Improved Means for Controlling the Stops of Organs.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1893—Accepted, 15th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Controlling the Stops of Organs.
We HENRY WILLIS and VINCENT WILLIS, both of Rochester Terrace,
Camden Town in the County of Middlesex, Organ Builders, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention, which applies chiefly to grand organs, is to
give to the organist the power of preparing beforehand the various combinations
required for the proper performance of a piece or pieces of music, and in such a
way that the character of the combinations effected shall always be visible to the
eye of the performer.
We are aware that adjustable combination contrivances have existed for a long
time, as, for example, the combination pistons, the invention of one of the present
applicants, patented February 28th 1851, No. 13538, but the combination stop
mechanisms are in general adjustable only from the interior of the organ. There
are, however, some adjustable externally, but, with one exception, they do not
reveal their condition to the eye.
We accomplish this object by duplicating and re-duplicating, on a miniature
scale, the draw stop knobs of the choir, swell, pedal, and other organs, and placing
these miniature representatives of the stops, preferably, adjacent to the groups of
draw stop knobs which they represent.
The number of these diminutive representations of the draw stop knobs in each
organ, will be determined by the means provided in the way of composition pistons,
or composition pedals, or the equivalent, for putting on fresh combinations.
These miniature knobs differ from the usual draw stop knobs, in that they have
three fixed positions, in which they are held by the pressure of a spring. In one
extreme position, they indicate the stops as on 3' in the other extreme position,
they indicate the stops as "off" and in their intermediate position they are
neutral.
"
These miniature knobs, as will be presently seen, have no power in themselves
to vary the condition of the organ, but they enable all the other combination con-
trivances to effect what they (the miniature knobs) direct, in other words, they
shew, by their own position, what the position of the ordinary draw stop knobs
will be when brought into action by the combination pistons or pedals, except when
the organist has determined, by placing the miniature knobs in the neutral position,
that they shall be inoperative.
The sliding rods carrying the miniature draw stop knobs are each connected with
a sliding valve, which controls two air channels leading each to a small pneumatic
lever, and admits air from a supply passage to one or other of these air channels.
One of these pneumatic levers serves to open the ordinary draw stop, and the
other reverses this action.
The miniature knob, when in its neutral position, puts the valve intermediate of
the air channels leading to the pneumatic levers, and thus permits no wind to pass.
When, however, the valve is set for action, no result will follow until the com-
position piston or pedal hitherto employed, is brought into use by the performer.
The object of duplicating and re-duplicating the miniature groups of draw stops of
each organ, is to enable the performer to adjust two, three, or more distinct combi-
nations of stops, preparatory to commencing to play, and he will then have at
command any one of these combinations which he may desire to use, putting
them in action by simply pressing upon the corresponding combination piston or
pedal.
It will be obvious that in place of air as a motor for actuating the pneumatic

page_text: lever, we may employ electric currents, making and breaking the circuits as in
electric organs.
This invention is capable of the widest application, and may vary the whole
organ by one operation, giving combinations practically inexhaustible.
Dated this 9th day of September 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Controlling the Stops of Organs.
We HENRY WILLIS and VINCENT WILLIS, both of Rochester Terrace,
Camden Town in the County of Middlesex, Organ Builders, 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 the present invention, which applies chiefly to grand organs, is to
give to the organist the power of preparing beforehand the various combinations of
stops required for the proper performance of a piece or pieces of music, and in such
a way, that the character of the combinations effected shall always be visible to the
eye of the performer.
We are aware that adjustable combination contrivances have existed for a long
time, as, for example, the combination pistons, the invention of one of the present
applicants, patented February 28th 1851, No. 13538, but the combination stop
mechanisms are in general adjustable only from the interior of the organ. There are,
however, some adjustable externally, but, with one exception, they do not reveal their
condition to the eye.
We
e accomplish this object by duplicating and reduplicating, on a miniature scale,
the draw-stop knobs of the choir, swell, pedal, and other organs, and placing these
miniature representatives of the stops preferably adjacent to the groups of draw-
stop knobs which they represent.
The number of these diminutive representations of the draw-stop knobs in each
organ, will be determined by the means provided in the way of composition pistons
or composition pedals, or the equivalent, for putting on fresh combinations.
These miniature knobs differ from the usual draw stop knobs, in that they have
three fixed positions, in which they are held by the pressure of a spring.
In one extreme position, they will indicate the stops to be drawn; in the other
extreme position, they will indicate the stops to be closed, and in their intermediate
position, they will be inoperative.
These miniature knobs, and the parts in immediate connection therewith, as will
be presently seen, have no power in themselves to vary the condition of the organ,
the design being, to enable all the other combination contrivances of the organ to
effect what the miniature knobs direct; in other words, these miniature knobs are
designed to show, by their own position, what the position of the ordinary draw-
Etop knobs will be, when the stops are brought into the acting position by the com-
bination pistons or pedals, except when the organist has determined, by placing the
miniature knobs in the intermediate or neutral position, that they shall be inoperative..
