Improvements in American Organs and similar Instruments.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 14th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in American Organs and similar Instruments.
I JAMES SEMPLE MURDOCH of 1 The Terrace Camden Square in the County
of London, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in what are known as American organs
and in harmoniums and the like. It has for its object to render the action of the
instrument more compact and less liable to injury. The principal feature of
this invention is the arrangement of the levers that operate several parts of the
action.
The mutes which act upon the several sets of reeds usually employed in the class
of instrument hereinabove referred to have heretofore been raised and lowered by
levers arranged on the outer edges of the action and the movement of the stop
knobs has been transmitted to such outside levers. According to this invention a
cranked lever depends from each stop-rod and acts directly upon an upright
suitably connected with the mute so that the levers at the two sides of the action
may be dispensed with. The cranked lever and upright may be constructed in
any convenient manner but I prefer to make the same from wire of sufficient
strength. The cranked levers may be mounted on any suitable part of the action
or a suitable slip or board may be specially provided for their reception. Friction
rollers and the like may be fitted where requisite so as to ensure rapid and noiseless
action.
The uprights are borne by suitable horizontal extensions fixed directly over the
mutes. A rod or bar cranked or bent to a suitable shape is so placed as to bear
upon the underside of the horizontal extensions. The said bar is connected with a
knee lever or with a stop by an arrangement similar to that above described as
applied to the several registers. When this bar is raised it opens all the mutes and
thus serves for the "grand jeu or full organ.
"
I obtain increase, or diminish the volume, of sound given by any particular
register by applying two cranked levers, worked by two stops. The throw of the
cranked levers is such that one partly opens the mute the other entirely.
American organs are usually fitted with a swell arrangement consisting of a
hinged board mounted in front and back under the keyboard. The levers actuating
these boards usually engage with studs working in apertures cut into the sides of
the end-blocks. I obviate this necessity for cutting such apertures by fixing said
studs upon the face of the swell and arranging the levers accordingly.
By adopting these improvements the stop levers and the studs for the swell are
brought well within the action-box and thus are protected against injury when the
action box is removed from the case and the said box is also rendered more
compact.
Dated the 14th day of July 1893
BERNHARD DUKES,
226, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in American Organs and similar Instruments.
1, JAMES SEMPLE MURDOCH of 1 The Terrace Camden Square in the County
of London Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described in
and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in what are known as American organs
and in harmoniums and the like. It has for its object to render the action of the
instrument more compact and less liable to injury. The principal feature of
this invention is the arrangement of the levers that operate several parts of the
action.
The mutes which act upon the several sets of reeds usually employed in the
class of instruments hereinabove referred to have heretofore been raised and lowered
by levers on the outer edges of the action and the movement of the stop-knobs has
been transmitted to such outside levers. According to this invention a cranked
lever depends from each stop-rod and acts directly upon an upright suitably
connected with the mute so that the levers at the two sides of the action may be
dispensed with. The cranked lever and upright may be constructed in any
convenient manner but I prefer to make the same from wire of sufficient strength..
The cranked levers may be mounted on any suitable part of the action box or av
suitable slip or board may be specially provided for their reception. Friction
rollers and the like may be fitted where requisite so as to ensure rapid and noiseless
action.
The uprights are borne by suitable horizontal extensions fixed directly over the
mutes. A rod or bar cranked or bent to a suitable shape is so placed as to bear
upon the underside of the horizontal extensions. The said bar is connected with
a knee lever or with a stop by an arrangement similar to that above described as
applied to the several registers. When this bar is raised it opens all the mutes
and thus serves for the "grand jeu" or full organ.
I obtain increase or diminish the volume of sound given by any particular
register by applying two cranked levers, worked by two stops. The throw of the
cranked levers is such that one partly opens the mute the other entirely.
American organs are usually fitted with a "swell" arrangement consisting of
hinged boards mounted in front and back under the keyboard. The levers actuating
these boards usually engage with studs working in apertures cut into the sides of
the action box. I obviate the necessity for cutting such apertures by fixing said
studs upon the face of the swell and arranging the levers accordingly.
By adopting these improvements the stop-levers and the studs for the swell are
brought well within the action-box and thus are protected against injury when
the action box is removed from the case and the said box is also rendered more
compact.
In the accompanying drawings so much only of the action is shown as is required
to illustrate this invention.
Figure 1 is an elevation it shows chiefly the stop-knobs, front-swell and the levers
for actuating the swell and "grand jeu" enough of the keys being drawn to indicate
the relative position of the several parts.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1 it shows the stop-rods and the arrangement of
their connection with the mutes.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation further illustrating the arrangements for actuating
the mutes and swell.
Figure 4 is a plan after removal of the stop-board and key board, further
illustrating the working of the stops including the "grand jeu."
Like letters represent like parts in all the figures.

page_text: The stops marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, are those operated by the hand?
of the performer who pulls the same by means of the usual stop-knobs as shown in-
Figures 1 and 2. Each stop rod A, carries a cranked lever B. CC are the
uprights, transmitting motion from the levers B to the mutes D. D¹. aa are friction.
rollers of the usual construction to facilitate motion.
CC are the horizontal extensions connecting the uprights C. C with the knee-.
lever F by the bars E E'. It will readily be understood that by operating the
knee lever F the bars E' E' cause the bars E E to act so as to raise all the mutes
and this acts as the "grand jeu."
In order to cause a given register to speak more or less loudly as may suit the
taste of the performer two or more stops are caused to act upon the upright of the
corresponding mute.
Thus both the stops 2 and 3 act on one upright and 4 and 5 on another but it.
will be seen that the throw of 3 and of 5 does not open the corresponding mute as
far as the throw of 2 and 4 respectively. Thus very simple means allow numerous.
combinations of tone to be obtained.
G and H are the swell boards fitted with the studs G¹ and H¹ as shown. The-
levers I raise the swell boards by acting on these studs. J is the knee lever that
imparts motion to the levers I. I¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement of the cranked levers BB and the uprights CC for
connecting the stop-bars with the mutes, substantially as specified.
2. The horizontal extensions C₁ C₁ acting in conjunction with the bars E E
and E E¹ so as to enable one lever simultaneously to operate all the mutes.
substantially as specified.
3. The arrangement of the studs (G' and H¹) on the swell boards operated by
levers (I and I) connecting the same with a knee lever or the like, without requiring
the end blocks to be cut substantially as specified.
4. An action for "American organs and similar instruments arranged and.
operating as set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of April 1894.
BERNHARD DUKES,
226, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.