US1324277A

US1324277A - Instruction device for musical instruments

Info

Publication number: US1324277A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 1936-12-09

Description

M. SCHANTZ.

INSTRUCTION DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED APR- 6.1911- RENEWED MAR. 4.1919.

' 1 324,277. Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

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E. M. SCHANTZ.

INSTRUCTION DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION r1150 APR. 6. 1911. RENEWED MAR. 4. 1919.

1 324,277. Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

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\ EDWIN M. SCHANTZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INSTRUCTION DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Application filed April 6, 1911, Serial No. 619,290. Renewed March 4, 1919. Serial No. 280,654.

. lowlng 1s a specification.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for progressively indicating to a novice how a musical instrument should be operated to play a particular composition. Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved method for directing-a novice in playing a musical instrument. Another ob ect of my invention is to provide a piano attachment which shall indicate by visual signals what keys are to be struck and in what order of sequence to play a particular composition on the piano. These objects and various others will be more readily understood and appreciated in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a general diagrammatic rep resentation ofthe apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a piano keyboard with the apparatus applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the keyboard attachment.

Fig. 4: is a section ,on the line 4 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the keyboard attachment.

The apparatus disclosed in the drawings constitutes one particular embodiment of my invention which I have chosen to illustrate and describe in order to make clear the principles involved. The invention may be embodied in other forms falling within the definition of the appended claims.

In a general way, the apparatus comprises a transverse bar .17, supportedabove the white keys l5 and the black keys 16 of the piano. Within this bar are little electric lamps 27, one for each key. A cabinet, designated 39 in the diagram of Fig. 1, stands at any convenient place and is connected to the bar 17 by a cable 38. There is a perforated music sheet 40 within the cabinet 39, which, with other apparatus, causes the lamps 27 to be lighted when the Corresponding keys should be struck by the operator, so that the illumination of these lights affords a guide to the operator when to strike the keys.

aving suggested the nature of the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, I now proceed to describe it more in detail. o

The bar 17 is supported at its ends on the ledges 18 and a proper vertical adjustment is secured by means of the adjusting screws 24. The end 20 of the bar 17 also carries a horizontal screw 21 and a guide 23, which control the felt-covered plate 22 and press the same against the cheek blocks 19 of the piano. By means of the screws 21 the bar 17 can be adjusted laterally.

A series of vertical holes 25 are bored in the bar-17, and in these are mounted little electric lamps 27, telephone switchboard lamps being suitable for this purpose. Branch holes 26 are provided to make the light of the lamp 27 visible from the front. The

lamp contact terminals

28 and 29 are provided, as shown in Fig. 4:, the terminal 28 for each lamp being connected to a respective conductor in the cable 30. The terminal 29 is a part of the leaf spring contact terminal 36.

Along the lower rear edge of the bar 17 is a metal strip 31 with a series of lugs on which. are pivoted bell crank levers 32. Some of these levers have their forward ends resting directly on the black keys 16, 1

While others have knobs 33 thatreach down and rest on the white keys 15. The upper ends, 34, of the levers 32 normally hold the leaf springs 36 back in contact with the sheet metal casing 64, But when akey- 15 or 16is depresseo, this permits the corresponding lever 32 to drop down, so that the end 34 comes in contact with themetal strip 35 and also permits the leaf spring 36 to break contact with the sheet metal wall 64 and make contact with the terminal 37. The electrical connections of the keyboard attachment are shown at the 'left of Fig. 1 and are there designated with numerals corresponding with those employed in the other figures. The connections are apparent in the diagram of Fig. 1 and will be traced in describing how the device operates later in this specification. The bundle of conductors 38, forming a cable, leads from the keyboard attachment to a little cabinet 39, which may be conveniently placed on the floor at one side of the piano. grammatically in Fig.1. 40 is a perforated sheet of music, similar in some respects to those used in automatic piano players. In normal operation it moves in the direction of the arrow 41, winding upon the roll 42, driven by the motor 44, and unwinding from the roll 43. Between the two rolls the sheet passes over a metal bar 45.