In the accompanying drawing, we have shown, for the purpose of simplifying our
illustration, the invention as applied to a small choir organ.
Fig. 1 shows a group of six ordinary draw-stops, with 3 repeats of the same in
miniature, which will provide for the setting of three combinations.
Figs. 2 and 3 show, in sectional plan and elevation, the manner of equipping and
applying the miniature controlling knobs, for the purpose of putting the draw-stops
into and out of action by pistons or pedals.
Fig. 4 shows, for use in connection with this invention, one commonly accepted
means of imitating the action of pneumatic combination movements, such contrivance
being the subject of the Patent of 1851 above referred to.

page_text: Fig. 5 shows in sectional elevation, the relay apparatus which we employ for
enforcing the impulse initiated by the composition piston, such apparatus forming
the subject matter of a Patent dated 26 September 1889, No. 15182.
Figs. 6 and 7 show in plan and side elevation, a novel and convenient method of
arranging disc pneumatic levers for operating the draw-stop rods.
Fig. 8 shows a novel arrangement of wind chests, or relay apparatus, in series,
for transmitting the impulses from the controlling apparatus (Figs. 2 and 3) to the
dise pneumatic levers which operate the draw-stop rods.
A, Fig. 1, represents the ordinary draw-stop knobs, and B, B1, B2, three sets of
miniature controlling knobs, each of which knobs is named on an adjacent tablet, to
correspond with the name on the ordinary draw-stop rod which it is designed to
represent. Thus, the organist will see at a glance how to arrange his miniature
controlling knobs to secure the combinations of stops which he desires to employ in
the performance of a given piece of music.
The miniature draw-stop knobs of each set are each fitted to sliding rods b, and
to each of these rods is attached a slide valve b', mounted on a valve seat c*, fitted
to a valve chest C, and common to all the slide valves of the chest.
These valves are mounted on their valve seat by the aid of guide pins, and they
serve to cover three vertical rows of ports or air channels, the central row c of
which, is in communication with an air supply pipe D, leading from a wind chest or
relay E, Fig. 5. Each set of miniature controlling knobs, it will be understood, is
connected with similar apparatus to that just described.
The
The ports c¹ communicate severally, through pipes D' and the wind chest or
relay E, Fig. 8, with the pneumatic levers A¹ of the draw-stop rods A (Figs. 6
and 7), and the ports 2 communicate severally, through pipes D' and the wind
chest or relay E², with the pneumatic levers A2 of the draw stop rods.
valves severally control the course which the wind shall take from the central
port c to the ports el or c². The valves, when in the position of Fig. 2, bring the
ports e and e into connection, ready for action when the composition piston F,
Fig. 4 (which is to impart the impulse to the apparatus), is pushed into the dotted
position.
The player, in thrusting this piston inwards, will, through its connection with the
fulcrummed lever F, open the valve of the primary wind chest E, as is well
known, and cause air to pass therefrom up the tube E, and thereby, through the
aid of a pneumatic lever, bring the wind chest or relay E' (through the pipe Ď) into
communication with the valve chests C.
The wind thus supplied to the valve chests C, will pass through the opened
ports c', thence, by the pipes D' of the respective ports, to pneumatic levers fitted
to the relay wind chest E.
The pneumatic levers actuated by the wind from the slide valve chests C, will
cause wind to pass from the relay chest E, and carry the enforced impulse to the
pneumatic levers A¹ of the draw-stop rods A, the expansion of which levers
will draw the stops selected by the player, and indicated by the miniature
draw-stops.
The stops A thus drawn, may be thrust back singly in the usual manner, or
simultaneously, at the option of the player. In the latter case, he thrusts in the
miniature knobs to the position shown at 6 in Fig. 3, thereby bringing the ports c
and into communication. To effect the simultaneous closing of the stops, the player
has merely to press upon the piston F, and air will be admitted to the pneumatic
levers A (after the manner just described with reference to the pneumatic
levers A'), when the rods of the open stops will be thrust inwards.
In place of using the piston F for initiating the impulse through the lever F', a
pedal may be connected, in the well known manner, to that rock lever which
commands the supply and exhaust valves of the first or primary wind chest E.
The depression, therefore, of the pedal, will admit air to the pipe E*, leading.to
the relay chest E', and, like the piston F, initiate the impulse.
The slide valves b', besides moving to the two extreme positions above mentioned,

page_text: for bringing the ports c and c, and c and c³, into communication, are capable of
taking up an intermediate position, as indicated at Fig. 3, where the knob 6** is
represented as having been set so that a nick in the back of its valve is caught by a
pressure spring 2, (Fig. 2), which holds the valve in an intermediate position.
