Electric Actions, Past And Present

By Mr. James I. Taylor

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The invention or the discovery of the elect-magnet must be attributed to
William Sturgeon

, who was born in 1783 at Whittingham, in Lancashire. Sturgeon was by trade a

shoemaker and served for eighteen years as a private soldier in the Royal Artillery. He
was entirely self-taught, an enthusiastic experimenter with electricity, and he described
his first electro-magnet in a communication to the Society of Arts in 1825. This magnet
consisted of a bent bar of soft iron coated with varnish, on which was wound eighteen
separated turns of bare copper wire. The weight of the core of this magnet was
approximately seven ounces, but when current derived from a single cell was passed
through it a weight of 9 lbs. could be supported. The gauge of the wire is not specified,
neither are we told of the current consumed but the principle was established.
The publication of Sturgeon's experiments stimulated other investigations, and in 1831
we find

Joseph Henry
 in the U.S.A. disclosing an improvement. Instead of insulating the core he covered the
wire with silk, and increased the number of turns, thus greatly improving the efficiency of
the magnet.

Wilkinson,
Mols,

Conti (whose system was used in some organs by Bishop & Son)

Roosvelt

and

Austin.
 These early actions, however, though worthy of admiration as pioneer efforts, were not
all capable of reliable performance.
There were great difficulties in the matters of current supply, which usually had to be
obtained from primary batteries of one kind or another, or from the rather primitive
accumulators which were far from perfect in those days when they were more of a
curiosity than a tested commercial article.
Another and almost constant worry was the unreliability of the key contact devices which
were necessary to handle the relatively large amount of current consumed by the
magnets in these early designs. This raised difficulties from sparking on the release of
the key which caused failure at the point of contact, and when efforts were made to
ensure a rubbing contact which would be self-cleaning the key touch became
unpleasant. In an effort to overcome this, some of the early builders used the mercury
cup device which was fairly successful when only a single contact was needed but which
presented difficulty when required in multiple for couplers. Other types, one of which is
shown here (Fig. ç) were used by various builders, but these again were not entirely
suitable for multiple use.
This, then, was the general state of affairs until the advent of

Robert Hope-Jones

about 1886. Hope-Jones was not an organ-builder. He was a telephone engineer of

considerable ability, a clever inventor, an organ enthusiast, an impressive personality,
and a great showman. I only saw him once, when as a small boy I blew the organ for
him at All Souls' Church, Nottingham, when he came about 1900 to survey for a new
organ. But I shall always remember his distinguished appearance and his tactful but
authoritative handling of the Church officials. it is said that Hope-Jones designed his first
action without knowing anything of previous experiments. This, however, scarcely
seems credible, for his first work at St. John's, Birkenhead (in which he had the
assistance of a great craftsman in the late E. Franklin Lloyd) showed a remarkable
appreciation of the imperfections of earlier designs and a real effort to overcome their
failings (Fig. 4). In the first place, the magnets were smaller than any previously
designed, of higher resistance and therefore smaller current consumption. He used the
magnet armature in the dual capacity of armature and valve (an idea originated, I
believe, by Schmoele & Mols) and his entire design was calculated to make the best use
of current sources then existing. The whole of his coupler mechanism was electric, the
stop action only used current whilst actually moving the slides, and the swell shutter
action whilst moving the shutters. And finally, the organ was controlled from a compact
all-electric stopkey console with round wire key contacts (as shown in Fig. 6) and which
was movable.
No wonder that this instrument caused a sensation in the organ world. The response of
the action was enthusiastically commended by many famous organists of the time, who
gave valuable testimony to its efficiency, and The Hope-Jones Organ Company was
launched on a career during which were built some important cathedral, church and
concert organs some of which are still serviceable.
Unfortunately, for reasons now well understood, the Hope-Jones action proved
unreliable in use, despite its promising beginning. The constant urge to economise
current proved fatal to the consistent performance of the magnets: the travel of the
armatures was reduced until in some cases it was but one hundredth of an inch, and the
low voltages employed were incapable of surmounting the slightest obstacle in the form
of dust or tarnish. Further, the travel of the armature disc depended on a wooden cap
and a thickness of bedding leather on to which the cap was fitted, both of which could be
affected by atmospheric conditions, thus causing failure.
And finally, the armatures were supported by wind pressure only, so that when the
organ was not in use they fell into the "on" position and sometimes refused to lift when
the wind came on owing to residual magnetism or slight stickiness in the paper with
which they were usually covered. But though his action had many defects the principle
which Hope-Jones, more than anyone else, established what has been the basis of
most of the successful actions since his time.
The disc armature valve is still widely used with thoroughly satisfactory results, and the
Hope-Jones round wire contacts and coupler switches were used for many years by
some of the foremost firms in the industry. Concurrently with the work of Hope-Jones
and others in this country great progress was being made in Canada by the famous firm
of

