Improvements in Organs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 5th May, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE AEOLIAN ORGAN & MUSIC Co., a corpora-
tion organised and existing under the laws of the State of Connecticut, and
doing business at Meriden, in the State of Connecticut, United States of
America, as Manufacturers of Automatic Musical Instruments:]
Improvements in Organs.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
I will describe, as far as may be necessary to an understanding of my improvement,
an organ which embodies the same, and then point out the novel features in
a claim.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of parts of an organ embodying my improvement.
Figure 2 is a similar view that shows simply the parts in different positions.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken at the plane of the dotted line 3, Figure 1,
looking upwards as indicated by the arrow at the end of this line. Figure 4 is a
horizontal section on the same plane showing the parts beneath the plane of the
dotted line 5, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section, taken at the plane of the dotted line 5, Figure 1,
looking downwards.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A designates a wind chest. By this term I mean to include what is ordinarily
meant by this term, namely, a chamber or chest communicating with either force or
suction bellows. In the present instance, the wind chest is intended to be used with
force bellows.
B designates ducts or ports leading from the wind chest. As shown, they pass
through the top of the wind chest. Above them is a valve recess, C. By this term,
I mean to include any chamber or recess or space affording opportunity for the
movement of a valve. The ducts B extend from the wind chest to the valve
recess C.
D designates ducts or ports extending from the valve recess C to sound producing
devices E. There is one duct B and one duct or port D for each sound producing
device E. The valve recess C may be common to both sets of ducts and is intended
so to be in the organ which I have chosen to illustrate our improvement. Because
of this, the ducts D are partly formed in blocks D', which extend from the top and
bottom of the valve recess C.
F designates valves, shown as consisting of a flexible diaphragm made of any
suitable material such as sheepskin, and attached at their edges in any suitable
manner to the top of the wind chest A, above the adjacent ends of the ports B D.
Preferably they will be secured to the top of the wind chest all around their
edges.
When these valves are
ports B and the ports D.
the ports D to the sound
I
raised, communication will be established between the
Consequently, air may then pass from the ports B through
producing devices.

page_text: There may be any number of sound producing devices E and ducts B and D for
one valve recess C. All such sound producing devices will operate in unison, except
as their action may be modified by mutes, actuated by stop handles such as are
ordinarily comprised in organs. I have shown such mutes made in the form of
hinged valves G located below the ducts B and capable of being raised to cut off
communication between those ducts and the wind chest or lowered to permit air to
pass from the wind chest to these ducts.
With the valve recess C communicates a valve chamber H. In the present
instance, communication between these two ports is established by means of a port I,
extending between them. In the bottom of the chamber H is an opening for
establishing communication between the interior of the chamber and the outside
atmosphere. In the top of the chamber is an opening * affording communication
between the valve chaniber and a chamber J that communicates with the wind chest.
This chamber may for convenience be termed an intermediate chamber. This
chamber J is always in communication with the wind chest A, owing to the existence
of a port S which extends between the two.
In the valve chamber are two valves J, J. In the present instance, both are
made parts of one structure which is provided with a rod J' that extends through
the opening h¹, h². The lower end of this rod is passed through a guide plate jand
the upper end is fastened by screw nuts or otherwise to a flexible diaphragm M,
constituting or forming part of a motor which is intended to raise and lower
the valves and is combined with a motor chamber N. By the term motor chamber,
we mean to include anything which forms part of or renders possible the operation
of a motor.
The valve J controls the opening h¹. The valve J' controls the opening h³.
When the valves are lowered, communication between the valve chamber and the
atmosphere is cut off, and this is equivalent to saying that communication between
the valve recess C and the intermediate chamber.J. Below the motor diaphragm M
is a large opening in the top of the intermediate chamber J. Consequently, when-
ever the pressure in the intermediate chamber J is varied, motion will be imparted
to the motor diaphragm.