Contact terminals

46, 47, 48, 49 and .50 rest on the paper 40 and are adapted to make contact with the metal bar 45 when the perforations in the paper 40 pass under them. Various perforations in the paper are designated 51, 52, 53, 54, and 63. I

A battery 56 has one terminal connected to the metal bar 45 and the other terminal extended in two multiple branches, one of which goes through the relay magnet 57 and thence to the bar 31, which carries all the levers 32. The other branch from the battery 56 goes to the contact terminals 37.

When the relay magnet 57 is energized, it closes the contacts 58, and thus closes the circuit of battery 59 and energizes the mag net 60. This-magnet attracts the armature 61, causing it to act as a brake on the wheel 62 carried by the drive roll 42.

Having described the structure of my improved apparatus, I will now tell how it works- The motor 44 drives the music sheet 40 substantially uniformlyin the direction of the arrow 41. When there are no perforations under the contact terminals, such as 46, then the battery 56 is on open circuit and no lamps will be lighted. Assume now that the perforation 63 passes under the terminal 48, this closes a circuit which is traced as follows; battery 56, metal bar 45, contact finger 48, conductor 65, lamp 27, contact terminal 36, lever arm 34, bar 31, and relay 57.

Accordingly, the result of the hole 63, pass-' ing under the finger 48, is to light the lamp 27 and by the action of the relay 57 cause the brake 61 to engage the wheel 62 and stop the music sheet 40. I

The operator, on seeing the lamp 27 light up, strikes the corresponding key 15, which permits the lever 32 to drop. The dropping of the lever 32 closes the contacts 3637 and 3435. The result is that the circuit which was formerly traced goes as before through the lamp 27, but returns to the battery through the

contact terminals

36 and 37 and conductor 66, thus deenergizing the relay 57 Hence, when the key 15 is struck, the brake 61 releases the wheel 62 and permits the music sheet 40 to travel forward. Meanwhilethe lamp 27 continues to burn as long, and only as long, as the perforation 63 is I passing under the contact finger 48.

Thus it will be seen that the music roll 40 stops whenever the student fails to strike This cabinet 39 is shown diaa key illuminated by a lamp and the apparatus remains stationary, and that lamp continues to burn until the corresponding key is struck.

Where there is a series of perforations for repeating on a single note, the student might hold the corresponding key down permanently and thus make the music sheet 40 go along as if he were. playing the proper repetition, To avoid this, I provide two extra contact fingers 46 and 47, one for the Consider the base, and one for the treble. two perforations 51 for repeating a particular treble note. In transverse alinement with the space between these two perforations 51 there is a hole 52, so that when the contact finger 50 is resting on the paper between the two perforations 51, then the contact finger 47 engages the hole 52.

When the music sheet 40 brings the first hole 51 under the contact finger 50 the corresponding lamp 27 (the lowermost one in Fig. 1) will light up and the music sheet 40 will stop. Then a depression of the corresponding key 15 will start the music sheet 40 along. Of course, when the light 27 goes out, the student should release the key 15, but if he fails to do so, then when the perforation 52 comes under the contact finger 47, a circuit will be completed which is traced as foll0ws:56, 45, 47, 67, 35, 34, 31, 38 and 57 This circuit includes the relay 57, and therefore the brake 61 will be actuated and. stop the music sheet 40. Hence, if the student fails' to raise his key 1.5 between the two perforations 51, then the effect of the intermediate perforation 52 will be to stop the music roll. As soon as the student raises the key 15 the circuit last traced will be broken at 3435, which will release the brake 61 and permit the sheet 40 to go forward. The perforation 54 registers with the' interval between the two perforations 53 in the bass, and this perforation 54 cooperates with the contact member 46 in a manner similar to that just described for the perforation 52 with the contact member 47. r

It will be observed that in transverse alinement with the two perforations 51, there is shown a long perforation 55 in the bass. Of course, the student will properly hold down the corresponding key 16 for this, but when the perforation 52 passes under the contact finger 47 this will close a circuit only if some key in the treble is being held down and will not be affected by holding a key in the bass.