Casavant Freres,
 who as early as 1893 introduced key contacts of substantially the type in general use
today, coupler switches of an improved type, and a top-resistance touch of ingenious
and effective design. Hope-Jones electric actions were used in a number of organs by
Messrs.
Norman & Beard

and Messrs.
Ingram

of Hereford, but the majority of English builders preferred and recommended pneumatic
actions as a normal system.
And so we come to the early years of the present century, and to matters of which I can
speak from personal and practical experience. Mr.
John Compton

had for many years been attracted by the possibilities of the Extension method of Organ
building. But the problems involved were obviously very difficult to solve in terms of
pneumatic action, however well and compactly designed. He therefore turned his
attention to electric mechanisms, and the first extension organs built with these methods
in 1909 proved so successful and reliable that he determined to build only electric
organs in future, a decision which at the time caused much surprise to those who still
viewed electric transmission with suspicion. Indeed many here will remember discussion
which for many months flourished in the
Musical Opinion

on the respective merits of pneumatic and electric actions.

After the 1914-1918 war it became apparent that American organ builders, who had
been able to operate almost unhindered during hostilities had made considerable
progress in electric control, and that in one form or another it was rapidly superseding
pneumatic transmission. Between the wars also, there arose a demand for cinema
organs which posed some quite new problems. Not only had the mechanism of these
instruments to be responsive and reliable, but durability of a quite unusual degree was
required to withstand the continuous use of the organs each day. The lessons learned in
producing these instruments and observing their performance will be mentioned later,
but there is no doubt that their general good behaviour assisted the change of opinion
which became general among British organ builders and brought about the adoption of
electric transmission as the standard system for organs of all sizes.
This short review of the history of electric action brings us to a consideration of some of
the original components which preceded those at present in use. First, the Chest
Magnet 0f which there have been so many types, and which forms the initial movement
in the majority of organ mechanisms.
In the early days detail of construction and, indeed, general design was severely limited
by the manufacturing methods then available. Thus we find that the Schmoele & Mols
tubular magnet was supported in a wooden block, and access to the hinged armature
valve was difficult. The first pattern of Hope-Jones' magnet had a zinc disc as its magnet
support, a wooden cap, and a free disc armature valve with an adjustable valve seat
(F1g. 7).
The cap was held in position by a pair of wire hooks and was relatively easy to detach
for armature cleaning. These two are typical of their time, and little advance was made
for a considerable period. When, however, the die-casting process became a practical
method of producing components to precise dimensions, further progress became
possible. Hope-Jones was, I believe, among the first to use the process as applied to
chest magnet assemblies shortly after his arrival in America, and in 1908 Mr. John
Compton designed and used a die-cast block and cap, with a star shaped valve seat.
This shape of exhaust aperture was designed to give the maximum amount of edge
within the diameter of the armature disc so as to permit a free exhaust with small disc
travel. These castings were originally made from a zinc alloy which was inclined to warp.
It was also somewhat brittle, causing occasional fracture of the locating pins of the cap.
In a subsequent design the metal composition altered to a tin-base alloy, and the design
generally improved from a die-casting point of view (Fig. 8).
It will be observed that in both these patterns a disc armature and fixed travel was used.
They were quite successful, but as it is sometimes convenient to use magnets in a side
position, the next pattern incorporated a hinged armature and an adjustable valve seat
(Fig. 9).
This was an improvement and this pattern was used for some years until
Bakelite

