Improved Means for Locking Organ Mechanism in Variable Positions.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1890-Accepted, 29th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Locking Organ Mechanism in Variable
Positions.
We HENRY WILLIS and VINCENT WILLIS, both of 9 Rochester Terrace, Camden
Town in the County of Middlesex, Organ Builders, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide for organs a motor spring suitable for
effecting the return to variable quiescent positions, of parts which have been actuated
by or through the agency of the performer.
In carrying out this object, we employ a pneumatic lever which, while it can be
made effective as a spring, will be so completely under the control of the player, as to
become inert when that is desired, and re-acquire its elastic force instantly at the will
of the performer.
The mechanism whereby we are enabled to secure this result admits of wide
modification, but the principle of action will be identical under all modifications.
The essential feature of the invention consists in so connecting the pneumatic lever
which constitutes the motor spring, with the bellows, that it will at one time receive
wind therefrom to put it in action; at another be cut off from the bellows, to ensure
its quiescence; and again brought into communication with the bellows, to return the
air thereto, when the mechanism makes a reverse motion.
The use of the invention may be readily explained by shewing its application to the
mechanism for working the louvres of a swell organ.
Supposing the louvres to be actuated from the swell pedal through a slide, we give
this slide the form of a hollow face valve, slotting the face of the valve transversely,
and causing it to fit upon an under slide similarly slotted. The two slides will interlock
to ensure their travelling together, but an independent motion will be allowed to the
upper slide, sufficient to bring the slots into coincidence, prior to the slides moving
together under the pressure of the swell pedal. A light spring connected at its opposite
ends to the two slides, will create a tendency in the upper slide to close the transverse
passages of the lower slide, so soon as the pressure of the performer's foot is taken
from the pedal. The lower slide commands two wind passages, the one leading from
the bellows, and the other to the pneumatic lever or "spring" that is to effect the
return of the mechanism operated.
The hinged side of the pneumatic lever is coupled to, or otherwise connected with
the lower slide, which slide interlocks, as before mentioned, with the upper slide, that
directly receives motion from the pedal, and transmits it through the lower slide to
the louvres of the swell.
By tracing the movements requisite to open and close the louvres, the action of the
pneumatic spring will be clearly understood.
The player depressing the pedal, thrusts backward the upper slide, to effect the
opening of the louvres. So soon as the slots in the two slides come into coincidence,
and the slides begin to retire together under the pressure of the pedal, the wind in the
pneumatic lever will be forced through the slides to the bellows, the retreat of the
lower slide causing the compression of the pneumatic lever. When, however,
the pressure is taken from the pedal, the spring connecting the two slides will come
into action, close the wind passages in the slides, and cut off the connection of the.
pneumatic lever with the bellows. By this means, the louvres may be locked in any
position, to suit the effect desired by the performer, and maintained in that position
until the pedal is again acted on.

page_text: Supposing this to have happened with the swell nearly wide open, the performer
will, in order to close the louvres, simply suffer his foot to touch the pedal with force
enough to move the upper slide s'ightly backward, when the pneumatic spring will be
instantly energised, and will lift his foot and close the swell. It will now be seen that
the energy of the pneumatic spring has to be overcome whenever a crescendo is
desired, and that a pressure of less force than the energy of the pneumatic spring will
always produce a diminuendo, and also that a sudden release of the pedal will arrest
and lock the mechanism at that particular part of its travel.
In place of the compound slide valve above described for controlling the passage of
the wind to and from the pneumatic spring or lever, the swell rod which transmits the
motion from the pedal to the louvres may be fitted with a divided valve box, having a
disc valve mounted therein, and closing the opening in the division of the valve box.
Supposing one division to be connected with the bellows, and the other with the
pneumatic spring, the movement of the valve will perform the office of the second
slide, supplying air to the pneumatic spring, and cutting it off as required.
If the spindle of this valve is coupled to the arm of the pedal, and the rod that
carries the valve box is slotted at its connection with the arm of the pedal, so as to
permit of the opening of the valve before the rod operating the swell moves, like the
slides in the first described arrangement, it will be obvious that the action will be
identical with that above mentioned.
