US248585A - Reed-organ stop-action - Google Patents

Description

(No Model L. K. FULLER;

REED ORGAN STOP ACTION. No. 248,585. Patented 00. Z5,1881.

INVENTQR:

WITNESSES: 0140440.;

m By his Attorneys, 523w "swmv- W i UNrrn STATES ATENT triers.

LEVI K. FULLER, OF BRATTLEBOItOUGI-I, VERMONT.

REED-ORGAN STOP=ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 248,585, dated October 25, 1881,

Application filed June 29, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI K. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brattleborough, \Vindham county, Vermont, have invented certain Improvements in Stop-Actions for Organs, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to means for operating the stops of an organ to give voice to certain groups of reeds; and it has for its object to facilitate the manipulation of the stops by the performer by enabling him to throw on or off certain groups of harmonious stops, commonly used together, with as little exertion and loss of time as to manipulate a single stop, and this without in any way interfering with the separate orindependcntuse of the several stops.

I employ the usual stop knobs or pulls and any of the usual connections between said pulls and the several dampers, mufflers, or valves to be operated thereby, and in addition I provide other knobs or push-pieces, the operation of which serves to operate two or more of the stop-pulls, and thereby to put on or off the corresponding stops.

In the. drawings which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a plan of the stopaction of an organ, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. In these views the reed board, dampers, and mechanism for connecting the stop-pulls with the same are omitted, as they form no part of my present invention, and their positions with respect to the said knobs will be well understood by those skilled in the art. Fig. 3 is a plan of certain stop pulls and levers, detached, to more clear] y illustrate their joint action.

Let A represent the name-board, and B the backboard, of an organ, mounted on a baseboard, O, in the usual way. In these are mounted the stop-pulls, whereby voice is given to certain sets of reeds, tremolos are operated, and other effects produced. These pulls are designated by the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4-, 5, 6, and 7 5 but there may, of course, be less or more than this, depending on the compass or character of the organ.

In the name and back board are also mounted normally-projectin g buttons or knobs D, E, and F. The knobs D and F are caused to project normally by means of suitable springs (t a, arranged as shown, or in some way equivalent thereto, and said knobs are employed to throw out simultaneously certain of the stop pulls, whereby the pulling out of each pull separately is avoided. The knob E serves to drive in all or any predetermined number of the stop-pulls simultaneously.

1 have shown the knob 1) arranged to actuate and throw out pulls 3 and 6, and the knob F to throw out pulls 3 and 7; butit is obvious that any other combinations may be employed, those shown serving only as examples.

On the shanks of such of the pulls as are to be actuated by a normally-projecting knob are pins or other similar projections, b b, against which impinge the free extremities of levers G, I1, I, and J, which are pivoted or fulcrumed respectively at c, d, e, and j'on blocks mounted on the base-board C. The inner overlapping ends of the levers G and I are forked or slotted, and the forks are engaged by a. pin or projection, g, on the shank of the knob D, and a similar pin, h, on the shank of the knob F engages forks in the overlapping ends of the levers J and H. Thus it will be understood, by reference to the dotted lines in Fig. 1, that by pressing on the knob I) the pulls b and 6 will be thrown out; and the same may be said in respect of the knob F and the pulls 3 and 7. At the same time either of these pulls may be drawn out independently of the others.

K is a shaft or rod arranged horizontally under the pull-shanks, and adapted to oscillate in bearings at i i on the baseboard 0. This shaft is provided with arms jj, which project upward alongside of some or all of the shanks of the stop-pulls, as shown, and are normally pressed forward by means of a suitable spring, k, arranged as shown, or in some equivalent manner. One of these arms stands at the side of the shank of the knob E, where it engages or impinges against a pin, 1, on said shank. Thus it will be seen that when the said knob E is pressed in the shaft K is oscillated.

On the shanks of some or all of the pulls l 2 3, &c., are projections'or pins m m, which, when said pulls are drawn out, stand just behind the several arms j j, whereby these arms, when driven back by the pressing in of the knob E, carries back the pulls with them.

Thus it will be seen that any pulls which may be out will be or can be pushed in simultaneously by means of the knob E. Generally the knob E is arranged to push in all of the pulls of the organ simultaneously; but, where it is desired, some one or more pulls may be omitted from the arrangement. I have shown pull 1, for example, entirely disconnected from any ofthemechanismjustdescribed,and,as shown, it would have to be pulled out and pushed in independently.

It often happens that the player desires to draw on a number of stops at one time while playing, and such stops are generally those which harmonize and are habitually used together, and my construction enables me to group such harmonizing stops together and adapt them to be put in action simultaneously by pressing in one button. To press in a knob requires less time than to draw out a pull, and when the pressure of the knob is made to draw out several pulls which harmonize the advantage to the player is proportionatelyincreased.

Itwill be observed that after pressingin the knob D or F, and thereby throwing out the stop-pulls in connection therewith, the said knob immediately springs forward, thereby leaving each of the said stop-pulls free to be pressed back independently of the others.

It often happens, also, that the player will desire to push in several pulls sinmltaneously, and this is readily effected by the knob E. Only one knob is shown for this purpose; but two or more, arranged to push in predetermined groups of pulls, may be employed.

The precise arrangement of the parts herein shown need not be strictly adhered to. Indeed, the different styles of organs may require some modification in this respect. Some departures from the construction shown may be made without materially affecting the peculiar characteristics of the inventionas, for example, any kind of springs maybe employed for retracting the knobs I), E, and F.

I am aware that it is not new to throw out a single pull by pressing in a knob, nor to give voice to several stops by means of one pull, nor to throw out all the stop-pulls by means of a treadle; but

Vhat I claim as new is follows:

1. In a reed-organ, the combination, with the usual stop-pulls, of a push button or knob, an engaging projection on each of two or more stop-pulls which it is desired to pull out simultaneously, movable parts adapted to engage said projections, and connecting mechanism, substantially as set forth, between said movable parts and said knob, whereby they are caused to move with the latter and in the contrary direction, thus pushing out the pulls upon the pressing in of said knob.

2. In a reed-organ, the combination, with the usual stop-pulls of a button or knob, mechanism, substantially as 'set forth, connecting the same with two or more of the stop-pulls, whereby the manipulation of said knob serves to draw out said pulls, and a spring arranged to return said knob and its connecting mechanism to the normal position afterits manipulation, thereby leaving the pulls free to be independently pressed back.

3. ln areed-organ, the continuation of two or more stop-pulls, an engaging projection on each of said pulls, a lover or levers adapted to engage said projections and receiving motion from a push-knob, the said knob, and a spring tending to keep said knob pressed outwardly, substantially as set forth.

4. A stop mechanism for organs, comprising a normally-projeeting knob provided with a retracting-spring and a projection to engage the adiacent ends of two horizontallyarranged levers, the said levers pivoted, as shown, and the outer end arranged to impinge against projections on the shanks of certain stop-pulls, and the said stop-pulls, all arranged as shown, whereby, when the normally-projecting knob is pressed, the free ends of the lovers take against the projection on the pulls and push them out, while the said pulls are capable of independent operation, substantially as set forth.

5. A stop mechanism t'ororgans, comprising a normally-projecti11g knob, E, provided with a projection, l, the stop-pulls provided with projections m m, and the shaft K, arranged to oscillate in bearings, and provided with arms jj and a spring, is, all arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEVI K. FULLER.

Vitnesses:

W. G. HORTON, L. W. HAwLEY.

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