moulding became a thoroughly practical and economical method. Since then mouldings
have been largely used for magnet components and many other action purposes. The
example shown in Fig. 10 has been made in large numbers but with small modification
for the past twenty years with excellent results and is typical of simple moulded
construction. Other types are shown in Figs. ii, 12 and 13. Chest magnets as a whole
vary considerably in resistance and current consumption, some being wound for as little
as 70 ohms and others as much as 150 ohms. Special purpose stop action magnets of
from 250 to 400 ohms have occasionally been used, but high resistance is not normally
considered necessary now that reliable generators or rectifiers are available for action
current supply. The post-war shortage has brought forward a number of fresh patterns
which will no doubt fulfil their purpose, as they are mostly based on well-tried designs.
Reliability at the magnet having been achieved, the key contact and coupler system
became the next matter for attention. I have already mentioned some pioneer types-the
mercury cup, various kinds of round wire and strip contacts. Many of these served fairly
well in their day as they were mostly used in churches where the duty was not heavy
and wear a not too serious problem. I think it is true to say, however, that the advent of
the cinema unit organ hastened the development of the durable and trouble-free
contacts of the present day. These instruments were played for several hours daily, and
key contacts of the types in general use proved unequal to the conditions. The result of
many intensive tests under working load here and in America has been the almost
universal adoption of hard silver as a contact material though phosphor bronze is
satisfactory for duties where a definite rub can he arranged to keep the surfaces clean.
The problem has been finally solved by mounting the contacts in either wood or Bakelite
blocks, so that up to nine per key can be operated from a single block or larger numbers
by duplicating the contact assemblies. This type of block is shown in Fig. 14 which
depicts a key with the contact underneath. This type of contact block was apparently a
Casavant invention and was first used by them at Montreal Cathedral in 1893, in
conjunction with a toggle spring which gives a top-resistance touch. The method of
applying these assemblies varies according to the taste of the designer. In America they
are generally located under the key (Fig. 14). In this country they are employed both
under and over the keys with equal success (Fig. 15).
Coupler switches were the next headache for our early designers. The original Hope-
Jones pattern left much to be desired, for although generally well-made it was unreliable
unless given frequent attention. The Casavant coupler was a more robust affair, and in
the last quarter of a century many other dependable types have been evolved. Of these
some are pneumatically operated as, for instance, the Skinner, early Willis, Rutt, and the
Walker design in which the couplers are held off by the wind and brought on by springs,
thus providing an automatic cleaning action each time the wind is switched on. Direct
electric couplers, however, have the advantage of compactness, and a number of trade
designs are now in general use. A standard type is shown in the diagram at Fig. 16. This
is convenient where extension is employed, as the wiring for the various pitches is easily
arranged and the minimum of cabling is needed.
In cases where more contacts are required than can be conveniently operated by the
key, relays are necessary. Broadly they embody two distinct principles. The first and
more usual pattern consists of either pneumatic or electric movements for making
contacts which are used in conjunction with coupler switches. The second type
combines the contact and coupler mechanism in one assembly. A good example of the
former was the Wurlitzer electro -pneumatic design. Direct electric units, however, seem
to be gaining favour and are becoming much used for piston action and other multiple
contact purposes. Combined contact and stop action relays have been in use for the last
forty years, and Fig. 17 shows a design which was standardised in 1929 which again is
particularly adapted for extension work owing to the economy in wiring it makes
possible.
Three forms of stop control are in common use, namely, stop-knobs, stop-, keys and
tilting tablets and luminous stopheads. All these types presented a problem to the
pioneers with regard to the piston action. Stop-knobs are the least easy to deal with, as
they require more power over a longer travel than either of the other systems. They are
therefore quite often operated electro pneumatically, but there are several methods of
direct operation by solenoids which give excellent results, as, for instance, the twin
solenoid systems used by Messrs. Willis and Messrs. Walker, and the efficient double-
acting solenoid designed by Mr. Norman Hall and others.
