US3580125A

US3580125A - Key-adjustable harmonica

Info

Publication number: US3580125A
Application number: US813463A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oliver W Heatwole
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-04-04
Filing date: 1969-04-04
Publication date: 1971-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1988-05-25

Abstract

A key-adjustable harmonica for selectively playing in any one of a plurality of musical keys by the use of seven consecutive blowholes per octave without the necessity for readjusting the harmonica to obtain the proper notes in the key. The harmonica includes means for selectively connecting all of the seven blowholes per octave with only those reed cells of chromatically arranged cells containing reeds tuned to the notes of the selected key while blocking off those cells not in the selected key. In addition, the arrangement provides means of access to a given reed in a plurality of adjustments of the harmonica. Any note can be played by either blowing or drawing at will.

Description

per octave without the necessity for ica to obtain the ly playof seven proper notes in the 2,655,068 10/1953 Ruben..............

, Washington, D.C. 2,276,501 3/1942 Manieri 2,340,333 2/1944 Magnus......

2,478,963 8/1949 Bibus....... 2,744,434 5/1956 Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin 84/377 ABSTRACT: A key-adjustable harmonica for selective 610d 7/ 12 ing in any one of a plurality of musical keys by the use 84/377' consecutive blowholes readjusting the hannon Oliver W. Heatwole 3900 16th St. N.W. 2001 1 Apr. 4', 1969 28Claims,28DrawingFigs.

United States Patent [72] lnventor 21 App1.N0. 813,463

[22] Filed [45] Patented May 25,197]

[54] KEY-ADJUSTABLE HARMONICA [52] U.S.C1... [51] lnt.Cl............... [50] PATENTED HAY25 |97| SHEET 2 BF 5 UUUUUUUUUUU s m Mn E T m 3M W 5 NM T IIE A H w R J E m L4 0 f a EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE a? 2 AH UUUUUUUUUUUUQW 3,580,125 SHEEI UF 5 INVENTOR OLIVER W. HEATWOLE BY Jain/may rfl/M ATTORNEYS PATENTED M25 |97I PATENTED was an SHEET 5 BF 5 m A wan own vNnW K wvm 0mm OLIVER w. HEATWOLE ATTORNEYS 1 KEY-ADJUSTABLE HARMONICA This invention relates to chromatic harmonicas. More specifically, the invention provides a harmonica adjustable to a plurality of musical keys in which a scale in a selected key is playable in seven consecutive blowholes by either blowing or two notes of the scale, one sounded by blowing and the other sounded by drawing. This arrangement causes playing fatigue in that in most keys drawing exceeds blowing, and it is hard for the player to empty his lungs. Moreover, it sometimes happens that a successionof draw notes requires the player to fill his 'lungs, and when still another draw note occurs he is unable to play it.

Other disadvantages of the conventional chromatic harmonica are: difficulty in finding the right note, and difficulty, primarily due to the need for rapid breath reversals, in playing rapid diatonic runs, diatonic glissandos, grace notes, or most scale-note trills.

Attempts to overcome some of the foregoing problems have included the provision of harmonicas having chromatically arranged reeds with mechanical. means for selecting only those reeds required for a given key while blocking off those reeds not in note key. However, in these harmonicas also some notes are playable only by drawing and others only by blowing. Moreover, a new disadvantage is introduced, in that any given not is playable only by drawing in some keys and only by blowing in other keys. Thus the problem of associating blowing or drawing with respective notes continues, and playing fatigue remains.

Another attempt to solve the problems of conventional harmonicas has been the provision of chromatically arranged reed cells each containing two reeds for the same note, one responsive to blowing'and the other to drawing. This overcomes the breathing problem, but no mechanical means for selecting a key is provided, so that unneeded reed cells remain open and the player must avoid these for any selected key, and this obviously is difficult.

The broad object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantage of prior harmonicas by the provision of a harmonica having reed cells tuned to include all the notes of the chromatic scale, with means for exposing to seven consecutive blowholes per octave only those cells containing reeds of notes of a selected key of a plurality of keys, while blocking off those cells which contain reeds tuned to notes not in the selected key, means of access being provided for communicating a given'reed cell with respective blowholes in a plurality of adjustments of the hannonica.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a hannonica of the foregoing nature which is greatly simplified over other key-adjustable harmonicas and which includes the feature of two reeds of the same note per cell, one reed being responsive to blowing and the other to drawing, whereby a tunein any selected key may be played by either drawing or blowing and without the necessity of avoiding cells not in the selected key.

A further object is to provide a harmonica capable of playing grace notes, scale-note trills, and diatonic glissandos.

Other objects and their attendant advantages will become apparent as the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a front elevational view of a harmonica embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the harmonica taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a perforated plate employed with the harmonica of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the hannonica taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the harmonica incorporating the features of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view, partially in section, of the harmonica of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the harmonica taken'along line 9-9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 8, but with parts shown in changed position;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of a thirdembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of a reed block of the third embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a partly broken front elevational view showing the interrelationship of a perforated inner plate, valve slide and perforated guide employed with the third embodiment of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is an end view of the valve slide guide;

FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view guide, taken along the line 15-15 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the valve guide taken on the line 16-16 of FIG. 13; 7

FIG. 17 is a front elevation of the valve slide;

FIG. 18 is a mirror image of the rear of the mouthpiece of the embodiment of FIG. 11;

FIG. 19 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 11;.

FIG. 20 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line 20-20 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 but with parts shown in changed position;

FIG. 22 is a top plan view of a slide embodiment ofFIG. ll; 1

FIG. 23 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 23-23 of FIG. 21;.