.The motor chamber N has provision for communicating with the atmosphere
under control of a suitable valve. In the present instance, the motor chamber
communicates through a pipe K with a duct or port L in a rail L'. This port
communicates with the atmosphere under control of the valve O. While this valve
may be of any suitable kind and operated in any desired manner, it is represented
in the present instance as being operated by an ordinary manual key, P. A perforated
music sheet would be one well known equivalent of a number of valves and key
levers P.
Of course it will be understood that what I have said about the possibility of
using one valve recess C for a number of sound producing devices applies only to
sound producing devices for a single note. It must also be clearly understood
that for each note there will be a separate and independent set of chambers H, J, N,
with their appurtenances, as also a separate port or duct L for each motor
chamber N.
Between the motor chamber N and the intermediate chamber J, communication
is established through an equalizing port or duct Q. To secure the desired
operation of the parts, the proportioning of this port or duct is of great
importance. A simple way of securing the proper proportion is to combine with
the duct or port a screw R extending from outside the chambers and intersecting
the port or duct transversely, for obviously a slight adjustment of the screw will
enlarge or diminish the area of the port or duct.
In Figure 1, I have shown the parts in their normal positions. It will be seen
that at this time the valves F are closed, so that no air can pass from the wind
chest to the sound producing devices. This will be so even if the mutes G
should be left open.
The reason that the valves F are closed is that communication between the

page_text: motor chamber N and the atmosphere has been cut off by the closing of the duct
or port L by the valve O, and that the lowering of the valves J, J' will
establish communication between the valve recess Cand the motor chamber N.
As the port S maintains communication between the intermediate chamber J and
the wind chest, it results that when the valve O is closed to cut off communication
between the lower chamber and the atmosphere, there is a balance or equalization
of pressure above and below the valves C.
When the valve O is opened, the pressure in the motor chamber N is reduced
and consequently the motor M raises the valves, thus cutting off communication
between the valve recess C and the wind chest and establishing communication
between the valve recess C and the atmosphere.
The duct or port Q of course allows air to leak from the intermediate chamber J
into the motor chamber N, but not rapidly enough to equalize pressure, but when
the valve O is closed the port or duct Q quickly equalizes the pressure so as to
cause the motor to lower the valves J, J.
It will be seen that in this illustration of my invention A is what is ordinarily
termed a wind chest; that B is a duct or port leading from the wind chest; that
E is a sound producing device; that D is a duct or port communicating with the
sound producing device; that F is a valve consisting of a flexible diaphragm
controlling communication between the wind chest and the sound producing
device; that C is a valve recess into which the said valve F may move; that
His a valve chamber communicating with the valve recess C, in the present
instance, through a port I; that J is a valve located in the valve chamber and
controlling communication between the atmosphere and the valve recess C; that
J is a chamber communicating with the wind chest; that J is a valve controlling
the passage of air between the chamber J communicating with the wind chest and
the said valve chamber H; that N is a motor chamber communicating with the
chamber J that communicates with the wind chest; that O is a valve controlling
the passage of air between the motor chamber and the atmosphere; that is an
equalizing port or duct; that R is a regulator for the equalizing duct; that M is
a motor for operating the valves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In an organ, the combination of a wind chest, a port leading from the wind
chest, a sound producing device, a port communicating with the sound producing
device, a valve controlling communication between the wind chest and the sound
producing device, a valve recess into which said valve may move, a valve chamber
communicating with the said valve recess and having an opening leading to the
atmosphere, a valve controlling communication between said valve recess and the
atmosphere, a chamber communicating with the wind chest, a valve controlling
the passage of air between said chamber which communicates with the wind chest
and the said valve chamber, a motor chamber communicating with the chamber
that communicates with the wind chest, a valve controlling the passage of air
between the motor chamber and the atmosphere, and a notor for operating the
valves in said valve chamber, substantially as specified.
