IMPROVEMENTS IN ORGANS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Augustin Ornano Mackenzie, of 54, Broad
Street, Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN ORGANS."
Sealed the 12th September 1871, and dated the 16th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Augustin
Ornano Mackenzie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 16th March 1871.
I, HENRY AUGUSTIN ORNANO MACKENZIE, of 54, Broad Street,
Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORGANS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus for opening the pallets of organs.
as required with increased facility, and consists in adapting and applying
between the ordinary pull-down wire connected to the pallet and the
ordinary tracker leading from the key a pair of levers and links, so
formed and arranged as to give to the key increased acting power over
the pallet in order to open it and to reduce that power rapidly as the

page_text: pallet continues to open, and the resistance to its opening decreases.
For this purpose the pull-down wire is connected to a balanced lever,
and the tracker to another balanced lever by suitable links. These two
levers overlap each other and are adapted to work together in the
manner herein-after stated. When the pallet is closed the extreme end
of the lever connected to the pull-down wire holds up the lever con-
nected to the tracker, so that the end of the last-mentioned lever is a
short distance, say, one-sixteenth of an inch (as may be required) from
the first-mentioned lever. If the tracker be now pulled down it will
draw both levers with it, and the power exerted will be that due to the
combined action of both levers, having a tendency to open the pallet,
until the end of the tracker lever is brought in contact with the pull-
down wire lever, at a point in a line with the connections of the two
links with the levers. From this point the levers cease to act as levers,
and the power exerted on the pull-down wire will simply correspond
with that applied to the tracker.
The said levers may be applied in a horizontal position and connected
with a vertical tracker, or they may be placed vertically and connected
with a horizontal tracker, in which case they would not require balance
weights. The said levers may also if preferred be connected with
"stickers" instead of trackers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Augustin Ornano Mackenzie in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 15th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
AUGUSTÍN ORNANO MACKENZIE, of 54, Broad Street, Bloomsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Augustin Ornano Mackenzie,
Her special licence that I, the said Henry Augustin Ornano Mackenzie,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Augustin Ornano Mackenzie, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORGANS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Augustin Ornano Mackenzie,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same.
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after tho.
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Augustin Ornano Mackenzie,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) -
My Invention of "Improvements in Organs" relates to apparatus for
opening the pallets of organs as required with increased facility, and
consists in adapting and applying between the ordinary pull-down wire
connected to the pallet and the ordinary tracker leading from the key a
pair of levers and links, so formed and arranged as to give to the key
increased acting power over the pallet in order to open it, and to reduce
that power rapidly as the pallet continues to open and the resistance to
its opening decreases. For this purpose the pull-down wire is connected
to a lever and the tracker to another lever by suitable links. These
two levers overlap each other, and are adapted to work together in the
manner herein-after stated. When the pallet is closed the extreme end
of the lever connected to the pull-down wire holds up the lever con-
nected to the tracker, so that the end of the last-mentioned lever is a
short distance, say, one-sixteenth of an inch (as may be required) from the
first-mentioned lever. If the tracker be now pulled down it will draw
both levers with it, and the power exerted will be that due to the
combined action of both levers having a tendency to open the pallet
until the end of the tracker lever is brought in contact with the pull-
down wire lever at a point in a line, or nearly so, with the connections
of the two links with the levers. From this point the levers cease to

page_text: Fig. 1 is a vertical section shewing the relief action apparatus con-
nected with an ordinary pallet; Fig. 2 represents the apparatus in
transverse section; and Fig. 3 is a plan or horizontal view. In these
several Figures the same letters of reference indicate correspónding
parts.
A is the ordinary pallet; B is the pull-down wire; C is the wire and
tracker connected with the key. To the pull-down wire B is suspended
a short piece of screwed wire D, having upon it a button for holding
the upper end of the link E, the lower end of which link is connected
to the lever F which moves on the fulcrum G. The end of the tracker
wire C leading from the key is connected to the lower end of the link K,
the upper end of which is connected to the lever L which moves on the
fulcrum M. When the pallet A is closed, as shewn, the extreme point
of the lever F is in contact with the under side of the lever L, and the
end of the lever L is about one-sixteenth of an inch (as may be required)
'from the upper side of the lever F. If the tracker C be now pulled
-down it will draw the levers L and F with it, and will exert a power on
the pull-down wire D proportional to the lengths of the levers and the
distances of their points of contact from their respective fulcrums M
and G, and the connections of the links E and K. As the lever L is
drawn downwards a point thereof under its connection with the link K
will be caused to touch and bear upon the lever F, when the power
exerted on the tracker C and transmitted therefrom to the pull-down D
will become equal, and also the travel of the tracker and the pull-down
will be equal, so that the opening of the pallet A for the first sixteenth
of an inch or thereabouts is obtained with the increase of power due to

page_text: the differences of the distances of the points of contact and fulcrums,
as above described, whereas the further opening of the pallet is effected
with only the same power as that which acts upon the tracker C. The
small loss of travel (about one-sixteenth of an inch or thereabouts)
due to the gain of power obtained at the first opening of the pallet is
recovered when the resistance to its opening is at a minimum by making
the extreme point of the lever L extend beyond the point immediately
under the connection with the link K, and forming the end of the lever
so that its extreme point will not be caused to touch the lever F until
the last sixteenth or eighth of an inch of the pallet's opening, as shewn
by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The contact portion of the upper edge of
the lever For the lower edge of the lever L is made of such a curvature
that the passage of the point of contact, as the levers move upon cach
other, is what is commonly termed a rolling contact, whereby the
change from the one power to the other (above described) is gradual
and not perceptible by the touch of the finger upon the key. The
lever Land the action are returned by means of the spring y, which is
only strong enough for this purpose, thereby obviating the necessity
for making the pallet spring a of sufficient strength to return the action
as is usual, which spring is now only required to hold up the lever F
and link E, and to keep the pallet closed. By the use of the spring y
for the purpose the need of balance weights applied to the levers is
dispensed with, and a saving of space occupied by the action is effected.
From the foregoing description of the action it will be seen that
considerable power over the movement of the pallet is given to the
key during the first part of the pallet's opening, such power being
reduced rapidly as the pallet is further opened, and the resistance to
its movement decreases; also that the usual amount of opening is given
to the pallet, and the usual range of descent to the key.
The apparatus need not be fixed in a horizontal position, as shewn,
but may, if preferred, be placed elsewhere on the trackers of the organ,
and not necessarily near the wind chest, as shown.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I
claim as of my Invention is,-
First. The combination of levers and their connections adapted to
give increased power to the key for opening the pallet, and to reduce
the power rapidly as the pallet continues to open, thereby equalizing the

page_text: pressure required to be put upon the key for the purpose throughout
the movement, as described.
And, secondly. The formation of the levers with curved touching
edges in order to produce a rolling contact between the levers when in
action, thereby producing a smooth and even touch, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Augustin Ornano Mackenzie,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-onc.
Witness,
W. A. JACKSON,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
H. A. O. MACKENZIE. (L.S.)