US2019640A - Keyboard of musical instruments - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 5, 1935. .G, WQODHOUSE 2,019,640

KEYBOARD OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 12, 1954 Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEYBOARD F MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS George Woodhouse, London, England Application November 12, 1934, Serial No. 152,774 In Great Britain November 16, 1933 6 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to keyboards for musical instruments and is applicable in particular to the manufacture of so-called dumb keyboards used as practising devices and the term musical instrument for the purpose of this invention is to be construed as including dumb keyboards.

'I'he keys of musicalA instruments, for example, pianoforte keys usually consist of rigid levers pivotally mounted and capable of moving a cer- 10, tain distance about the pivot. The key itself however, is a rigid lever and it is one object of the invention to impart to the surface of the key, acertain amount of resiliency which, among other things, may compensate for any hardness in touch of the performer.

One object of the present invention is to provide a musical instrument key, the surface material of which at the position operated on by the performer, is capable of movement relatively to the top of the key, for example, consists of resilient material such as spongy rubber, or is resiliently mounted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dumb keyboard, such as a pianoforte keyboard,

for practising purposes, in which the lever mechanism is dispensed with, the resiliency of the pianoforte keys providing sufficient movement to develop the idea of touch.

In the case of instruments having lever keys such as the pianoforte it is necessary that the key as a whole, should be rigid-or supported on a.

rigid base carrying the pivot. A lever key, therefore, according to the invention comprises a resilient material mounted on a rigid base or alternatively a firm or rigid sheet material resiliently mounted on a rigid base.

One speciflc construction of lever key suitable for the pianoforte comprises a base portion of wood or metal on which is mounted a strip of spongy or cellular rubber of about V2 inch thickness. The rubber may be surfaced with a thin sheet of firm or hard rubber or ivory to give it a finished appearance.

If the lever mechanism is dispensed with in a dumb keyboard so that the key is ixed it enables a very effective device to be constructed exceedingly cheaply because it is not necessary for the white keys to be separate one from the 50 other and the whole device can be marked out on a continuous strip.

Examples of the invention are shown on the accompanying drawing, whereon:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pianoforte key 55 constructed according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of a dumb pianoforte keyboard,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of thekeyboard shown in Figure 2, l

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation 'of a modified v construction of dumb keyboard,

Figure 5 is an elevation of a further modification of a dumb keyboard, part of the keyboard being shown in section.

In Figure 1 the pianoforte key I2 is recessed 10 to receive a sponge or cellular rubber unit corresponding in shape to the piano key. The visible part of the key is covered with a surfacing of white rubber II. This surfacing II may be white wood or imitation ivory. The cushion I0 inter- 15 posed between the part of the key II which is struck by the player and the hammer operating part I2 provides lost motion which will tend to correct or eliminate faulty touch. It will be seen therefore that the pianoforte key comprises 20 a base part I2, a key-striking part II, and a lost motion connection I0 between the base part and the key-striking part, whereby the key-striking part may be moved relatively to the base part during play. 25

In Figures 2 and 3 a sheet of spongy rubber I0 is aiiixed by an adhesive to a base I3 which may be rigid or semi-rigid. 'Ihe base may be constructed of hard rubber or three-ply Wood. A surface sheet II is ad-fixed on top of the spongy 30 rubber and is divided up by marking lines into sections representing the white keys Il of a pianoforte and the black keys I8 of a pianoforte. Preferably the divisions areof the same width as the keys of a pianoforte. The dumb keyboard 35 is formed in sections and any number of these sections may be fastened together to comprise a full keyboard. For this purpose the base I3 projects beyond the keyboard at both sides (front and back), and is provided with press studs I6 40 two of which on neighboring sections are connected together by a link I4 having press fasteners I5` at either end.

In Figure 4 the dumb keyboard is of similar construction to that described with references to Figures 2 and 3, but in this case each section has black keys 20 upstanding from a top surfacing I1 marked out to correspond to the white keys. Each black key is provided with a cushion I9 of spongy rubber interposed between the black surfacing 20 and the white surfacing I'I. 'I'he sections of the dumb keyboard illustrated in Figure 4 may be joined together in the manner illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

In Figure 5 the dumb keyboard is made to simu- 55 late more closely a piano keyboard in that the white and black keys are independent of one another. ForI this purpose the White keys comprising a White hard surfacing 23 onl top of a sponge rubber cushion 24 are fixed by an adhesive onto a base 22. As in an ordinary piano keyboard the white keys are recessed to receive black keys having a hard black surfacing 25 fixed to a sponge rubber cushion 26. These in turn are xed by an adhesive to the base 22.

The dumb keyboard hereinbefore described has the advantage that it may be rolled up and packed away in a small space. When in use it will have to be laid out on a rigid support such as a table. If the individual sections are mounted on a wooden base then they may be hinged together.

I claimt- 1. A dumb keyboard comprising a surface sheet of semi-rigid material marked to simulate a keyboard, a cushion of spongy rubber under the said surface sheet, and an adhesive connection between the said surface sheet and the said cushion.

2. A dumb keyboard comprising a surface sheet of semi-rigid material marked to simulate a part i' a piano keyboard, a cushion of spongy rubber under the said surface sheet, an adhesive connection between the said surface sheet and the said cushion, a base of semi-rigid material and an adhesive connection between the said cushion and the said base.

3. A dumb keyboard comprising a surface sheet of semi-rigid material marked to simulate a keying hard surfaced cushions superposed on the said surface sheet in positions corresponding to the black keys of a piano keyboard and adhesive connections between the said further keys and the surface sheet.

5. A dumb keyboard comprising a plurality of sections each consisting of a surface sheet of semi-rigid material marked to simulate a keyboard and a cushion of spongy rubber under the said surface sheet, and a base part for the said cushions, and means on the said base part for coupling any two sections together.

6. A dumb keyboard comprising a base part of semi-rigid material, a plurality of cushions of spongy rubber arranged on the said baseboard to simulate white pianoforte keys, a plurality of cushions of spongy rubber arranged on the said base part intermediate some of the white keys to simulate black pianoforte keys, and relatively thicker than the white keys, and adhesive connections between the said keys and the said base part.

GEORGE WOODHOUSE.

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