A New or Improved Organ Attachment for Pianos.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Organ Attachment for Pianos.
I, SAMUEL HOWARD of Swan Street, Manchester, Pianoforte Dealer, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists essentially of an organ attachment for Pianos, construc-
ted, arranged and adapted as hereinafter described, and by which a piano, whilst
capable of being played as a piano only, can be also played as a combined piano
and organ, or by the depression of the soft pedal be played as an organ only.
In carrying out my invention, I mount the piano upon a box, casing or hollow
plinth, of about 6 to 8 inches in depth and of a length and width corresponding
(by preference) to the full length and width of the piano. Upon, or about, this
casing I mount a suitable foot pedal, and within such casing I fit the feeder'
and reserver of an organ bellows, communicating by suitable means with each.
other, and the latter (reserver) communicating by a pipe or tube with an organ.
reed box or cavity board. This latter is (by preference) fixed behind the bottom
door of the piano, and the palletts of such reed box are each formed with a suitable
extension, which extends beyond the edge of the box, and over a pin or projection
on a sticker' rod running in guides or registers'.. Each sticker' rod is also
formed at its
with a
further pin or projection, which
normally rests upon and suspends the rod from the rear end of one of the keys of
the piano.
upper end
6
As, therefore, the piano keys are operated (depressed) in the ordinary way, they.
raise the 'sticker' rods, which in turn lift the pallets of the reed box, and by
the operation of the player's foot upon the pedal aforesaid, it will be apparent that
a combined organ and piano effect is obtained. When the player removes his or
her foot from the said pedal the instrument has a piano effect only, and for enabling
the organ attachment to be entirely shut off at such times, I arrange a board or
rail beneath the lower ends of said sticker rods, connected by suitable means to
a handle, or foot pedal, and by the raising of which rail all the 'sticker' rods are
pushed up and held clear of the piano keys, and by the lowering of which rail
they can be readily dropped on to the keys again.
By this same rail I also provide means whereby all the palletts of the reed box
can be raised at one operation and the playing of the organ be instantly stopped.
Dated this 9th day of January 1897.

page_text: formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
My invention consists of an organ attachment for Pianos, constructed, arranged and
adapted as hereinafter described by which a piano, whilst earable of being played
as a piano only (without the touch being changed or impaired), can also be played
as a combined piano and organ, or (by the depression of the 'soft' pedal) be
played as an organ only.
In carrying out my invention, I mount the piano upon a (by preference) wooden
box, casing or hollow plinth, of about 6 inches in depth, and of a length and
width corresponding (by preference) to the length and width of the piano. Upon,
or about, this casing I mount a suitable foot pedud, and within such casing I fit
the 'feeder' and 'reservoir of an organ bellows, communicating by suitable means
with each other, and the latter (reservoir) communicating by a pipe or tube with
an organ reed-box or cavity board fixed (by preference) behind the bottom door
of the piano, and as near to the vibrating strings of each note as possible. The
palletts of such reed box are so arranged as to be operated by the piano keys, and
for that purpose may be formed with arms or extensions which extend bevond the
edge of the box, and over a pin or projection on a sticker' rod running in guides
or registers. Each sticker' rod is also formed at its upper end with a further
pin or projection which normally rests upon and suspends the rod from the rear
end of one of the keys of the piano.
When the piano keys are operated (depressed) in the usual way they raise, the
sticker rods, which in turn lift the pallets of the reed box, and by the operation
of the players foot upon the pedal aforesaid, a combined organ-and-piano' effect.
is obtained. When the player removes his or her foot from the sail pedal, the
instrument has a piano effect only, and for enabling the organ attachment to be
entirely shut off at such times, I arrange a board or rail beneath the lower ends
of the sticker rods, which, when raised by a suitable stop, handle or pedal, serves
to lift the sticker rods and to retain them clear of the piano keys.
And in order that my said invention may be more readily understood and carried
into practical effect I have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings, and will
now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the various figures and
letters of reference marked thereon.
On sheet one,-
Fig. I is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation of a piano with my in-
vention applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a plan of the base or plinth aforesaid, and shew-
ing the position of the piano thereon in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a side or end view
of the plinth.
On sheet two,
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the said plinth, and Fig. 6 a part plan. Fig. 7
is an enlarged detail section of the keyboard of a piano, and shewing the relation
of my improved organ attachment thereto. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are similar views of
modifications. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of a modified construction of
reed box. Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate a modified arrangement of bellows.
In accordance with my invention I employ a box, casing or hollow plinth (A).
by preference, of wood, and either open or closed on its underside, and fitted with
runners (A) to facilitate its removal. Upon this plinth I mount the piano to
which it is desired to apply the organ, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.
Within this plinth I mount the 'feeder' (C) and reservoir' (D) (or bellows)
of an organ, and I connect such feeder' and 'reservoir' by air holes (E) and air
channels (F) formed in the substance of the plinth, and covered by board (C).
These channels may be formed in the board (G), or in any other suitable part of
the plinth, or in any suitable way. The holes (F) are provided with flexible valve
strips (H) (H), which cover and uncover the holes (E) with the movements of the
'feeder and reservoir' under the action of a suitable foot-pedal (I), rod (J),
spring (K) (operating upon the 'feeder'), and spring (L) (acting on the 'reservoir').
In the top of the plinth I form an opening (M) (leading into the 'reservoir')

