Pipe Organ Database

From the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders by David H. Fox (Organ Historical Society, 1991). -

Born 9 February, 1859 at Hooton Grange near Eastham, England; brother of Frank Hope-Jones, noted inventor of electric clocks; organist at age 15; apprentice in electrical department of Laird's shipbuilding firm of Birkenhead, age 17; chief electrician of Cheshire & Lancashire Telephone Co. (later National Telephone Co.), 1881-1889; free-lance electrical engineer and operator of the Hope-Jones Electric Organ Co. of Birkenhead, England (electric action components), 1889-1894; built entire organs, 1894-1898; operated firm in Norwich, England 1898-1899; firm resumed operation as part of Norman Brothers & Beard of Norwich, 1899-1900; partner with Eustace Ingram in Ingram, Hope-Jones & Co. of Hereford, England, 1901-1903.

Immigrated to the U.S., Apr. 1903; with Austin Organ Co. of Hartford, Connecticut, 1903-1904, vice president; partner with Lewis C. Harrison in Hope-Jones & Harrison of Bloomfield, New Jersey, 1904-1905; with Skinner Organ Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, 1905-1906, vice president of sales; operated Hope-Jones Organ Co. of Elmira, New York, 1907-1910; with Wurlitzer firm of North Tonawanda, New York, head of Hope-Jones Organ Department, 1910-1914; suicide while visiting Rochester.

United States Patents:

• Patent #477,866; 28 Jun. 1892; telephone amplifier.
• Patent #514,146; 6 Feb. 1894; swell action.
• Patent #522,209; 3 Jul. 1894; electric organ system.
• Patent #702,557; 17 Jul. 1902; Diaphone.
• Patent #787,984; 25 Apr. 1905; Diaphone.
• Patent #849,241; 2 Apr. 1907; ‘Suitable Bass-.
• Patent #1,021,149; 26 Mar. 1912; swell action.
• Patent #1,059,365; 22 Apr. 1913; reed pipe tuning.
• Patent #1.061,380; 13 May 1913; reed pipe tuning.
• Patent #1,062,711; 27 May 1913; swell action.
• Patent #1,070,471; 19 Aug. 1913; roll player action.
• Patent #1,077,075; 28 Oct. 1913; multiple contact switch.
• Patent #1,089,056; 3 Mar. 1914; pedal for piano.
• Patent #1,091,433; 24 Mar. 1914; organ snare drum damper.
• Patent #1,110,441; 15 Sep. 1914; swell shutter.
• Patent #1,113,439; 13 Oct. 1914; roll player action.
• Patent #1,115,541; 3 Nov. 1914; staccato mechanism for organ.
• Patent #1,119,080; 1 Dec. 1914; motorized revolving door.
• Patent #1,119,602; 1 Dec. 1914; combination action.
• Patent #1,121,586; 15 Dec. 1914; stop key release.
• Patent #1,199,792; 3 Oct. 1916; electropneumatic valve.
• Patent #1,201,585; 17 Oct. 1916; electropneumatic valve.
• Patent #1,203,621; 17 Nov. 1916; double touch key.
• Patent #1,230,165; 19 Jun. 1917; swell shutter.
• Patent #1,292,321; 21 Jan. 1919; expressive roll player action.
• Patent #1,301,267; 22 Apr. 1919; pneumatic action for piano.
• Patent #1,325,294; 16 Dec. 1919; sforzando action.

British Patents: [numbers are reissued and must be used with dates]

• 26 Sep. 1890; 15,245; telephone amplifier.
• 30 Sep. 1890; 15,461; (U.S.# 522,209; 514,146).
• 20 Nov. 1890; 18,803; (U.S.# 514,146).
• 21 Oct. 1891; 18,073; (U.S.# 522,209).
• 20 Mar. 1894; 5,782; various organ pipes.
• 20 Nov. 1894; 22,414; Diaphone.
• 11 Dec. 1894; 24,067; two chamber reservoir.
• 13 Nov. 1895; 21,558; various Diaphones.
• 31 Oct. 1896; 24,352; reservoir with springs.
• 30 Jun. 1896; 14,473; fog horn Diaphone.
• 17 Sep. 1897; 21,389; Diaphone.
• 30 Nov. 1897; 28,157; pneumatically assisted knob.
• 9 Jan. 1899; 449; double touch controls.
• 31 Dec. 1901; 26,737; various Diaphones.
• 31 Dec. 1901; 26,738; (U.S.# 702,557).
• 26 Feb. 1903; 4,531; (U.S.# 787,984).
• 23 Apr. 1903; 9,159; (U.S.# 849,241).
• 7 Apr. 1913; 8,192; (U.S.# 1,059,365).

• David H. Fox, Robert Hope-Jones, (Richmond, VA: Organ Historical Society, 1992)
• Preston J. Kaufman, Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 3, (Passadena, California: Showcase Publications, 1995).