IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING HARMONIUMS WITH PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Leonard Küstner of Hamburg, German Empire Music
Master, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING HARMONIUMS WITH
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leonard Küstner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th August 1882.
LEONARD KÜSTNER of Hamburg, German Empire Music Master.
MENTS IN COMBINING HARMONIUMS WITH PIANOS
>>
** IMPROVE-
The invention relates to improvements in harmoniums which are to be connected
with pianos, and the object of the improvements is to combine a harmonium with
a piano in such a manner as to allow of the coupling and the uncoupling of the
finger boards of both instruments easily and to facilitate the application of the
piano's pedal while moving the pedal of the harmonium.
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying sheet
of Drawings in which.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the combined instruments, Figure 2 a vertical
section thereof on the line x. u. z. and Figure 3 one on the line z. u. z. Figure 4 is
a top view, and the Figures 5 to 8 are detailed views of the coupling mechanism.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The
The two cases A and A' of the bellows which are moved by the pedals a. a'. are
connected by the trapeziform box B. which contains the collecting bellows b.
latter are blown up by the air supplied from the side bellows and feed by the
pipe c. the reeds placed in the casing C. The forte pedal of the piano is provided
with a prolongation or shoe d in order to allow its application while moving the
pedals of the harmonium; this prolongation may be pressed down by the heel of
the person playing the instruments whilst the pedal a' is kept in motion by the
point of the foot.
The key board of the harmonium is placed above the piano's, the coupling of
both is executed in the following manner. The two stops e are connected with
levers e¹, which bear on the arms below the fulcrum c. the traverse e³. reaching
This traverse e². is
from one end of the harmoniums key board to the other.

page_text: perforated by holes, the number of which corresponds with the number of the
keys of the harmonium through each hole passes a pin e³; binged to the lever e³ of
the harmonium's key. (Figure 7) These pins connect the keys of the piano with
the keys of the harmonium in such a manner that by pressing down the piano key
the arm of the key lever f behind the fulcrum f¹ lifts the pin e. and therewith the
hind end of the lever es. of the corresponding harmonium key, thus producing the
same effect as by pressing down the harmonium key itself.
When the harmonium keys are to be uncoupled, the stop c. (either the right one
or the left one or both together) is pushed backwards, and therewith the lever e',
is brought in such a position as shewn in Figure 8 thus placing by means of the
traverse e the pins e³, above the grooves ft. of the levers f, of the piano keys.
To combine such a harmonium with a piano, the cases A. A. are pushed under
the piano's key board frame and the upper part of the harmonium rests with its
base plate g. in two brackets h. fastened at both sides of the piano's key-board
frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Leonard Küstner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd February 1883.
LEONARD KÜSTNER of Hamburg, German Empire Music Master "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COMBINING HARMONIUMS WITH PIANOS
"
The Invention relates to improvements in harmoniums which are to be
connected with pianos, and the object of the improvements is to combine &
harmonium with a piano in such a manner as to allow of the coupling and the
uncoupling of the finger boards of both instruments easily, and to facilitate the
application of the piano's pedal while moving the pedal of the harmonium.
I attain the objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the combined instrument,
Figure 2 a vertical section thereof on the line x. u. z. and Figure 3 one on the
line
yuz Figure 4 is a top view; and the Figures 5 to 8 are detailed views of
the coupling mechanism.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
.
The two cases A and A¹ of the bellows which are moved by the pedals a. a'. are
connected by the trapeziform box B which contains the collecting bellows b. The
latter are blown up by the air supplied from the side bellows and fed by the pipe c.
the reeds placed in the casing C, The forte pedal of the piano is provided with a
prolongation or shoe d, in order to allow its application while moving the pedals
of the harmonium this prolongation may be pressed down by the heel of the person
playing the instruments whilst the pedal a'. is kept in motion by the point of the
foot.
The key board of the harmonium is placed above the keyboard of the piano,
the coupling of both is executed in the following manner. The two stops e are
connected with levers e¹, which bear on the arms below the fulcrum e. the
traverse e. reaching from one end of the keyboard of the harmonium to the other.
This traverse e² is perforated by holes, the number of which corresponds with the
number of the keys of the harmonium, through each hole passes a pin e³, hinged
to the lever e. of the harmonium's key. (Figure 7). These pins connect the keys of
the piano with the keys of the harmonium, in such a manner, that by pressing
down the piano key, the arm of the key lever f behind the fulcrum f' lifts
the pin and therewith the hind end of the lever e³. of the corresponding
harmonium key, thus producing the same effect as by pressing down the harmonium
key itself.
When the harmonium keys are to be uncoupled, the stop e, (either the right one
or the left one or both together) is pushed backwards, and therewith the lever e¹,
is brought in such a position as shewn in Figure 8, thus placing by means of the
traverse e the pins e. above the grooves f*, of the levers f of the piano keys.
To combine such a harmonium with a piano, the cases A. A'. are pushed under
the piano's key-board frame and the upper part of the harmonium rests with its
base plate g, in two brackets h, fastened at both sides of the piano's key board
frame.
Having thus fully described my Invention, what I desire to claim and secure by
Letters Patent is:-
1st The combination of a piano with a harmonium substantially as set forth.
2nd. In a harmonium connected with a piano the combination of the stops e,
the levers e¹. the traverse e³, and the pins e³, with the key levers f of the piano
substantially as described.

page_text: 3rd. In a piano connected with a harmonium the combination of the prolongation
or shoe d. of the forte pedal with the pedal a¹. of the harmonium substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof I the said Leonard Küstner have hereunto set my band
and seal this First day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
LEONARD KUSTNER (L.S.)