Hope-jones Actions

[Tubular_pneumatic]

Recently, quite by accident, I acquired what turns out to be the playing mechanism and several ranks of pipes from an early Hope-Jones instrument here in the U.S.A. I am of course curious to know more about the specification of the instrument and how to figure out where it came from.

 

I'd also like to find out when Mr. Hope-Jones started developing his unit actions with relation to his having moved across the puddle; especially those that resemble the form that they ultimately took with Wurlitzer as these do.

 

- Nathan

[Tony Newnham]

Hi

 

3 books which might help:-

 

1) Robert Hope-Jones - David Fox. Contains several stop lists of both UK & USA organs. I got my copy through OHS.

 

2) From Wirral to Wurlitzer - Roger C. Fisher A lot of info on H-J#s early days

 

3). Wurlitzer - Junchen (ATOS publication) contains pretty complete lists of all H-J & Wurlitzer organs.

 

There was also an article on H-J in "The Organ" magazine a good while back.

 

Extension and duplication of pipe ranks was known a good 2-300 years before H-J - electric action just made it easier to do on a large scale!

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

[MusingMuso]

Recently, quite by accident, I acquired what turns out to be the playing mechanism and several ranks of pipes from an early Hope-Jones instrument here in the U.S.A. I am of course curious to know more about the specification of the instrument and how to figure out where it came from.

 

I'd also like to find out when Mr. Hope-Jones started developing his unit actions with relation to his having moved across the puddle; especially those that resemble the form that they ultimately took with Wurlitzer as these do.

 

- Nathan

 

 

===========================

 

 

A couple of links which may help:-

 

 

www.voxlancastria.org.uk

 

www.hope-jones.org

 

Regards,

 

MM

[ajsphead]

If it helps at all, I have a list of Hope Jones patents, one or two of which, as you can see, have little to do with organs. What also helps is not to think that H-J wanted to create a theatre organ. I tend to find it's better to think of his work as a Zenith of the symphonic style, not an intended creation of the one man band.

 

1. 1890. Pat No. 6,172...... UK..............Increasing the amplitudes, sonorous, or other vibrations

2. 1890. 15,245........UK..............Apparatus for reproducing sonorous vibrations

3. 1890. 15,461........UK..............Ten inventions involving keyboards, contacts, valve seats, tremulant, swell shutters etc.

4. 1890. 18.803........UK..............Second touch, transposing device, sforzando switch, swell shutters etc.

5. 1891. 18,073........UK..............Reduction of current, contacts, couplers, first stages of unit organ construction.

6. 1893. 14,466........UK..............Contacts, current saving, roller board couplers, Pizzicato touch, flap valves etc.

7. 1894. 5,782..........UK..............Pipe designs, diaphragms in organ cases, forms of reed pipe.

8. 1894. 16,849........UK..............Organs. (As per Patent Register list only.)

9. 1894. 22,414........UK..............Diaphone, Reed tongue, bellows springs, compound composition keys.

10. 1894.24,067.......UK...............High pressure solid air chamber.

11. 1895. 21,558.......UK...............Modifications to Diaphones.

12. 1896. 14,473.......UK...............Operation of prompt starting of Diaphones.

13. 1896. 24,352.......UK...............Springs on single ribbed wind reservoirs.

14. 1897. 21,389.......UK...............Valvular reed.

15. 1897. 28,157.......UK...............Assistance in operation of drawstops or tabs, and Swell pedal.

16. 1899. 449........ ..UK...............Double touch on composition or combination pedal or piston.

17. 1901. 26,737.......UK...............Seven forms of apparatus for producing sonorous vibrational sounds.

18. 1901. 26, 738......UK...............Diaphone, worked by rapid vibration of a perforated piston inside.

19. 1902. 702,557....(USA)............Same as British patent 26738, above, assigned to Fog Signal Company.

20. 1903. 4,531.........UK...............Modified form of Diaphone.

21. 1903. 9,159.........UK...............Suitable Bass, Push-button couplers, moving stop tabs, coupler cut-outs.

22. 1905. 787,984....(USA)...........Piston type of Diaphone.

23. 1913. 8,192.........UK...............Stabilising tuning wires in reed pipes.

24. 1914. 1,119,080.(USA)*.........Automatically operating electrical mechanism for revolving doors.

25. 1916. 1,203,621.(USA)+.........Second touch giving initial inertia finger pressure.

26. 1917. 1,230,165.(USA)*.........Improved sound-trap joint in swell shutters.

27. 1918. 1,283,774.(USA)*.........Xylophone with hollow wood resonators.

28. 1919. 1,292,321.(USA)*+.......Expressive electro-pneumatic action for player pianos.

 

+ Assigned to the Wurlitzer Company. * Administered by his wife Cecil Hope-Jones

 

AJS