IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES, AMERICAN ORGANS, AND LIKE REED INSTRUMENTS.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Robinson, of 28, Oxford Street, Swansea, in the
County of Glamorgan, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES,
AMERICAN ORGANS, AND LIKE REED INSTRUMENTS.'
"
Sealed the 13th January 1880, and dated the 17th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Robinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th July 1879.
JOSEPH ROBINSON, of 28, Oxford Street, Swansea, in the County of 'Glamorgan.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES, AMERICAN ORGANS, AND LIKE REED INSTRU-
MENTS."
•
This Invention has for its object improvements in pianofortes, American organs,
and like reed instruments.
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, No. 2449, in the year 1876,
I have described the combination with pianofortes or reed instruments in such
manner that the valve levers of the reed instrument are immediately beneath the
keys of the piano.
The valve levers are operated upon and caused to open when the keys are
depressed by pegs or screws fixed in the under sides of the keys, and the pianoforte
hammers can when desired be rendered inoperative either in the treble of base, or
both, by raising them up and holding them in such a position that they are no
longer acted on by the keys. In combined instruments in which it is wished to
have the power to put the reed instrument out of action from time to time, so that
the piano alone may be used, the reed instrument is hung upon centres, about
which it can be made to turn, and this motion removes the valve levers out of reach
of the pegs or screws upon the pianoforte keys.
In this arrangement, however, the reed instrument must either be put for the
time wholly out of use, or else throughout the whole length of the key board (in
the treble as well as in the base) the valve levers of the reed instrument must be
operated on when the keys are depressed, although it is not necessary that the
reeds should sound, for the stops may be so arranged that they may be open in the
base whilst closed in the treble, and vice versa. By my present Invention I am
enabled to make use of the reed instrument in one part of the key board either
alone or conjointly with the piano, whilst in another part of the key board the

page_text: piano alone is available for use, and without being encombered by any connection
with the reed instrument, the piano keys then having no action upon the levers of
-the-reed-instrument. For this purpose I interpose between the piano keys and the
valve levers of the reed instrument separate plungers; these are held in guides, in-
which they can be moved up and down, and the guides themselves are moveable,
being so mounted or centred-that-they can be turned partly round; by which move-
ment the upper ends of the plungers are removed out of the way of the keys, so
that the keys when depressed no longer come into contact with them, and conse-
quently no longer operate-the-valve-levers. The keys and the piano in this part
of the key board are then used with the same freedom as if the reed instrument
were not there. The guides carrying the plungers are arranged in separate sets in
the base and in the treble, and are controlled separately; the pianoforte hammers are,
as in my original instrument, raised when it is desired to put them out of action,
and the lifting mechanism may be coupled with the guides of the plungers so that
by the movement of one lever or draw stop the change may be made from the piano
to the reed instrument, or vice versa.
-
I arrange the wind chest of the American organ behind the bottom door of the
piano, or that portion of the front of the case below the key board. The cavity
board of the American organ is, as will be seen from the foregoing description,
beneath the key board of the piano, and beneath this again I place the bellows by
which the air is withdrawn from the wind chest, producing in turn the indraft of
air through the reeds when the air valves are opened by the action of the finger
keys. I couple these suction bellows with portable treddles arranged when the
instrument is in use one on either side of the ordinary pedals of the piano. When
a harmonium is combined with the piano small feed bellows take the place of the
treddles mentioned above. In order that whilst the treddles or feed bellows are
being worked by the musician he may be able to operate the forte movement of
the piano without removing his hands from the key board, I substitute a knee
pedal for the forte pedal of the piano; it is arranged upon an hinge, and when
turned by the pressure of the knee against it, it thrusts in a rod, and so operates
the mechanism which is usually worked by the forte pedal.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters aven
the said Joseph Robinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
January 1880.
JOSEPH ROBINSON, of 28, Oxford Street, Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan.,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES, AMERICAN ORGANS, AND LIKE REED INSTRU-
MENTS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in pianofortes, American organs,
and like reed instruments.