FIG. 24 is a front, elevational view of a fourth embodiment of the harmonica;

FIG. 25 is a front elevational view of a reed block of the emslide bodiment of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a partly broken front elevational view showing the interrelationships of a perforated inner plate', valve slide,

and perforated guide employed with the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 27-27 of FIG. 24; v

F IO. 28 is a front elevational view of a perforated valve slide of the embodiment of FIG. 24.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the harmonica of the invention includes a mouthpiece l0 slidably mounted on the front part of the hannonica and having blowholes 12 at the front face thereof. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the main part of the harmonica comprises a reed block 14 having a plurality of equally spaced reed cells 16 thereinwhich may be in the form of slots of decreasing depth from left to right in FIG. 3; with the upper and lower sides of the slots being closed by upper and

lower reed plates

18, 20 respectively. The reed cells 16 are tuned to series of chromatic scales, as indicated by the cell labels in FIG 3. Preferably, each reed cell 16 accommodates both a draw reed 22 and a blow reed 24 tuned to the same note.

Attached to the upper and lower sides of the harmonica are

cover plates

26, 28 of generally ogee configuration in cross section, each of the cover plates having, at opposite ends,

flanges

30, 32 which are fastened to the

reed plates

18, 20 and reed block by means of screws and

nuts

34, 36.

The mouthpiece 10 of the harmonica of the invention may be of solid construction as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and is provided with upper and lower rings 38, 40 having confronting of the valve slide plate employed with the 40 slidably and frictionally embrace the curved parts of the cover plates to retain the mouthpiece movably attached to the otherparts of the harmonica. The forward edge parts of the reed plates may extend beyond the reed block and be bent slightly towards each other to engage matching grooves on the inner side of the mouthpiece as shown at 41.

F astened to the front of the reed block 14 as by screws 42 is a plate 44 having perforations 46 therethrough which register with the entrances to the reed cells 16.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the blowholes 12 at the front side of the mouthpiece are connected with outlets48 at the rear of the mouthpiece by way of passages 50. In accordance with the invention, the interrelationship of the reed cells, spacing of blowholes and their outlets, and slant of passages connecting blowholes and outlets is as follows. The outlets 48 are unevenly spaced at the back 'of the mouthpiece so they will align with reed cells tuned to notes comprising a diatonic scale in any selected key. For example, in the key of F the scale notes are F G, A, B", C, D, and E. In the key-of-F adjustment, as shown in FIG. 3, consecutive outlets align with reed cells tuned to these notes. Inasmuch as the notes of the chromatic scale, to which the consecutive reed cells are tuned, are a semitone apart, and the notes F and G area whole tone apart,

the outlets aligning with the F and G cells in the adjustment in FIG. 3 are spaced two cells apart, the intervening cell being blocked ofi. The same is true for the notes G and A. Then,

since the notes A and B" are only a semitone apart, the outlets for these notes align with adjacent reed cells. There then follow three more whole tones, and then a semitone between the note E and the note F in the next higher octave.

Those skilled inthe musical arts will appreciate that once the outlets 48 have been positioned as described for any selected one of the 12 major keys, the outlets will align, in other adjustments of the mouthpiece, with the cells needed for the notes of the other major keys, because the scale notes of all these keys have the same pattern as regards whole tones and semitones, hence cells providing a diatonic scale in any one major key occupy the same relative position among cells tuned to series of chromatic scales as do the cells for any other major key. I I v In order to achieve the improvement provided by the invention, seven'blowholes per octave, one blowhole per outlet, are

provided at the front of the mouthpiece, preferably evenly f spaced. At least some of tee passages connecting blowholes l2 with their respective outlets 48 must then slant. In order to minimize the greatest slant of any passage, the blowhole that is to provide the second note of the selected scale is positioned in the mouthpiece in alignment with its outlet, and the remaining'blowholes are equally spaced between and beyond these first-determined blowholes. For example, G is the second note of the scale in the key of F, and it will be seen in FIG. 3 that each blowhole providing access to a note G in the adjustment illustrated is centered against its outlet and is in axial alignment with'a reed cell tuned to the note G.

Preferably the repeating pattern of blowholes, passages, and outlets is so placed in the mouthpiece, as shown in FIG. 3, that when the mouthpiece is in its leftmost adjustment, except for one adjustment further to the left for accidentals, the harmonica will be adjusted to the key of C. When the mouthpiece is then moved to the right aclick at a time, the other keys are adapted in their normal order as D, D, E, etc.

The positioning of the mouthpiece 10 for any selectedkey can be indicated by a series of letters embossed on the upper cover members 26 as shown at 52 in FIG. 2. A suitable marker 54 is embossed on the mouthpiece. A spring-loaded ball detent 56 (see FIG. 3) in thereed block may be arranged to project through a hole in plate 44 and engage recesses 58 in the mouthpiece which are spaced longitudinally apart a distance equal to the spacing between reed cells. Where this spacing coincides with the outletof a passage, the outlet itself may be used in lieuof a recess'58 for retaining the mouthpiece in a selected position. From the foregoing description it should be apparent that the invention permits the positioning of the mouthpiece for any selected key with all of the notes in that key being accessible through the blowholes and passageways sequentially and consecutively throughout the entire diatonic scale of the selected key, while notes not in the selected key are blocked off. By having the two reeds'in anygiven cell tuned to the same note, it.will be quite apparent that the same note is played in response'to either drawing or blowing, so that the player may produce a series of notes'without the necessity of coordinating either blowing or drawing with the particular notes which are to be played. It will be also quite apparent that where the same note appears in two or more keys, as for example C natural in both the keys of C and G', the invention provides means of access from one blowhole or another tothe same C reed cells when the harmonica is adjusted to play in either the key of C of the key of G.

As long as the key of musical selection remains that'to which the harmonica is adjusted, no further mechanical adjustmentof the hannonica during play is needed. If the musical key should change for anextended passage, it is best to readjust the harmonica to the new key; should only one or two accidentals occur, it is easier to-adju'st the harmonica to play the individual accidentals (that'is, notes-not in accordance with the 'key signature). This is accomplished as follows: The harmonica is held with the lower ring 40 of the mouthpiece resting on the thumbs, while the forefingers rest on the upper wing 38 and the middle fingers rest on the back of the top cover 26.

