The Patents Act: -1970
Complete specification SECTION: 10
Improved method for changing the Reed-Board in the harmoniums/Organs quickly. And special leaver assembly to control inner/air supplier/suction bellow for the necessary pressure to get a note having lower or higher volume suddenly in Harmonium/Organ.




Name: - Rajendra Krishnaji Hinge And Jitendra Krishnaji Hinge
Address: - R-J musicals
2/B Pancharatna Hsg. soci. Datt Chowk
At: - Manjarlia, Po: - Kulgaon.
Badlapur (W), Tal: - Ambernath.
Dist: - Thane Pin: - 421503 (MAHARASTRA)
Tel. No-(0251) 2670792
The subjects of republic of India.

The following specification particularly describes and ascertains nature of mis Invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

This invention relates to the improves method for changing the Reed-Boards in the harmoniums /organs quickly. And special leaver assembly to control inner / air supplier / suction bellow for the necessary air pressure, to get a note having lower or higher volume suddenly in harmoniums / organs. This is the new invention, completely developed by us.
Harmonium
Like all other instruments, the harmonium has its own character. Harmonium has been a controversial instrument for long time, and even today it is the center of controversy. One of the main reasons for this controversy arises from its note arrangement. However, the basic architecture of 7 white keys and 5 black keys is very useful. The whole octave (saptak) is divided into 12 semitones in this architecture.
The Indian music scale shows 22 divisions of the octave (saptak), instead of the 12 semitones. These divisions are called the "shruti"s. A "shruti" is defined as smallest interval perceivable by a human ear. Due the nature of Indian classical music, and the "shruti"s people thought that 12 notes on harmonium are not sufficient. In addition, me harmonium is tuned to the so-called "tempered" scale.
In order to overcome these difficulties, harmoniums can be tuned to "Gandhar" tuning, or one-scale tuning (harmoniums tuned to this kind of tuning can only be played in the tonic note to which they are tuned). There are numerous variations of the Gandhar tuning, differing slightly from each other.
There is another difficulty as well. It takes considerable skill and practice to play in any "sur", or tonic note* such as Kali 1 (C sharp), Kali 2 (D sharp) etc. However the scale changer harmonium addresses this problem by providing ability to move the entire keyboard, thereby allowing the artists to play in a tonic note they are comfortable with. However, these harmoniums typically have inferior "touching" or "feel" compared to traditional harmoniums:
The equal tempered harmonium allows artists to use the same harmonium to accompany any artist. However, as stated earlier, due to the nature of Indian classical music and "shruties" involved, the tempered tuning imposes additional restrictions m terms of accurate tonal reproduction.
In addition, there are different requirements of harmoniums/organs for different types of singers. For example, the solo playing requires a "nar-nar"(male-male) harmonium; a "kharja-nar" (Bassnmale) is preferred for male accompaniment, a "nar-nar" (male-male) for female accompanimentor "kharja-nar-madi"(bass-male female) for Bhajan or "nar-nar-madi"(male-male- female) for Gazals / folk songs etc.
It is inconvenient to keep several harmoniums, each tuned to "gandhar" tuning that meets all above requirements. If one chooses to keep so many harmoniums, it is difficult to maintainand repaid tuning expenses skyrocket as well, making it an eeonomieally unviable solution

The solution:
We have developed a new harmonium, in which a single harmonium can be used to meet all above requirements. This is extremely convenient for artists.
We have developed a technique in which, the reed boards in the harmoniums can be conveniently and quickly changeable. Using this technique, various reed boards can be installed in the same harmonium. Each reed board can be tuned to the specifications decided by the artist For example, one artist may require harmonium which is gandhar tuned to the tonic note C # (Kali 1), and has nar-nar(male-male) Other may require the same tonic note, same tuning but a kharja-nar^bass'iriale) or nar-madi(male-female) etc.
In HINGE Swaranjali solution, there will be single harmonium along with a box containing several reed boards as per requirement The harmonium player/ artist will use the reed board, which satisfies the requirements of the concert (accompanying or solo). The artist can use reed boards tuned to any kind of tuning /scale/tonal qualitypreferred by person.
Changeable reed board is this new concept, completely developed by us.
When mis harmonium needs to be tuned, just the reed board can be brought in for tuning, no need to bring the harmonium. Since the artist uses the same haimonium all the time, all the other expenses (such as the bellows work etc) are reduced. These hamiomums are available under our special brand "HINGE Swaranjali".