The valve box may, if desired, be fixed, and the valve controlled in its movements
by a lever pivotted on the arm of the pedal, so as to give it the necessary quantity of
anticipative action, whatever the position of the pedal may be. The necessary
anticipative travel to the upper slide or valve may, if preferred, be obtained by the
action of an independent key in the pedal itself.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1890.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Locking Organ Mechanism in Variable
Positions.
We HENRY WILLIS and VINCENT WILLIS, both of 9 Rochester Terrace, Camden
Town in the County of Middlesex, Organ Builders, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide, for organs, a motor spring suitable for
effecting the return to variable quiescent positions, of parts which have been actuated
by or through the agency of the performer.
In carrying out this object, we employ a pneumatic lever, which, while it can be
made effective as a spring, will be so completely under the control of the player, as to
become inert when that is desired, and re-acquire its elastic force instantly at the will
of the performer.
The mechanism whereby we are enabled to secure this result, admits of wide
modification, but the principle of action will be identical under all modifications.
The essential feature of the invention consists in so connecting the pneumatic lever
which constitutes the motor spring, with the organ bellows, that it will at one time
receive wind therefrom, to put it in action, and at another be cut off from the bellows,
to ensure its quiescence; the pneumatic lever, when again brought into com-
munication with the bellows, serving to impart a reverse or return motion to the
mechanism.
The use of the invention may be readily explained by shewing its application to the
mechanism for working the louvres of a swell organ.
Supposing the louvres to be actuated from the swell pedal through a slide, we give

page_text: this slide the form of a hollow fice valve, slotting the face of the valve transversely,
and causing it to fit upon an under slide similarly slotted, the two slides interlocking,
and forming a compound slide valve. An independent motion is allowed to the upper
part of the compound valve, sufficient to bring the transverse slots of the two slides
into coincidence, prior to the slides moving together under the pressure of the swell
pedal. A light spring connected at its opposite ends to the two slides, will create a
tendency in the upper slide to close the transverse passages of the lower slide, so soon
as the pressure of the performer's foot is taken from the pedal. The lower slide
commanis wind passages, leading from the bellows to the pneumatic lever or
spring that is to effect the return of the mechanism operated.
"
""
The hinged side of the pneumatic lever is coupled to, or otherwise connected with,
the lower slide, which slide interlocks, as before mentioned, with the upper slide, that
directly receives motion from the pedal, and transmits it through the lower slide to
the louvres of the swell.
In the accompanying drawings, we have illustrated in longitudinal section, at
Fig. 1, the compound slide valve above described for controlling the passage of the
wind to and from the pneumatic spring or lever. In this figure, A is the valve seat,
communicating by a passage a with the bellows, and by a passage a¹ with the
pneumatic spring or lever. B is a slide valve, which commands the openings from
the air passages a and a', and is provided with transverse slots *, on opposite sides
of a central dividing rib formed on the underside of the valve. Surmounting this
slide valve B, and interlocking therewith, is a hollow faced valve B', having transverse
slots in its face. This valve B' is free to move while its underlying slide is
quiescent, in order to put its transverse slots into coincidence with the slots b, for
the passage of air from the bellows to and from the pneumatic spring or lever, and to
close the air passages when desired.
The parts B and B', which together compose the compound slide valve, are
connected together at their inner ends by a metallic spring C, which has a tendency
to press forward the upper side, and to close the air passages bb, as shewn in
Fig. 1.
Connected with the slide B₁ is a pedal D, the depression of which will force back
the slide B against the pressure of the spring C, and bring the air passages 6 and 61
into coincidence, and thereby permit of the supply of air from the bellows to the
pneumatic lever E. The continued depression of the pedal D will cause the compound
slide to move in the direction of the arrows, and thus movement will serve to impart
motion to any desired part of the organ mechanism through the rod F, by reason of
its connection with the lower side B. The result of this motion will be maintained so
long as the pedal D is held down by the player, without any further action of the
apparatus; when, however, the pressure of his foot is removed, the spring C will
force back the upper slide B, thereby closing the air passages b, and imprisoning
the air contained in the pneumatic lever. The effect of these movements of the
slides B B will be to neutralize the power of the pneumatic lever or spring, and
virtually to lock the louvres of the swell in (as the case may be) their open or partially
open position.