When accidentals occur in the music the player adjusts the harmonica by pressing his middle fingers to the left or to the right on the cover, to move the body of the harmonica one click to the left or the right with respect to the mouthpiece, the click being provided by the ball detent. Movement of the body of the harmonica a click to the left raises the pitch of a given blowhole a semitone, and movement of the body a click to the right lowers the pitch a semitone.

The harmonica illustrated in FIGS.,1 through 6 and other embodiments described below are illustrated as having a range of approximately 2 /2 octaves. However, a suggested preferred range in all embodiments would be approximately 3% octaves, as, for example, from about F below middle C to about B above high C. The range illustrated is merely for purposes of demonstrating the .invention and the range may vary as preferences dictate. v

Referring now to FIGS. 7 through 10 there is illustrated there a second embodiment of the invention which in many. respects is similar to the harmonica described in FIGS. 1 through 6. As in the first embodiment, the embodiment of FIGS. 7 through 10 includes a reed block 100, upper and

lower reed plates

102, 104, and. a separate mouthpiece 106, which is of a shallow U-configuration having end flanges 108 whereby the mouthpiece may be fastened to the reed block by means of screws 110. The mouthpiece 106 has on its outer side a plurality of equally spaced blowholes 112 which are joined to outlets 114 on the rear face of the mouthpiece by straight passages 116 whose axes are perpendicular to the front face of the mouthpiece. The upper and

lower reed plates

102, 104 define, with slots in the reed block 100, chromatically arranged reed cells 118, each containing a blow reed 119 and a draw reed 120 tuned to the same note.

Fastened to the front face of the reed block by the screws is a perforated plate 121, and fastened to the rear face by screws 122is a plate 123. The perforations in plate 121 register with the entrances to the reed cells. Surrounding the reed block is a cylinder 124 having l2 rows of openings when the cylinder is rotated to a selected position wherein a spring-loaded ball detent 128, housed in the reed block and projecting through a hole near the end of plate .121, engages a hole 130 in alignment with each of the rows of openings 126 in the cylinder 124. As can be seen, each row is labeled immediately above it by a key symbol 132 which is visible just above the mouthpiece when the row corresponding to a selected key is moved into playing position. In FIG. 7, the cylinder 124 is positioned for playing a tune in the key of C, and thus the letter C is visible in FIG. 7 immediately above the mouthpiece.

Each of the openings 126 leads into a passageway 134 in the cylinder which is slanted as necessary so as to connect blowhole outlets 114 in sequence with the appropriate reed cells for the selected key. For example, in FIG. 8 the passages 134 are shown as they would be constructed to play a tune in the key of C. As can be seen, the key of C having only naturals therein, only these notes are connected by the passages 134-in the cylinder with the blowhole passages, whereas the reed cells for notes not in the key of C are blocked off. FIG. 10 illustrates the reed cells which are opened to the blowholes when the cylinder is rotated to register the row of openings in the cylinder for the key of D" with the blowholes, it being noted in FIG. 7 that the key of D" is immediately above the key of C.

As can be seen in FIG. 9, the outer surfaces of the front and rear plates 121, .123 and the inner surface of the mouthpiece 106 are curved to conform to the curvature of the inner and outer surfaces of the cylinder 124.

In use, the second eminent of the harmonica is played substantially as the first embodiment described above; that is to say, a scale in any desired key is played in seven consecutive blowholes and any note is playable by blowing or drawing, at will. To play an accidental note with the second embodiment, it is only necessary to turn the cylinder downward one click. If playing in one of the flat keys (F, B, E", A or D"), the player blows into the left one of the two blowholes which obviously bracket the accidental note in the regulator key. If playing in the key ofC or in one of the sharp keys (G, D, A, E, B, or F0), the player would blow into the right blowhole of the two which bracket the accidental note in the selected key.

As in the first embodiment, means of access are provided to a given reed cell in a plurality of adjustments of the harmonica.

FIGS. 11 through 23 illustrate a third embodiment of the present invention. The numeral 200 designates a reed block having a plurality of slots therein whose upper and lower sides are closed by

reed plates

202, 204 to define reed cells 206.

- The

plates

202, 204 are provided respectively-with blow and draw

reeds

208, 210 of the same note for each cell, the cells being arranged chromatically over as many octaves as desired.

The reed block 200 has vertically enlarged ends 212 to which are attached by screws 214 mating end parts of an inner plate 216, a guide plate 218, and a mouthpiece 220. The inner and guide plates each have a pair of identical vertically spaced rows of

openings

224, 226 with each vertical pair of openings of one plate registering with the corresponding vertical pair of the other plate and with a cell in the reed block.

As can be seen in FIGS. 14 and 15, the guide plate 218, in addition to inwardly and vertically extending, enlarged end parts 228 which are fastened to the corresponding enlarged parts 212 of the reed block, is provided with upper and lower inwardly extending

flanges

230, 232 which serve to space the guide plate from inner plate 216. Slidably received in the space between the

plates

216, 218 is a valve slide or plate 234 having a plurality of openings 236 therethrough which are arranged in accordance with the invention to permit access between blowholes 238 in the mouthpiece 220 and selected ones of the reed cells, depending upon the chosen key, while blocking off those openings in the inner plate 216 registering with reed cells tuned to notes not'in the selected key.

FIG. 18 illustrates a mirror image of the rear of the mouthpiece 220. Each ofthe blowholes 23s is connected by a face of the mouthpiece, there being seven blowholes and seven outlets per octave.