When a valve is thus adjusted, both its ports and are cut off from connection
with its port c.
This neutral position of the valves, enables a performer to
reserve any stop or stops for operation by hand only, as the valves thus set, cut out
their corresponding stops from connection, for the time being, with the mechanism
which imparts the impulse to their pneumatic levers (A' A²).
By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen, that the draw-stop knobs A are arranged
in a zigzag manner, which plan is adopted, as is well known, for the purpose of
bringing the parts of the draw-stop mechanism closer together. In order, however,
to carry out this object, we have found it desirable to arrange the pneumatic levers
in a novel manner. This is clearly illustrated at Figs. 6 and 7, where the pairs of
pneumatic levere for opening and closing the stops are set alternately at opposite
sides of the draw rods, each pair having between them a fulcrummed lever A³,
pivotted to their respective draw rods, and operated upon alternately by the stems
of the pneumatic levers, to open and close the stops as required. The disc
pneumatic levers, it will be seen, are disposed in two groups, those forming the
groups on either side of the draw rods, being set, not immediately one above the
other, but in different vertical planes, so that they virtually overlap the one
the other, as indicated in Fig. 7.
By this arrangement, every fifth pair of pneumatic levers comes into the vertical
plane of the first pair, and thus a compact packing of the pneumatic levers is
secured.
When a greater area of disc pneumatic lever is required, they can be arranged so
that the original position of the disc pneumatic levers will recur at the seventh,
instead of the fifth draw rod.
The zigzagging of the draw-stop knobs necessitated a corresponding arrangement
for the miniature controlling knobs, and to compensate for this, the rods to which
they are attached, are cranked, as shown at Fig. 2, to bring them all into line with
respect to the valve seat c*.
In Fig. 8 we have shown in vertical section, a novel arrangement of relay chests
in series, which are designed to receive the impulses from the slide valve chests C,
Figs. 2 and 3, and transmit them, expanded, to the disc pneumatic levers operating
the draw-stop rods of Figs. 6 and 7. These relay chests are of the ordinary form,
except that the exhaust valve (other than the last) is enclosed, and has an outlet
only through the exhaust valves of the anterior chests. Thus, there is one exhaust
vent only to each disc pneumatic lever, as indicated by the serpentine dotted line,
which follows the open air channel; any exhaust valve of the series will close the
channel, and, by means of its connected supply valve, transmit the impulse as
required. The relay chest in communication with the pneumatic levers A' A²
must correspond in number with the sets of miniature draw-stop knobs applied to
the organ.
Three combinations may be operated by three of these relay chests,
arranged in series. But these relay chests may be used in combination with the
"tumbling valve" (as shown in Fig. 8) described in the Specification of Patent
dated 5th June 1888, No. 8232, in which case one relay chest will serve for 2 com-
binations. The desired result may also be obtained by the use of the sliding
triangular valve described in the Specification of the Patent dated 3 January 1888,
No. 90, in which case, one relay chest will serve for 3 combinations. When used
in this manner, the relay chest would act more pomptly if constructed according to
the Patent dated 26th September 1889, No. 15182. This arrangement does not
prevent the application of the usual fixed or arbitrary combinations.
From the foregoing explanation it will be understood, that the object of
duplicating and reduplicating the miniature groups of draw stops of each organ; is
to enable the performer to adjust two, three, or more distinct combinations of stops,
preparatory to commencing to play, and he will then have at command any one of

page_text: these combinations which he may desire to use, putting them in action by simply
pressing upon the corresponding combination piston or pedal.
It will be obvious, that in place of air as a motor for actuating the pneumatic
levers, we may employ electric currents, making and breaking the circuits, as in
electric organs.
In appreciating this remark, it will be understood that in an organ controlled by
electricity, wires take the place of tubes, contact plates the place of ports, the slide
valve becomes a metallic bridge, the piston or pedal operates a contact device
(such, by preference, as that described in the Specification of the Patent dated
20 January 1885, No. 819), and the action of the pneumatic levers which move the
ordinary draw stops is initiated by electro-magnetically operated valves. The
performer, by touching the piston or pedal, transmits a current which is distributed
or "off" electromagnets,
by the bridge (the equivalent of the slide valve) to "on
"
as prearranged, instantly drawing the desired combination of stops.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The application to organs of repeats in miniature of the draw stops contained
in the organs, as and for the purpose above set forth.
2. The means above described for arranging combinations of stops visible to the
performer, and ensuring the simultaneous drawing or shutting off of the stops
of any one combination, by the pressure of a composition piston or pedal, as
set forth.
3. The arrangement described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3, for cutting out
any desired stop or stops from the control of the miniature draw stops.
Dated this 9th day of June 1893.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.