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, No. 2449, in the year
1876, I have described the combination with pianofortes of reed instruments in
such manner that the valve levers of the reed instrument are immediately beneath
the keys of the piano.
The valve levers are operated upon and caused to open when the keys are
depressed by pegs or screws fixed in the under sides of the keys, and the piano-
forte hammers can, when desired, be rendered inoperative either in the treble or
bass, or both, by raising them up and holding them in such a position that they
are no longer acted on by the keys. In combined instruments in which it is wished
to have the power to put the reed instrument out of action from time to time, so
that the piano alone may be used, the reed instrument is hung upon centres, about
which it can be made to turn, and this motion removes the valve levers out of
reach of the pegs or screws upon the pianoforte keys: In this arrangement, how-
ever, the reed instrument must either be put for the time wholly out of use, or else
throughout the whole length of the key board (in the treble as well as in the bass)
the valve levers of the reed instrument must be operated on when the keys are
depressed, although it is not necessary that the reeds should sound, for the stops
may be so arranged that they may be open in the bass whilst closed in the treble,
and vice versa. By my present Invention I am enabled to make use of the reed
instrument in one part of the key board, either alone or conjointly with the piano,
whilst in another part of the key board the piano alone is available for use, and
without being encumbered by any connection with the reed instrument, the piano
keys then having no action upon the levers or instruments for opening the valves
of the reed instrument. For this purpose I interpose between the piano keys and
the valves of the reed instrument separate plungers; these are held in guides, in
which they can be moved up and down, and the guides themselves are moveable,
being so mounted or centred that they can be turned partly round, by which move-
ment the upper ends of the plungers are removed out of the way of the keys, so
that the keys when depressed no longer come into contact with them, and conse-
quently no longer operate the valve levers; the keys and the piano in this part of
the key board are then used with the same freedom as if the reed instrument were
not there. The guides carrying the plungers are arranged in separate sets in the
bass and in the treble, and are controlled separately. The form of the plungers or
intermediate instruments interposed between the finger keys and valves may be
varied so long as these instruments are made capable of being moved by the per-
former from a position in which they are operative on the valves to another
position in which they are inoperative. The pianoforte hammers are, as in my
original instrument, raised when it is desired to put them out of action.
I arrange the wind chest of the American organ behind the bottom door of the
piano, or that portion of the front of the case below the key board.
The cavity
board of the American organ is, as will be seen from the foregoing description,
beneath the key board of the piano, and beneath this again I place the bellows by
which the air is withdrawn from the wind chest, producing in turn the indraft of
air through the reeds when the air valves are opened by the action of the finger
keys. I couple these suction bellows with portable treddles arranged when the

page_text: instrument is in use one on either side of the ordinary pedals of the piano. In
order that whilst the treddles or feed bellows are being worked by the musician he
_may_be-able-to-operate-the-forte-movement-of-the-piano-without removing his
hands from the key board, I substitute a knee pedal for the forte pedal of the
piano. It is arranged upon-an hinge, and when turned by the pressure of the knee
against it, it thrusts in a rod and so operates the mechanism which is usually
worked by the forte pedal.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a combined piano and American organ con-
structed in accordance with my Invention.
a, a, are iron bars, which are substituted for the wooden cross bars generally
employed to support the key rail. These intermediate bars, of which I employ
three in the length of the instrument, are flanged at their ends and are attached by
screws to the front and back longitudinal bars of the key frame. The key frame
rests upon longitudinal bearers of the main frame of the instrument, as the Drawing
shows. Screws serve to attach the key frame to the bearers, and also the key rail
to the bars a; b is one of the ordinary piano finger keys, and by an ordinary piano
action the keys b give motion to the hammers c, and operate the dampers d; e, e,
are the piano strings; f is a rail pivotted at f¹, and by means of a connection with
a slide or drawer, and intermediate levers and connections, the performer can when
he desires cause the rail f to turn on its pivots. The hinder edge of the rail is so
made to rise against projections with which the stickers are provided, as is shown,
and so the stickers are lifted, carrying the hammers with them, until their heads
are in contact with the strings; when this is done the piano ceases to sound when
the keys are struck; g is the cavity board of an American organ, it is fixed to the
frame of the instrument underneath the keys b, b.