1. Harmonium and its short history
IT is widely believed that harmonium was" originated somewhere in France, and introduced in India about 100+ years ago by missionaries. While the Western version of harmonium: evolved into reed organ, the Indian version remained practically same. Slowly, this instrument gained popularity within Indian musk. The bigger version of harmonium, the organ, was widely used on Marathi stage (the so called Natya Sangeet)y and continues to be used this way, Harmonium also gained tremendous popularity within the Hindusthani Classical music circuit Over the time harmonium has become integral part of North Indian vocal concert. Even today, harmonium is one of the best accompaniment for any classical vocal khyal concert or a semi classical or any concert.
2 A short introduction to tuning
By definition, the tuning means making two notes sound in unison, ie. sounding together without producing beats. The two notes can be one or more octaves apart, or same. In feet the two notes to be tuned can be apart by a fraction of an octave as well. For example, the so-called fourth note (which is a Madhyam)can be tuned to sound in unison with the first (or the Sa). ie. C and F can be tuned to sound in unison, meaning no beats are heard.
The temperament is difierent man tuning. The process of laying me temperament essentially means introducing certain number of beats between two notes, or detuning mem on purpose by known amounts.
3 Harmonium issues
Just like any other instrument the harmonium suffers from certain deficiencies. The major deficiencies are as fellows.
* Since if is economical to use the same instrument for all purposes, and tonic
notes, it is necessary to tune the harmonium in what is called the tempered
timing. This means all the notes (except the tonic note, or the Sa) are off by
known amount In other words, the harmonium sounds equally good (or
equally bad!) with any key as tonic key. This is exactly same as modem Piano
• Harmonium artists need to be able to play with any note as key note. This
means they need to be adept at playing with any note as Sa. This requires a lot
of practice, and even after that much practice, most players are good at certain
notes than others. This is also exactly same as modern Piano. However, in
Western music, since the Music, is written the artist knows exactly what needs
to be played, he has ample opportunity ahead of time to practice in the key
note (which is always decided ahead of time).

3.1 Tempered tuning v/s Gandhar Tuning
The tempered tuning was introduced in Western music mainly because of advent of Piano. Since Piano has fixed keys, and since there is a necessity to play in any key as tonic key, the natural tuning (or the Gandhar tuning, or just intonation) was ruled out The reason for this is beyond scope of this discussion, but readers are referred elsewhere (refer to Error!). Numerous tuning methods exist, but the tempered tuning has been by far the most commonly accepted workaround. The tempered tuning attempts to divide the octave into 12 equal notes; disregarding the "unison" principle. As a result the piano sounds equally good (or bad, depending on your perspective) in any key.
The so-called Gandhar tuning (or just intonation, true tuning etc) strives to ensure that each note in the octave is perfectly tuned with respect to the tonic note (i.e. the "Sa"). i.e. no beats are produced when any note is played with the "Sa". A gandhar tuned instrument (either harmonium or Piano) sounds extremely sweet compared to any other tuning. The disadvantage is mat such instrument can only be played in the tonic note (ie" Sa") to which all the intervals are tuned. All above drawbacks are note yet solved in the existing structure of Harmoniums/Organs.
4. Gandhar tuned harmonium
Several artists have tuned the harmonium using gandhar-tuning principle. It is said that harmonium-wizard used to carry 12 harmoniums, each "gandhar" tuned to a different note, thus covering the entire octave (saptak). This solution surely works, but it is not economical to carry 12 harmoniums. It is also cumbersome to carry many, or all of them to and fro, especially today when artists travel a great deal for conceits. The maintenance costs increase dramatically as well. To carry 12 harmoniums is not very convenient and economical as well as may affect damage to the instrument
44 Scale Changer harmonium
The scale changer is an attempt, due to which, artist does not need to make a practice in each note as a tonic note. In this design the harmonium keyboard is freely standing, and can move to left or right by few notches. This way, artist can chose a Sur, performer is comfortable with, instead of playing in a root key (or tonic key, or Sa) in which performer is not comfortable.
This type of harmonium typically suffers from poor "touching" or feel, and as such shunned by most professional harmonium players.
5. The HINGE Swaranjali Solution
The "HINGE Swaranjali" solves these problems in an innovative way. At the crux of
this solution is ability to use changeable reed board in the harmoniums /organs like
musical instruments.

