Year: 1888

page_text: 1 EMILE KERKHOFF of 86 Rue Royale Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium,.
Organ Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention refers to means as hereafter described of transmitting motion from
the keys and stops to the interior. The transmission is pneumatic, a part of the
mechanism may however be employed either to have greater facility for operating
the keys and for coupling or where it is found necessary to place the pneumatic
lever in a special wind passage which might be necessary where the divisions of the
sound boards are not wide enough, but especially in existing organs where it is
desired to apply my invention. The lovers, constructed as hereafter described,
may also be placed partially in the wind chest and partially in a special passage..
The invention may too be only partially applied to one, two, or more of the keys
and not to the stops or to the stops and not to the keys.
The essential features of the invention comprise a pneumatic transmitter, a
pneumatic motor lever; and the means as hereafter described of transmitting the
movement.
«
The pneumatic motor is composed of two plates united together by a hinge made
say of skin and surrounded by the same or similar material, forming a bellows. In
the moving upper plate of the bellows, there are two apertures one being much
smaller than the other, the opening being regulated when desired by a pallet." In
the bottom bellows plate and on one side of the wind chest there is an opening to
receive the air transmitting passage or tube which latter may be made of any suitable
material that will not allow of the escape of wind such as lead, tin plate, zinc, copper,
or even properly prepared paper and the elbows and joints should be made with the
greatest care. The length of the pipe or passage generally varies for each note.
Inside this pneumatic lever and on to the top-plate there are secured two pieces of
skin, one to prevent the wind from entering into the said pneumatic lever or bellows
(when the latter is depressed) by the larger opening and the other skin prevents
the wind from being lost in the air passage, also when the lever is down or descends.
The wind always enters into the pneumatic lever or bellows by the smaller aperture.

page_text: At the other end the passage or tube terminates at the keyboard or in connection
therewith and it is closed near the top by a discharge valve, operated by a balance
lever, on which the key acts through the intervention of a regulating screw.
In order that communication may be effected between the keyboard and the tubes, it
is necessary that the wind chest or the passage for the wind in which the "levers" are
placed be filled with wind, then all the keys being raised, no note speaks, but on the
wind entering into the levers or bellows and the pipes by the two openings the
pressure in the wind chest and in the lever bellows being equal, the upper plate can
freely move and without resistance; its own weight causes it to fall if it is not kept
up by the valve.
To make the notes speak, the respective keys of the keyboard are depressed and
thereby opening the discharge valves, the wind contained in the pipe escapes from it
and causes a reduction of pressure or vacuum in the pneumatic lever.
The pressure
of the wind in the wind chest acts with all its power on the top plate which is driven
downwards and brings with it the valve, thereby causing the tubes to speak.
Substantially similar means are employed for operating the stops, only instead of
opening the key board valve by the key of the key board, it is opened by drawing.
out the stop and the pneumatic lever or bellows instead of opening the wind chest
valve opens the valve of the lever which causes the stop to operate or act.
The movements described are required for each note or stop the number must
therefore necessarily vary in accordance with the size or arrangement of the instru-
ment to which the invention is or may be applied.
The discharge valves cannot be always placed as before described as it is often
necessary to have them some distance from the key board in order to facilitate the
placing of them and the couples and even for the buttons of the stops, for example,
organs having several key boards, couples and a great number of stops, the valves may
be conveniently placed in the base of the console and be operated by means of a series
of rods.
In two keyboards with couple, the upper key board may be coupled to the lower
key board by the wind escape of the upper key board and the lower key board by
means of a wood tongue or stop between the two key boards; this latter stop is
movable and slides between false stops. The coupling is produced when the holes of
the stops are placed opposite corresponding holes. The coupling ceases when the
stop is closed and the holes no longer cominunicate. For the coupling of a third
key board it is similarly done, as well as for the coupling of the key boards to the
pedals.
The discharge valves may be connected directly to the keys of the key board, if
required and this arrangement is preferable especially for the couples.
For organs which have more than three sets of keys or couples to the flat or sharp
octave it must be arranged mechanically as is now done in the ordinary construction
of such instruments.

page_text: I, EMILE KERKHOFF of 86 Rue Royale, Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Organ Manufacturer 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
-
My invention refers to means as hereafter described of transmitting motion from the
keys and stops to the interior of the instrument.
The general construction of organs being well known it will not be necessary for
the purposes of this invention to describe the details of the construction thereof,
however it may be useful to point out that the word "wind." is employed in this.
specification to express compressed air, and that the wind chest or chamber is a
part of the sound board in which the valves supplying the wind to the tubes are
placed.
:
According to my invention the transmission is pneumatic mechanism may how-
ever be employed either to allow of greater facility for operating the keys and also
for coupling, or where it is found necessary to place what I may call the pneumatic
lever as hereafter described in a special wind passage; this latter placing of the
pneumatic lever might be. necessary where the divisions of the sound boards are not
wide enough but especially in existing organs where it is desired to apply the
invention. The pneumatic levers may also be placed partially in the wind chest and
partially in a special passage. The invention may too he only partially applied
to one, two or more of the keys and not to the stops, or to the stops and not to
the keys.
The invention comprises the motor or pneumatic lever, a transmitting passage or
pipe, discharge valves and keyboard, also a wind chest with valve for the sound board
the essential features being a pneumatic transmission a pneumatic motor lever operating
without valves and the means as hereafter described of transmitting the movement.
The invention will be best understood by describing the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of so much of an organ or of the parts thereof
constructed according to my said invention, as will be necessary for the purposes of
this description.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation shewing two key boards with coupling.
Figure 3 is a partial plan of Figure 2 shewing arrangement of valves.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section shewing the arrangement of transmission pipes.
Figure 5 shews the tongue or strap.
Referring to Figure 1, the part A is the ordinary wind chamber of the sound
board; A A A are the sides and base of the same; B is the valve which allows
the wind to enter. is the support of the spring D which latter keeps the valve B in
position; F is a rod connected to the valve and hooked to the upper plate of a
pneumatic apparatus or motor E. This pneumatic motor E is composed of two

