US246886A - Octave-coupler - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) Z 'Sh eets -S'heet 1. G. W. INGALLS.,

OOTAVEOOUPLER.

- .No. 246,886. Patented Sept. 13,1881.

five or.

2 Sheets-Sheet :2

(No Model.)

Gr. W.-INGALLS.

OGTAVE COUPLER.

Patented Sept. 13, 1%81.

cat y UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

GUSTAVUS W. INGALLS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

OCTAVE-COUPLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,886, dated September 13, 1881.

' Application filed June 4,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS W.1NeALLs, a citizen of the United States,residing atWorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Octave-Couplers for Keyed Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to devices for causing two notes an octave apart to be struck simul= taneously on the pressure of a single key.

The said invention consists partly iuthe peculiar construction of the frame which holds the conpling-levers, partly in the peculiar construction of the levers themselves, and partly in the combinatioinwith said frame, ofcouplinglevers pivoted therein and arranged in pairs, the levers of each pair being normally in the same longitudinal line.

These impiovementswill be hereinafter more fully and particularly set forth and claimed. The invention is designed moreiespecially for use in organs, but may be applied, with slight changes, to pianos and other string instrumcnts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the coupling-le- "ers and frame in position for working. Fig. 2 represents an end view of the same when turned down out of such position. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal longitudinal section through said levers and frame. Fig. 4 represents, in detail, a side view of a pair of coupling-levers, with the button which presses on the one and the pitman actuated by the other; and Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the levers and frame when said frame is turned back upon its hinges to expose its bottom.

The same letters indicate the same parts in the different figures.

A designates the frame or hollow bar which holds the coupling-levers, and which is connected by hinges a a to a horizontal front part, B, of an organ casing, below the key board. These hinges allow said frame to be held in .sition shown in Fig. 2.

horizontal position, as shown in Fig. l, or low ered into an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 2, or turned over backward, (for inspection, cleaning, or repairs,) as shown in Fig. 5. It is moved into this last position by hand; but to raise it into the position first named 1 cmploy a longitudinal shaft, O, which turns in a suitable recess in the bottom of said frame, at or near the front thereof, and is provided with double cranks o c, which, when turned into vertical position, press against said horizontal part B of the organ, and thereby liftthe front of the frame to a level With the rear hinged portion. When these cranks are turned out of a vertical position the weight of the front of the frame causes it to descend into the po- Of course, to. permit this inclination of the frame, it is necessary that the under straps of the hinges a should be raised above partB of the organ, as shown in Fig. 5. When cranks c c are turned out of the vertical position they occupy recesses in the bottom of said frame, so as to beflush there-- with. The said frame orhollow bar A is constructed with a large passage, A, runningfrom end to end, to leave room for the play of the inner ends of the front levers, D,-and the rear levers, E, which are coupled in pairs D and E by flexible straps or packing K in the middie of said passage or space A. The levers D E of each pair are normally in the same longitudinal line. Broad oblique saw-kert's F run through said frame from side to side, their width being sufficient to allow the necessary vertical play of -the'levers, which are pivoted therein on horizontal pins Gr. Each pin has a bushing, g, of cloth or other soft material. The top and bottom of the frame are similarly lined on the inside to deaden the sound made by the inner ends of the levers in striking against the same. The body of said frame is preferably cut from a single block of wood provided with a cap or cover, A which is fastened thereto in any firm and convenient way. The said frame may, however, be made in severalpieces, and metal or other suitable material may be substituted for wood therein.

Each lever consists of a metal bar having its outer turned so as to be horizontal,and its inner end curved and pointed. The horizontal outer end, 01, of each lever D receives, as show it in Fig. 4, the pressure of a screw-button, I, on the under side of its appropriate key. The inner end, (1, of said lever is curved downward, so that such pressure causes its convex side to rise against the similar side of the corresponding upwardly-curved inner end, 0, of the lever E, paired therewith. The rising of this end 6' depresses the flat outer end, 0, of said lever E, and this end 6 bears down upon a button, H, on the pitman, which opens the valve that is an octave below or above the valve which is opened by the direct action of the key. Thus a sin glepressure on said key opens both valves.

WVhen the performer desires to open only one valve at a time, he turns the shaft 0 so as to let the frameAfall into the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby lowering the outer ends, 01, of levers D out of reach of the buttons 1. The inner end, (1, of lever D has a downwardlyturned hook, (P, and the corresponding end 0 of lever E has a similar upwardly-turned hook, e These hooks pass through holes in a flexible strap or packing, K, already referred to, which serves as a means of attachment of said levers to one another, and also as a pad to deaden their sound when the ends d and e strike together. It is preferably made ofalunrtanned or bark-tanned leather. I also sometimes use, either with or without this packing-strap K, a rubber packing-ring, L, which surrounds the inner end of one of the levers, preferably the end d of lever D.

The outer ends of the coupling-levers need not be bent exactly into a horizontal position, or one at right angles to the body of the lever, since a lesser angle forming an inclined face will often suffice.

I precomplete in itself.

The body of the bar or lecrank-shaft and coupling-rods, is manufactured 5 and sold as an entire article, and applied to an organ without any change in the latter.

I am aware that it is not broadly new in octave-couplers to employ two levers having their inner ends connected by a flexible thong, and therefore I do not claim this feature, broadly; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with ahollow frame or bar, A, a pair of coupling levers, D E, extending obliquely through said frame and having their contiguous inner ends within the central open space or passage, A, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a frame, a pair of coupling-levers pivoted within the same, said levers being normally in the same longitudinal line.

3. In an octave-cou ')ler, the levers D and E, having terminal inner hooks, (l 0 in combination with packing-strap K, which serves as a pad therefor.

4. In an octave-coupler, the levers D E,each having its outer end bentinto a plane at right angles to the body of the lever and its inner end curved, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an oetavecoupler, the levers D E,each consisting of a bar having its outer end bent into a plane at right angles to the body of the lever, their inner ends being arranged to strike together, and guarded by packing, substantially as set forth.

6. A coupler-frame provided with hinges at its rear part, and having a crank-shaft orshipper attached to its bottom, at the front thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVUS \V. INGALLS.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. BEANE, ELISHA A. SPAULDING.

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