5.1 Ability to use changeable reed board
This revolutionary innovation solves all me problems listed above. In traditional harmoniums/Organs, the reed board is fixed inside the sound box. The Hinge Swaranjali allows the reed board to be removed and replaced with another one. This design has several implications.
The artist can store several reed boards. Each can be gandhar-tuned to a particular tonic note. For example, the twelve harmoniums needed by the artist can be replaced with one harmonium and a small box containing eleven reed boards (one is already inside the harmonium), or n no. of reed boards may having a different tone / note. Since all the reed boards can be individually tuned, the harmonium artist can guarantee sweet & melodious sounding harmonium for any note. Of course, the artist can keep a tempered tuned reed board set It is also possible to have different tunings; e.g. one reed board set can be tuned as per the accordion tuning. The possibilities are endless.
Secondly, since the reed boards are specially designed, the artist can arrange all reed boards so that physically they match up with the key a harmonium player is most comfortable with. For example, someone may have practiced in F (Pandhari 4) all players life. Therefore player can choose reed-boards in such away that the tonic key (or the Sa) is ALWAYS aligned to F. In other words, a reed board gandhar-tuned to Kali 1 (or C sharp) will be arranged/compose in such a way mat Kali 1 physically plays on the F key. The same would be true for all reed boards for this person, or as per his requirements.
Method to replace reed boards
As shown in diagrams on page no. 10, "A"- Reeds are to be fitted on wood/metal/ plastic etc. according to need, as shown in diagram "B" called as reed assembly. The reeds can be fitted directly on wooden/ plastic /metal etc. structure as shown in diagram "C" so called as reed boards.
To replace the reed boards person has to remove the bolts "D." Then replace another Reed-Board "C" & then tighten the bolts "D'\ (Shown on page no. 9). If person wants to replace another reed-boards then he has to repeat me same procedure.
The fig.-l on page 11 shows the reed boards fitted with bolt also the fig.-2 shows inner view of the Harmonium. The fig.-3 on page 12 shows outer look of the harmonium and fig.-4 shows the reed boards fitted in the safety box to carry. The fig.-5 on page no 13 shows that reed board fitted inside the harmonium, and fig.-6 shows the keyboard view of the harmonium.

6. Control of air pressure.
In traditional harmoniums there is one more drawback, which is not solved till today. That the sound comes uniformly through reeds, due to uniform air pressure from inner or air supplier / air suction bellow of harmonium / organ. Hence it disturbs the melody and the originality of the song, while playing the harmonium.
To over come/minimize this difficulty we have developed one special leaver assembly to control air pressure, to get a note lower and higher volume suddenly. It is the necessary for the harmonium player while playing the harmnonium/ accompanying musical concerts / songs.
Special liver assembly to control inner/air supplier / air suction bellow for the necessary ah* pressure to get a note having lower or higher volume suddenly is the new concept by us, newly invented in Harmonium / Organ like musical instruments etc.
The leaver assembly can be manipulated by any type of metal / any strip / any type of rod / any-type of belt / any type of pulley /any type of thread / wire rope or man known in the art.
Working of the leaver assembly.
The diagram on page 14 shows special leaver assembly to control air supplier/suction/ inner bellow to control air pressure. "T" is the thumb rest, "C" clips to fix the rod, and "V" is thread passing through pulley "B". Metal plate "F' is to be fitted to inner bellow or air supplier/suction bellow to reeds.
As shown on page no 14, when person press the thumb rest "T", Due to angular moment of the metal rod "M" pulls the thread "V' which is passing through pulley "B" and is tighten between metal plate "P" and Metal Rod "M". It pulls the air supplier/suction/ inner bellow simultaneously. Hence we can release air as per necessity. So that volume of the sound through reeds changes lower or higher with respective to air pressure from air supplier/suction/ inner bellow of harmonium/ organ.
7. Conclusions
The HINGE Swaranjali solution neatly solves the current issues with harmonium.
This revolutionary design is extremely useful for everybody, right from someone who
is starting to learn harmonium, to professionals. Once the Hinge Swaranjali becomes
widespread, it will also ensure that harmonium students, and those leaning vocal
using the harmonium will always get "correct" (i.e Gandhar Tuned) notes from
harmonium,
We claim,
1) We are in possession of an invention for improved method for changing the Reed-Boards in the Harmoniums / Organs quickly.
2) Reed-Boards can be mounted at any direction vertical / Horizontal in the Harmoniums I Organs etc.
3) Reeds- can be fitted on any material i.e. wooden, metal, plastic in the Harmoniums /Organ, etc.
4) While playing the harmonium / Organ it makes no difference with sound quality after changing Reed-Board.
5) Reeds, which are mounted, can be assemble on any material tike wooden /metal /plastic strip etc.
6) Reed-Boards can be change easily keeping the same haimonium /Organ, i,e. without changing its other structure such as outer case, bellow, keyboard etc.
7) The reed boards can be change in any type of harmonium / Organ or any blowing or suction reeds assembled type musical instruments.
8) The reed boards can be placed by i.e. bolts, welcrow system, magnet, or by any type of holding, manner known in the art in Harmonium/Organ.
9) Reeds / Reed Boards changing concept is the new invention in
Harmoniums/Qrgans, completely developed by us.
10) Special leaver assembly to control inner /air supplier/air suction bellow for the necessary air pressure to get a note having lower or higher volume suddenly is the new concept, newly invented by us in Harmonium/Organ like musical instruments etc.
11) The leaver assembly can be manipulated by any type of metal / any strip / any type of rod /any type of belt / any type of pulley /any type of thread / wire rope or man known in me art.