US1578373A - Key instrument for executing color music - Google Patents

Description

March 30,1926. 1,578,373

w. SCHMEER KEY INSTRUMENT FOR EXECUTING COLOR MUSIC Filed Oct. 27, 1924 fnvenzor Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

WILHELM SCI-IMEEB, F NUREMBERG, GERMANY.

KEY INSTRUMENT FOE EXECUTING COLOR MUSIC.

Application filed October 27, 1924. Serial 1%!746329.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, lVrnHsnM $cnrrnnn, a citizen of the German Republic, and a resident of Nuremberg, Germany, have iii-- 5 vented certain new and useful Improvements in Key Instruments for Executing Color Music, of which the following a specification.

lr'ly invention relates to a key-instrument by means of which color-music may be executed in an improved manner.

Musical tones are, as is known, in a certain so-to-say parallel ratio to colors or colortones or tints. I have succeeded in determining and ascertaining arithi'netieally' quite a distinct ratio bet 'een the number of vibrations of a musical tone and the length of the color-vibrations, this ratio being such that the sensations and sentiments caused are equal to one another throughout all octaves.

The previously known key-instruments intended for the execution of color-music suffer from the deficiency that the color-tones, or tints respectively, do not appear in a closed succession, joining one another without gaps, but appear separated from one another according to the unvarying position of their color-fields or color-bodies so that a closed accord consisting of a continuous succession of color-eflects, or of groups of such ones respectively, cannot be executed whereby the reception and the sensational capacity of the spectators is impaired.

The present invention does away with that deficiency, and for this purpose the colordisks or equivalent color-bodies are arranged to be movable, and their movements are controlled in such a manner that the disks, etc., appear alternately, Without any consideration to the position of the motion transmitting members actuating them, or to the keys actuated respectively, singly or in groups behind an aperture or a projection-opening provided for his purpose. The colors concerned appear, therefore, at the same place before the eyes of the spectators, and pass along singly or in groups, as the case may be, the spectators receiving in this Way closed total impression and their enjoyment being thus, greatly enhanced.

It is a matter of course that the tempo of the play must be comparatively slow, corresponding to the particularity of the colon music, the proper tempo is about that used when playing on a harmonium,

My invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of acombination and arrangement of parts by which the invention can be turned into practice, and Figure 2 is a veitical section through the upper part of a box enclosing certain of said parts, the section being taken in the line 22 of Fig. 1'.

The keys 1 of the instrument act singly (35 on oscillating arms 6 by the intermediary of double-armed lovers 2 and 3, and'transmission-rods 4-. Small frames 8, preferably of oval shape, are attached to the upper ends of the arms 6, one frame, or oval frame respectively, to each arm. Each of said frames carries a small transparent color-disk 8 the color of which corresponds to the tone pertaining to the position of the key in the series of the octaves of the instrument. 7

Figure 1 shows only one group of the color-disks in order to obviate complicatedness of the figure, but I Wish it to be understood that the arrangement is the same for all keys. I

Each rod 4 is subjected to the action of a retraction spring 5 by which the parts are moved back into their position of rest.

The arrangement of the frames '8 with their color-disks P" is such that they can cover one another, and in order to permit easily this'change of their relative position each frame 8 is attached to its appertaining arm 6 by the intermediary of a flexible or pliable member, as for instance a helical spring 7.

9 denotes a box and 10 an oblong slot in the front-wall thereof. The arrangement of this slot and the frames 8 with their color-disks relatively to the slot 10 is such that said frames can be swung behind the slot and said disks can become visible through it. 11 denotes an elastic guidemember, such as a flat spring or the like by which the frames 8 with their color-disks 8 are brought into and maintained in, proper position with respect to the slot when being caused to appear behind it" by means of the keys and the motion-transmitting members described. 1

The color disks can appear behind the slot 10 singly or in a multitude of arrange ments and combinations, one behind the other or others or side by side. In this lat ter ease, in which two or more colors are "with one another by metallic lugs 10 ang forthtfrom the arms 6 1n the dlrectlon caused to appear side by side, the frames 8 are so located with respectto one another that no; gap remains between them. The frames with thelr color disks form then what may be termed a closed group or set,

crank lever with thecore 15 of a sole noid 1o the circuit of which is interrupted at the point16 where there are two contactsprings which can be connected conductiveiy project- "towards said contact-springs 1e.

The solenoid-circuit can be closed by any of the lugs or progections '16, and the core '15 will then beattracted; down into the sole noid-coil, whereby the bell-cranklever 15 will be so'turned that thetlap will be oaenedfthe res aective color-disk or disks becoming then visible through the slot 10. :The pro ect1ons 16 cannot here-tamed by the contact-springs 16, but will leave them as soon as the respective hey is, or. keys are, disengaged, when the current will be lnterrupted, the core 15 will be raised by the weight of the dropping flap 1 k, and the respective-arm or arms 6 will be caused to reassume its, or their, initial position by the respective retraction. spring 5.

*The color-disks arriving and appearing behind the slot 10 are illuminated by a source of light, for instance an arc-lamp 12 (Fi 2), preferably with the aid of a condenser 13, and the colors are thrown upon a suitable screen (not shown) on-which they ap pear singly or in groups, corresponding to the key or keys depressed.

I claim:

A key-instrument for the execution of color-music, comprising in combination, a wall and a slot therein; means for closing said slot; transparent colored bodies arranged to appear singly or in groups behind said slot; means for transmitting motion from the depressed key or keys to the :appertaining; color-bodies, and means for opening the slot automatically when a color-body arrives behind it theseameans being'actuated by the respective color-body carrier or carriers.

In testimony whereof I 'atiix my'signature.

' WILHELM 'SCI-IMEER.

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