page_text: and over such opening I mount a pipe (N). Over this pipe one end of a flexible
tube (0) is placed, whilst the other end of such tube fits over a similar pipe (P)
communicating with the exhaust outlet of an organ reed box (Q) (see Figs. 2, 5
7). This reed box or cavity board is of any suitable construction, and com
prises 1, 2, 3, 4 or more 'sets of reeds, with or without 'mutes' or swell boards.
Each pallet is connected to an extension (R) hinged at end (R) to the reed box
and at the opposite end taking over or engaging with a projection or collar (S)
upon a sticker' rod (T). These sticker' rods are mounted in guides or
registers (T) and are suspended from the rear extremities of the keys (U) of the
piano by projection or collar (T2) as illustrated. As such keys are depressed,, and
operate the ordinary piano action, they raise the sticker' rods, and so also open
or uncover the respective reeds of the cavity board, which (when the bellows are
operated by the foot-pedal (I) correspond in note ana pitch to those of the keys by
which they are operated.
In such way I get a combined piano and organ, with facilities for enriching
the melody, or giving new and novel musical effects, and by the efforts of one person
only.
To disconnect the organ from the piano when it is desired to play the piano
alone, or to enable the organ to be instantly stopped, I provide a rail, or board (V),
placed as shewn in Fig. 7 and under the action of a suitable 'stop' or treadle
caused to raise, lift and retain the whole of the sticker' rods. clear of the piano
keys.
6
To play the instrument as an organ only, and to muffle or obliterate the sound
of the piano, I arrange for the usual 'soft' pedal to have two degrees of movement,
the first movement to serve for muffling to the ordinary extent, and the second
and further movement, in conjunction with an extra thickness of muffling felt,
to entirely silence the piano.
In Fig. 8 I shew a modification of my invention, in which the reed box or cavity
board is placed directly beneath the forward half of the piano, keys, and, the
pallets (V) of which are caused to uncover their respective reed openings by the
action of the keys on 'sticker' pins (W).
In this modification the pallets are held to their reed openings by small
springs (X). To maintain the even balance of the keys and to allow for the resis-
tance of the springs (which is very slight), the small lead insertion at (Y) is
slightly cut away, or reduced. To enable the tube (P) to pass up within the piano
casing, I provide a box or air conveyer (Z).
To simplify the action of my improved organ attachment, and to improve the
tone, I may arrange for the piano keys to operate the pallets of the reed box (Q)
in the manner shewn in Fig. 9 i.e. with the pallets (R) secured direct to the
keys (U), and in so doing permit of the cavity board being brought much closer
to the piano strings, with the advantage of the exhausting action of the organ
tending to prolong or intensify the vibrations of the strings (X). I may also
arrange for the pallets to operate by weights (R2) when releived of the piano
keys (U) as shewn in Fig. 10.
A further refinement of my invention consists in dividing the reed box (Q) into
two or more parts and providing an exhausting tube (0) for each division as shewn
in Figs. 9 and II, so that with the aid of shutters or stops (Q¹) for opening and
closing each division operated by plungers (Q2), hinged presses plates (Q3) and
'stops' (Q), with inclined parts (Q³), the bass' only, or the treble only, of the organ
may be brought into operation. To permit of this last modification being readily
applied I vary the arrangement or grouping of the organ bellows in the plinth (A)
as shewn in Figs. 12 and 13, making the reservoir' (D) to extend (almost the whole
length of the plinth, and dividing the 'feeder' into two parts (C) and (C), with the
pedal (I) arranged centrally and the pedal rod (J) acting opon both parts of the.
feeder' as shewn more clearly in Fig. 12. I may employ this same arrangement
of bellows with the single exhausting tube and single reed box, since it allows

page_text: of the pedal (I) being placed centrally in the length of the piano as aforesaid, and
has a better appearance.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise position
of the reed box and the connection therewith of the piano keys, or plinth as the
same may be varied without departing from my invention, and what I claim is ;-
1: A plinth or casing containing the bellows ('feeder' and 'reservoir') of an
organ, in combination with a piano placed upon it, and containing an organ reed
box, capable of being operated upon by the action of the piano keys, and by the
bellows in the plinth, as set forth.
2: The combination of plinth (A), 'feeder' (C) (in one or more parts),
' reservoir' (D), pipe (or pipes) (0), foot-treadle (I), as set forth, and shewn in
Figs. 5, 6, 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.
3: The improved combined organ attachment for pianos with the pallets of the
reed box operated by the keys of the piano as herein described and shewn in
Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 respectively of the accompanying drawings.
4 The modified construction of reed box shewn in Figs. 9 and 11 with
shutters or stops, n combination with pipes (0) and bellows in plinth (A), as set
forth.
5: In means for obtaining a combined piano and organ effect or organ effect only,
the combination and arrangements of parts herein set forth, and illustrated on the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 9th day of October 1897
SAMUEL HOWARD,
by John G. Wilson & Co., Agents: