Improvements in or relating to Supplying and Regulating the Supply of Wind to Organs, and similar Musical Instruments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Supplying and Regulating the Supply
of Wind to Organs, and similar Musical Instruments.
I, ROBERT HOPE-JONES M.I.E.E. of 55 and 57 Argyle Street, Birkenhead in the
County of Chester, Consulting Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in supplying, and regulating
the supply of, wind to organs or similar musical instruments, or to certain parts
or departments of the same.
Hitherto it has been the custom to use in large organs what are known as
reservoirs or reducing reservoirs, through which compressed air is supplied to the
whole or to one or more departments of an organ.
Such reservoirs have been
provided with two sets of ribs, one set of ribs being inverted in order to equalize
the pressure and to prevent any difference of the same when the reservoir is full
and when it is nearly empty. Upon the said reservoir have been placed weights.
The rise and fall of the top of the reservoir have generally been made proportionately
to close or open a valve governing the admission of air supplied from the feeders or
air pumps used to blow the organ.
Now this invention in part relates to a means of constructing such reservoirs so
that they shall require but one set of ribs and shall be acted upon, not by the
force of gravity, but through the medium of springs. Reservoirs constructed in
this latter manner should, under certain circumstances, have stronger upper boards
than is usual. They should be so arranged with regard to the length and tension
of the springs and the angle of the ribs and consequent upward pressure exerted by
the compressed air acting upon them, that through a short space of travel of the
upper board the air pressure should practically remain constant. Such shortness
of travel can be secured by making the upper board of the reservoir operate the
governing valve through a system of levers, wheels or bellows in such manner that
a very small movement of the upper board shall cause a comparatively large
movement of the valve. Or the usual construction of the valve itself may be
departed from and the said valve may be made so that a very slight movement shall
effect a very large opening.
Dated this 30th day of October 1896
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
5
Improvements in or relating to Supplying and Regulating the Supply
of Wind to Organs, and similar Musical Instruments.
I, ROBERT HOPE-JONES, M.I.E.E., of 55 and 57 Argyle Street, Birkenhead in the
County of Chester, Consulting Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of

page_text: this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in supplying, and regulating the
supply of, wind to organs or similar musical instruments, or to certain parts or
departments of the same.
Hitherto it has been the custom to use in large organs what are known as reservoirs
or reducing reservoirs, through which compressed air is supplied to the whole or to
one or more departments of an organ. Such reservoirs have been provided with two
sets of ribs, one set of ribs being inverted in order to equalize the pressure and to
prevent any difference of the same when the reservoir full and when it is nearly
empty. Upon the said reservoir have been placed weights. The rise and fall of the
top of the reservoir have generally been made proportionately to close or open a
valve governing the admission of air supplied from the feeders or air pumps used to
blow the organ.
Now this invention in part relates to a means of constructing such reservoirs so
that they shall require but one set of ribs and shall be acted upon, not by the
force of gravity, but through the medium of springs.
Reservoirs constructed in this latter manner should, under certain circumstances,
have stronger upper boards than is usual.
They should be so arranged with regard to the length and tension of the springs
and the angle of the ribs and consequent upward pressure exerted by the
compressed air acting upon them, that through a short space of travel of the
upper board the air pressure should practically remain constant. Such shortnesss of
travel can be secured by making the upper board of the reservoir operate the
governing valve through a system of levers, wheels or bellows in such a manner that
a very small movement of the upper board shall cause a comparatively large
movement of the valve, or the usual construction of the valve itself may be departed
from and the said valve may be made so that a very slight movement shall effect a
very large opening.
The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is an elevation of a wind reservoir in which springs take the place
of weights,
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of a portion of such a reservoir.
Referring to Figure 1-A represents a wind reservoir having one set of ribs only
inclined inwards. On either side of this reservoir are fixed a series of spiral
springs B B rigidly fastened both at the top and the bottom. The wind supply is
admitted through the trunk F and is governed and controlled by means of a reducing
valve E of any known type. This valve is opened or closed by the rise or fall of
the reservoir to which it is connected, and by means of the multiplying gear supplied
by the wheels C and D a fall of 1 inch in the upper board of the reservoir will
open the valve E to the extent of three inches, the pulley D having a diameter
three times that of C.
When air under pressure is admitted through the trunk F, the reservoir is
inflated in spite of the tension of the springs BB and as the top of the chamber
rises the valve E is gradually closed, the wind being completely cut off when the
reservoir is fully inflated. If wind should be drawn off from the reservoir A for
the supply of the organ the upper board of the reservoir will sink and in so doing
will re-open the valve E, thus admitting a fresh supply of wind to maintain the
pressure in the reservoir.
The tension of the springs BB is so arranged in relation to the upward pressure
exerted by the compressed air acting upon the ribs that through a short space
of travel of the upper board the air pressure in the reservoir practically remains
constant, thus ensuring an even and uniform supply of wind under varying
demands.
This may be better understood by referring to Figure 2 which is a sectional

page_text: elevation of a part of such a reservoir. Here the wind in the reservoir A exerts a
pressure upon the inside of the ribs a a and tends to force the hinge d outwards.
The lower end of the ribs being rigidly fixed, this force is converted into an
upward thrust given to the upper board of the reservoir, which thrust is exercised
against the action of the spiral spring B.
As the pressure in the reservoir increases and the angle of the ribs a a is
reduced this upward pressure will be increased but will be duly balanced by the
increased power obtained in the stretching of the spring B. These two forces may
be calculated by the usual mechanical formula and the angle of the ribs may be
so arranged as to counterbalance the strength of the springs used.
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,
The combination of a single ribbed wind reservoir, a reducing valve and a
spring or springs substantially as and for the purposes described and illustrated.
Dated this 20th day of July 1807
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London,
Patent Agents.