US517874A - Transposing-keyboard - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

7 I A.MARGY.

TRANSPOSING KEYBOARD.

-N0.. 517,874. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

jAA EA/fU/K UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MAROY, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ELEVEN- TWENTIETHS TO JOSEPH HANAUER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

TRANSPOSlNG-KEYBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,874, dated April 10, 1894.

Application filed April 13, 1893. Serial No. 470,160- CNo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MAROY, a commercial traveler, a citizen of the United States, residing in Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Transposing Piano-Actions and Keyboard- Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and that the same has never been patented by myself or others in this or any other country with my knowledge or consent.

My invention consists of making piano actions, key-boards and key-board frames, for any of the various piano scales, so that when the key frame is unlocked, the key frame and keys, may be shifted for the purpose of transposing the music, so as to render the music at any pitch of tone desired, While playing the music in the scale, or key, as written.

The invention has for its object to provide simple, efficient, and inexpensive attachments to musical instruments, so that when the key frame is unlocked, the action will be separated from the keys, and allow the key frame, and keys, to shift right and left, and allow the keys to move up and down, and not. come in contact with the lifts or action stems, and when the key frame is locked, in any position it may have been adjusted, all parts of the key frame, keys, and the action, will resume their proper place, and be firmly held in their normal position. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyings in which- Figure 1, represents a section of a piano action illustrating the key-board frame locked, and the normal position of the parts when constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2, represents a cross section of the same, and illustrating the key frame unlocked, with the lifts clear of the keys, preparatory to shifting the key frame and keys, and Fig. 3, represents a longitudinal section on the line AB of Fig. 1.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I provide action brackets, 1, resting on the casing, 2, back of the flange rail, 3, and stationary rail, 4, with a flat surface to receive the flange rail, 3, and stationary rail, 4. The flange rail, 3, is jointed to the stationary rail, 4, with hinges, 5, the springs, 6, are secured to the stationary rail, 4, at each end, outside of the action, and operates on the lower edge of the flange rail, 3, and holds it in its normal position, when the keyboard frame, 7, is locked Fig. 1, and when the key-board frame, 7, is unlocked Fig. 2, the springs, 6, allow the flange rail, 3, to swing forward and raise the lifts, 8, off and in front of the key blocks, 9, and allow the keys, 10, to shift right and left and move up and down, and not come in contact with the lifts or action stems, 8, while the key-board frame, 7, is unlocked.

The felt, 11, on the key blocks, 9, assures noiseless action. The retaining bar rods, 12, passing between the swings, 13, have a thread on each end, the thread on one end secures them to the flange rail, 3, the thread on the other end provides means to adjust the retaining bar, 14. When the key-board frame, 7, is locked Fig. 1, the flange rail, 3, the swings, 13, and lifts, 8, must be free from the retaining bar, 14, so they can have free action with the keys, 10. The regulating screws, 15, on the ends of the lifts, 8, have holes, 16, in them so they can be run up or down to adjust the length of the lifts, 8, the deflecting lifts, 8,which is claimed in my transposing key-board Patent No. 461,616, dated October 20, 1891, provides means to have the lifts, 8, about equally spaced from center to center at the lower end where they connect with the keys, 10,

The swinging flange rail, 3, has a lever, 17, projecting below the flanges, 18, for the jack, 19, to work against and swing the flange rail, 3. The jack, 19, is secured under the casing, 2, the long end passing up through the casing, 2, so as to work against the flange rail lever, 17. I provide a stop rod, 20, which is secured to the jack, 19, in a flexible manner and is bedded in the casing, 2, under the keyboard frame, 7, and extends at least half an inch in front of the center bar of the key-board frame, 7, when in its normal position The blade projecting up on the front end of the stop rod, 20, is an inch or more long and half an inch or more in height so as to extend half frame, 7. I provide twelve notches, 21, on the under side of the front edge of the center bar of the key-board frame, 7, said notches, 21, are about half the depth of the bar. The notches, 21, correspond with the spacing of the lifts or action stems, S, the stop rod, 20, with the blade on the front end is arranged so as to hold the key-board frame, 7, in any position it may have been adjusted. About half of the blade on the stop rod, 20, will be in front of the center bar of the key-board frame, 7, when in its normal position, and the other half of the blade will be in one of the notches, 21, in the bar and prevent the key-board frame, 7, from moving. Then adjusted the blade will be free from the keyboard frame, 7, the bar in the key-board frame, 7, will cover half of the blade when in its normal position and the other half will extend infront of the bar and should be covered with a block, 26, so as to hold the blade firmly in position. The jack, 19, the jack rod, 22, leading to a foot pedal, the springs, 6, the action brackets, 1, the flange rail lever, 17, and the retaining bar rods, 12, consist preferably of metal.