For purposes of illustration, the blowholes in FIG. 11 are designated from left to right, in accordance with the naturals to which they provide access, as F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F and so on for each of the blowholes. In addition to being capable of communicating through the outlets with the reed cells for the respective naturals, each blowhole also may communicate through its outlet with an adjacent reed cell containing reedsv tuned to the next halftone. For example, the F blowhole at the left-hand end of the mouthpiece is capable of communicating through its outlet with both the F and F0 reed cells, because the F outlet aligns with these two cells. The G outlet aligns with the G and the lower portion of the G0/A" cells, the A outlet with the A and the upper portion-of the G0/A cells, the B outlet with the B and B cells, the C outlet with the C and the lower portion of the C0/D cell, the D outlet with theD cell, the upper portion of the CO/D" cell, and the lower portion of the D0/E cell, and the E outlet with the E and the upper portion of the D0/E cells, this pattern repeating in succeeding octaves or portions of octaves. Thus, in respect to the alignment of outlets with reed cells, some naturals are paired with their corresponding sharps, other naturals are paired with their corresponding flats, and one natural, namely D, is paired with both' its corresponding sharp and its corresponding flat. Moreover, because each outlet is connected with a respective blowhole, the pairings mentioned with respect to the outlets occur also with respect to the blowholes. These novel pairings, and the alignment of some reed cells with more than one outlet, are important features of the invention.

The positioning of the blowholes with respect to the outlets may be established by first arranging'each D blowhole so that its axis is in alignment with the center of a D reed cell. Thereafter, the other blowholes may be equally spaced on opposite sides of the Dblowholes and the blowholes may be connected with their respective outlets'by the passages or ducts 239 arranged in any convenient fashion. The preferred forms for the passages are as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the former showing the upper parts of the ducts and the latter showing the lowerparts. When the valve slide 234 is positioned between the mouthpiece outlets 240 and the reed cells as shown in FIG. 13, it will be noted that each opening 236 in the valve slide will register with a part of each of the outlets as well as with one of the

openings

224, 226 in the inner and guide

plates

216, 218 so as to afford communication from the blowholes to the reed cells containing reeds tuned to the notes in the diatonic scale in the selected key.

The valve slide 234 in FIG. 11 is positioned for the key of C, and for purposes of illustration the same relative position of the valve slide 234 shown in FIG. 11 is retained in FIG. 17, with the openings 236 therein, which are hidden in FIG. 11, labeled with the notes of those cells with which the openings 236 align when slide 234 is in the key-of-C position so as to communicate the blowholes with the proper cells for this selected key. It will be noted in FIG. 17 that the openings 236 in the valve slide are arranged in a repeating seven-perforation pattern.

As shown in phantom in FIG. 18, when the valve slide is in the key-of-C position the F blowhole and outlet are communicated through the upper left-hand comer of the outlet with the F cell through the valve-slide opening marked F in FIG. 17. In like manner, the next or fifth note, G, in the key of C is communicated through the upper part of the G outlet through the next opening, marked G, in the valve slide with the upper part of the G cell, and so on for each of the other notes in the scale of C as indicated by the letters on the blowholes, outlets, and openings in the valve slide, and on the reed cells of FIG. 12. FIGS. 19 and 20 clearly indicate the manner in which the openings 236 in the valve slide serve to connect the blowholes with the appropriate reed cells while the imperforate parts of the valve slide between the openings serve to block off those reed cells containing reeds tuned to notes not in the selected key.

As previously mentioned, the D blowhole has an outlet capable of registering with at least portions of three different reed cells, whereas the other blowholes have outlets which" may register with portions of two different reed cells. However, as valve slide 234 is moved along from one of its regular playing positions to another the perforate and imperforate portions of the slide control the access of. any blowhole to a single reed cell. The perforations are arranged so as to select playing accidentals in the third embodiment, if the harmonica the notes in the desired key represented by the playing posirnonica to the key of F. As can be seen in FIG. 23, the upper over plate 246 and the-lower cover plate 247 are spaced for e most part above and below-the respective upper

andlower reed plates

202, 204, the ends of the cover plates being provided with flanges 249, as seen in FIG. 21, for the reception of screws or bolts 250 for fastening the cover plates to the reed block in a conventional manner. I

J The upper cover plate is slotted as at 251 to serve as a guide for bolts 252 which extend through the bar 242 and are fastened by nuts 254 to a slide plate 256 more clearly illustrated in FIG. 22 and which rides beneath the cover plate 246 as the bar is moved between its various positions.

The upper side of the bar 242 has embossed thereon an indicator 258 which is.movable into alignment with any selected one of the key designators embossed on the cover plate as shown at 260. Detent action is provided by stamped projections 262 in arms 263 integral with the edge of the slide plate 256 and engageable with spaced, upwardly projecting indentations 264 pressed into the cover plate. The indentations 264 and projections 262 are so positioned that the bar 242 and slide plate are disposed relative to the top so that the indicator 258 on the bar is in alignment with one of the key designators 260 when a projection 262 is engaged with an indentation 264. Inthe manner of a conventional detent, the slide is moved byclicks' from one key designator to the next, each upper inwardly extending flange 230 is omitted from the middle portion of guide plate 218, as shown in FIG. 16, in order to accommodate eye 268 and 'its travel through the distance necessary for the valve slide to effect adjustment to the various musical keys. As the bar 242 and slide plate 256 are clicked from position to position, the valve slide 234 is moved with them and the parts of the adjusting mechanism are so positioned in relation to each other thatthe valve slide perforations align with those reed cells corresponding to the selected key designator on the cover plate 246 of the harmonica, If desired, additional upwardly projecting indentations 270 may be provided in slide plate 256 to engage the lower face of the top cover plate to serve as bearings.

The arrangement of .the invention is susceptible to adjustment to a selected one of any of nine major keys in lieu of 12 as in the first and second embodiments. When valve slide 234 is in its leftmost position (except for one more possible shift to the left for accidentals), the harmonica is adjusted to the key of C. Movement of the valve slide two clicks to the right then adjusts the harmonica to the key of D; the intervening key of D", requiring five flats, is not adjustable in the harmonica of FIGS. 11 through 23. Following the key of D, one may select E", E, F, G, A, and B, though it is not possible to select the key of F/G' between F and G in the third embodiment of the invention, nor the key of B, requiring five sharps.

