Improvements in Fneumatic Transmission Mechanism for Organs and Mechanical Pianofortes Operated by Perforated Cards or Papers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1899-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1899
Improvements in Fneumatic Transmission Mechanism for Organs and
Mechanical Pianofortes Operated by Perforated Cards or Papers.
I, ANSELME ANDRÉ MARIE GAVIOLI, of 15, Place de la Nation, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Organ Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved pneumatic transmission mechanism for
organs and mechanical pianofortes operated by means of perforated cards or
papers.
This transmission mechanism is arranged between the key board and
the principal wind chest of the musical instrument and comprises two or
three small intermediate wind chests arranged under the key board transversely
to the direction of movement of the card also a table with a series of pneumatic
pockets and a large intermediate wind chest arranged near the principal wind
chest of the instrument, and its principal feature is the device for stopping the
flow of air from the small intermediate wind chests to the pockets of the pocket
table when the respective organ pipes are to sound and for causing the air to
flow again into the pockets when the organ pipes stop sounding.
By this manner of working, the pneumatic transmission mechanism becomes of
very simple construction and does not get out of order.
The constructive disposition of the small intermediate wind chests arranged
under the key board and the disposition of this key board remain fixed whilst the
large intermediate wind chest arranged near the pocket table differs suitably to
the different constructions for allowing passage of air from this wind chest to
the valves of the principal wind chest when the air of the small wind chests stops
flowing to the pockets of the pocket table.
By this improved transmission mechanism the mechanism of the key board and
the small wind chests is reduced to great simplicity. These small intermediate
wind chests are arranged transversely to the direction of movement of the card.
As to the pocket table on the large intermediate wind chest and on the principal
wind chest of the organ, they may be on the contrary parallel to the direction
of movement of the card.
The small wind chests are superposed or juxtaposed and the keys of the key
board turning each on a pivot at one extremity work directly by means of pins
upon the valves of the small wind chests. Springs serve to assure the closing of
the valves and produce also at the same time the sudden lifting of the keys when
the card perforations arrive over the points of the keys.
When the keys are depressed, they force the valve to open and the air of the
small wind chests flows to the pockets of the pocket table; these pockets are
thus caused to swell and close the valves of the large intermediate wind chests
and the air of the valve chamber of this wind chest cannot flow to the pockets
which command the valves of the principal wind chest and the organ pipes stop
sounding.
On the contrary when the keys ascend the valves of the small wind chests

page_text: close and the air stops flowing to the pockets, the air of these latter escaping
through little holes and the corresponding valves of the large intermediate wind
chest open allowing the air to inflate the pockets which cause the opening of
these valves of the principal wind chest of the organ and the sounding of the
organ pipes. This transmission mechanism between the pockets of the pocket
table and the valves of the large intermediate wind chest may comprise for this
wind chest a double valve lying directly upon the pockets. When these pockets
swell the valve closes the communication of the valve chamber with the channels
passing to the principal wind chest and at the same time opens the communica-
tion of these channels with the atmosphere and when the air stops flowing into
the pockets the pressure in the chamber opens the valves to the valve chamber
and closes them to the atmosphere. The double valve could be replaced by two
valves between which a pin is arranged the uppermost of which is arranged out-
side the wind chest being moreover joined with the corresponding pocket by
means of a pin and undergoes the constant action of a strong spring whilst the
undermost is arranged in the valve chamber and undergoes the action of a weak
spring used only to close it when the uppermost valve has been lifted by the
swelling of the pocket.
In another modification comprising the two valves placed as above described
the pin lying upon the pocket influences directly the undermost valve and the
spring of this valve is omitted.
The two valves instead of being coupled one upon the other may be arranged
laterally or in tandem the one reacting on the other and commanded by a lever
turning on a pivot about the middle of its length and lying with one end upon
the pocket.
The herein before described mechanism are also applicable as an intermediate
mechanism between the key board and the sounding mechanism of mechanical
operated pianofortes.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1898
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
Improvements in Pneumatic Transmission Mechanism for Organs and
Mechanical Pianofortes Operated by Perforated Cards or Papers.
I, ANSELME ANDRÉ MARIE GAVIOLI, of 15, Place de la Nation, Paris, Organ
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved pneumatic transmission mechanism for
organs and mechanical pianofortes operated by nieans of perforated cards or
papers.
This transmission mechanism is arranged between the keyboard and the prin-
cipal wind-chest of the musical instrument and comprises small intermediate
wind-chests arranged under the keyboard transversely to the direction of move-
ment of the card, also a table with a series of pneumatic pockets and a large
intermediate wind-chest arranged near the principal wind chest of the instru
ment, and its principal feature is the device for stopping the flow of air from
the small intermediate wind chest to the pockets of the pocket table when the
respective organ pipes are to sound and for causing the air to flow again into
the pockets when the organ pipes stop sounding.