In explanation of the terminology employed in certain of the following claims I will state,tha t the paper sheet 50, shown in Fig. 1, is an example of a movable member, selector or control element and that the perforations therein constitute local modifications thereof. In the case of a piano, the

keys form the operative elements or playing elements to be engaged manually by the keys.

I respondence with a particular musical composition.

2. In combination, a piano, stationary signals associated with the respective keys thereof, and means to actuatethose signals in definite order as the keys should be struck by a player in correspondence with a particular musical composition.

3. In combination, a piano keyboard, a bar adjacent thereto, stationary signals carried by the bar adjacent to respective keys of the piano, and means to actuate said signals in definite order in correspondence with a particular musical composition.

4. In combination, a piano keyboard, a bar adjacent thereto, electric lamps carried by said bar adjacent to respective keys, a source of electromotive force to energize said lamps, and means to close the circuits of the lamps in correspondence with a particular musical composition.

5. In combination, a piano keyboard, a bar adjacent thereto, respective electric lamps for the keys carried by said bar, a circuit for each of said lamps, a source of electromotive force to energize said lamps,

' a perforated music sheet, and contact terminals rendered operative by the perforations 1n said music sheet to close the circuits of the respective lamps 6. In combination, a piano keyboard, a

transverse bar adjacent thereto, electric lamps carried by the bar for the respective piano keys, a battery, branch circuits for the lamps, a perforated music sheet, and contact terminals for said branch circuits adapted to close through the perforations of the music sheet.

7. In combination, a piano keyboard, a transverse bar ad acent thereto, slgnals cartransverse bar adjacent thereto, signals carried thereby-opposite the respective keys of the keyboard, means to actuate said signals whereby the bar may be positioned iano keyboard,

in a definite order, and adjusting screws carried by the bar and engaging the piano framework at the ends of the keyboard, properly with reference to the keyboard.

9. In combination, a piano keyboard, a transverse bar adjacent thereto, said bar having holes therein adjacent to respective keys of the piano, small electric lamps in said holes, and means to energize said lamps to indicate in some respects how the piano shall be played.

10. In combination, a piano keyboard, a transverse bar adjacent thereto and having vertical holes adjacent to respective keys of the piano, signal lamps in said holes,said bar also having forwardly extending branch holes to show the light of the lamps, and means to energize said lamps to show the order in which the keys of the piano should be played.

11. In combination, a piano keyboard, a transverse bar over the same, a series of lamps carried by the bar adjacent to respective piano keys, means to energize the lamps in accordance with a musical composition to be played on the piano keys and to continue the energization of each lamp until the corresponding key is played;

12. In combination, a piano keyboard, a

transverse bar over the same, a series of electric lamps carried by the bar, each adjacent to a respective piano key, levers fulcrumed on the bar and resting on respective keys, circuits for the respective lamps, and normally closed contacts in said circuits arranged to be opened by said levers.

13. In combination, a musical instrument having a series of elements to be operated by the player, a. series of signals arranged in playing of the keys for a particular musical composition, and means to arrest the progressive actuation of the signals continuing the actuation of a signal if the corresponding key is not played.

15. In combination, a piano keyboard, a series of signal lamps supported adjacent to the respective keys, energizing circuits therefor, a perforated music sheet to control said circuits, a motor to drive said sheet, and means to arrest the motor when a key is not played after its signal lamp is energized l 30"" sheet, a brake to stop the motor, electromagnetic means to apply the brake simultaneously with the display of any signal, and means operated by the depression of a key to open the circuit of said electromagnetic means and thereby release the brake.

17. In combination, a piano keyboard, a series of signal lamps for the respective keys, electric circuits to energize said lamps, a perforated music sheet to control said circuits, said sheet having extra perforations in transverse alinement with the spaces between repeated perforations, another circuit, means actuated by said extra perforations to close said circuit, and means controlled by said circuit to stop the progress of the perforated music sheet when a piano key is held in correspondence with the repeated perforations.

