US447120A - John a - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. A. SMITH.

COMBINED PIANO AND ORGAN.

N0. 447,120. Patented Feb. 24,1891.

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JOIIIY A. SMITH, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED PIANO AND ORGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,120, dated February 24, 1891.

Application filed March 24, 1890. Serial No. 345,180. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

3e it known that I, JOHN A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Piano and Organ; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My improvements relate to the combination of the reed-organ with the piano in one case in such a manner that each of the combined instruments may be played separately, or the two may be played simultaneously by the means of either bank of keys, or a melody or harmony being played upon one an accompaniment may be played upon the other.

The objects of my improvements are to provide a combined instrument having the fewest possible parts, simple in construction, one upon which a greater variety of desira bio and pleasing musical effects may be produced than has hitherto been possible, and also to so locate and arrange the various parts of the organ with reference to the piano that they shall not cause interference with ready access to necessary parts of the piano for tuning and repairs.

Another object is to provide a unique duplex manual coupler, one which couples either from the lower bank of keys to the upper or from the upper to the lower.

I attain these objects by means of the peculiar arrangement of mechanism which is fully illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of the keyboard and the lower portion of the rods connecting the keys of an upright piano with its action mechanism above and the combined reed-organ. Fig. 2. shows a section of the tilting organ-key frame F and the keys O with their rear ends depressed so as to impinge the lugs L, secured to the connectingrods 0. Fig. 3 is a section of the tilting organ-key frame and keys with their rear ends elevated so as to impinge the lugs L, secured to the connecting-rods 0. Fig. 4E shows my arrangement for binding the organ-keys to their fulcrum.

In both Figs. 2 and 3 the dotted lines show the organ-keys O in their normal position, as illustrated in Fig. l.

I desire that the ad justing-rockers, each secured by two screws to the rear ends of the keys of both the piano and the organ, as shown in Figs. 1,2, and 3, shall be considered as integral parts of such keys.

A comprehensive idea of my arrangement of the several parts of the organ with reference to and in combination with the piano is given by Fig. 1. The organ-keys O are located above the keys I of the piano, while the organ-valve mechanism, the wind-chest, reeds, inutes, swell, &c., are located underneath the piano-keys P, and communication between the organ-keys 0 above and the valves V below is had by means of the trackerpins T, which pass through holes II in the piano-keys P and rest upon the valves V, while their upper ends sustain the organ-keys O in their position of rest, as shown. The wind-chest is connected by means of a wind trunk or tube with a bellows located in the space at the rear of the lower front of the case orin any other suitable place. The windtrunk and bellows, reeds, mutes, swell, &c., are not shown, they being constructed in any of the well-known forms.

Prior to my invention various patents have been granted for combined piano and organ with separate key-board for each; but, so far as I am aware, no really practical result has been obtained, because of complications in the mechanisms, and because of failure to arrange the several parts of the organ in such position and manner that they shall not interfere with ready access to necessary parts of the piano for repairs, adjustment, and tuning. 13y separating the parts of the organ and placing its keys above the keys of the piano and its reeds, valves, and surrounding mechanism below the piano-keys, I so dispose its several parts that they do not prevent ready access to the parts of the piano most likely to need repairs and adjustment or for tuning.

My duplex manual coupling arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The organ-keys O are extended rearwardly as far as to the "upright connecting-rods O, and aresecurely fulcrumed to the key-frame F at 1, so that when the fronts are depressed in the act of playing the rear ends are elevated to about the same extent as are the rear ends of the pianokeys P when their front ends are depressed. The organ-key frame F is pivoted at each end on the line A of the bearings of the keys 0 upon the tracker-pins T in such manner that the key-frame and its keys 0 maybe oscillated slightly, thus raising or lowering the rear ends of the keys 0 for the purposes hereinafter explained. The upright connecting-rods C, which communicate the upward motion of the rear ends of the piano-keys P to the piano action and hammers above, are each provided with lugs L and L at suitable points below and above'the rear ends of the keys 0. I I

When the key-frame F and the keys 0 are .in their normal'position, as shown in Fig. 1 and by the dotted lines .in Figs. 2 and 3, either the piano or the organ may beplayed separately, the lugs L being placed just far enough below the rear ends of the keys 0 to allow for their free upward motion with the connecting-rods 0 when the'piano-keys Pare operated, while the lugs L are j ust far enough above the rear ends of the keys 0 to clear; them when the organ-keys are operated. If

the key-frame F and the keys 0 are tilted upon the pivots at A so as to depress the rear ends of the keys 0, they are brought into position to impinge the lugs L, as shown by the; full lines in Fig. 2. When in this position; the organ-keys 0 may be played separately from the piano; but if the piano-keys P. are played their rear ends are raised, carryingu p with'themthe connecting-rods O,'having thelugs L attached, the lugs L bearing up against the under sides of the 'rear'ends of the keys 0 and causing'them to be raised the same as ted directly by the fingers, thereby enabling both the'combined instruments to be played simultaneously when the piano-keys P only are manipulated, or, if desired, a solo or a duet may be-played. upon the combined instrument through the medium of the piano-; keys P 'Wlth an accompaniment upon the- .organ alone by means of the keys 0.

