US1059365A

US1059365A - Device for tuning reeds.

Info

Publication number: US1059365A
Application number: US57208310A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert Hope-Jones
Original assignee: RUDOLPH WURLITZER Manufacturing CO
Current assignee: RUDOLPH WURLITZER MANUFACTURING Co
Priority date: 1910-07-15
Filing date: 1910-07-15
Publication date: 1913-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 1930-04-22

Description

R HOPE-JONES. DEVICE FOR TUNING REEDS.

APPLICATION FILED .TULY15,1910.

Patented Apr. 2.2, 1913.

BEsra AILAsL-s copr' .YYOYRK, A CORPORATION or new YORK.

""'i1gs. forming a part of this specification. and to the reference-mnnerals marked am; l Tue-sent inventionrelates to reeds or l'PlPPF in which musical tones are prod by a vibrating reed or tonguc. and it for its principal object toprovide imro'v ed means whereby the reeds may be qtuc'kly and conveniently tuned. and when v once adjusted to the proper pitch will refniain'true and their liability to change will *e duced to a minimum. Tothese and other ends the invention consin certain improvements and combina- .tioiis of parts all as will be hereinafter more lly: described. the novelfeatures being ponted out in the claims at the end of the pecification.

" In thesdrawings: Figure 1 is a side eleva onof, the lower portion of areed organ pe showing a tuning device constructed naccordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a ertical sectional view thereof; Fig. 3 is a rizontal sectional View taken on the line of Fig. 2, and Figs. 4, 5 and (3 are similar viewsot a modification.

l n illustrating 'my intention I have shown inconnection with the foot or lower end i of an organ pipe in which the reed block or the block of the organrpipe. as it is sometimes called, is indi 'ated by l, 'whichis proided with the aperture 2 from which rises the pipe proper Beneath the latter the shallot 4, which it will be understood proinjects from the block intothe live wind chest ozt' the organaudis provided with the mouth or aperture 5 through which the air escapes into the pipe. Arranged in front of this yaperture the vibrating; tongue-(3. the upper end-thereof being rigidly secured to the block 1, as by meansof a wedge T. The tone or pitch of the pipe is controlled by the rate of vibration of the tongue (3. and

DEVICE FOR TUNING REEDS.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 15. 1910. Serial No. 572,083.

,{Unnrnn s'riirus PATENT oF-FioE.

Qno snn'r HOPE-JONES, or NORTH TONAWANDA. NEW YORK. Assmnon TO THE RU- DOLPH WURLITZER MANUFACTURING COMPANY. OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

the latter is curved or curled slightly so that its lower end is separated from the mouth of the shallot and easily influenced by the air under pressure seeking to escape through the latter. 7

The princpal factor to be taken into consideration in the tuning of an organ pipe of this character is the accurate and delicate adjustment of the tuning n'ien'i'ber, by, means of which the length of the free end of the vibrating tongue is controlled. and it is. therefore. particularly essential that the tuning member. while freely adjustable along the tongue. should also be a curately held in adjusted position and not be subject to vibration. by the change in atmospheric conditions or by the slight jar or tremoling imparted to it by the vibrations of the tongue. In carrying out this feature of my invention. I have constructed the tuning member in the form of a short bar 8 which is prcferablv. but not necessarily, circular in cross section, bearing against the tongue ant extending transversely thereof. :This memher is attached to the tuning wire 9. which preferably extends through a central transverse aperture therein and projects upwardly through an aperture in the reed block 1. In forming the aperture it may be inclined slightly at an angle to the active face of the shallot, so that as the wire 9 is depressed to advance the member 8 it will normally exert a slight tendency to crowd the latter toward the adjacent face of the shallot and thus assist in holding the tongue tightly in engagement therewith. The wire 9 also closely fits the aperture in the block so that it will be retained in adjusted position by the friction between the wire and the walls of the aperture. The friction thus attained between the tuning member and the reed and shallot is not su'llicient for the reeds of larger pipes. and l have. therefore, provided a bearing member which engages the tuning member and also serves as a guide for the latter. shown the bearing member as composed of two arms 10 depending from the reed block 1. which are preferably made of comparatively heavy spring wire secured to the block by embedding their ends in apertures ll, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower ends of the arms extend downwardly beyond the In the illustrations I have .of the tongue.

lowest point to which it may ever be desired to adjust the tuning member and from this point their free ends are bent upwardly, indicated at 12, and adjusted toengage in notches or recesses formed near the ends of the tuning member 8 and beyond the edges By making the bearing member in two parts and providing the tuning member wit-h coiiperating notches it will always be held in proper position on the tongue without other guiding means being employed, and the use of wires inthe form shown permits the tuning member to be held. firmly against the tongue in any adjusted position without in any way atl'ecting the quality or pitch of the tone produced by the vibration of the tongue. The wires also being capableof yielding slightly permits their being sprung laterally to facilitate assembling the parts in the first instance.

