US1826518A - Organ - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 6, 1931.

W. A. P. S. LANGSTON ORGAN Filed Feb. 14. 1929 Patented Oct. 6, 1931 WILLIAM AUSTIN PAUL STEFF LANGSTON, OF WOBURN, ENGLAND OBGAN Application med February 14, 1929, serial No.

This invention consists of improvements in or relating to organs and the object is to simplify the manner of and the apparatus for varying the intensity or volume of tone ISand/or the number of differenty classes of sound-producing devices in operation.

The organs at present known vary widely in construction, but in the great majority of them the method of control of the volume l@ of tone and of the number of stops in use includes (inter alia) the employment of pedals. For example, one pedal is arranged to bring in different stops, i. e. to bring into opera-tion different classes of sound-producing devices. Again, another pedal is similarly arranged to control the extent of opening of louvres or similar shutters forming the exit from a sound-box enclosing certain sound-producing devices. There may,

29,;tor example,

trolling respectively different groups of sound-producing devices, in which case there would be three pedals altogether. It is inconvenient ior the organist to control three 2pedals, particularly if the organ contains,

as usual, an ordinary keyboard of footpedals.

The present invention comprises in or for an organ, a pedal having a freedom of move- .ment about two axes inclined to one another, and arranged to operate one set of organ control-devices (for example, stops) by movement about one of 'the aforesaid axes and to operate another set'of control devices y(for example, swells) by movement about the other axis.

Preferably, a set of organ control devices` are arranged to be actuated in succession by movement of the pedal about one axis and ment of the pedal about the other axis.

In one form, two separate sets ot operating means for organ-control devices are .located for control by one movement of the pedal and two master-controls (for example, plunger-switches) one for each set, are located near one end of the pedal (for exam- I ple, the toe). These master-controls serve 59' to prepare or connect the organ-control debe two such sound-boxes, con- I" another set of organ-control devices are arranged to be operated 1n succession by move- 339,800, and in Great Britain March 19, 1928.

vices for operation by the aforesaid two separate sets of operating means.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example one form of pedal embodying,r this invention as applied 55 stop 11. The pedal is hinged at 12 to a ver- 65 tical standard 13. The pedal carries on its under side two semi-circular plates 14, 15l which lie in parallel vertical planes and carry arc-shaped series ofelectrical contacts 16, 17 respectively. These contacts co-operate with 70 spring-controlled stud contacts 18, 19 fixed to the standard 13.

Theleads from the .movable contacts 16 are grouped into a cable 20. The leads from the contacts 17 are similarly grouped into a 75 cable 21. f

Near the toe-portion of the pedal 10 are two plunger-switches 22 .and 23. The switch 22 is in the circuit of the fixed stud 18; the switch 23 is in the circuit of the fixed stud 19. 80 When one of these plunger-switches, e. g. 22, is depressed, the closing of the switch prepares the control-circuit which controls the louvres or shutters of the sound-boxes of one whole section of the organ. There may also 8sbe` provided in parallel with each of the plunger- switches 22 and 23 an additional hand- switch 24, 25 which can be permanently closed when desired.

It will be understood that the tilting of the 90 l pedal 10 about the horizontal axis 12 brings thefelectrical contacts 16 and 17 gradually or successively into operation, anduaccording to whether either one or both the plungerswitches 22, 23 or hand-switches 24;, 25 have 95' been operated, gradually opens or closes the louvres or shutters ot the corresponding sound-box or sound-boxes. The standard 13 is rotatable on a vertical axis 26, and it carries a circular (or part circular) horizontal 100 plate 27 having an arc-shaped Contact 28 and a spring contact-stud 29 (which may embody a contact-roller). The arc-shaped contact 28 co-operates with a fixed contact 30 on the base-plate 31 of the organ-console, and the spring contact-stud Q9 co-operates with a series of txed contacts 32 on the base-plate 3l.

The circuits controlled by the contacts liust referred to have the etl'ect of bringing into operation either different types of soundproducing devices (i. e. diilierent stops) or different coupling arrangements, or both.

For example, a first contact might bring into operation the flute stop uncoupled. a second contact might bring in the flute and strings stop, possibly with one octave coupling on the flutes. A third stop might brinfr in the additional vox humana stop with an octave coupling on the strings; a fourth contact might bring in the oboe stop with a further octave couplingr on the flutes. and so forth. The octave couplings are made electrically.

In order to facilitate the operation for a full organ crash by opening simultaneously all the louvres or shutters of the sound-boxes. there is provided a supplementary operating device which is preferably arranged to be operated at the end of the range of movement of the toe-portion of the pedal in a downward direction. On the toot-plate 10 there is an extension 33 having at its lower end a transverse contact member 34. On the baseplate 31 a pillar 37 carries two press- contacts 35 and 36 which are electrically connected to the stud-contacts 1S and 19 respectively. The contact-strip 34 is electrically connected to the conductor 38 for one Contact of each plunger-switch and hand-switch so that when the foot-plate is depressed to operate this crash device all the sound-boxes will be brought int-o full operation regardless of position of the plunger-switches Q2 and handswitches 24. The arrangement ofthe contactstrip 34 and the press- contacts 35 and 36 will be such that the crash mav be effected in any position of adjustment of the foot-plate about the vertical axis Q6.

