Abstract: The present invention provides, for musical instruments such as organs, action-magnets and action-magnet drivers that facilitate reduction of wiring, connections, and logic circuitry. Some embodiments of present invention provide stop action-magnets, also called SAM's, comprising integral drive circuitry and, which may further comprise additional integral circuitry. Embodiments of this invention may comprise, logic circuits such as a shift-register cells, micro-controllers, or both. Some embodiments of this invention comprise shift-cells and registers combining both SIPO and PISO functions for addressing SAM's. A single-coil SAM embodiment of the present invention may respond to signals intended to operate traditional two-coil SAM's. In another embodiment, a pipe action-magnet driver comprises logic circuitry. In yet another embodiment a pipe action-magnet comprises an integral driver that further comprises logic circuitry.

Abstract: A sound reproduction system (10) is disclosed in which a sound barrier (14) defines a horn passageway having an upstream (22) and a downstream section (24). A driver (12) is mounted at the throat (16) of the upstream section (22) so that its rearward directed output communicates with the downstream section (24). Output from the upstream section and the rearward directed output of the driver are merged at a tap point located at the beginning of the downstream section. By altering the respective areas and lengths of the upstream and downstream sections a variety of different frequency dependent responses are obtained. In one example, low-frequency response systems of heretofore unobtainable compact size are realized.

Abstract: The present invention provides, for musical instruments such as organs, action-magnets and action-magnet drivers that facilitate reduction of wiring, connections, and logic circuitry. Some embodiments of present invention provide stop action-magnets, also called SAM's, comprising integral drive circuitry and, which may further comprise additional integral circuitry. Embodiments of this invention may comprise, logic circuits such as a shift-register cells, micro-controllers, or both. Some embodiments of this invention comprise shift-cells and registers combining both SIPO and PISO functions for addressing SAM's. A single-coil SAM embodiment of the present invention may respond to signals intended to operate traditional two-coil SAM's. In another embodiment, a pipe action-magnet driver comprises logic circuitry. In yet another embodiment a pipe action-magnet comprises an integral driver that further comprises logic circuitry.

Abstract: An electromagnetic valve for a pipe organ is located and operated so that the valve closure member opens and closes the windway to the pipe at an obtuse angle thereby slowing down the opening of the windway to prevent or minimize overblowing and eliminating or minimizing rebounding of the closure member when it closes the windway to minimize or eliminate unwanted continued speech by the pipe.

Abstract: An electromagnetically operated valve assembly having a valve closure means attached to a vertically suspended armature supported at its top portion, is held in magnetic fields at both the top and bottom portions of the armature, caused by permanent magnets reacting to iron or other permanent magnets. The movement of the armature is guided to insure close alignment and to eliminate side play by means of a main frame assembly mounted in a pipe organ wind chest so as to control air under pressure from the wind chest into at least one pipe organ. The permanent magnet at the bottom portion of the armature cooperates with an iron core of a solenoid mounted to the main frame assembly, to close or open the valve. The valve may also be provided with a second solenoid to both assist moving the valve to the open position, and to aid in holding the valve in the open position.

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: 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.