By tilting the key-frame vF and the keys '0 so as to raise'the rear ends of the keys 0 up against the lugs L, as shown by the full .lines in Fig. 3, it is'manit'est that manipulationof the keys 0 will not only operate the, organ, but the piano as well, for by depressting thefront-ends .of'the keys 0 in .the act of playing the organ their rear'ends are correspondingly raised, carrying up the lugs L accompaniment may be played upon the piano alone through the medium of the keys P. By this arrangement (the tilting of the key-frameF' and the keys 0, in combination with the lugs L and L, secured to the upright connecting-rods O) I secure the simplest pos sible duplex manual coupler, one that enables the performer by drawing a stop or pressing a pedal either to couple from the lower bank of keys to the upper or from the upper bank to the lower. This duplex manual coupling arrangementis as applicable to organs having two or more banks of keys as it is to this combined piano and organ.

My method of securing the keys 0 to the key-frame F at the fulcrum 1 so that they shall beheld firmly to their fulcrum and yet be perfectly free to oscillate thereon when in use is fully shown in Fig. 4. A little above the lower surf-ace of the keys 0, at their points of bearing upon the fulcrum 1, I make a hole .2 through each key, and through this series of holes I put a long wire 3, extending longitudinally'the wholelength of thekey-board parallel with and about one-eightht-l inch above the fulcrum 1, which is common to all the keys 0. This wire 3 serves as a key-binder "to hold the entire series of keys 0 against the organ-stop work, nor the pedal arrangement for tilting the key-frame F and the keys O,for all these matters are either well understoodor involve only ordinary skill in piano and organ work.

What I claim as my invention, and deslre to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination,with a piano, of an organ havingits keys 0 located above the pianokeys P, while its valves V, with the windchest, reeds, and other necessary surrounding parts, are located below the'piano-keys P,with

suitable means of communicating the motion of the keys 0 to the valves substantially as shown and described.

2. An organ with its keys 0 arranged to operate the valves V through the medium of the tracker-pins T, in combination with a piano having its keys P interposed between the keys 0 and :the valvesV of the organ,-th'e keys P .being'provided with holes H,'through which the tracker-pins T pass, as specified and shown.

-3. In an instrument having two or more banks of keys, the tilting key-frame 1*", pivoted at each end on the line A, with the rearwardly-projecting keys 0 mounted thereon, and suitable means for oscillating the said keyt'rame and keys, whereby the rear ends of the keys 0 may be carried either below or above their normal position, as and for the purposes specified.

4. The tilting key-frame F and the keys 0 mounted thereon, in combination with the keys 1, the connecting-rods C,and the lugs L, secured thereto, whereby when the key-frame l and the keys 0 are tilted so that the rear ends of the keys 0 are carried down against the lugs L manipulation of the keys 1 will, through the medium of the connecting-rods C and the lugs L, cause the keys 0 to operate and both the combined instruments to sound.

5. In a combined piano and organ,the tilting key-frame F and the keys 0 mounted thereon, in combination with the lugs L, secured to the connecting-rods 0, whereby when the key-frame F and the keys 0 are tilted so that the rear ends of the keys 0 are carried up against the lugs L manipulation of the keys 0 will. not only cause the organ to sound by the depression of the tracker-pins T and the opening of the valves Y, but the rear ends of the keys 0 being carried upward impinge the lugs L and carry them up also with the connecting-rods 0, thus setting in motion the action mechanism above and causing the piano to sound the same as if the keys P were manipulated.

6. In amusical instrument having two or more banks of keys, the combination of the keys P, operating act-ion mechanism above through the medium of the connecting-rods U, l'iaving lugs L and L secured thereto, with the tilting key frame F and the keys 0 mounted thereon, the keys 0 operating the action mechanism below through the medium of the tracker-pins T, and suitable means for oscillating the key-frame F and the keys 0, whereby when the rearward ends of the keys 0 are depressed against the lugs L manipulation of the keys 1 will not only actuate the action mechanism above, but will, through the medium of the connecting-rods O and the lugs L, cause the keys 0 to operate, thereby actuating the action mechanism below, as well as that above, while if the rearward ends of the keys 0 are elevated against the lugs L manipulation of the keys 0 will not only actuate the action mechanism below, but will, through the medium of the lugs L, secured to the connecting-rods C, actuate that above as well.

'7, In combination with the series of keys 0, provided with holes 2, the key-binder 3, secured in its position by the hooks i or other suitable means, whereby the keys 0 are held to their fulcrum l and yet are free to operate with the least possible friction.

Vitness my hand this 22d day of March, A. l). 1890.

JOHN A. SMITH.

Witnesses:

Wu. F. RAMSAY, K. L. EISENHART.

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