2. In an organ, the combination of a wind chest, a port leading from the wind
chest, a sound producing device, a port communicating with the sound producing
device, a valve, consisting of a flexible diaphragm, controlling communication
between the wind chest and the sound producing device, a valve recess into which
said valve may move, a valve chamber communicating with the said valve recess
and having an opening leading to the atmosphere, a valve controlling com
munication between said valve recess and the atmosphere, a chamber communicating
with the wind chest, a valve controlling the passage of air between said chamber
which communicates with the wind chest and the said valve chamber, a motor
chamber communicating with the chamber that communicates with the wind chest,

page_text: a valve controlling the passage of air between the motor chamber and the
atmosphere, and a motor for operating the valves in said valve chamber, substan
tially as specified.
3. In an organ, the combination of a wind chest, a port leading from the wind
chest, a sound producing device, a port communicating with the sound producing
device, a valve controlling communication between the wind chest and the sound
producing device, a valve recess into which said valve may move, a valve chamber
communicating with the said valve recess and having an opening leading to the
atmosphere, a valve controlling communication between said valve recess and the
atmosphere, a chamber communicating with the wind chest, a valve controlling
the passage of air between said chamber which communicates with the wind chest
and the said valve chamber, a motor chamber communicating with the chamber
that communicates with the wind chest, a valve controlling the passage of air
between the motor chamber and the atmosphere, an equalizing port or duct between
the chamber that communicates with the wind chest and the motor chamber and a
motor for operating the valves in said valve chamber, substantially as specified.
4. In an organ, the combination of a wind chest, a port leading from the wind
chest, a sound producing device, a port communicating with the sound producing
device, a valve controlling communication between the wind chest and the sound
producing device, a valve recess into which said valve may move, a valve chamber
communicating with the said valve recess and having an opening leading to the
atmosphere, a valve controlling communication between said valve recess and the
atmosphere, a chamber communicating with the wind chest; a valve controlling
the passage of air between said chamber which communicates with the wind chest
and the said valve chamber, a motor chamber communicating with the chamber
that communicates with the wind chest, a valve controlling the passage of air
between the motor chamber and the atmosphere, an equalizing port or duct between
the chamber that communicates with the wind chest and the motor chamber, a
regulator for this equalizing duct and a motor for operating the valves in said valve
chamber, substantially as specified.
5. In an organ, the combination of a wind chest, a port leading from the wind
chest, a sound producing device, a ort communicating with the sound producing
device, a valve controlling communication between the wind chest and the sound
producing device, a valve recess into which said valve may move, a valve chamber
communicating with the said valve recess and having an opening leading to the
atmosphere, a valve controlling communication between said valve recess and the
atmosphere, a chamber communicating with the wind chest, a valve controlling
the passage of air between said chamber which communicates with the wind chest
and the said valve chamber, a motor chamber communicating with the chamber
that communicates with the wind chest, a valve controlling the passage of air
between the motor chamber and the atmosphere, an equalizing port or duct between
the chamber that communicates with the wind chest and the motor chamber, a
regulator consisting of a screw having its end projected transversely into the
equalizing duct, and a motor for operating the valves in said valve chamber,
substantially as specified.
6. In an organ, the combination of a wind chest, a port leading from the wind
chest, a sound producing device, a port communicating with the sound producing
device, a valve controlling communication between the wind chest and the sound
producing device, a valve recess into which said valve may move, a valve chamber
having an opening leading to the atmosphere, a port establishing communication
between said valve chamber and said valve recess, a valve controlling communication
between said valve recess and the atmosphere, a chamber communicating with the
wind chest and extending across the valve chamber, a valve controlling the passage
of air between said chamber which communicates with the wind chest and the said
valve chamber, a motor chamber extending across the said chamber which com-
municates with the wind chest, a port establishing communication between the
notor.chamber and the said chamber that communicates with the wind chest, and a

page_text: valve controlling the passage of air between the motor chamber and the atmosphere,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 13th day of March 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.