed in connection with a given key, substantially
as & for the purpose specified.
PFI it..
t...
4th. The windchest,A with its connections supported by friction rollers a arranged
in the rails B in combination with the spindle E journaled in the casing G and
screwed: through the nut F connected to the windchest substantially as & for the
purpose specified.
5th. The windchest A with its connections supported by friction rollers a arranged
in rails B the screwed spindle E journaled in the casing G and screwed through the

page_text: nut F in combination with the eccentric roller K arranged below the case D
crank L, link M, lever N, cam O and spring P substantially as & for the purpose
specified.
GEORGE BARKER.