US26361A

US26361A - Apparatus for setting and copying- music eob the blind

Info

Publication number: US26361A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1859-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 1876-12-06

Description

No. 26,361. PATENTED DEC. 6, 1859. E. MARQUIS.` SETTING AND COPYING MUSIC FOR THE BLINDl unnunnnnunnnunuunnnunrn nnunmnnnmunnnnnnnnnnnn n CIDDDDDDDDDDDUDDDDUDD d DACIDDDDDDDUDUDDUDDDBDDCI *n m una, nunnnnnnnnnnuunn uncnnn nxnnunnuunnnunn mulnumnnunuunnnnnunnn nnnnnuunnnnn nnuunnn'nnnnnn uun'nnnunnnnnu nnnunu-nnnnun unnnnunnnnnu mnnun'nn nnnnnnuunuulnnn Nn'nnunnnnnnnnulnnnnnnnu n n g 'nm L'nawev TH: Noam varias cn, mowumc Aswwamx t:v c.

N UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

EMANUEL MARQUIS, OF BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA.

.APPARATUS FOR SETTING AND COPYING MUSIC FOR THE BLIND.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,361, dated December 6, 1859.

T0 all whom i may concern:

Be it known that I, EMANUEL MARQUIS, of Bloomington, in the county of Monroe and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for the Purpose of Settingfof Copying Music for the Use of Blind Persons; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description.

My invention consists of a tablet A, pro vided with raised staves B B and square sockets b Z) placed at equal distances between, above and below the lines of the staves; in combination with detached, solid notes c c c, rest-s d l l and other signs of musical notation e e c which by means of a peg or pivot or its equivalent attached to each, may be inserted into the sockets of the table in such a manner as to represent a musical exercise or composition, sensible to t-he touch of the blind. Notes, rests and all signs intended to occupy the spaces between the lines have their pivots in the center (F) while those to be placed on the lines have the peg or pivot at the lower side (G). The bars I-I H may also be transposed and fixed across any part of t-he staves by having their pivots placed in the sockets. Where a chord I I of two, three or more stemmed notes is to be set on the stave, the stemless notes c' i z' are employed for all but the highest or lowest note of the chord, the stem of that one note determining the character of the rest. The whole notes are distinguished from t-he other stemless notes of this system by presenting a concave surface to the touch. The same characteristic distinguishes the half notes from the quarter notes. The

notes having ledger lines are, of course, for the sockets above and below the staves.

This apparatus may be constructed entirely or in part of wood, metal, bone, or any other hard material not liable to be worn out by use. By fastening the tablet in a flat case, whose lid when shut, fits closely against the types, thus holding them to their places, the advantage is gained of rendering the tablet portable without risk of disarranging the notes set up in it.

In playing piano music from the above table the blind performer would have to master the two parts of treble and bass one at a time. This accomplished he can then use both hands on the keyboard of his instrument simultaneously.

rIhe nearest approach to this method of aiding the blind in the acquirement of the art of music is, as far as I know, the use of raised stereotype sheet music fabricated on the plan of the literary publications for the blind. .Iy improvement admitting of a transposition of the musical signs renders it easy for any seeing person, even if he himself be ignorant of music, to copy music from any given printed sheet for the blind, the process being similar to, but simpler than, that of a printer setting his type.

Believing this to be a new invent-ion I claim` The tablet A or its equivalent with raised staves and sockets in combination with detached, solid notes and other signs of musical notation, or their equivalents, capable of being transposed on, and fixed in, the tablet substantially as and for the purpose described.

EMANUEL MARQUIS.

Vitnesses JAS. F. CARTER, B. I. SEWARD.