The valves are of the usual construction; buttons are attached to them, which
project above the cavity board, and when these buttons are pushed down the
valves are opened. Between the keys band the buttons I arrange a guide i,
carrying plungers i¹. A transverse section of the guide and plungers is shown full
size at Figure 2; in the same Figure also the piano key is shown, and the button h
of the valve. Figure 3 represents the same parts, but with the guide in such a
position that the American organ is not operated when the finger keys are put
down. The guide i turns upon pivots i* at its ends, which are carried in brackets
fixed to the frame of the instrument.
The top and bottom flanges of the guide i are perforated to receive the plungers ¿¹,
which are made of wood and are able to move freely in the guide holes.
-The-American organ may be made to extend over any desired portion of the
scale, say 5 or 6 octaves, but it is shorter than the piano both at the bass and the
treble ends. I also divide the cavity board of the organ near the centre, between
middle b and c, and insert a piece of wood 3/8ths of an inch thick, so as to extend
it the required distance; the guide i is also in two parts, divided in the centre of
the instrument, so that one part (say) that at the treble end of the instrument may
be in the position represented in Figure 2, whilst that at the bass end is in the
position of Figure 3; the American organ will then be in operation in the treble
but not in the bass. The rail falready referred to is similarly divided, so that the
bass and the treble of the piano are separately under control. The wind chest is.
seen at k; it is arranged behind the bottom door of the instrument, and where found
necessary additional space may be provided for the wind chest by placing the
bottom door an inch or two more forward than is usual. The wind chest is of
bellows like construction, and is provided in the usual way with springs tending
to keep it distended. The wind chest is in communication with the space beneath
the cavity board, so that when a valve is opened by one of the koys b, acting

page_text: through one of the pushers on one of the buttons h, air enters and passes into
the wind chest, operating the corresponding reed in the cavity above the valve.
The wind chest is in communication with the exhaust bellows . There are two of
these bellows, and each is provided with a spring tending to close or collapse it, and
with a moveable treddle m, to which it is linked by a wire or rod. The exhaust
bellows has a valve on the under side opening outwards.
Figure 4 represents a modification in the form of the moveable instruments inter-
posed between the finger keys and the valves. In this case the key b has a screw
peg b' fixed into it on the under side, and when depressed the peg acts upon a lever
like instrument h¹, corresponding to the pusher of the former Figures; the lever
like instruments h¹ rest at one end on the buttons h, and at their other ends the
instruments are supported on an excentric roller ; when the roller is turned
half round the front ends of the instruments h¹ are lowered so far as to take them
out of the reach of the pegs 61 on the finger keys.
In some cases when there is room sufficient I fix the exhaust bellows upon the
front of the wind chest, and work it by a band passing over a roller to the treddle.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, in place of connecting the exhaust bellows
direct to the pedals, the connection may be made through levers in the manner
represented in Figure 5.
Figures 6 and illustrate the arrangement of the knee pedal. This pedal is also
seen at n, in Figure 1. Figure 6 is a sectional plan; n is the knee pedal hinged at
n¹, near the centre of the key board. When pushed outwards or to the right hand,
which the performer does readily with the knee whilst playing, it thrusts the hori-
zontal rod o inwards, this rod then operates a bell crank lever p, seen in elevation
in Figure 7, and by a descending rod q the movement is communicated to the forte
pedal of the piano, or to a lever which takes the place of this pedal.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The method of coupling the piano and American organ by pushers or
instruments interposed between the keys and the valve levers, and which pushers
or instruments are moveable, so that the performer can move them from their
operative position into a position in which they are inoperative, and vice versa.
Second. The arrangement of the wind chest and bellows, substantially as
described in respect to Figure 1, the wind chest behind the bottom door, and the
bellows underneath the keys of the instrument.
Third. The construction of a combined pianoforte and reed organ or instrument,
substantially as described and represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Robinson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.