US2841044A - Instruments - Google Patents

Description

July 1, 1958 E. J. BEACH ET AL 2,841,044

INSTRUMENTS Filed March so, 1956 IN V EN TOR-S.

EARLE J- BEACH JACOB T KUNZ FM, WMaM ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent M INSTRUMENTS Earle J. Beach, East Grange, N. J., and Jacob T. Kunz, North Hills, Pan, assignors to Schulmerich Electronics, Inc., Sellersville, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 3t 1956, Serial No. 575,259

1 Claim. (Cl. 84*423) This invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to a keyboard device for selectively controlling an electrically operated chime instrument.

Instruments for producing chime and bell notes are well known in the musical arts and the term chime instrument," as used herein, is to be construed as referring to instruments producing chime notes and instruments producing bell notes. Such instruments generally include a plurality of vibrator elements which are selectively operable to produce the musical notes. The mechanical vibrations of the vibrator elements are converted into electric signals of varying frequency by pick-up means, and the resulting signals amplified and fed into a transducer element such as a loudspeaker. In certain types of chime instruments, an individual note is pro-duced by a single vibrator element, while in other types, an individual note is produced by a plurality of of vibrator elements, each of which produces a partial or harmonic of the note. Regardless of the type of instrument, however, means must be provided to selectively actuate the vibrator elements so that the instrument may be played.

Where the chime instrument itself is to be located a substantial distance from the player, it is usually desirable to employ electrically controlled actuating means for vibrating the vibrator elements. The actuating means may comprise solenoids or other devices which convert electric control signals into mechanical vibrations of the vibrators. In order to play the chime instrument, a plurality of switches are arranged to selectively control the actuating means so that the player has merely to close an individual switch to produce the desired note.

Several prior art arrangements have been devised for actuating the switches. in one such arrangement, the switches are actuated by plungers located on the riser portion of the keyboard of a master musical instrument such as an organ or a piano. This arrangement, however, suffers from the defect, that the average player accustomed to the conventional piano-type keyboard, may find it diflicult to manipulate the plungers in the proper sequence, without the use of a guide with which he is familiar.

In another arrangement, a miniature piano-type keyboard is used to actuate the switches controlling the chime instrument. Each key on the keyboard is individually movable to actuate a switch associated therewith and the entire keyboard is mounted on the master musical instrument. While this arrangement is more satisfactory in that it permits easier playing of the instrument, the use of individual miniature movable keys renders it more expensive to manufacture and maintain.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a keyboard device, for controlling an electrically operated chime instrument, which is especially suitable for mounting on a master musical instrument and which facilitates the playing of the chime instrument associated therewith.

2,841,044 Fatented July 1, 1958 It is a further object of this invention to provide a keyboard device, for controlling an electrically operated chime instrument, which is small and compact in size and which consists of a few relatively simple moving parts, thus rendering it inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Briefly, the keyboard device of the invention comprises a frame adapted for mounting on a master musical instrument and having a simulated piano-type keyboard of reduced size formed thereon. A plurality of electric switches are aifixed to the frame in a cavity formed by the frame and are adapted to control an electrically operated chime instrument. Switch operators extending through the simulated keyboard and frame are arranged to actuate the electric switches in the cavity. Each of the switch operators passes through a key on the simulated keyboard which is musically representative of the note controlled by the switch associated with that operator, so that the simulated keyboard serves as a guide for the playing of the chime instrument.

The switch operators may comprise plungers having abutments formed on the end thereof located in the cavity formed by the frame. The abutments on the plungers are arranged to bear against a portion of the length of strips of conductive spring-like material forming the movable contact means of the electric switches. Fixed contact means for the electric switches are afiixed to the frame in the cavity and cooperate with the movable contact means. The strips of conductive material are fastened at substantially one end thereof to the frame in the cavity so that movement of the plungers associated therewith causes the free ends of the strips to engage the fixed contact means. In this arrangement, the strips of conductive material serve the dual functions of acting as the movable contacts of the switches and serving to bias the plungers to their switch-open positions.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a keyboard device constructed according to the invention, with the frame of the device partially broken away to reveal certain details of construction; and

V Fig. 2 is a view in the direction of the arrows 22 in Fig. l, with a portion of the frame removed to show details of switch construction and mounting.