The third embodiment of the harmonica is played substantially as the first two. As before, a scale in any of the nine selectable keys is played through seven consecutive blowholes and any note is playable by blowing or drawing at will. For

is being played in any one of its sharp keys (G, D, A,.or E), the valve slide is moved one click to the right and the player blows in the rightmost of the two blowholes that he senses are closest to the desired accidental note or tone. If the instrument is being played in any one of its flat keys (F, B", E", or A") or in the key of C, the slide is moved one click to the left and the player blows into the leftmost of the two blowholes in question. The only exception to these rules is that when play is in the key of C, an accidental BO/B is found by moving the slide one click to the right and blowing in the rightmost of the two blowholes in question.

As before, access means are provided for utilizing in a plurality of adjustments of the harmonica the same cell containing a reed or reeds tuned to a note common to each of the adjusted keys.

Referring now to FIGS. 24 through 28, these illustrate a fourth embodiment of the invention which,.in several respects, is similar to the third embodiment. With reference particularly to FIG. 25, thenumeral 300 designates a reed block which is subdivided into two vertically spaced upper and lower rows of

reed cells

306, 308. The upper sides of the upper reed cells 306 are defined by an upper reed plate 310 having side-byside blow and draw reeds3l2, 314 tuned to the same note for each of the respective cells. In like manner, the lower walls of the lower reed cells 308 are defined by a lower reed plate 316 also having blow and draw reeds of the same note for each of the respective lower reed cells 308. Disposed in front of the reed block 300 is a plate 318 having two rows of

perforations

320, 322, each perforation registering with the central portion of one of the upper or lower reed cells 306,308, respectively, across the entire reed block. In front of the plate 318 there is a guide plate 324 having perforations for the passage of air identical with those of plate 318.

Plates

318, 324 have corresponding end flanges 326, 327 (see FIG. 26), which are adapted to be fastened to mating projections 328 integral with the reed block 300. The end flanges 327 are absent slightly inwardly and serve to space the plate 324 slightly away from or forward of the plate 318 was to provide a guide for a valve plate or slide 330 which is constructed in accordance with the invention. 8

The valve slide 330 contains perforations which are arranged in accordance with the invention as hereinafter described and serve to connect all of a pluralityof equally spaced blowholes 332 in a mouthpiece 334 (see FIG. 24) with selected ones of the reed cells, depending on the selected musical key,.while' blocking off those openings'in plate 318 that register with reed cells tuned to notes not in the selected key. The mouthpiece also has end projections 336 which are fastened by means of screws 338 to the guide plate 324, inner plate 318, and the reed block 300. As with the other embodiments, the harmonica of FIG. 24 is provided with top and bottom cover plates 340, 342 which are fastened to the reed block by bolts and nuts 344 in a conventional manner.

As should be apparent from an inspection of FIG. 24, each blowhole 332 in the mouthpiece 334 registers with two vertically spaced

reed cells

306, 308 respectively along each of the upper and lower rows of cells. However, two sets of

perforations

346 and 348 are arranged through the valve slide 330 so that each blowhole communicates with only a reed cell containing reeds tuned to a note in a selected key while all of the other reed cells are blocked off. For purposes of illustration, one set 346 of perforations is distinguished from the other by the inclusion of dots 350 in the center of the perforations of set 346. As an aid in matching these perforations with communicating reed cells, dots 350 in the same relative position are repeated in F IG. 26. The selection of what keys can or should be made available to the player is a matter of option with the manufacturer and is a function of the number of reed cells per octave. For example, with 12 reed cells per octave tuned to the chromatic scale, the harmonica can be adjusted to six keys. With 14 cells per octave tuned to the chromatic scale but with two of the tones duplicated in the two extra cells, the

tave the harmonica can be adjusted to 10 keys. The arrangement illustrated comprises two rows of reed cells with 14 cells per octave, that is to say, seven vertical pairs of cells per octave, and this is the preferred configuration because it permits the use of simple, unslanted air ducts in the mouthpiece.

For an arrangement of 14 cells per octave, first divide reed tuned to the key of C, having all natural notes, between upper and lower reed cells in a workable manner. The preferred division is shown in FlG. 25, where the notes C, D and E are assigned to three consecutive cells in the upper row, say, and the notes F, G, A, and B- are assigned to the next four consecutive cells in the lower row, this pattern repeating in successive octaves or portions of octavesThe remaining seven cells of a cycle may be optionally tuned, depending upon what keys are to be made available to the player. For example, if each natural of the key of C were to be paired with its corresponding sharp in each pair of reed cells, the harmonica could be selectively played in the key of C or in a sharp key, but if each natural were paired with its corresponding flat the harmonica would then be adjustable to the key of C or one of the flat keys.

For the greatest range of usefulness, it is desirable that the harmonica be adjustable to the key of C and to some of the sharp keys as well as'some of the flat keys. This, therefore, requires that some of the reed cells be assigned flats while others be assigned sharp notes, and because the keys of C, G, D, A, E, F, B", and E" are the keys most frequently played, the harmonica illustrated in FIGS. 24 through 28 is constructed so as to selectively play any one of these eight keys. it will thus be seen that having first assigned three consecutive upper cells to three natural notes in the key of C and the ensuing four consecutive lower cells to the remaining naturals in the key of C, it is then necessary to provide in the valve slide 330 the first set of perforations 346 arranged to register with those cells assigned to the natural notes in the key of C in one adjustment of harmonica can be adjusted to eight keys. With l6 cells per ocmonica to any of the keys of E",'F, C, or A. When the valve slide 330 is in a position in which perforations 346 adjust the hannonica to a selectable key, perforations 348 are in alignment with imperforate portions of plate 318, and when perforations 348 are operative, perforations 346 are in alignment with imperforate portions of plate 318. As always, in any selectable key imperforate portions of valve slide 330 block off reed cells tuned to notes not in the selected key.