18. The method of instructing a person how to play a particular composition on a musical instrument, which consists in actuating a set of stationary signals in definite order and thus indicating the order in which the various elements of the instrument shall be actuated by the player.

19. The method of instructing a person how to play a particular composition on a musical instrument, which consists in attuating a set of signals in definite order and thus indicating the order in which the various elements of the instrument shall be actuated by the player, and causing the signals to hold their indication until the proper play is made by the player.

20. The method of instructing a person how to play a particular composition on a piano, which consists in energizing a set of respective signal lamps for the piano keys by means of a perforated sheet of music, and thereby indicating in appropriate time-order how the keys shall be played to play the complete composition.

21. The method of instructing a person how to play a particular composition on a piano, which consists in energizing a set of respectlve signal lamps for the piano keys by means of a perforatedsheet of music, thereby indicating in appropriate timeorder how the keys shall be played to play the complete composition, and causing the music sheet to stop its movement and hold a signal until the key corresponding thereto has been pla ved.-

22. In combination, a musical instrument, a series of signals to indicate how it shall be played, means to actuate these signals in proper time order, means to repeat a certain signal when a particular note is to be repeated on the musical instrument, and means to arrest the progressive actuation of the signals when the musical instrument is played in such a manner as to hold the note that should be repeated.

23. In combination, a musical instrument comprising keys, a series of signals for the respective keys, a movable member adapted to actuate said signals, said member having various local conformations of structure at different places corresponding to the actuation of different keys at different times, also having extra such local conformations positioned to come in action between repeated notes, and means actuated by said lastnamed local conformations to arrest the o eration of the signals in case a key is held when it should be repeated.

2i. In combination, a musical instrument having a series of elements to be operated by the player, a series of signals arranged in the order of said elements, means to actuate said signals in a predetermined order to indicate how a musical composition shall be played, and means actuated between successive repeat signals to arrest the successive are actuate d to continue the actuation of said signals for the proper intervals.

26. In combination, a piano keyboard, means to display signals each visually assooiated with a respective key, and means to cause the display of such signals in time order as the keys should be struck by a player in correspondence with a particular musical composition.

27. In combination, a musical instrument having a series of elements to be operated by the player, a series of signals respectively adj aeent to said elements to indicate in some respects how the instrument is-to be played,

' and means to actuate those signals in definite order in correspondence with a particular musical composition.

28. In combination, a piano, a set of signals each associated with a respective key of the piano, and means to actuate those signals in definite order as the keys should be struck by a player in correspondence with a particular musical composition.

29. In combination, a piano keyboard, a series of signal lamps supported adjacent to the respective keys. energizing circuits therefor, a perforated music sheet to control said circuits, means to drive said sheet, and means to arrest said sheet when a key is not played after its signal lamp is energized.

30. In combination, a musical instrument having a series of operative elements adapted to be operated by the player, a series of signals, each signal being fixed in registry With a corresponding operative element, means to, operate said signals in predetermined sequence, and means to insure the r ontinued operation of a signal until the corresponding operative element of said instrument has been actuated for the proper interval of time. t

31. In combination, a series of signals, one such signal being provided for each operative element of a musical instrument, means to operate the signals in predetermined sequence, and means to automatically arrest the continued operation of the signals until the operative element corresponding to the.

operated signal has been operated.

32. In combination, a series of signals, one such signal being provided for each operative element of a musical instrument, energizing circuits for actuating said signals independently of each other, a perforated sheet to control'said circuits, means to move said sheet to cause the actuation of said signals, and means to arrest said sheet, said means being actuated when an operative element is not operated after its signal has been actuated.

33. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a plurality of elements to be manipulated by the'player, of a series of signals each fixed in register with one of said elements, means for energizing said signals in predetermined sequence to preindicate the order in which said elements should be manipulated, andmeans in combination with a part of said first-named means for deenergizing each signal by the manipulation of the indicated element.

34.111 combination, means for indicating the successive characters forming the score of a musical composition, a series of elements to be manually manipulated by the player in playing a musical instrument, and means controlled by the manipulation of said elements of the instrument and operative when said elements are manipulated in predetermined sequence fc causing the indication of the next succeeding character of the composition.

