IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Baillie Hamilton, of Greenwich, in the County
of Kent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Baillie Hamilton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd December 1881.
JAMES BAILLIE HAMILTON of Greenwich in the County of Kent. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH REEDS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
My Invention relates to what are known as free reeds used in harmoniums and
other like musical instruments and it consists of an improved method of combining
together a group of reeds whereby the movement of the reed tongues is so governed
that differences of pitch and variations of quality are obtained.
According to one mode of carrying out my said Invention I employ three reeds
in a group side by side viz: two outer ones (which I term motor reeds) and a
central one (which I designate a governing reed). I connect the two motor reed
tongues together by a bridge piece situate at about the centre of the length of the
reed and extending over and above or under and beneath the governing reed
tongue and I by preference connect the said bridge piece or an additional bridge
piece to the governing reed tongue by a wire strip or similar device at or near the
tip of the said tongue or both at or near the tip and at or near the root of the said
tongue. The two motor reed tongues and the governing reed tongue may be all
of the same length or the latter may be longer than the former or vice versa, and
they may be all arranged in the same plane or the governing reed tongue may be
situate in a plane above that of the motor reed tongues. The connecting wire or
strip when not attached to the near end of the reed may be extended backwards
beyond the bridge piece to any required distance in order to admit of the variations
of quality being regulated to great nicety by filing away or removing portions of
the projecting end of the wire or strip.
In order to bring into unison reeds which would otherwise be discrepant I
may employ two reeds side by side and connect the two tongues together by a

page_text: bridge piece the two reeds being either both of the same length or of different
lengths and arranged either in the same plane or in different planes and the
bridge piece being attached either to the upper or under side of the tongue as
desired.
In applying the improved reeds in the construction of the instrument I prefer
to employ stops movements and operating parts of the organ type and I make the
chambers or channels both preceding and following the reed of the fullest length
practicable for the necessary reinforcement as I find by this means in conjunction
with the use of my improved reeds the best conditions of quality and voicing are
obtained. In some cases I invert the position usual to a reed in its channel that
is to say I so arrange the reeds that the wind tends to drive the reed tongue out
of the frame instead of into it and use the chambers or channels above referred to
so proportioned as to admit of the reeds action under such circumstances.
These improvements may be used above or in combination with the Inventions
for which Letters Patent were granted to Hermann Smith dated the 8th December
1875 No. 4242 to myself dated the 16th May 1876 No. 2071 and to Hermann
Smith dated the 17th January 1878 No. 227 and the 7th January 1880 No. 68.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Balllie Hamilton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd June 1882.
"
JAMES BAILLIE HAMILTON of Greenwich in the County of Kent. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN, AND CONNECTED WITH, REEDS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
My said Invention relates to what are known as free reeds such as are used in
harmoniums and like musical instruments and consists in so combining together
two three or more reed tongues that the movement of the reed tongues is so
governed that differences of pitch and variations of quality are obtained.
I will describe my said Invention with reference to the accompanying Drawing
wherein are shewn various constructions of reeds having tongues combined according
to my Invention.
"
According to one mode of carrying my Invention into effect I employ three
reeds in a group and side by side namely two outer ones which I will term
"inotor reeds ' or tongues and a central one (which I will term a governing reed
or tongue). The individual reeds I will hereinafter refer to as tongues" and I
will call the combined tongues" reeds." I connect the two outer or motor tongues
together by a bridge piece (which I will call the "unison bar ") extending over and
above or under and beneath the middle or governing tongue and I connect the said
bridge piece to the governing tongue. In the several Figures of the accompanying
Drawing 1 have shown several views of reeds having tongues connected or
combined in different manners according to my Invention. In the said Figures I
have marked the motor tongues and the governing tongue k². Figure 1
represents in plan and side and end elevation a reed wherein the motor tongues kl
are connected by a bridge piece attached to the said tongues at about the centre
of the length of the said tongues. The governing tongue is connected to the
said bridge piece a by a wire or strip of metal b fastened at one end to the bridge-
piece and at the other end to the tongue near the tip or free end thereof.
Figure 2 shews similar views of a combined reed wherein the bridge piece a is of
a different form and is connected to the governing tongue by a wire c which is
fastened to the said bridge piece a and extends to both sides thereof being fastened
at one end to the governing tongue near the tip thereof and at the other end near
to the root of the said tongue. The motor tongues kk and the governing tongue ³
may be all of the same length as in Figure 2 or the governing tongue may be
longer than the motor tongues or shorter than the said tongues as shewn in Figure 1
and they may be all in one plane or not as may be convenient for example the
governing tongue may be arranged above the motor tongues. The wire or strip
which forms the connection between the bridge and the governing tongue instead
of being attached in two places to the said tongue as in Figure 2 may be attached
at one end only the other end being extended beyond the bridge piece to project
to any required distance so as to admit of variations of quality being regulated to
great nicety by filing away or removing portions of the said projecting end of the
wire or strip.
Figure 3 represents three different views of a compound reed wherein the bridge
piece a is made of wire fixed to each motor tongue k the connection of the said
bridge piece with the governing tongue being made by the small wire d.
Figure 4 represents side and end elevations and plan of a combined reed wherein
the connection of the motor tongue and the governing tongue k³ is made by
the elastic or spiral connecting wire connected at its two ends to the motor
tongues kk and at or about its middle to the governing reed k². Figure 5 are
similar views of a combined reed wherein the motor tongues are connected by