Stopkey design seems to have settled down around the double lever magnet principle
which is simple and compact. It will be noted that when in the off" position no current
passes through the "off" coil when a piston is operated, thus reducing consumption and
minimising noise (Fig. 18).
Luminous stop-heads require a reversible movement, one type of which is shown in Fig.
19. This, as you will observe, is developed from a standard stop-key component. In this
case a supplementary magnet (which is energised when the stophead is depressed)
applies current to either the "on" or "off" coil, according to the position of the rocking
lever, thus reversing its position.
Adjustable combination actions have interested manly designers. Simple switch hoards
serve most purposes, and much ingenuity has been displayed in their make-up. But it is
in many cases desirable that instant adjustment should be provided at the console. In
some American designs of the electro-mechanical rocker type adjustment is achieved by
holding the piston to be set and arranging the combination required by hand whilst the
piston is held.
In others a separate setting piston is provided for each thumb piston. It would seem,
however, that the single setter system is most favoured from the player's point of view.
This type requires some means of directing the current from the piston or its relay to the
"on" or "off" stop movement according to the position of the stop itself, and this is often
arranged by providing a double-acting magnet or solenoid for each stop on each piston.
Another method, which cuts down the number of such devices is shown here. It will he
seen that each stop has a horizontal bar which is, in fact, a silver and Bakelite sandwich.
The front silver strip is connected to the "off" movement and the back to the "on". Each
strip is operated by a lever magnet which is energised only when the stop is on and the
setter piston is in use. Each piston has a vertical strip of Bakelite perforated with
triangular apertures as shown, so that when the strip is in the "off" position the contacts
can move freely without becoming displaced from the silver bars. When it is desired to
fix a combination, the stops required are chosen, the setter piston is operated and the
horizontal bar corresponding to any stop which happens to be on moves across. When a
thumb piston on which the combination is required is operated the vertical strip is pulled
down and the contact slides to the apex of the triangle, bringing it into line with the "on"
position, into which the contact is deposited on the release of the piston. On releasing
the setter piston the horizontal bars resume the "off" position and remain there until the
setter piston is operated again. This method has recently been used in the organ at City
Hall, Hull, where some 48 double-touch thumb and toe pistons are adjustable on both
first and second touch, and four general pistons control 159 stop movements. A talk of
this nature would not be complete without some reference to direct electric chest action
as standardised by the Wicks Organ Co. of America. In this action the pipe valve is
operated directly by a lever magnet of simple design thus dispensing with pneumatics
(Fig. 20).
The idea has also been developed in this country and very efficient units are available
which work well on pressures up to 6ins, or so.
Another ingenious design is the invention of Mr. Clifford Hawtin. In this type the initial
pluck of the valve is overcome by placing the valve out of centre with the magnet, so that
the armature descends first at the end farthest from the valve, which opens slightly
giving the effect of a split pallet. Fig. 21.
There is also the Austin rolling armature magnetic valve, which has, I am told, been
extensively used in America (Fig. 22).
In general, electric action has now, reached such a state of efficiency that it is difficult to
indicate further avenues for research. It is always risky to prophesy, but there would
seem to be distinct possibilities of controlling powerful units with large current
consumption by means of thyratron valves. This has already been explored by the
Kilgen concern in America, with, I understand, interesting results. Selsyn three-phase
controls would appear to be worth investigation for swell shutter control, and plastic and
nylon covering for cable wire is now proving a rival to the cotton, enamel and rubber
insulation to which we are accustomed.
In closing this paper, I should like to thank those members of the Society who have
kindly co-operated in providing some of the samples of mechanisms old and new which I
have been privileged to use. Before the war I had a very complete collection, but this
was unfortunately destroyed with the Compton Works in the fire of 1940 and
replacement is difficult. May I thank you also for your patience. A talk of this duration
must of necessity be somewhat sketchy, but if I have interested you the preparation of
this paper will have been well worthwhile.
Extract:- Journal of the Incorporated Society of Organ Builders. Volume 1
Minutes of September 1949