35. A musical instrument comprising a plurality of elements to be manually manipulated by the fingers of the player, in combination With a series of independent signals each located in register with one of said elements, and means controlled by the manipulation of said elements for actuating said signals in predetermined sequence in accordance with a particular musical composition, said means comprising parts for causing the manipulation of an element to actuate the signal for the next element to be' manipulated.

36. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a series of elements to be manipulated by the player, of a series of signals each fixed in register with one of said elements, and means separate from said instrument for operating said signals in predetermined order to indicate the order in Which said elements should'be manipulated to play a musical composition.

37. In combination, a series of elements of a musical instrument to be manipulated by the player, a series of independent fixed signals one for each of said elements, and means controlled exclusively by the operation of the indicated elements for operating the signals in predetermined sequence in accordance with a particular musical composition.

38. 'In combination, a plurality of elements of a musical instrument to be manipulated in playing the same, a series of separate independently operable stationary signals, one for each of said elements, and means controlled by the said elements to energize, upon the playing of said elements in correct sequence, the signal pertaining to thenext succeeding element to be manipulated in reproducing a predetermined musical composition.

39. In combination, a selector having 10 cal modifications representing successive musical characters of a particular musical composition, means for successively presenting each modification of the selector in operative position, a series of elements of a musical instrument to be manually manipulated by the player, a series of signals arranged in the order of said elements of the instrument, means for forming operative connections between each signal and said selector, and means in combination with a part of said first-named means and operated by the manipulation of the indicated elements by the player for causing the succeeding local modifications of the selector to be presented in operative position to establish said connections for the signals corresponding to succeeding elements of the instrument to be played.

40. In combination, a series of elements of a musical instrument to be manually manipulated, a control element bearing local modifications representing successive musical notes of aparticular musical composition, and means controlled by the manipulation of said elements of the musical instrument in a predetermined sequence corresponding to the musical composition represented upon the c0ntrol element for operatively connecting each successive local modification of the control element with its corresponding element, said means being inoperative when the elements are manipulated in other than said predetermined sequence.

41. In combination, a plurality of elements of a musical instrument to be manipulated by the player, a control device bearing local modifications representing successive notes of a particular musical composition, and electrically operated means controlled by the operation of the elements of the musical instrument to indicate to the player when the elements have been manipulated in sequence corresponding witlrthat represented by the local modifications of the control device.

42. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a plurality of elements to be manually manipulated by the player, of a series of signals arranged in the order of said elements, means comprising a traveling selector for actuating said signals to pre indicate the order in which said ele ments should be manipulated, and means in combination with a part of said last-named means and controlled by the operation of the indicated elements for intermittently advancing said selector, said last-named means being unaffected by any elements other than those indicated by the actuated signals.

43. A music instructing device comprising means for determining the sequence in which the keys of a musical instrument shall be manipulated, and means controlled by said first-named means for indicating to the player that the keys have been manipulated in a predetermined sequence and for arrest ing the operation of said first-named means when said keys are not operated in a predetermined sequence.

44. In combination, a series of elements of a musical instrument to be manipulated,

meansdetermining the sequence in which the elements of the musical instrument shall be played, a series of signals one for each of said elements and arranged in the order of said elements, means controlled b termining means for actuatingsaid signals, and means controlled by ,the. manipulation of the indicated elements to cause the operation of the succeeding signal of the sequence to pro-indicate the next element to be operated.

45. A music instructing device comprising a series of signals arranged in the order of the elements of a musical instrument to be manipulated, electric circuits each independently controlling a signal, a traveling control element, local modifications carried thereby, contacts in the circuits operated by said local modifications to close said circuits and thereby energize said signals in predetermined sequence, electric motor for actuating the control element, and means rendering said motor ineffective simultaneously with the energization of any one of said series of signals.

said .de-

, 46. A music instructing device comprising a series of signals one for each element of a musical instrument to be manipulated, electric circuits each independently controlling one of the signals, a traveling control ele-- ment, local modifications possessed by said traveling control element, switches in said circuit each operated by local modifications of the control element to energize the signals in predetermined sequence, an electro-magnet common to the circuits of all the signals, whereby said electro-magnet will be energized simultaneously with the energization of any one of the signals, and means whereby the energization of said electro-magnet will cause the control element to stop.

