IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HARMONIUMS."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Scantlebury, of Holloway, in the County
of Middlesex, Harmonium Manufacturer, for the Invention of " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HARMONIUMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Scantlebury
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th October 1871.
I, WILLIAM SCANTLEBURY, of Holloway, in the County of Middlesex,
Harmonium Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HARMONIUMS," to be as
follows:-
My improvements relate, first, to the application of an "octave
coupler," which is so constructed as to cause all notes, or as many as
necessary, to be played with or in connection to its octave above or
below, as the case may require, and in both instances at the will or
option of the performer, thus gaining a double power in the instrument
in a small compass or space, and at less cost.

page_text: "
The manner of carrying out my improvements in applying the said
"octave coupler' to harmoniums is as follows:-I place what are
known as "backfalls" or levers, the fulcrum of which is at the centre
of their length, by preference in connection with the pallets or valves
at one end and a screw from the under side of the finger key to act
upon the other end. A sticker is also connected to or with the same
key, serving to act upon its own pallet or valve. The lever or set of
levers or coupler" must be raised or lowered to the before-mentioned
screws under the key or keys by any suitable well-known mechanical
motion for causing it to rise and fall. In large instruments the mechanical
arrangement of the parts will require to be varied in order to adapt
my improvements thereto, so as to effect the object previously described.
without departing from the nature or character of my Invention.
The second part of my improvements relates to the mechanism for
actuating the feeder or bellows of harmoniums. For this purpose I
place a roller or wheel in, at, or upon the end (or ends) of the lever (or
levers) in connection with the foot boards or treadles, which runs,
rolls, or works upon a plate of metal placed on the under or moveable
side of the feeder (or feeders) or supply bellows of or in connection with
the instrument, whereby the friction, as in the ordinary system, is reduced
to a minimum, and the blowing is performed by the player or blower
without difficulty. I am also enabled by this arrangement to place the
bellows nearer to the motive power than hitherto.
According to the third part of my improvements I raise the keys
some short distance from the pallets or valves, say, three or four inches,
more or less, as required, and enclose the space with a frame or other
equivalent means, thus forming a strong resonant chamber or sounding
board, whereby the tone is considerably improved. At any convenient
part of the aforesaid frame I place two large valves or pallets, which act
effectively as "forte stops" to the instrument when actuated by suitable
mechanism.
According to the fourth part of my improvements I place upon
one note board a large number or sets of reeds, and the whole of the
respective openings in connection with or under the control of one pallet
or valve, thus requiring but one spring to each key, which arrangement
lightens the touch and simplifies the action and construction of the
instrument.

page_text: I also combine with or connect to, as part of the said valve or pallet,
a small bellows, or what is known as the "pneumatic lever," whereby
I am able to reduce the weight of touch to the minimum amount.
In ordinary instruments it is usual or only practicable to cover two
notes with or by one pallet or valve, each two notes requiring a pallet
spring, thus causing great weight to press down in every key, especially
if the note board is large.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Scantlebury in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SCANTLEBURY, of Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, Harmonium
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Scantlebury, Her special licence
that I, the said William Scantlebury, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Scantlebury, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF HARMONIUMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Scantlebury, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Scantlebury, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
My improvements relate first to the application of an "octave coupler "
to the action of harmoniums which is so constructed as to cause all the
notes or as many as are necessary to be played with or in connection to
its octave above or below as the case may require, and in both instances
at the will or option of the performer, thus gaining a double power in
the instrument in a small compass or space and at less cost.
The manner of carrying out the first part of my improvements for
applying the said "octave coupler" to harmoniums will be readily
understood from the following description, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 shows. a transverse section of the action or upper part of a
harmonium having this part of my improvements applied thereto taken
through the key frame B, resonant box or chamber C, action and spring
rails D, D', D³, and pan or note board E. A is the finger key.
Figure 2 shows part of the key board, some of the notes or keys
being removed therefrom in order to show the arrangement of the
"octave coupler" which is placed diagonally.
I place what are known as "backfalls" or levers F, the fulcrum on
rail D of which is at the centre of their length (by preference) in con-
nection with the pallet or valve stem G, by means of a wire cyc or
other suitable means at one end, and a screw a from the under side of
the finger key A acting upon the other end.
"
A sticker I is also arranged in connection with the same key serving
to act upon its own pallet or valve G'. The lever or set of combined
levers F or coupler" may be raised or lowered to the before-mentioned
screws a under the key or keys A by any suitable well-known mechanical
motion for causing the "coupler" to rise and fall, being so arranged as
not to lift the pallets G' (in-rising) from their scats.
In large instruments the mechanical arrangement of the parts will
require to be varied in order to adapt my improvements thereto so as
to effect the object previously described without departing from the nature
or character of my Invention, and a competent workman acquainted
with the construction of harmoniums will readily understand how to

