Horseshoe pedal couplers? - how on earth do they work?

[churchmouse]

Just curious as to how these horseshoe pedals work - are they like the French spoon couplers? The example I am thinking of is in St Andrew's, Hingham, in Norfolk...

[Tony Newnham]

Hi

 

If I'm thinking about the same device, it functions virtually as a reversible piston would, except you push down one end for on & the other for off.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

[basdav]

Yes, you are right Tony, I have only ever come across a couple of these devices.

 

Barrie

[Jonathan Dods]

I think they have a Gt-Ped horseshoe pedal at St Cross in Winchester.

[Andrew Butler]

And at one of my regular churches - Tenterden Unitarian Chapel (easily found on NPOR) Horseshoe-shaped iron pedal mounted horizontally just above centre of pedalboard. Useful and easy to operate.

[churchmouse]

Hi

 

If I'm thinking about the same device, it functions virtually as a reversible piston would, except you push down one end for on & the other for off.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

Thanks guys - yes, I found other examples and it is indeed a reversible piston. Looks more like something your scrap mud from your boots with - but sounds very handy.

I tried posting a pic but I couldn't figure out how to do that on this forum. Can anyone point me to a help file?

Signed: Dillbrain.

[Colin Pykett]

Reading this thread made me realise I had omitted to mention the horse shoe coupler in a survey of the many methods used to implement reversible pistons. If you are interested, see http://www.pykett.org.uk/reversible-pistons.htm

 

John Norman wrote that " a book could be written about the many ingenious designs devised for this one piece of organ action". One of my former organ teachers, who thought himself a wit, once told me "not to worry about how they work, my poppet". That is the most awful pun, and if you don't get it I'm afraid you will have to read the article after all ... (Hint - to save time, just scan it for 'poppet' using the 'find' facility).

 

I only include this anecdote because it might interest Churchmouse in the context of her search for odd organ-related quotations.

 

CEP

[churchmouse]

Reading this thread made me realise I had omitted to mention the horse shoe coupler in a survey of the many methods used to implement reversible pistons. If you are interested, see http://www.pykett.org.uk/reversible-pistons.htm

 

John Norman wrote that " a book could be written about the many ingenious designs devised for this one piece of organ action". One of my former organ teachers, who thought himself a wit, once told me "not to worry about how they work, my poppet". That is the most awful pun, and if you don't get it I'm afraid you will have to read the article after all ... (Hint - to save time, just scan it for 'poppet' using the 'find' facility).

 

I only include this anecdote because it might interest Churchmouse in the context of her search for odd organ-related quotations.

 

CEP

Thanks Colin - how strange - I HAD read the article, and another one from the Mechanical Music forum (blinding me by mechanical detail in the process ) in which the word poppet sprang out and grabbed me by the throat. Delicious word for a part of an organ. Should be used much more often. Absolutely a cracker of a pun too. Many thanks.!