To render the pneumatic lever effective for returning the compound slide valve to
its normal position, and to close the louvres, it will only be necessary to put a slight
pressure on the pedal, enough to overcome the force of the spring C, when a full
complement of air will be admitted to the pneumatic lever, and being then left free to
act, it will force the compound slide to the position shewn in the drawings.
By bearing in mind that the slide B is not only in direct connection with the part
of the organ (say, the louvres) intended to be acted upon by the pedal D, but also
with the pneumatic spring E, the action of the spring will be clearly understood, on
reference to the drawing.
The player, depressing the pedal, thrusts backward the upper slide, and continues
the pressure to effect the opening of the louvres. So soon as the slots in the two
slides come into coincidence, and the slides begin to retire together under the

page_text: continued pressure of the pedal, the wind in the pneumatic lever will be driven out,
and forced through the slides to the bellows, the retreat of the lower slide causing the
compression of the pneumatic lever. On the pedal being released from pressure, the
spring C will, as above explained, close the wind passages in the slides, and, cutting
off the connection of the pneumatic lever with the bellows, will lock the louvres or
other actuated mechanism in any position, to suit the effect desired by the performer,
maintaining the same in that position until the pedal is again acted on.
Supposing this to have happened with the swell nearly wide open, the performer
will, in order to close the louvres, simply suffer his foot to touch the pedal with force
enough to move the upper slide slightly backward; the result of this movement will
be to energize instantly the pneumatic spring, and enable it to lift the pedal to its
normal position, and simultaneously close the swell. From this explanation it will be
understood, that the energy of the pneumatic spring has to be overcome whenever
a crescendo is desired, and that a pressure of less force than the energy of the
pneumatic spring will always produce a diminuendo and also that a sudden release
of the pedal will arrest and lock the mechanism at the part of its travel which it has
reached.
In place of the compound slide valve above described for controlling the passage of
the wind to and from the pneumatic spring or lever, the swell rod which transmits the
motion from the pedal to the louvres, may be fitted with a divided valve box for
supplying air to, and receiving it from the pneumatic spring, a disc valve being
mounted in the box for closing and opening the air passage. This modification is
illustrated at Figs. 2 and 3, Fig. 2 being a side elevation of the valve box and its
attachments, and Fig. 3 a sectional plan view of the same.
In these figures, G is the valve box, divided into two compartments by the disc
valve H. This valve is carried by a rod H attached to a rod H², pivotted to the
pendent arin of the pedal D.
The pivot pin connecting these two parts together, passes through or longitudinal
slot made in the rod I, to which the valve hox G is attached. This rod is connected
to the louvre or other mechanism intended to be actuated, and also to the pneumatic
spring E. This spring is in communication with the valve box by means of a flexible
pipe E, and, by means of a second flexible pipe E2, the valve box is brought into
communication with the bellows, the two pipes entering the box at opposite sides of
the disc valve.
We have said that the valve rod is coupled to the arm of the pedal, and the rod that
carries the valve box is slotted at its connection with the arin of the pedal; this
permits of the opening of the valve before the rod that operates the swell is moved.
It will therefore be obvious that the result obtained by this mechanism will be identical
with that above described.
Figs. 4 & 5 shew, in side and end elevation, a modification of the arrangement
described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.
In this modification, by reason of one compartment of the box being connected with
the bellows, and the other with the pneumatic spring, the movement of the valve H
will perform the office of the slide B₁ of the first described arrangement, supplying air
to the pneumatic spring, and cutting it off as required.
The valve box G is secured to some fixed point, and the valve is controlled in its
movements by a lever K, pivotted on the pendent arm of the pedal D, so as to give
the necessary quantity of anticipative action, whatever the position of the pedal
may be.
The pendent arm is connected by a stud pin with the slotted rod 1, as in the last
described arrangement, and thus the action of the rod I on the pedal arm is delayed
until the valve in the valve box has been removed from its seat.
We may remark that the necessary anticipative travel of the upper slide of the first
described arrangement, or the disc valve of the modifications, may, it preferred, be
obtained by the action of an independent key in the pedal situate in or upon the pedal
itself.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
The means above described for neutralizing the force of pneumatic springs in
organs, and thereby locking the mechanisms which they control in various
positions
30
1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.