The hinged connections ofthe foot-plate preferably have suflicient friction or are provided with friction devices to ensure that when the foot-plate has been adjusted in any position it will remain in that position when the organists toot is removed.

It will be understood that the construction above described by way ot example may be modified in many ways. For example, instead of locating the contacts 16 and 17 upon a part such as the plate 14 which is movable with the foot-plate about a horizontal axis, these contacts 16 and 17 may be fixed to the standard 13 and the stud- contacts 18 and 19 would then be carried by the foot-plate. Similarly7 the positions of the contacts 32 and the co-operat-ing stud-contact 29 may also be reversed.

It is to be understood that the pedal device according to the invention may be employed in electrically-operated organs and also in pneumatic organs having electrical control means, in which latter case the electric-contacts of the pedal device may be connected to electromagnetic devices for operating a controlling valve-box for the pneumatic organ-operating means.

The pedal-device of the invention is also applied to pneumatically-operated and-controlled organs, in which case instead of operating electric-contacts the pedal-device is arranged to directly operate valves in a like manner7 these valves controlling the stops, shutters and the like of the organ.

The valves may be arranged in two sets, as are the switch-contacts in the pedal-switch for 'the electric-organ, the valves of one set being controlled by a movement of the footplate about one axis and the Valves of the other set being controlled by the foot-plate about the other axis of movement. The sets of valves for the sound-boxes may be divided into two series, as above described7 for electric-organs. each series having a` master-control and a hand-control corresponding to the plunger-sv; itchcs 22 and 23 and halidsu'itches 24 and It is preferable to employ flexible pipes for connecting one set of valves to the organ in order to permit movement of the toot-plate to control the other set of valves.

I claim 1. In an organ, av pedal, means whereby the pedal may be moved about two angularly related axes, a set of organ control-devices adapted to be operated by movement of said pedal about one axis, and another set of organ control-devices adapted to be operated by movement of said pedal about the other axis.

2. An organ pedal comprising a foot plate, a support providing a substantially horizontal axis therefor, and means providing a substantially vertical axis for said foot plate.

3. An organ pedal comprising a foot plate, a support providing a substantially horizontal axis therefor. and means whereby said foot plate and support may be moved about an axis angularly related to the aforesaid axis.

4. In an organ, a pedal mounted for movement about two angularly related axes, means for actuating one set of organ controldevices in succession by movement of the pedal about one axis, and means for actuating another set of organ control-devices in succession by movement of the pedal about the other axis.

5. In an organ, a pedal-device mounted for movement about two angularly related axes having two separate sets of operating means for organ control-devices located for control by one movement of the pedal, and two master controls, one for each set located near one end of the pedal for the purpose described.

(j. In an organ, a pedal-device as claimed in claim l, in combination with a supplementary operating device for operating simultaneously, all the individual control-devices in one or morel of the sets, which supplementary device is arranged to be operated by movement of the pedal to one end of its range of movement for the purpose described.

7. In an electric organ, a pedal and associated parts as claimed in claim l, wherein the sets of organ control devices each comprise a series of electrical control contacts and acooperating contact member, one of which is mounted on the pedal so as to be operated thereby.

8. In an organ having electrically operated control means, a pedal substantially as described, a master control thereon, and a second master control in parallel circuit therewith, the master control on the pedal being adapted to become inoperative when pressure thereon is released, and the second master control being adapted to remain operative until further actuated.

9. In an organ, a pedal device adapted to operate control means, comprising a support revolvable about a substantially vertical axis, a substantially vertical member attached to said support, a substantially horizontal shaft journalled to said member, and a foot plate carried by said shaft, whereby the foot plate is capable of being revolved about both a vertical and a horizontal axis.

10. In an organ, a support revolvable about a substantially vertical axis, a substantially vertical member attached to said support, a substantially horizontal shaft journalled to said member, a footplate carried by said shaft, organ control-devices actuated by movement of the support about its axis, and other organ control devices actuated by movement of the foot plate about its shaft.

11. In an organ, a table turnable about a vertical axis, a pedal mounted on said table turnable about a horizontal axis, control means operated by the movement of the table about its axis, control means operated by the movement of the pedal about its axis, organ stops controlled by the organ control means, and organ swells controlled by the pedal control means.

12. In an organ, a table turnable about a vertical axis, a pedal mounted on said table turnable about a horizontal axis,spaced contacts associated with the table and with the pedal, so that movement thereof about their respective axes brings dili'erent contacts into control relationship, organ swells controlled by the contacts associated with the pedal, and organ stops controlled by the contacts associated with the table.

13. In an organ, a table turnable about a vertical axis, a pedal mounted on said table turnable about a horizontal axis, an electrical contact carried by the table, a plurality of spaced stationary electrical contacts disposed in the path of the table contact, so that movenient of the table about its vertical axis causes the table contact to successively wipe over the stationary contacts, organ stops in electric circuit relation with said movable table and stationary contacts, a plurality of spaced electrical contacts carried by said pedal, a stationary Contact mounted on the table in the path of the pedal contacts, so that movement of the pedal about its horizontal axis causes the pedal contacts to wipe over the stationary contact, and organ swells in electric circuit relation with said stationary and movable pedal contacts.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

WILLIAM AUSTIN PAUL STEFF LANGSTON.

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