US153639A - Improvement in musical game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

S. TURNEY.y

Musical Game Apparatus.

No. 153,639. Patented my 28, 1a74,

Fig. i.

' waTNEssEs Y ml/Emma BY ATTORNEYS HE GRAPHIC CD, FHUTO-L|TH.38l'4-1PARK PLACE, NJ

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL TURNEY, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSICAL GAME APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 153,639, dated July 28,1874; application 51e May 9, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SAMUEL TURNEY, of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, Ihave invented a new and valuable Improvement in Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and .operation of the same, refer'- ence being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawing is a representation of my music-sheet, and Fig. 2 is a View ot my bells.

This invention has for its object to enable a person however unskilled in the musical art to perform at sight musical compositions.

It consists in a number of bells, or other musicalsound-producing devices, arranged in octaves, each soundinga certain fixed note in the scale, and each of which is separately mounted on a stand and is distinguished and designated by a number or other suitable character in combination with similar and corresponding numbers or characters arranged upon a card or sheet, and which, thus arranged, constitute a musical composition, each of which numbers or characters represents the musical note or sound produced by the bell marked to correspond. It also consists in certain characters representing the compositions to be performed in combination with certain other characters which mark the intervals of time between the musical sounds composing said composition, and Which are to be pronounced by the performer before producing the sound before which said character is placed.

The following is a description of my improvement as applied to bells or gongs, though I do not confine myself to them, but may apply it to any or all musical instruments.

I prefer to arrange my bells in order. If distinguished, the one from the other, by means of numbers, from I to 8, or, if by letters, from a to h, so that they shall produce, when struck from l to 8, or from a to h, the same ascending scale of sound as would be produced by striking the keys of any other musical instrument; and I may at will make use of several octaves with the necessary sharps and flats, and may have performers in duo or trio, or in quartette, each one having his or her part on a card or sheet.

Having arranged an air The Last Rose of Summer,77 for instance-upon the bells designated as above described, I proceed to put down upon a suitable sheet the numbers of the bells which producethe musical sounds composing said air in the order in which said bells are sounded to produce said air, using the hieroglyphic ,or other suitable device, to mark the pauses between said characters. I may also use the letter p for piano, or softly, f for forte or strongly, a for allegro or briskly and rn for moderato or with moderation, to indicate what changes are to made in execution and in harmony.

It is evident from the above description that any person having a card or sheet With the numbers of the bells arranged upon it which make up a certain air, can, by looking at the card and striking the bells ser'iatim, as the numbers are given ou the card, produce said tune without having the smallest idea of music.

This invention constitutes not only an agreeable parlor amusement, but a very useful one in its application toy church-chimes, which may be played upon by any one when the bells are numbered as described, and a card containingthe numbers ofthe bells to be sounded given to the player.

What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The musical-game apparatus herein described, consisting of a set of metal bells, tuned to produce, when struck, the successive steps or intervals of the diatonic scale, each bell being mounted independently upon a standard and base-block and carrying, if desired, a number indicating its position in the scale, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with a set of bells, constructed substantially as described, an index, chart, or key, carrying numbers from l to 8,

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in tho presence of two Witnesses.

SAMUEL TURNEY.

Witnesses GEORGE E. UPHAM, FRANK J. MAsI.

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