47. A music instructing device comprising a series of signals one for each element of a musical instrument to be manipulated manually by the player, an electric circuit having a plurality of branches one for each signal, a contact in each branch, and a control element controlling the operation of said contacts whereby the signals will be energized in predetermined sequence to preindicate the'elements to be manually manipulated.

48. A music instructing device comprising a series of signals, an electric circuit having a plurality of branches one for each signal, a contact in each branch, and a control element controlling the operation of said contacts whereby the signals will be energized in predetermined sequence, and an electrically controlled element in the circuit and common to all the branches adapted to cause the control element to stop upon the energizing of any of the signals.

49. In combination, a plurality of elements of a musical instrument to be manipulated by the player, a series of signals, an

electric circuit having a plurality of branches one for each signal, a switch in each branch, and a selector controlling the operation-of said switches, an electrically controlled member in the circuit common to all the branches and arranged to cause the operation of the selector to stop when said circuit is closed by the operation of any one of said switches, and means to restore the selector to operation by the operation of an element.

50. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a plurality of elements to be manually manipulated by the player, of a series of signals, one for each of said elements, means comprising an electric cir cuit having a plurality of branches for controlling said signals, and switches in said branches each operated by the manipulation of an element to energize the signal pertaining to the element to be next manipulated in reproducing a particular musical composition.

51. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a plurality of elements to be manually manipulated by the player, of a plurality of signals, one for each of said elements, a plurality of electric circuits, each arranged to cause the actuation of one of said signals, means comprising a traveling control element arranged to close said circuits to actuate said signals, means for arresting the progressive action of said control element, and means controlled by said elements of the instrument for advancing said control element when one of said elements of the instrument is actuated.

52. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a plurality of elements to be manually manipulated by the player, of a series of signals, electric circuits controlling said signals, means comprising a control element for controllingthe opening and closing of said circuits, means for act-uating said control element, said means being arranged to be rendered inoperative simultaneously wlth the energizlng of a slgnal,

and means whereby the manipulation of an element of said I musical instrument will cause the actuating means to operate.

53. In combination, a plurality of ele- 'ments of a musical instrument to be manually manipulated by the player, means comprising a traveling control element deter mining the sequence in which said elements shall be manipulated, an electric circuit 7 opened and closed by said control element,

means'comprising an electro-magnet in said clrcuit for causmg sald control element to stop when said electro-magnet 1s energlzed,

and means whereby the manipulation of an element of the musical instrument will deenergize said electro-magnet.

54., In combination, a series of elements of a musical instrument to be manually manipulated by the player, means comprising a said electrically controlled member inoperative and to establish a second circuit through which the said member will be again rendered operative upon further movement of said control element.

56. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a plurality of elements to be manually manipulated by the player, of a series of electrically controlled signals, one for each of said elements, electric circuits for said signals, a series of switches each operated by one of said elements of the instrument and normally closing the circuit through the corresponding signal but arranged to open the corresponding signal circuit upon the manipulation of the corresponding element, a second circuit in combination with said first-named circuits and closed independently of said signals by one of said switches upon the manipulation of a corresponding element, and means controlled by said second circuit for controlling the succession of the actuation of said signals.

57. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a plurality of elements to be manually manipulated by the player, of a series of signals, one for eachelement, means for operating said signals in predetermined sequence in accordance with a musical composition, means for interrupting the action of said first-named means simultaneously with the operation of a signal, and means in'combination with said first-named means to restore said first-named means to operation by the operation of an element corresponding to the signal operated.

58. A music indicator having signals grouped and spaced to register with the keys of a piano, a. tracker bar, a note sheet, means to move the sheet over said bar, and branch circuits connecting the tracker bar and signals,

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed EDWIN M. SCHANTZ.

my name.