Improved Apparatus for Controlling the Transmission of Impulses to the Pneumatic Levers of Organs.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 5th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1888
Improved Apparatus for Controlling the Transmission of Impulses
to the Pneumatic Levers of Organs.
I, VINCENT WILLIS of 9 Rochester Terrace, Camden Town, in the County of
Middlesex, Organ Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to certain novel means for economising time in the alterna-
tion of the stops of organs (whether actuated by slides or valves) through the medium
of compressed or attenuated air.
In applying the invention, it is important that the conventional "travel" of the
controlling mechanism, under the hands and feet of the performer, should remain
unchanged, while the impulse or energy is transmitted at the earliest practicable
portion of the travel of that mechanism.
This invention provides the means. for controlling the transmission of compressed
air, or action of attenuated air, exactly as electrical impulses or energy are trans-
mitted, as explained in the specification of a patent granted to me, and dated
January 20th 1885, No. 819, a tube replacing the electrical conductor as a
means of transmitting the motive power. for operating the pneumatic levers, or like.
apparatus.
In order to economise time to the utmost, I propose, also, to provide means
for preparing for the reversal of movement at the remote end of the system.
Taking, as an illustration of the invention, the application of the same to the
working of an ordinary draw stop, for the purpose of quickening the responsive
movement of a slide in an Organ, I link the draw stop to a compound slide valve of
peculiar construction. This compound valve consists of two sliding parts. The first,
which is connected with the draw stop, works in contact with a second slide valve,.
which bears against a fixed seat. In this seat are ports, communicating respectively
with the wind chest, and with a pipe leading to the compound pneumatic levers for
working the slide. The second slide valve, which overlies these ports, is channelled
longitudinally on its inner face, to form two distinct air passages in communication
oach with a port in the back of the valve.

page_text: A port
formed through the first slide valve, or that which is linked to the draw
stop, for the escape of air, and in rear of this port, on the inner side of the slide
valve, is a longitudinal channel, which serves to connect the two ports of the second
slide valve, and to disconnect them at pleasure. When they are connected, the air
from the wind chest will pass up by one port, through the second slide valve to the
channel in the first slide valve, then down the second port in the second slide valve to
that port in the valve seat which is connected to the air tube leading to the pneumatic
lever.
The two slide valves, which are preferably superimposed, are connected together in-
such a manner, that the one linked to the draw stop will first move independently, and
thereby bring the escape port of the second valve into communication with the port
that is always open to the air tube, and in completing its stroke, to provide for the
ordinary movement of the draw stop, the first valve will move the second valve, with-
out interfering with the air communication established for the working of the
pneumatic levers.
Similarly, when the draw stop is thrust home, instead of its complete movement
being required to cut off the supply and exhaust the pneumatic lever, a comparatively
short movement of the first slide valve will disconnect the ports of the second slide
valve, and open a vent for the,passage of the air through both valves.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1888.
'
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improved Apparatus for Controlling the Transmission” of Impulses
to the Pneumatic Levers of Organs.
I, VINCENT WILLIS, of 9 Rochester Terrace, Camden Town, in the County of
Middlesex; Organ Builder; do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed; to be particularly described' and 'ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
13
This invention relates to certain novel means for economising, time. in the alterna-
tion of the mechanical movements in organs produced by slide or other valves through
the medium of compressed or attenuated air.
In applying the invention, it is important that the conventional "travel", of the
parts actuated by the hands and feet of the performer, should remain unchanged,
while the impulse or energy is transmitted at the earliest practicable portion of that
travel.
The invention provides means for controlling the transmission of compressed air, or
action of attenuated air, to produce impulses like the impulses or energy obtained by
electricity, as explained in the specification of a patent granted to me, and dated
January 20th, 1885, No. 819, a tube in this case replacing the electrical conductor as
a means of transmitting the motive power for operating the pneumatic levers or like
apparatus.
Taking, as an illustration of the invention, the application of the saine to the
working of an ordinary draw stop, for the purpose of quickening the responsive move-
ment of a slide in an organ, I link the draw stop to a compound slide valve of peculiar
construction, through which the compressed air passes to the pneumatic lever or levers
which it is desired to set in action, whether for drawing the slides of the manual or
pedal organs, or for the tubular pneumatic work of the manual organs, or for
transmitting impulses for working pneumatic levers, however applied, in the
orgau.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shews, in sectional plan view, a compound slide valve in connection with a
draw stop suitable for obtaining the object of my invention.
In this view, the draw stop is supposed to be pushed home, and the compound slide
which it actuates is closed.
This compound valve consists of two sliding parts A, B, the part A being .connected
with the draw stop C, and bearing against the back of the part B, and the face of the
part B bearing against a valve seat D.
A', B' are pressure springs which serve to hold, respectively, the slide A in close
contact with the slide B, and the slide B in contact with the valve seat D. In this
seat are ports d, d', communicating, respectively, with the wind chest E and with a
pipe F leading to a compound pneumatic lever for working the slide of the stop to
which the draw stop' C'belongs. The slide valve B, which overlies the ports d,'d', is
·

