US78536A - Improvement in reed musical instruments - Google Patents

Description

E. P. NEEDHAM. REED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 78,536, Patented June2, 1868.

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' Lettm Pam No. 78,536, dated June 2,1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN REED MUSICAL INSTRUldI BNlTS.

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TO ALL'WVHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, P. Na annals, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Melodeons and other Reed Musical Instruments of similar character; and I do herehy dsclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference heing had to the accompanying drawing, making a portion of this specification, which is avcrtical transverse section of a melodeon constructed according to my invention.

This invention consists in making the front of-the exhauat-chambero f the instrument of flexible material,

whereby the movement of the reed-boards is permitted without involving any complication of parts or material increase in the expense of construction. I I

To enable others to understand the construction andhperation of my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

The portion of the exhaust-chamber of the instrument within which the reed-boards B are arranged, is shown at A, and may be of any appropriate form or construction, and furnishedwith reeds, a, placed, in the usual manner, within the reed-openings b, providedat the front parts of the aforesaid boards. The reed-boards are attached, at their upper forward edges, to rocksshafts 2;, the ends of which are pivoted at the ends of the exhaust-chamber, as shown in dotted outline in -t he drawi ng,-in such manner as to vpermit a tilting or rising and falling movement of the back portions of the reed-hoards, the saidb'dards being, furthermore, pressed downward by springs, a. The front, a, of the exhaust-chamber A, is .formcd of sheet India-rubber or othei like I flexible material, impervionsto air, and is attached to the rock-shafts x,-as indicated at z, and also to the lower; front edge of the reed-hoards, as shown at a:*, the said front being, furthermore,- provided with openings at (11,

through which the wind is admitted to the reed-openings b. Shown at d are the valves over the rcedwpenings, the said valves being pivoted at their forward "ends and cxtendin'g back beyond the rear edges of the reedhoards, through holes 6*, provided in bridg'e pieces' or strips a secured longitudinally upon the hack partsof the reed-boards, the aforesaid valves being pressed down to close the reed-openings by springs f attached to the strips 6, just mentioned. Arranged, one behind each vertical series of valves (Z, are lifting-rods g, connected; by push-pins b, with the rear or inner ends of the keys C, and furnished with forwardly-projecting lugs c*, having vertical stems 1., which are situated, one underneath the rcarwardly-oxtcnding end of one of the valves d, insuoh manner that when the reed-hoards B are depressed, or in their usual or normal position, the upward movement of the rod 9 will lift the valves of the'vertical series with which its stems i are connected, as indi: cated in the drawing, such lifting of the valves being, of course, pi'oduced 'hy the downward movement of the forward or outer portion of the keys C in playing. When the keys C are released from downward pressure they, together with their lifting-rods g, are'bmught to their original position by springs m, acting upon their inner ends. Extending forward from the rock-shaft a: of each of the reed b'oards is an arm, a, connected by a rod, 1', with a lever, a, the rearmost end of which is pivoted underneath the exhaust-chamber, as shown atff, in such manner as to be capable not only of a vertical, but of a lateral movement. Arranged atone side of each lever 0, upon the bottom of the exhaust-chamber, is a downwardly-extending projection, '11, the purpose of which will presently herein appear. v

.In using the melodeon, those of the reed-boards which it is desired to stopor mute" are tilted or raised at their back or rear portions, as shown in red outline in the figure, by depressing the levers s connected there-'- with, the said levers being then turned laterally and brought underneath the projections u, adjacent thereto, so that the levers s are, by this means, held in their depressed position, to retain the reed-boards, with which they are connected in their liftedcondition. The rear of each of the reed-boards to he muted being thus lifted, the hack ends of the valves 11 thereof are brought out of 'reach of the adjacent stems i of the rods 9, so as not to he acted upon by the said stems when the rods 9 are raiscd in playing upon the instrument, as hercinliefore explained, so that by thus bringing the required reed-boards out of the range of operation of the valve-operating mechanism connected with the keys of the instrument, the same may be Wanted" without any liability to the impe f tion which, in the ordinary method of muting, frequently occurs from the imperfect closing of the stop-valves employed to shut off the wind from the reed-openings of the reed-boards; and, furthermore, the said reed-boards maybe thus muted by the performer withmuch less labor and inconvenience than are required in i the manipulation of the valves just mentioned,'as hitherto employcd,'to stop the passage of the wind through the reed-openiugs; while the front, 0, to which the front'edges of the reed-boards are attached, as hcreinbeforo e' pluined, being flexible, the requisite movement of thereeddioards is permitted without any danger of disarrangin'g the parts, or involving any complication instrncture, or material increase in the cost of manufacture.

I do not confine myself to the particularsrran'gement of the reed-boards, or means of moving thcni out of range of the valve-operatirlg mechanism in connection with the keys or playing-devices; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, ls-

The flexible front, c, of the exhaust-chamber A, in combination with the movable reed-hoards, whereby the requisite movement of, the said ree'd-boards is allowed, substantially as herein set forth.

E. P. NEEDHAM. Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN,

J. W; Cooims.

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