NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLIED TO ORGANS, HARMONIUMS, AND OTHER FREE REED INSTRUMENTS FOR TUNING SAME
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Maria Procopé at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 15th February 1876.
MARIA PROCOPE, of Stockholm, Sweden, but at present of 33, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex. "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS APPLIED TO ORGANS,
HARMONIUMS, AND OTHER FREE REED INSTRUMENTS FOR TUNING SAME."
The objects of this Invention are to provide means for the tuning of organs,
harmoniums, and other free reed instruments which shall be effective, lasting, and
cheap, all as herein-after described.
I employ a movable or adjustable spring or slide or screw mechanism which is
placed against the upper or lower side of each of the vibrating tongues of the
instrument, and I arrange the adjustment of this mechanism so that it can be
moved backwards or forwards relatively to the vibrating tongue, and thus lengthen
or shorten the vibrating part of the latter for the purpose of altering the pitch of
the note produced thereby.
According to one mode of carrying this Invention into effect I employ a spring,
the outer bent end of which is placed against the upper part of the vibrating
tongue, the inner or front end of the spring is bent at right angles, and to this part
is connected a regulating screw or lever or a lever and screw; by moving the lever
or by turning the screw (by means of a knob with milled edge or by key or
spanner) the spring is caused to move backwards or forwards as required; the
spring works in a carriage or groove in such manner that it is well supported
therein, the outer free end being as short as possible. The spring may be formed
with a slot, and be held down by two screws fitting in the slot.
In order to render the spring more lasting the free end of same may be held down
and supported by means of a set screw, or by making the free end of the spring
without a bent down part, the set screw may be made to pass through the spring
with its point, and this point then is brought against the tongue as required, or a
rigid slide may be used instead of a spring.
According to a modification I employ a spindle formed with a head at its outer
end, and this head comes against the upper or under side of the vibrating tongue.
The spindle is made to turn by means of knob or key.
According to one mode the spindle is prevented from moving endways, and I
form the head with projecting spiral thread on its circumference, and according to

page_text: the part of the thread which comes in contact with the vibrating tongue so is the
regulation of its note effected.
According to another mode I form the head plain, and form the spindle as a screw
working in a nut, and by turning this screw the head is brought backward or
forward relatively to the vibrating tongue. If the screw is made without head and
is brought down close against the vibrating tongue the same object may be attained,
but the vibrating tongue instead of being held in place by a screw in the middle
must then be notched on each side and held by screws fitting in said notches..
In order to prevent over turning so as to disarrange the instrument a regulating
screw may be employed of the following description:-I form it with two screwed
parts of equal length, each fitting in its nut, and the plain turned down part
between and the outer free end or distance to the head I make of a slightly greater
length than each screwed part, if the screw then is turned so far as to leave the nuts
any further turning will cause no damage.
The aforesaid improved mechanisms or parts may be combined in various ways.
In some cases I employ a double regulating mechanism for a vibrating tongue.