The advantages attributed to the arrange ment of the tuning devices described above may also be obtained by arranging the parts as shownin Figs. 4, 5 and 6. This modification is one which may well be adapted for the organ pipes having small reeds, such as those employed for producing the higher musical tones. In the figures last referred to, the reed block'is indicated by 20, the pipe by 21 and the shallot'by 22. The tongue 23 coiiperating with the latter is secured to the shallot above the aperture therein by pins 24, the outer ends of which project into the longitudinally extending channel or way 25 formed in the tuning member 26, the lower end of whichas it is adjusted upwardly or downwardly relatively to the free end of the tongue 23, will control the rate of vibration of the latter, as will be understood.{\ In this term of the device, the tuning wire 27 is rigidly secured to a screw 28 threaded in an aperture in the block 20 and at the lower end of the wire is a head 29 provided with an annular recess preferably V-shaped which receives a small projection or bearing 81 on the tuning member 26. It will be noticed that the axis of the screw 28 may be made to extend at an angle to the direc-' tion of movement of the tuning member so that the wire 27 is always under a tension to force the tuning member. against the tongue in whatever position of adiustment it may be.

Tuning devices constructed in accordance with my invention are simple in construction, may be manufactured cheaply and readily assembled. It will be observed that the tuning. member is adjusted upwardly or downwardly to produce the desired variation in the rate of vibration of the tongue and that in all positions of adjustment it is held firmly against the tongue. Furthe the arrangement of the parts and their shape such that during the adjustment of the tuning member neither the tuning wire nor masses the bearing member, or members, are distorted sons to be displaced out of their normal positions and thus subjected to strains causing them to temporarily exert more than the normal predetermined pressure upon the tuning member. When any of the parts are distorted at the time of adjustment an unnatural strain is imparted to them which will give way, or grow less, under the vibrating influence of the tongue, causing the tuning member to change its position.

The above devices are applicable to reeds ofall kinds whether furnished with resonating pipes or not.

I claim as my invention:

l. in a device for tuning sound producing reeds, the combination with a block, a shallot and a tongue, of a tuning member engaging the tongue, and means for adjusting it on the tongue and a bearing member supported on the block having a portion extending parallel to the line of movement of the tuning member and cotiperating therewith to yieldingly hold the tuning member against the tongue in its various positions of adjustment.

2. In a device -for tuning soundproducing reeds, the combination with a foot block, a shallotand a tongue, of a. tuning member engaging the tongue, a tuning wire passing through the block and connected to said member and an arm depending from the block and holding the member in its adjusted position on the tongue.

3. In a device for tuning sound producing reeds, the combination with a block, a shallot ,and a tongue, of a tuning member engaging the tongue, and extending across theiace thereof, a tuning wire extending upwardly from said member and passing through the block'and a pair of spaced arms depending from the block and engaging the ends of the tuning memberito hold its inter' mediate portion against the tongue.

4-. In a device for tuning sound producing reeds, the combination ,with a block, a shallot a tongue, of a tuning member extend ngacross the face of the tongue, havmg guiding recesses spaced apart, a tuning wire for adjusting the member'and a pain of wires secured in the block and lying in therecesses to form bearing guides for supporting the tuning inember and holding it in firm engagement with the tongue. 5. In a device for tuning sound produciilg reeds, the combination with a block, a shallot and a tongue, 01 a tuning member extending across the face of the tongue, a pair of wiressecured in and depending from the block having their extremities bent upwardly in front of the tongue and engaging the tuning member and means for adjust; ing the latter.

6. In a device for tuning sound producing reeds, the combination with a block, a

" shallot'and 21. tongue, of a tuning member from the block having its extremity bent m ovable longitudinally of the tongue, a, tunupwardly and engaging the member to force wiresecured to the member and adjustit laterally against the tongue. a e in anaperture arranged in the block at ROBERT HOPE-JONES. '5 an angle to the direction of movement of the Witnesses:

member to ea'use the letter to be forced GEORGE W. POUND, toward the tongue, a bearing wire depending EDWARD L. JUNG.