page_text: .
plates F and G united together by a hinge made of leather or other suitable matorial
and is connected by a gusset so forming a hellows. In the plate that is the
moving upper plate of the bellows there are two apertures or holes, the one aperture
is of very small (hardly a millimetre) diameter, not shewn on the drawing, the other
aperture marked J in Figure 1 is larger (about a centimetre) in diameter but the
size of this aperture can be modified by a pallet similar to those used to make a
damper in a harmonium. In the plate G and the bottom A of the wind chest
there is formed an aperture L in which the transmitting passage or tube M is
fitted. This passage M is a tube made of lead, tin plate, zinc, copper, paper or other
material provided it will not allow of the escape of wind, and the elbows and joints
should be made with the greatest care. The length of this pipe varies generally for
each note. Inside the pneumatic lover E there are two pioces of leather or other
suitable material gluod on to the top plate F. so that the smaller piece prevents
the wind from entering by the larger opening J into the pneumatic lever or bellows E
when the latter is depressed, and the other piece of leather H prevents the wind
from being lost in the air passage M, also when the lever is down or descends.
The wind is always free to enter into the pneumatic lever or bellows E by the
smaller aperture herein before mentioned but not shown on the drawings. The
passage M terminates at the opening N made in the pieco of wood P., This open-
ing N is closed near the top by the discharge valve O which is operated by the
balance lever V on which the key S acts through the regulating screw R.
The action of the apparatus is as follows: in order that a communication may
be effected it is necessary that the wind chest or the passage for the wind in which
the pneumatic levers are placed be filled with wind, then all the keys being in their
raised position none of the notes would speak. The wind then enters into the levers
or bellows E and the pipes M. firstly by the small aperture and then by both the
two openings in the plate F. The pressure in the wind chest and in the pneumatic
lever or bellows being equal the upper plato F can freely move without encountering
any resistance; its own weight causes it to fall if it is not kept up by the valve B.
To make one or several notes to speak the respective keys of the keyboard are
depressed which opens the discharge valves O the wind contained in the pipe escapes
from it and causes a reduction of pressure or partial vacuum in the pneumatic lever E.
The pressure of the wind in the wind chest then acts with all its power on the
top plato F which is driven downwards and brings with it the valve B thereby
causing the tubes to speak.
To operate the stops similar means are employed, only instead of opening the
valve O by the key of the keyboard it is opened by drawing out the stop, and the
pneumatic lever or bellows E instead of opening the valve B opens the valve of
the lever which causes the stop to operate or act.
The movement just described is necessary for each note or each stop, there is
consequently necessary a number varying in accordance with the size or arrange-
ment of the instrument to which the invention is or may be applied.
The discharge valves cannot be always placed as before described, it is often
necessary to have them some distance from the keyboard in order to facilitate the
placing of them and the couplers and even for the buttons of the stops, for
example for organs having several keyboards, couplers, and a great number of
stops, the valves O may be placed in the base of the console and operate by means
of a series of rods; thus the construction of the couplers and other parts of the
console do not differ much from those now made.
In Figure 2 is shewn in section two keyboards with coupler, the upper key-
board is coupled to the lower keyboard by the escape of wind of the upper
keyboard through the pieces P of the lower keyboard controlable by means of a
wood tongue or stop W Fig. 5 placed between the two pieces P of the keyboards;
This stop Wis movable and slides between the false stops t. The coupling is
produced when the holes of the stops are placed opposite the corresponding holes of
the pieces P. The coupling ceases when the stop is closed and the holes no longer
cominunicate. Figure 3 shews the arrangement of the valves O. In the lower.

page_text: piece the valve O covers the two holes N one for the keyboard which is proper to
it and the other for the coupler of the second keyboard. On the upper piece P the
valve covers the hole N of its keyboard.
Figure 4 shews the arrangement of the transmitting pipes M.
For the coupling of a third keyboard it is similarly done as well as for the
coupling of the keyboards to the pedals.
The discharge valves O may be connected directly to the keys of the keyboard
as is shewn at Figure 2. This arrangement is preferable especially for the couplers.
For organs which have more than three sets of keys or couplers to the flat or
sharp octave it must be arranged mechanically as is done in the ordinary con-
struction of such instruments.
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. In organs, the means for transmitting motion from the keys, stops, or other
parts, to the valves or parts to be acted upon, by causing a reduction of pressure or
partial vacuum in a pneumatic lever or bellows which is normally held inactive by a
balance of internal and external pressure as set forth.
.
2. In organs, the construction and arrangement of pneumatic motor lever or
bellows E, (provided with apertures and pipe MI), situated in the wind chamber A,
with valve B and parts connected therewith all substantially as herein described.
3. The general construction and combination of parts comprising the pneumatic
transmission apparatus all substantially as herein described and shewn with reference
to the accompanying drawings.