All of the reed cells are assigned notes in a l4-cell pattern which is repetitious and will provide the selected keys which are desired for the particular harmonica. It will be noted that with the described arrangement, two adjacent reed cells per cycle in the upper row are tuned to the same tone, and two adjacent cells per cycle in the lower row are tuned to the same tone. For example, the G0 and A reed cells are repeated tones in the upper row, and the D0, E" reed cells are repeated tones in the lower row.

The preferred placement of the two sets of

perforations

346, 348 with relation to one another in the valve slide 330 is shown in FlG. 28, in which the first perforation of a cycle of the set 348 follows to the lower right of the first perforation of a cycle of the set 346. It is also preferred that this continuing, combined 14 -perforation pattern of perforations be so placed in the valve slide, as seen in FIG. 28, that when the slide is in its leftmost position (except for one additional position further to the left for accidentals), the harmonica will be adjusted to the key of B".

For retention of the valve slide in positions for the various keys, a pair of vertically spaced ball detents 352 may be provided at the ends of the rows of reed cells and of a size to extend through suitable openings 354 in the perforated plate 318 so as to engage one

ofthe perforations

346, 348 in the valve slide 330, which may be moved'between its various positions the valve slide. lmperforate portions of the valve slide block off cells that are not wanted in a slide.

Because the next key in sequence to be adjusted by perforations 346 is D and contains F0 and C0 instead of the naturals of these notes, in order that the key of D may be played upon shifting the valve slide to the right, it will be apparent that the next upper reed cell following the D and E cells must be assigned to F0, and the lowerreed cell forming the G, A, and B cells must be assigned to C0. In like manner, for the next key adjustable by perforations 346, which is the key of E, the third note (G0) in the scale for the key of E is assigned to an upper reed cell 306 so as to register with the third perforation of a given adjustment of the valve cycle in the first set 346 in the valve slide; so also the last note (D0) of the scale is assigned to a lower reed cell and accords with the position of the last perforation of a cycle of the set 346. In addition to the keys of C, D, and E, the first set of perforations 346 also serves the adjustable key preceding the key of C, which is B", and requires assignment of the notes B" and E" to the proper reed cells. It will be noted that when the valve slide 330 is positioned so that the first perforation of a cycle of the set 346 registers with a B cell, the the upper row, all of the other notes in the key of B" are exposed sequentially to the perforations of the set 346, while the other cells are blocked off So far, the valve slide 330 has been described as if there were a single set of perforations 346. However, because an arrangement of l4 cells per octave can permit the selection of eight keys, the scales of some of which start in a lower reed cell, the second set 348 of perforations (those which do not have the dots 350) is provided, with a given perforation in the set 348 positioned horizontally between two perforations in the 346 set, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 28. A cycle in the 348 set comprises three consecutive perforations in the lower row followed by four consecutive perforations in the upper row. When the last remaining reed cell of a cycle is assigned the note A, the set of perforations 348 can adjust the harby a suitable handle 356. (Alternatively, the means of moving and stopping a valve slide that were used in the third embodiment of the invention could be used in this fourth embodiment also, in lieu of the ball detents and handle.)

With the perforations in the valve slide arranged as above described in relationship to the ball detents, it will be seen that when the slide is in its leftmost position except one, the harmonica plays in the key of B.

Other keys are selected as follows, at logically expected settings of the slide: two clicks of the slide to the right provide the key of C; two more clicks to the right provide the key of D; one more click to the right, the key of E"; one more click, the key of E; one more click, the key of F; two more clicks, the key of G; and two more'clicks, the key of A.

As with the other embodiments, a scale in any of the selected keys is played in seven consecutive blowholes and any note is playable by blowing or drawing at will.

The simplest rule for finding accidentals by ear is as follows: when playing in any one of the adjustable sharp keys, that is, the key of G, D, A, or E, shift the valve slide one click to the right and blow in the rightmost of the two blowholes nearest to the desired tone, except that when playing in the key of G, an accidental C0/D is found in the leftmost of the two blowholes in question. When-playing in one of the adjustable flat keys, that is, the key of F, B or E, or in the key of C, move the slide one click to the left and blow in the leftmost of the two blowholes in question, except that when playing in the key of C an accidental A0/B is found in the rightmost of the two blowholes in question.

Though the several embodiments of the invention have been described as containing two reeds in each reed cell tuned to the same note, one being a draw reed and the other a blow reed, it will be apparent that in any of the embodiments, a single blow reed may be provided in each cell whereby the player only blows, and such an arrangement is included as being within the purview of tee invention.

Although the first three embodiments of the invention have been shown as having a single row of reed cells, alternatively their cells could be divided in two by horizontal partitions, for greater stability, resulting in two rows of reed cells. In the third I plurality of keys by blowing through seven consecutive blowholes equally spaced'in-the mouthpieceof the harmonica to produce only the notes in the scale of the selected key. Ad-' ditionally, it will be observed that common to all of the embodiments is the provision of means of access to a given reed in a plurality of adjustments of the harmonica.

I claim: l. A key-adjustable harmonica comprising a reed block, a plurality of reed cells in said reed block, at least one reed associated with each reed cell, consecutive reeds being tuned to the consecutive notes of a chromatic scale, a mouthpiece having blowholes therein, and said blowholes being adjustably connected to said reed cells operably associating seven consecutive blowholes with reeds tuned to seven consecutive notes of the diatonic scale, respectively, in a plurality of adjustments. 2., A harmonica as in claim 1 wherein the distance between the first and eighth of eight consecutive blowholes is equal to the distance between a first reed tuned to a given note and a second reed tuned an octave higher than said first reed.

.3. In a hannonica having a mouthpiece and reed block slidably and adjustably assembled with respect to each other,

' and having reed cells tuned to series of chromatic scales: at

providing wind access from any seven consecutive blowholes,

respectively, to reeds tuned to the seven consecutive notes of a diatonic scale in each of a plurality of positions of adjustment of said mouthpiece. I 15. A harmonica as in claim 4 wherein said reeds are mounted for sounding only by blowing.

6. A harmonica as in claim 4 including indicia on said housing indicating musical ke'y'names, and an index on said mouthpiece aligning with one of said' key names when said blowholes provide access to the diatonic scale tuned to the indicated key.

7. A- harmonica as in claim 4 wherein said mouthpiece is slidably adjustable relative to said housing.

8. A harmonica as in claim 4 including reed cells located in said housing, a pair of reeds tuned to the same note operably associated with each of said reed cells, one of said pair of reeds being sounded by blowing and the other by drawing, and

each reed cell being connected with no more than one of said blowholes in any single position of adjustment, whereby a note associated with a blowhole may be played by either blowing or drawing through the blowhole.

9. A harmonica as in claim 8 wherein each of said reed cells communicates with a different blowhole in selected adjustments of said mouthpiece.

10. A harmonica as in claim 4 wherein said reeds are uniformly spaced in said housing, said blowholes each have an inlet, an outlet, and an air passage connecting said inlet to said outlet, I 7

said inlets being evenly spaced along the outer face of said mouthpiece, and

said outlets being spaced along the inner face of said mouthpiece in a repeating, irregular pattern.

11. A harmonica as in claim 10 wherein said irregular pattern is a spacing linearly proportional to the musical intervals of the diatonic scale.

12. A harmonica as in claim 10 wherein in each of said positions of adjustment the distance between theoutlets of the first and'eighth of eight consecutive blowholes is equal to the distance between a first reed tuned to a given note and a second reed tuned an octave higher than said first reed.

13. A key-adjustable harmonica comprising a reed block, a plurality of reed cells in said reed block, at least one reed associated with each of said cells forming a set of reeds, said set scale,

opening along one edge of said reed block,

directed toward one edge, and

a key selection member adjustably mounted between said reed block and said mouthpiece, said selection member having a plurality of rows of air passages therethrough, and for each position of adjustment of said member, one row of air passages connects said blowholes with said wind access inlets, providing wind access from any seven consecutive blowholes, respectively, to reeds tuned to the seven consecutive notes of a diatonic scale.

14. A harmonica as in claim 13 wherein in each of said positions of adjustment the distance between the outlets of the first and eighth of eight-consecutive blowholes is equal to the distance be between a first reed tuned to a given note and a second reed tuned an octave higher than said first reed.

. 15. A hannonica as in claim 13 including a pair of reeds tuned to the same note operably associated with each of said reed cells, one of said pair being sounded by blowing and the other by drawing, and each reed cell being connected with no more than one of said blowholes in any single position of adjustment, whereby a'note associated with a blowhole may be played by either blowing or drawing through the blowhole.

16. A harmonica as in claim 13 wherein said selection member surrounds the reed block at top, bottom, front, and back thereof.

17. A harmonica as in claim 13 wherein said selection member is a cylinder. I

18. A harmonica'as in claim 13 wherein said blowholes are uniformly spaced in said mouthpiece, said windaccess inlets are uniformly spaced along one edge, said air passages each having an entrance and an exit, all of said entrances being uniformly spaced along their respective rows and said entrance's being aligned with said blowholes, and all of said exits being spaced adjacent said access inlets in a repeating, irregular pattern.

19. A harmonica as in claim 18 wherein said irregular pattern is a spacing linearly proportional to the musical intervals of the diatonic scale.

20. An adjustable hannonica having a mouthpiece with blowholes therein and a reed block, successive blowholes of the mouthpiece having means of wind access, respectively, to reeds tuned to successive notes of the diatonic scale of at least one given musical key, at least one blowhole of every seven also having means of wind access to a reed tuned to a note a semitone higher than said blowhole's reed tuned to a note of said given key, and at least one blowhole of every seven also having means of wind access to a reed tuned to a note a semitone lower than said blowholes reed tuned to a note of said given key, and adjustment means for selectively inactivating unwanted reeds accessible to the same blowhole, but not in the given key.

21. A harmonica as in claim 20, wherein the outlets of the mouthpiece are arranged in a repeating seven-outlet pattern.

22. A harmonica as in claim 20, wherein the reed block and mouthpiece are fixed with respect to each other, at least parts of the outlets of seven consecutive blowholes align, respectively, with at least parts of the entrances to reed cells tuned to the seven successive notes of the key of C major, and a part of at least one of seven outlets also aligns with at least part of the entrance to a cell tuned a semitone higher than the key-of-C cell of said outlet, and a part of at least one of seven outlets also aligns with at least part of the entrance to a cell tuned a semitone lower than the key-of-C cell of said outlet.

a wind access inlet to each of said reed cells, all of said inlets" mouthpiece having blowholes therein spaced from and 23. A harmonica as in claim 22, wherein at least one outlet of which a part is in alignment with at least part of the entrance to a reed cell tuned a semitone higher than the key-of-C cell of said outlet also has a part in alignment with at least part of the entrance to a reed cell tuned a semitone lower than the key-of-C cell of said outlet.

24. A harmonica as in claim 22, including means to inactivate unwanted reed cells in a plurality of adjustments of the harmonica.

25. A harmonica as in claim 24, wherein the inactivating means comprises a valve slide. I

26. A han'nonica as in claim 20 having a valve slide with perforations arranged in cycles, the relative horizontal distances between the centers of consecutive perforations in a cycle in the valve slide being, respectively, two units, two units, one unit, two units, two units, and two units, and with a one-unit distance from the center of the last perforation of a cycle to the center of the first perforation of the next cycle.

27. A harmonica as in claim 25, having perforations in the valve slide arranged in a repeating seven-perforation pattern.

28. A harmonica as in claim 27 wherein said perforations are arranged in vertically spaced upper and lower rows.

column column column 7,

column column 9,

Patent No.

