IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO HARMONIUMS AND OTHER SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Howard, of the City of Manchester, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO HARMONIUMS AND OTHER
SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 18th October 1878, and dated the 20th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Howard at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th April 1878.
"
SAMUEL HOWARD, of the City of Manchester. IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE
TO HARMONIUMS AND OTHER SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
The object of this Invention is a simple arrangement of mechanism for so con-
necting or coupling the adjoining octave notes together in harmoniums and other
similar instruments, that one or both may be sounded at the same instant at the
option of the operator, and thus to considerably increase or double the power and
improve the tone of the instrument.
In carrying out my Invention, instead of mounting the keys at their back
extremities as usual, I mount such keys at or about the centre of their length upon
the usual pins, and I pass a slot formed at the back extremity of the key beneath a
button screwed upon an adjusting wire or screw, the lower extremity of which is
connected to the pallet or valve which I prefer to hinge in position.
Beneath the usual keys mounted as aforesaid I also arrange a series of diagonal
levers, the front extremities of which can be brought into close contact with the
under surface of the keys at the will of the operator, and the back extremity of
each of which is slotted and arranged to pass beneath a button screwed upon the
adjusting wire or screw appertaining to the same note upon a higher or lower
octave, so that by the striking of one key I am thus enabled to open two pallets or
valves at pleasure, and to double the power and improve the tone as herein-before
described.
!!
The rail upon which the diagonal levers are arranged is capable of rising and
falling at the will of the operator so as to bring the front extremities of the

page_text: diagonal levers into contact with the under side of the keys by the simple sliding
of a knob or button situated at the front of the instrument.
It will be obvious that the method herein-before described of mounting the keys
and connecting to the pallets or valves is applicable to harmoniums and other
similar instruments independantly of the use and application of the diagonal levers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Howard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th October,
1878.
1
.
SAMUEL HOWARD, of the City of Manchester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE
TO HARMONIUMS AND OTHER SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
The object of this Invention is a simple arrangement of mechanism for so con-
necting or coupling the adjoining octave notes together in harmoniums and other
similar instruments, that one or both may be sounded at the same instant at the
option of the operator, and thus to considerably increase or double the power and
improve the tone of the instrument; the methods of mounting the keys and con-
necting the same to the pallets or valves being applicable to harmoniums and other
similar instruments independantly of the use and application of the diagonal levers
herein-after described.
And in order that this my said Invention may be the more readily understood
and carried into practical effect, I have hereunto annexed a Drawing illustrative of
my Invention, and will now proceed to describe the same, reference being had to
the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2, a plan of a keyboard shewing the application of
my improvements thereto; and Fig. 3 is a front view of the rail upon which the
diagonal levers are mounted, as herein-after described.
In carrying out my Invention, instead of mounting the keys A at their back
extremities as usual, I mount the same at or about the centre of their length, as
illustrated, upon the usual pins B; and I pass a slot C formed at the back extremity
of the key beneath a button C¹ screwed upon an adjusting wire or screw D; the
lower extremity of which is connected to the pallet or valve E, which I prefer to
hinge in position, and which may be either used as a single valve or as a double
valve opening simultaneously, as shewn in Fig. 1.
Beneath the usual keys A, mounted as aforesaid, I arrange a series of diagonal
lévers F mounted upon a rail H, the front extremities F¹ of which levers can be
brought into close contact with the under surface of the keys A at the will of the
operator by raising the rail H as herein-after described, and the back extremities of
each of which levers is slotted and arranged to pass beneath a button G. screwed
upon the adjusting wire or screw D appertaining to the same note upon a higher or
lower octave, so that by the striking of one key I am thus enabled 'to open the

page_text: pallet appertaining to such key and the pallet of its adjoining octave at pleasure,
and so to double the power and improve the tone as herein-before described. It
will thus be observed that the diagonal levers serve to couple each adjoining octave,
so that the same may be played together or separately.
The rail H upon which the diagonal levers are mounted is capable of rising and
falling at the will of the operator, so as to bring the front extremities of the
diagonal levers F close up to the under side of the keys A by the simple sliding of a
knob or button I situated in a slot formed in the key slip, and which knob or
button the operator can actuate with his thumb without removing his fingers from
the keyboard. This knob or button I turns upon the pivot J and acts through the
intervention of the lever J¹ upon an additional rail K situated beneath the rail H,
as illustrated.
The rail K is provided with inclines L, which when the rail H is in its lowest
position, enter and occupy the corresponding recesses M formed on its under side,
but when the rail K is pushed sideways by the knob I, such inclines serve to raise
the rail H to the highest position indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and thus bring all the
diagonal levers close up to the under side of the keys A.
To lower the rail K it is only necessary to push the knob or button I in the
reverse direction when the inclines L will enter their corresponding recesses M, and
the diagonal levers F will assume the position indicated by the dotted lines in
Fig. 1.
In smaller instruments I sometimes prefer to couple the adjoining octaves
together permanently in accordance with this Invention.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions of the
various parts of the keyboard action herein-before described, and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing, as the same may be considerably varied without departing
from the Invention, but what I claim is,―
1st. The mode of mounting the keys of harmoniums and other similar instruments
and of connecting the same to the pallets or valves, as herein-before described, and
illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
2nd. The combination and arrangement of mechanism for connecting the adjoining
octaves together at the pleasure of the operator in harmoniums and other similar
instruments, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated on the accom-
panying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Howard, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
SAMUEL HOWARD. (L.S.)