page_text: adapt my improvements to harmoniums of different construction to
that shown in the Drawing.
The second part of my improvements relates to the mechanism for
actuating the feeder or bellows of harmoniums. For this purpose I
place a roller or wheel in, at, or upon the end (or ends) of the lever
(or levers) in connection with the foot boards or treadles which roller
runs or works upon a plate of metal placed upon the under or moveable
side of the feeder (or feeders) or supply bellows of or in connection with
the instrument whereby the friction as in the ordinary bellows is
reduced to a minimum and the blowing is performed by the player
with much less exertion than heretofore. I am also enabled by this
arrangement to place the bellows nearer to the motive power for
actuating them than heretofore.
Figure 3 is a front view of a feeder or bellows arranged with
mechanism for actuating the same in accordance with this part of my
improvements. Figure 4 is a plan of the blowing action or lever; P,
is the feeder; R is a plate of metal fixed either upon the bellows as
shown, or it may be fixed upon the lever S, the roller Q in that case
being fixed upon the bellows.
According to the third part of my improvements I raise the keys
some short distance from the pallets or valves (about three or four
inches more or less as required,) and enclose the space with a frame C,
as shown at Figure 1 or other equivalent means, thus forming a strong
resonant chamber or sounding board C, whereby the tone of the instru
ment is considerably improved. At any convenient part of the aforesaid
frame I place two large valves or pallets which act effectively as "forte
stops," to the instrument when actuated by suitable mechanism, as is
well understood.
According to the fourth part of my improvements I place upon one
note board a large number or sets of reeds, and the whole of the rc-
spective openings in connection with or under the control of one pallet
or valve, thus requiring but one spring to each key, which arrangement
lightens the touch, and simplifies the action and construction of the
instrument.
I also combine with or connect to as part of the said pallet a small
bellows, or what is known as the "pneumatic lever," whereby 1 am
able to reduce the weight of touch to the minimum amount.

page_text: In ordinary instruments it is usual or only practicable to cover two
notes with or by one pallet or valve, cach two notes requiring a pallet
spring, thus causing great weight to press down in every key, especially
if the note board is large.
"
Figure 5 shows a section of my improved form or arrangement of pallet
bar J, the pallets K being fastened to it in the usual manner of fastening
a pallet to its stem, by means of a strip of leather K', technically called
a "strap." The arrangement shown by Figure 5 is for an eight row
sounding board or pan" N. The pallet bar J is suitable for a larger
or smaller "pan." The additional parts L', L, shown by dotted lines
in Figure 5, represent an arrangement for a square action, in which the
sounding board or "pan" is arranged vertically at the back of the
instrument, thus saving width of case. The holes for the screws O to
pass through are bored larger than required, the screws being clothed
with two small pieces of cloth or other suitable material, one at the
bottom of the hole and the other at the top, which arrangement imparts
a better action than if the cloth passed all through the holes. Under
the head of each screw O a washer of cloth, baize, felt, or other suitable
noiseless material is placed, to receive or stop the rise of the pallet bar J
when released by the key or lever L, and raised by the light springs T,
which are (by preference) spiral springs of brass wire, being made of
sufficient strength to well raise the pallet bar J with its pallets K
attached thereto. It will thus be seen that the springs T materially
assist in imparting lightness of touch to the action. The spring M is
made strong enough to keep the pallets down.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the
manner of carrying the same into practice, I would have it clearly
understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein-before
described (as the same, may be considerably varied), so long as the
essential features of my Invention are retained; but what I claim is,―
First. The arrangement and application of an "octave coupler" or
mechanism to harmoniums, so as cause two corresponding notes to speak
by the depression of each key, substantially in the manner herein-before.
described, and shewn by Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement of mechanism for actu-
Л

page_text: described, and shewn by Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Thirdly. I claim the arrangement and application of a resonant
chamber or sounding board C to harmoniums, substantially in the manner
herein-before described, and shown in Figures 1 of the accompanying
Drawing.
Fourthly. I claim the arrangement or placing of a large number or
sets of reeds upon one note board in harmoniums, the whole of the
respective openings being under the control of one pallet or valve, sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described and shown in Figure 5
of the accompanying Drawing.
I also claim the application of the small bellows or "pneumatic lever"
in combination with the pallets or valves of harmoniums, substantially
in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Scantlebury, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
WILLIAM SCANTLEBURY. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.