page_text: channelled longitudinally on its face next the seat, forming two distinct air channels bb¹,
having each a port in the back of the valve.
a is a port formed through the slide valve A, for the escape of air supplied by the
compound slide valve to the pneumatic lever, and a¹ is a longitudinal channel which
serves to connect the two ports of the channels 1-(of the slide valve B) together.
When they are connected, the air from the wind chest will pass by the port of the
channel through the port of the channel, and thence, by the port d', to the air
tube F, leading to the pneumatic lever.
The two slide valves A, B, are caused to interlock in such a manner that the valve A,
linked to the draw stop, will, as the knob is drawn out, first move independently, and
thereby bring the air supply port 6 into communication with the channel, which is
always open to the air tube F. In completing its stroke to provide for the ordinary
movement of the draw stop, the valve A will move the valve B without interfering
with the air communication established for the working of the pneumatic lever.
Similarly, when the draw stop is thrust home, instead of its complete movement
being required to cut off the supply, and exhaust the pneumatic lever, a comparatively
short movement of the slide valve A will disconnect the ports of the slide
valve B from one another, and open a vent for the passage of the air through both
valves.
This action of the compound valve, to quicken the inflation and the exhaustion of
the pneumatic lever, will be better understood by reference. to Figs. 2, 3, and 4,
which shew, in horizontal section, the valve in different positions.
I have said that at Fig. 1 the compound valve is closed. In this position, a free
passage is open for the escape, into the atmosphere, of the compressed air used in
inflating the pneumatic lever.
At Fig. 2, the slide valve A is drawn into a position which establishes communica-
tion between the wind chest E and air pipe F, and that without moving the slide
valve B. At this time the draw stop has moved only one third of its conventional
travel, and yet the pneumatic lever is put into action.
The remaining part of the conventional travel of the draw stop brings the com-
pound valve into the position shewn at Fig. 3, the part B travelling with the part A
during the remainder of its journey. No change, however, is effected in the air com-
munication between the wind chest and the pneumatic lever by this movement, but by
the admission of air to the pneumatic lever through the intervention of the compound
slide valve, a material saving of time has resulted.
A similar advantage in point of time is effected on the shutting of the stop; thus,
by pushing in the draw stop some one sixth of its conventional travel, communication
with the air chest will be cut off, as shewn in the sectional plan Fig. 4, and by the time
that the draw stop has made one third of its back movement, a passage for the escape
of the air from the pneumatic lever will be opened, as indicated by the dotied lines in
Fig. 4.
From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the compound valve
admits of application, wherever, in the organ, an impulse is required to be quickened.
The form of the valve admits of modification to suit varying circumstances, but in
general i prefer to employ the flat slide valve of Figs. 1 to 4, as that construction
offers' facilities for close packing, as illustrated in the side elevation, Fig. 5, which
shows a group of four compound valves set one above the other.
When adapting my invention to the drawing of a "combination" of stops, it will only
be necessary to enlarge the capacity of the valve for transmitting air, and to form,
in the valve seat, separate channels for communicating by pipes with the pneumatic
levers belonging to the group of stops constituting the "Combination."
Fig. 6 shews in plan view, Fig. 7 in end elevation, and Fig. 8 in side elevation, the
mode of adapting the invention to the drawing of two combinations of stops, each of
such stops being, however, capable of being drawn independently of the others with
which it is grouped.
The same letters of reference are applied to these Figures as those used in the pre-
ceding description.

page_text: The valve seat D is, in this case, a block of wood, pierced, as at E, to form the
wind chest, and the port d' is elongated to enable it to communicate with a group of
channels d², leading cach to an air pipe F in communication with their respective
pneumatic levers, which operate the slides of the "Combination."
To permit of each slide being drawn independently, when so required, I interpose,
between the compound slide valve and the pneumatic lever of each stop, a controlling
valve G. This valve, which consists of a hollow triangle, is free to slide in a valve
box which takes the form of the valve, but has such a capacity as will permit of the
valve sliding freely therein.
The triangular valve box has an air opening in each of its sides, and it has also an
opening at bottom. This bottom opening is always in communication with the central
space in the valve, whatever its position in the valve box.
in
The opening g of the several valve boxes is in communication with a pipe F leading
from the seat of the slide valve of the "Combination" stop, and the openings
the bottom of the valve boxes communicate, severally, through the pipes F*, with the
pneumatic levers which operate their respective slides.
Similarly, the openings g, g³, admit air to the valve box by means of draw stops
acting as explained with reference to Figs. 1 to 5.
When the "Combination" is required to be drawn, the air traversing the open
channels in the compound slide valve, will enter into each valve box of the group by
the openings g, force forward the valves of the respective boxes, and close the
openings gg. The air will then pass down through the valves, out of the valvo
boxes at the openings g¹, and entering the pipes F*, will actuate the pneumatic levers
of the respective slides of the group or "Combination."
Supposing, now, that it is desired to select for use from the "Combination," some
one stop, say that to which the valve box G* belongs, the draw stop knob commanding
that stop will be drawn to admit wind to the valve box G*, either by the opening g² or g³,
as the case may be.
On thus admitting wind to the valve box, it will press on the flat face of the valve
opposed to it, and cause the valve to close the openings in the other sides of the valve
box. The wind will then pass through the valve, and so to the pneumatic lover which
controls the stop in question, thereby enabling the player to use that stop without
regard to the fact that it forms part of a determined or fixed "Combination."
It should be remarked that whether the draw stop commanding either the
opening g² or g³ is drawn or pushed home, the "Combination " will not be affected
thereby when the player desires to use the "Combination," as the admission of wind
by the opening g, will shift the valve so as to allow of air passing freely from the com-
pound slide valve to the pneumatic lever, as before, without an escape of wind from
the valve box otherwise than to the pneumatic lever.
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 means above described for quickening the mechanical movements in organs
effected through the intervention of pneumatic levers, or their equivalent, without
changing the conventional travel of the parts actuated by the hands and feet of the
performer.