Abstract: The pipe organ valve is comprised of a soft flexible membrane in the form of a disk adapted to be secured to a suitable actuator such as the armature of a solenoid adjacent the center of the disk and a semi-rigid ring member secured to the perimeter of the disk to maintain the disk taut while permitting flexing of the ring transversely to the plane of the ring and permitting distortion of the ring member from its normal plane. The valve member is a light weight composite of a disk of soft flexible resilient leather and a disk of woven material bonded together. The pipe organ valve may be mounted adjacent the air passage of a wind chest with the center of the disk off set from the axis of the air passage whereby one portion of the periphery of the valve member will separate from the valve seat prior to the remainder of the periphery.

Abstract: An electric valve for pipe organs is adapted to be mounted within an air chest and is provided with a valve member on an armature adapted to cooperate with a valve seat surrounding an air passage in the chest leading to a pipe. The valve member is comprised of a base member, a resilient member and a valve seat engaging member adhesively secured together with sufficient slack in the valve seat engaging member or the base member and air passages which permit direct contact of the pressurized air within the air chest with the valve seal engaging member to allow bounce of the armature while maintaining the valve seat engaging member in engagement with the valve seat. The armature extends through and is pivoted on a bracket by means of two ball bearings press fitted into sockets on opposite sides of the armature. The sides of the bracket are then pressed toward each other against the ball bearings which will then be pressed into the bracket to form complimentary sockets.

Abstract: A drawknob for an organ is slidably mounted in an organ panel with one end thereof illuminated to indicate the state of the drawknob. A plate member is pivotally mounted relative to the other end of the drawknob and a spring device is provided for normally maintaining the plate member perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drawknob. One or more magnets are mounted on the plate member which are disposed between two magnetically operated switches. A restraint is provided adjacent the periphery of the plate member so that upon reciprocating movement of the drawknob in opposite directions the plate member will be pivoted to bring a magnet thereon into close proximity with one of the magnetically operated switches to operate the same.

Abstract: A passive solar heating model for studying the daylight illumination of a lot containing buildings and trees comprises a platform, a pair of arms pivotally mounted at one end thereof to the opposite sides of the platform, and an arcuate guide track pivotally mounted to the free ends of the arms for supporting a light source. The pivotal arms allow adjustments to account for the latitude corresponding to the parallel on which the lot is located and the pivotal guide track allows adjustments to accommodate for the time of the year to be studied. Finally, the light source is movably mounted on the track allowing for time-of-the-day adjustments.

Abstract: Each key of the pedalboard is supported and guided for pivotal movement in a vertical plane by a steel strip secured to the underside of each key adjacent the midportion thereof. The rear end of each key is operatively connected to a transversely extending rear frame for horizontal reciprocating movement perpendicular to the rear frame and the forward end of each key is disposed between transversely extending upper and lower and front frame members for limited vertical movement therebetween. The forward end of each steel strip is secured to the lower front frame member to normally bias the forward end of each key into engagement with the upper front frame member.

Abstract: An optical distortion device which can make a contact copy of a photographic film image with one dimension of the copy lengthened or shortened while the perpendicular dimension is unchanged is comprised of a pair of cylindrical motor driven rollers, at least one of which can be driven at a very low speed. The axes of the rollers are disposed parallel to each other and to a narrow slit through which a beam of light is directed. A copy sheet such as a photographic negative and a sheet of photosensitive material are pressed into intimate contact as they pass over the slit by a jet of positive air pressure and each sheet is held to the circumference of a respective roller by negative air pressure selectively supplied to a plurality of grooves in the surface of the roller.

Abstract: The organ pedal board includes a plurality of keys each having a magnet adjustably mounted on one end thereof for actuating the reed switch. Each reed switch is disposed at an angle of 45.degree. relative to the vertical plane of movement of each key with the upper most end of each reed switch being disposed adjacent to but below the magnet when the key is in rest position. Each magnet is comprised of an oblong piece of rubber or plastic ferrite material secured to the head end of a screw which is threaded into the end of a key for rotatable and longitudinal adjustment of the magnet relative to the longitudinal axis of the key. The opposite end of each key is secured to a supporting block by means of a thin flexible strip with the end of the key slightly overlapping and resting on the supporting block for pivotal movement about the edge thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing from a photographic transparency a contact copy that is controllably elongated or compressed in one dimension only. The transparency and a photosensitive film sheet are separately transported at different linear speeds past an elongated illuminated slit by a pair of drive rollers that are driven at different rotational rates. Segmented pressure rollers keep the transparency and film sheet in contact with their respective drive rollers during transport.A differential speed drive mechanism is used to rotate the drive rollers at different speeds. This comprises a pair of complementarily tapered shafts, coaxially attached to the respective drive rollers, together with an O-ring that is caught between the shafts at a selectable axial location. The ratio of the tapered shaft diameters at the location of the O-ring establishes the relative rotation rate of the drive rollers, and hence the extent of dimensional distortion of the produced copy.

Abstract: This electronic combination lock is operated by depressing the proper combination of pushbuttons mounted on the faceplate of a circular handle, then rotating the handle to open the bolt. The pushbuttons are held outwardly by radially extending spring wires within the handle that also provide electrical connection, when a pushbutton is depressed, to inclined contacts mounted to the rear of the faceplate. Electrical leads extend through a hollow shaft connected to the handle.The bolt is restrained in the locked position by a magnetically actuated locking pin which projects into a bore in the bolt. The shaft is connected to the bolt by a spring. When the proper pushbuttons are selected, electrical circuitry disclosed herein actuates the magnet, removing the pin and permitting the bolt to be opened by handle rotation. If the wrong combination is depressed, an alarm signal is produced, the magnet is not actuated, and rotation of the handle expands the spring without moving the bolt.

Abstract: The optical distortion device which can make a contact copy of a photographic film image with one dimension of the copy lengthened or shortened while the perpendicular dimension is unchanged is comprised of a pair of cylindrical motor driven rollers, at least one of which can be driven at a variable speed. The axes of the rollers are disposed parallel to each other and to a narrow slit through which a beam of light is directed. A photographic image and a sheet of photosensitive material are disposed in superimposed relation with one edge of each secured to a respective roller so that upon rotation of the rollers the photographic image and the photosensitive sheet will be simultaneously moved over the light slit.

Abstract: The valve member of a solenoid operated valve adapted to be mounted within the windchest of a pipe organ for opening and closing an aperture leading to a pipe is provided with a circular projection on one surface thereof adapted to project into the circular aperture with minimal clearance to reduce the amount of air flow through the aperture should the main portion of the valve member separate slightly from the seat surrounding the aperture as a result of bounce during a valve closing operation.