page_text: the bridge picce a the governing tongue k² being connected to the said bridge
piece by the wire g whose mid part is bent into a loop form and its other end
connected to the foundation plate of the reed.
Figure 6 represents similar views of a combined reed generally resembling that shewn
in Figure 5 but with a rigid wire g to connect the governing tongue to the bridge
piece a. Figure 7 is a longitudinal and transverse section and plan of a combined
reed wherein the motor and governing tongues are connected after the manner of
the arrangement Figure 2 but in this Figure 7 the bridge piece a and wire c are
fixed to the underside instead of the upper side of the tongues. Figures 8, 9
and 10 shew compound reeds wherein the governing tongue is connected to the
motor tongues by one piece of metal formed with pieces 18 one of which is fixed to
each tongue. This piece of metal is larger in proportion to the nearness of its
point of attachment to the root or fixed end of the tongue.
In Figure 8 a small piece is shewn as being affixed near to the free ends of the
tongues. In Figure 9 a larger piece is shewn as being affixed at about the centre
of the length of the tongues and in Figure 10 a still larger piece is shewn as being
affixed near to the root ends of the said tongues.
Figure 11 shews in end view and plan the tongues as being connected by a
strip bent into a double arch form and connected at each end to the motor
tongues-k and at the centre part to the governing tongue ². In Figure 12 are
shewn similar views wherein the connection is formed by the strip j of a single
arch form connected at each end to the motor tongues and by the wire or strip j'
to the governing tongue k².
Figures 13 and 14 represent a modification employed in order to bring into
unison two reed tongues which would otherwise be descrepant I place the two
tongues side by side and connect the said tongues together by a bridge piece a as
illustrated for example in Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 represents the bridge
formed of wire and rivetted out of its own substance and Figure 14 represents a
bridge formed out of a wider strip or band. The two tongues may be both of the
same length or they may be of different lengths and they may be arranged either
in the same plane or in different planes the bridge piece being connected to the
under or upper side of the tongues.
The connection of the bridge pieces strips and tongues may be effected by
soldering but preferably by rivetting which may be effected either by separate
rivets or the substance of the bridge piece or strip may form the rivets.
In applying the improved reeds herein before described to the instrument I
prefer to employ stops movements and operating parts of the organ type and I
make the chambers or channels both preceding and following the reed of the
fullest length practicable for the necessary reinforcement as I find that by this
means in conjunction with the use of my improved reeds the best conditions of
quality and voicing are obtained. In some cases I invert the position usual to a
reed in its channel that is to say I so arrange the reeds that the wind tends to
drive the reed tongue out of the frame instead of into it and I use the chambers
or channels above referred to so proportioned as to admit of the reeds' action
under such circumstances.
The hereinbefore described improvements may either be used alone or in com-
bination with the matters described in the Specifications of Letters Patent granted
to Hermann Smith and dated the Eighth day of December in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy five numbered 4242 the Seventeenth day
of January in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy eight
numbered 227 and the Seventh day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty numbered 68 and in the Specification of Letters Patent
numbered 2071 granted to me the said James Baillie Hamilton and dated the Sixteenth
day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy six.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original

page_text: and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is
In organs, harmoniums and like instruments combining a group of two three or
more tongues in one reed the said tongues being so connected together that they
are both or all compelled to vibrate in unison and mutually correct any discrepancy
between the individual_tongues substantially as herein before described with
reference to the various Figures of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said James Baillie Hamilton have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal the Twenty first day of June One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JAMES BAILLIE HAMILTON. (L.S.)