US19312A - Thomas kobjohn - Google Patents

Description

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

THOMAS ROBJOHN, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

PEDAL FOR ORG-ANS, 86C.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS RoBJoHx, of Iew York, county of New York, and State of `Yew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Pedals of Organs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being made to the annexed drawing, making a part of this specification, which is fully described herein-tliat is to say:

My invention of improvement in organ pedals has for its object facilitating the execution of the feet upon the same, especially upon those pedal keys most distant from the body of the player. IVhen the compass of keys exceeds one octave and a half, the distance of the remote keys, in the old inode, is so great as to require a considerable stretch of the foot as well as a shifting of the body of the player in order to reach them with certainty. This interferes greatly, not only with the comfort of the player, but it also limits the degree of execution possible to be accomplished. In my improvement, however, this is overcome by so arranging the pedal keys that they shall lie all at the same general distance from the body of the player, and this arrangement is continued in two directions, viz. one, as it were, of equal radii from the body of the player, and the other at a right angle to that, or from the direction of the knee. Thus, in a plan view, the keys would assume the fan shape, while if viewed in a transverse vertical section, parallel with the manual, they would exhibit a concave sur face.

At A is seen the pedal frame, placed as usual in front of the key board or manual, and beneath the organist-s seat, which will be above and rest upon the platform B. The other ends of the pedal keys are hinged beneath the plat-forin, in the usual manner, with their free or operating ends extending toward the organ, said keys being shown at C. It will be seen that they extend from 19,312, dated February 9*, 1858.

B, in a somewhat fan shaped arrangement, so that the width of the whole set under the seat is much less than at their free or acting ends. This shows one form of the arrangement; the other is that by which their surface is concave, and as shown b y the curve of the cross-rail D. On the free ends of the pedals are the eyes (e) for pulling down the trackers, as usual.

The opeiation is as follows. The organist sits centrally over the platform B; and the legs being bent at the knee at a right angle, the feet will hang over that part of the pedals upon which they are to act, as at (i), requiring a little forward movement to touch the semi-tone keys, as usual. Turning on the body as a center, it will be seen that the feet will sweep over the playing parts of the pedals in the arc of a circle. Thus one feature of facility of reaching the keys is apparent. The other feature is important when the leg from the knee downward moves across the keys, having the knee as a center, thus describing` a curve in the other direction conforming to the cencavity of the inverted arch D.

From all this it will be seen that a greatly increased facility is afforded for execution, since all the keys lie within easy reaching distance, as well as that the arrangement is such as to accord with the natural movement of the body while in the act of playing.

Although I have described this arrangement as for organs, it is equally adapted to all other instruments wherein pedal playing is practiced.

I claim- The herein described arrangement of organ pedals in the radial and concave form, to facilitate the performance thereon, as set forth.

In witness whereof T have hereunto subscribed my name.

THOS. ROBJOIIN.

In presence of- S. H. MxrNi-inn, THOMAS DUCEY.

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