Referring first to Fig. l of the drawing, there is shown a keyboard device it), constructed according to the invention, mounted on a master musical instrument 11, such as an organ or a piano. The keyboard device 10 may be used to control a remotely located chime instrument and is accordingly located adjacent the keyboard portions of the master musical instrument 11 to facilitate playing. A frame 12, forming a cavity 13, is secured to the master instrument 11 by screws 14. For reasons which will become apparent, the frame 12 may be constructed of wood, plastic or other material which is preferably electrically non-conductive. A simulated piano-type keyboard cf. reduced size is formed on the frame 12 and comprises simulated white or ivory key portions 16 and black or ebony key portions 17. While the simulated keyboard 15 may be formed on the frame by any suitable means, such as painting, in the embodiment shown, it comprises a Vinylite plate which is secured to the frame by adhesive means.

A switch operator or plunger 13 is associated with each of the white keys 16 of the simulated keyboard, while a similar switch operator or plunger 19 is associated with each of the black keys i7. Plungers l8 and beryllium copper.

19 may be formed of any electrically non-conductive material, such as plastic or'wood, and for convenience, may be made different colors than the keys with which they are associated. Accordingly, the plungers 18 may be black to contrast with the white keys 16, and the plungers 19 maybe white to contrast with the black keys 17. The plunger 18 has an abutment 20 formed at the end thereof which projects into the cavity 13 formed by the frame.

As may be seen in Fig. 2, the abutment 20 bears against a strip 21 of spring-like electrically conductive material, which is secured at substantially one end thereof to the frame, by a retaining strip 22 formed of wood or other non-conducting material. The conductive strip 21 forms the movable contact means of a switch and may, for example, be constructed of Phosphor bronze or The strip 21 is notched at 23 to receive the retaining strip 22, and the notch and strip are inserted into a recessed portion 24 formed in the frame on the roof of the cavity. The retaining strip 22 may be held in place by any suitable means such as, for example, screws or adhesive material. A portion 25 of the strip 21 adjacent the notched portion 23 may be used to form a terminal to which a lead 26 is connected by any suitable means such as soldering. The lead 26 is connected to the remotely located chime instrument and is generally arranged to energize one of the actuating means for the vibrator elements. The movable contact means 27 associated with plunger 19 is constructed in the same manner as the contact means 21 and is held in place by a retaining strip 28. A lead 29 is connected to another of the actuating means in the chime instrument.

Fixed contact means 30 is aflixed to the bottom of retaining strip 28 and is arranged to cooperate with movable contact means 21 to form a single switch controlled by the movement of plunger 18. The fixed contact 30 serves as a common contact for the movable contacts associated with each of the plungers 18 on the keyboard. A similar fixed contact 31 is affixed to the bottom of retaining strip 22 and performs a similar function for the movable contacts associated with the plungers 19. Fixed contact means 30 and 31 may be connected together and to a source of electrical energy by any suitable means. In operation, as one of the plungers 18 is depressed by the player, its movable contact 21 engages the fixed contact 30, and an associated actuating means in the chime instrument is energized to produce a note. Similarly, if one of the plungers 19 is depressed, as shown in Fig. 2, its movable contact 27 engages the fixed contact 31 to produce another note in the chime instrument. Since the movable contact means 21 and 27 are formed of spring-like material, they serve additionally to bias 4 their associated plungers to a switch-open or undepressed position.

. The switches associated with the plungers 18 and 19 are each connected to the remotely located chime instrument in such manner that each plunger controls the production of a separate note by the instrument. Since the simulated'keys 16 and 17 of the keyboard are musically representative of the notes produced by the actuation of their associated plungers, the player may use the keyboard as a guide in the playing of the chime instrument. Inasmuch as the simulated keys are not movable, it is apparent that the number and complexity of the actual operating parts are minimized, thereby facilitating manufacture and maintenance of the device.

It should be apparent that modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention, except as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is;

A keyboard device for selectively controlling an electrically operated chime instrument, comprising a frame adapted for mounting on a master musical instrument and having a simulated piano type keyboard of reduced size formed thereon, parallel supports inside of said frame, a continuous fixed contact means mounted on each of said supports, a plurality of movable contact means mounted on each support arranged so that they cooperate with the fixed contact means on an adjacent support to form a plurality of switches, and a plurality of switch operators extending through said simulated keyboard and freely slidable therein so as to be normally urged downwardly, each of said switch operators being biased upwardly by the free end of its cooperating movable contact means, said movable contact means contacting its respective fixed contact means when its cooperating switch operator, is forced downwardly against said biasing action, each of said operators passing through a different key on said simulated keyboard so that the latter serves as a guide for the playing of said chime instrument.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,050,513 Barton Jan. 14, 1913 1,519,535 Finis Dec. 16, 1924 1,619,010 Wilhelm Mar. 1, 1927 1,799,425 Kinney Apr. 7, 1931 2,701,498 Koch et al. Feb; 8, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 289,193 Germany Dec. 13, 1915 673,689 France Oct. 8, 1929

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