US63006A - Improvement in eeed musical instruments - Google Patents

Description

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IMPROVEMENT IN REED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BRIGGS, of Ansonia, in the county of New Haven, and State ot` Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full` clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming pu-rteot` this specification, in which- Figure I is an elevation ot' a section of only so 'much of the interior ot' a 'cabinet organ as it is necessary to show in order to illustrate my invention, the plane of section being across the instrument.

vFigure 2 is a section of the parts shown in tig. 1, the plane of section being in the line a: x of iig. I.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is to improve that class of' musical instruments known as reed instruments, which arc variously distinguished as cabinet organs, harmoniams, and melodeons, and also by other names. I form a sound-chamber below the wind-chest, the bottom of said sound-chamber being the bottom of the instrument, and its top a flexible diaphragm which becomes the bottom of the wind-chest. The bottom ot' the soundchamber forms a rellecting board, and is provided with a series of ridges, consisting of strips permanently fastened thereon and extending clear across the chamber, the number of ridges being varied, according to the power or character of the instrument, from two to six in the. space of a foot. VThe said sound-chambers are separated from each other only by said ridges, whose height is only about halt' the height ot` the chambers, leaving consequently a clear space between the tops o the ridges and the flexible diaphragm, so that all the sound-chambers are in communication with each other. The'said chambers vare each open at front to the external air by mea-ns of openings through the case of the instrument, said openings being concealed by a curtain or cornice it' desired. The iieXible diaphragm is continuous beneath the Whole range of the reed-board, but it is attached to bars running across the wind-chest, said bars being numerous enough to prevent the diaphragm from being moved upwards too 'near the valves. The diaphragm entirely separates ,the wind-chest from'the soundchambers.

In this example of my invention the letter A designates the reed'boand of a cabinet organ, but the reeds and valves are left out. I3 is the wind-chest. The bottom G ot' the instrument, which usually forms the bottcm of the wind-chest, is lowered to about twice the usual distance from the reed-board to enable me to form soundchambers, whose height is about equal to the height of the Wind-chest, the two being separated by a close flexible diaphragm, D, which forms the bottom of the wind-chest. In order to prevent the diaphragm from being forced upwards to a point too near the valves, it isv attached in'any suitable way to the bottom of strips C, which extend across the wind-chest, their ends being secured in the front and back rails of the case. These strips are numerous enough to prevent the diaphragm from interfering with the free action of the valves, and they may be as numerous as the ridges hereinafter mentioned, which separate the wind-chambers from each other. i The letters F designate Sound-Chambers formed beneath the diaphragm, the bottom G ot` the instrument being the bottom of the said chambers, and forming a reflecting board for all of them. '.lhc sides of the chambers do not rise high enough to isolate them from each other, being composed of ridges or strips, E, of wood or other suitable material, which will assist in reflecting sound, said strips being secured by their ends tothe front and back rails of the case. Each sound-,chamber is made open to the external air by means of openings, H, at their front ends through the front of the case.' These openings may be lett exposed to sight or may be hidden by a cornice or an ornamental screen or curtain of any kind. .By means of this construction the tone of reed instruments is greatly improved, being mellowed and deprived ot` the peculiar harshness which is considered by some an objection to their use. Tile sound-chambers may be said to compose Aone continuous chamber, since the ridges that div-ide them are not high enough to isolate them from one another. The flexible diaphragm permits the vibration of the air caused by the motions of the reeds to be transmitted or communicated to the air in the sound-chambers, the reeds being yet confined so that they vibrate in a. closed chamber.

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

The separation of the wind-chest of la mclodeon by a flexible diaphragm D, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

JOHN C. BRIGGS. Witnesses SYLvEs'rnn Bassoon,

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