GB1142532A - Improvements in or relating to a musical instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

1,142,532. Electrophonic musical instruments. H. B. STINSON, and I. G. NOON. 29 April, 1966 [24 Oct., 1965], No. 19013/66. Heading G5J. In an electrophonic instrument having a chromatic key manual in which the playing surfaces of certain (black) keys are raised relative to the surfaces of other keys an additional keyboard with key surfaces in one plane and each key aligned with a corresponding key of the chromatic manual is provided. As described, in addition to the usual manuals 11 and 12 and voice stops 13, the organ is provided with additional keyboards 15 and 16. The keys of the keyboard 15 are horizontally aligned with corresponding keys on the keyboard 12, but have their upper faces in a single plane level with the upper faces of the black notes of the keyboard 12. Corresponding keys operate contacts in parallel controlling a common tone generator and thus will sound the same note. The keyboard 15 which can be engaged by the same hand as the keyboard 12 can be wiped by the fingers to play chromatic scales. The keys of the keyboard 16 are each horizontally aligned with three keys of the keyboard 15 and in addition to operating three corresponding switch contacts, operate a fourth contact associated with the next key to the right on the keyboard 15. Each of these contacts is connected in series with a contact operated by a corresponding key on the keyboard 11 and in series with contacts operated by all octavely related keys on that keyboard, thus if the keys of a chord are held in a depressed position on the keyboard 11 while the keyboard 16 is wiped by the fingers, arpeggios of the chord and octavely related chords are produced. In a modification a single keyboard which under the control of a switch functions in either of the keyboards 15 or 16 replaces these keyboards. The keys (17, 19 and 60, see Figs. 5 and 7, not shown) are made of plastics material and are rigidly mounted in cantilever fashion.