When the jack rod, 22, leading to a foot pedal is drawn down it deflects the jack, 19, forward and moves the stop rod, 20, forward and unlocks the key-board frame, 7, swings the flange rail 3, forward, and raises the lifts or action stems, 8, off of the keys, 10, so the keys, 10, and the key-board frame, 7, can be shifted right and left, and the keys, 10, moved up and down, and not come in contact with the lifts or action stems, 8, while the keyboard frame, 7, is unlocked.

The stop rod, 20, is secured to the jack, 19, in a flexible manner when the jack rod, 22, leading to a foot pedal is drawn down it deflects the upper end of the jack, 19, forward and slides the stop rod, 20, forward and frees it from the front edge of the center bar, 23, of the key-board frame, 7, so the key-board can be shifted, when the action and keyboard are in their normal position the blade projecting upon the front end of the stop rod, 20, enters one of the twelve notches in the front edge of the center bar of the key-board frame and holds it firmly inits normal position.

The lever, 24, has cogs in a circling form on the back end these cogs mesh in a rack secured to the back bar, 25, of the key-board frame, 7, by moving the front end of the lever 24, that is under the front edge of the piano casing, 2, the key-board and keys are moved right and left.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail and a movable transposing key-board, for the purposes set forth.

2. In piano actions, the combination of an ad j ustable retaining bar beneath the swings and a movable transposingkey-board, for the purposes set forth.

3. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail and an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swinging flange rail, and the springs secured to the stationary rail, for the purposes set forth.

4. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to the stationary rail, and the flanges secured to the said swinging flange rail, for the purposes set forth.

5. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swinging flange rail, the'springs secured to the stationary rail, the flanges secured to thesaid swinging flange rail, and the swings connecting the said flanges with the lifts or action stems, for the purposes set forth.

6. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings, and secured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to the stationary rail, the flanges secured to the said swinging flange rail, the swings connecting the said flanges with the lifts or action stems, and the lifts or action stems with the lower ends where they connect with the keys about equally spaced from center to center, for the purposes set forth.

7. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail, anadjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to the stationary rail, the flanges secured to thesaid swinging flange rail, the swings connecting the said flanges with the lifts or action stems, the lifts or action stems with the lower ends where they connect with the keys about equally spaced from centerto center, and the regulating screws on the lower ends of the said lifts or action stems, for the purposes set forth.

8. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to the stationary rail, the flanges secured to the said swinging flange rail, the swings connecting the said flanges with the lifts or action stems, the lifts or action stems with the lower ends where they connect with the keys about equally spaced from center to center the regulating screws on the lower ends of the said lifts or action stems, and a movable transposing key-board, for the purposes set forth.

9. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to the stationary rail, and a jack secured to the casing, for the purposes set forth.

10. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to the stationary rail, a jack secured to the casing, and the jack rod leading to a foot pedal, for the purposes set forth.

11. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to the stationary rail, a jack secured to the casing, the jack rod leading to a foot pedal, and a movable transposing key-board for the purposes set forth.

12. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail jointed to a stationary rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swinging flange rail, the springs secured to the stationary rail, the action brackets resting on the casing back of the keys, and back of the said stationary and swinging flange rail, and a movable transposing key-board, for the purposes set forth.

13. In piano actions, the combination of a swinging flange rail, an adjustable retaining bar, the springs, the flanges, the swings, the lifts or action stems deflected as shown the regulating screws, the jack, the jack rod, the action brackets resting on the casing back 3 5 of the keys and back of the stationary and swinging flange rail, and a movable transposing key-board for the purposes set forth.

14. In pianos the combination of a swinging flangevrail, an adjustable retaining bar 40 beneath the swings, the lifts or action stems, deflected as shown so the lower endsof the lifts or action stems will be about evenly spaced from center to center, and a movable tfransposing key-board, for the purposes set orth.

15. In piano actions, the combination, of a stop rod with one end secured in a flexible manner to the jack and the other end having an adjustable connection with a movable 5o tfaransposing key-board for the purposes set orth;

16. In pianos the combination of a swinging flange rail, an adjustable retaining bar beneath the swings and secured to the swing- 1 5 5 ing flange rail, the springs pressing against the said swinging flange rail, a jack secured to the casing, a stop rod with one end secured to the jack in a flexible manner and the other end having an adjustable connection with the keyboard'frame, and a movable transposing key-board for the purposes set forth.

ALEXANDER MAROY.

Witnesses:

HARRY DIXON, W. J. GRAHAM.

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