page_text: By this manner of working; the pneumatic transmission mechanism becomes
of very simple construction and does not get out of order.
In the annexed drawings the Figs. 1 to 4 represent four different constructions
of the improved pneumatic transmission mechanism.
In these four variations the constructive arrangement of the small inter-
mediate wind-chests arranged under the keyboard and the arrangement of this
keyboard is the same whilst the large intermediate wind-chest arranged near the
pocket table differs suitably to the different constructions for allowing passage
of air from this wind-chest to the valves of the principal wind-chest when the
air of the small wind chests stops flowing to the pockets of the pocket table.
By this improved transmission mechanism the mechanism of the keyboard
and the small wind-chests is reduced to great simplicity. These small inter-
mediate wind-chests M and N are arranged transversely to the direction of move-
inent of the card C. As to the pocket table B on the large intermediate wind
chest I and on the principal wind-chest of the organ S, they may be on the con-
trary parallel to the direction of movement of the card, but to make the draw-
ing clearer the four figures are turned 90° in order to give them a position per-
pendicular to that which they occupy in reality.
The small wind-chests M and N are superposed or juxta-posed and the keys T
of the keyboard turning each on a pivot at one extremity work directly by means
of pins or upon the valves or of the small wind-chests. Springs
serve to assure the closing of the valves and produce also at the same time the
sudden lifting of the keys when the card perforations arrive over the points of
the keys.
When the keys T are depressed they force the valves j¹ to open and the
air of the small wind-chests flows through the pipes o, o' to the pockets 6 of the
pocket table; these pockets are thus caused to swell and close the valves of
the large intermediate wind-chest I and the air of the valve chamber p of this
wind-chest cannot flow to the pockets u which control the valves of the principal
wind-chest and the organ pipes stop sounding.
On the contrary when the keys T ascend, the valves jj¹ of the small wind-
chests close and the air stops flowing to the pockets b, the air of these latter
escaping through the small holes b₁ and the corresponding valves of the large
intermediate wind-chest I open, allowing the air to inflate the pockets u which
cause the opening of the valves of the principal wind-chest of the organ and the
sounding of the organ pipes.
This transmission mechanism between the pockets and the valves of the large
intermediate wind-chest I may comprise for this wind-chest I a double valve s
lying directly upon the pockets b. When these pockets swell, the valve s closes
the communication of the valve chamber p with the channels 9 passing to the
principal wind chest and at the same time opens the communication of these
channels with the atmosphere and when the air stops flowing into the pockets b
the pressure in the chamber p opens the valve s to the valve chamber and affects
the communication of the channels q with the compressed air chamber p.
In Fig. 2 the double valve s could be replaced by two valves s¹ and 2 between
which a pin 1 is arranged the upper valve s being arranged outside the wind-
chest and being moreover joined with the corresponding pocket 6 by means of
a pin 2 and undergoes the constant action of a strong spring 3, whilst the lower
valve s is arranged in the valve chamber and undergoes the action of a weak
spring 4 used only to close it when the upper valve has been lifted by the swell-
ing of the pocket b. The examination of the figure will be sufficient to under-
stand the working.
In Fig. 3 the pin 2 lying upon the pocket 6 influences directly the lower
valves and the spring of this valve is omitted.
In Fig. 4 the two valves s¹ and så instead of being coupled one upon the other
may be arranged laterally or in tandem the one reacting on the other and con-
trolled by a lever 5 turning on a pivot about the middle of its length and lying
with one end upon the pocket b. The figure shows the working clearly.

page_text: The herein before described mechanism is also applicable as an intermediate
mechanism between the keyboard and the sounding mechanism of mechanically
operated pianofortes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. An improved pneumatic transmission mechanism for organs and mechanical
pianofortes operated by perforated cards or papers, comprising small intermediate
wind chests M, N, arranged transversely to the direction of movement of the
card, and a pocket table B and a large intermediate wind chest I arranged near
the principal wind-chest of the instrument, and in which the air of the small
wind-chests M, N, ceases flowing to the pockets of the pocket table B when
the organ pipes are to be sounded, and flows into these pockets when the organ
pipes cease sounding; by means of the arrangement of the small intermediate
wind chests M N of which the valves or close when the keys T rise, which
allows the simultaneous command of a valve j or j¹ and the corresponding key
by means of a single spring acting on the valve, allowing the suppression of
springs acting directly on the keys, in such a manner as to give a simplified
construction with perfect working action.
2. In an improved pneumatic transmission mechanism for organs and
mechanical pianofortes as in Claim 1 for allowing the sounding of the organ
pipes when the air of the small wind chests ceases flowing to the pockets 6 of
the pocket table B and contrarily-the arrangement of a large intermediate
wind chest I with double valves placed in the channels g of the wind chest under
the air chamber p and resting directly on the pockets b substantially as herein
described and illustrated in Fig. 1 of the annexed drawings.
3. In an improved pneumatic transmission mechanism for
organs and
mechanical pianofortes as in Claim 1 for permitting the sounding of the organ
pipes when the air ceases to flow to the pockets of the pocket table B, and
reversely the arrangement of the large intermediate wind-chest I with two
valves, placed, the ones in the interior of the air chamber and the
other on the exterior and under the action of a strong spring 3, which gives
to the action of the pocket 6 when the air from the small wind-chests flows into
this pocket and closes the valve on its seat when the air of the small wind
chests ceases to flow into the said pocket b substantially as described and illus-
trated with reference to Figs. 2 and 4 of the annexed drawing.
115 25th day UL
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C.,