Invent0r(s) Dated May 1 971 line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line line Title page, references cited, "Tonnen" should read Oliver W. Heatwole It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

-- Sonnen after "keys" should be such "00" should read C# "note" should read the "not" should read note "disadvantage" should read disadvantages "rings" should read wings "tee" should read the "adapted" should read adjusted "members" should read member before "musical' insert a "ring" should read wing No paragraph; "eminent" should read embodiment "F0" should read F# "regulator" should read regular "F0" should read F "GO/A should read G#/A "GO/A should read Gil /A "co/D should read c#/Db "C /D should read C#/D "DO/E should read D#/E "DO/E should read D#/E "key", second occurrence, should be deleted;

'radially" should read readily bold gace 12 should be light face 12; "FO/G should read F#/G "BO/E should read A#/B "absent" should read bent "reed" should read reeds "F0 and 00" should read F# and C# FORM PO-IOSO (10-69) USCOMM-DC 5O375-F'6D U 5 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I919 O-Zil-JJI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE CF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,580 1 25 Inventor(s) Oliver w. fltWOlG Dated May 25, 1 97 PAGE 2 It is certified that error appears and that said Letters Patent are hereby in the above-identified patent corrected as shown below:

Signed and (SEAL) Attest:

Attestinp; Offic column 9, line L 6, "F0" should read F# "forming" should read following line L ,7, "CO" should read C# line L "GO" should read G# line 52, "DO" should read D# line 59, "the" should read in line 66, bold face 11;, should be light face In; column 1 0, line 1 "C" should read G line 15, "GO" should read G# line 16, "DO,E should read D#,E lin 5 "co/D should read c#/D line 3, should read A#/B line 71 "tee" should read the column 12, line 11 after "toward" insert said line 26, after "distance" delete "be"; column 1 3, line 12 "20" should read 25 sealed this 21st day of December 1971.

EDJARD M.FLETCHER, JR

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK FORM PO-1050 [10-69] 0 U 5 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1989 [7366'314

Claims

1. A key-adjustable harmonica comprising a reed block, a plurality of reed cells in said reed block, at least one reed associated with each reed cell, consecutive reeds being tuned to the consecutive notes of a chromatic scale, a mouthpiece having blowholes therein, and said blowholes being adjustably connected to said reed cells operably associating seven consecutive blowholes with reeds tuned to seven consecutive notes of the diatonic scale, respectively, in a plurality of adjustments.

2. A harmonica as in claim 1 wherein the distance between the first and eighth of eight consecutive blowholes is equal to the distance between a first reed tuned to a given note and a second reed tuned an octave higher than said first reed.

3. In a harmonica having a mouthpiece and reed block slidably and adjustably assembled with respect to each other, and having reed cells tuned to series of chromatic scales: at least seven consecutive blowholes, air ducts and outlets in the mouthpiece arranged to provide wind access from seven consecutive blowholes to respective reed cells tuned to the seven consecutive notes of a diatonic scale, in a given adjustment of the harmonica.

4. A key-adjustable harmonica comprising a housing, consecutive reeds tuned to the consecutive notes of the chromatic scale mounted in said housing, a mouthpiece adjustably related to said housing, and blowholes in said mouthpiece providing wind access from any seven consecutive blowholes, respectively, to reeds tuned to the seven consecutive notes of a diatonic scale in each of a plurality of positions of adjustment of said mouthpiece.

5. A harmonica as in claim 4 wherein said reeds are mounted for sounding only by blowing.

6. A harmonica as in claim 4 including indicia on said housing indicating musical key names, and an index on said mouthpiece aligning with one of said key names when said blowholes provide access to the diatonic scale tuned to the indicated key.

7. A harmonica as in claim 4 wherein said mouthpiece is slidably adjustable relative to said housing.

8. A harmonica as in claim 4 including reed cells located in said housing, a pair of reeds tuned to the same note operably associated with each of said reed cells, one of said pair of reeds being sounded by blowing and the other by drawing, and each reed cell being connected with no more than one of said blowholes in any single position of adjustment, whereby a note associated with a blowhole may be played by either blowing or drawing through the blowhole.

10. A harmonica as in claim 4 wherein said reeds are uniformly spaced in said housing, said blowholes each have an inlet, an outlet, and an air passage connecting said inlet to said outlet, said inlets being evenly spaced along the outer face of said mouthpiece, and said outlets being spaced along the inner face of said mouthpiece in a repeating, irregular pattern.

12. A harmonica as in claim 10 wherein in each of said positions of adjustment the distance between the outlets of the first and eighth of eight consecutive blowholes is equal to the distance between a first reed tuned to a given note and a second reed tuned an octave higher than said first reed.

13. A key-adjustable harmonica comprising a reed block, a plurality of reed cells in said reed block, at least one reed associated with each of said cells forming a set of reeds, said set of reeds being tuned to the consecutive notes of the chromatic scale, a wind access inlet to each of said reed cells, all of said inlets opening along one edge of said reed block, a mouthpiece having blowholes therein spaced from and directed toward one edge, and a key selection member adjustably mounted between said reed block and said mouthpiece, said selection member having a plurality of rows of air passages therethrough, and for each position of adjustment of said member, one row of air passages connects said blowholes with said wind access inlets, providing wind access from any seven consecutive blowholes, respectively, to reeds tuned to the seven consecutive notes of a diatonic scale.

14. A harmonica as in claim 13 wherein in each of said positions of adjustment the distance between the outlets of the first and eighth of eight consecutive blowholes is equal to the distance be between a first reed tuned to a given note and a second reed tuned an octave higher than said first reed.

15. A harmonica as in claim 13 including a pair of reeds tuned to the same note operably associated with each of said reed cells, one of said pair being sounded by blowing and the other by drawing, and each reed cell being connected with no more than one of said blowholes in any single position of adjustment, whereby a note associated with a blowhole may be played by either blowing or drawing through the blowhole.

17. A harmonica as in claim 13 wherein said selection member is a cylinder.

18. A harmonica as in claim 13 wherein said blowholes are uniformly spaced in said mouthpiece, said wind access inlets are uniformly spaced along one edge, said air passages each having an entrance and an exit, all of said entrances being uniformly spaced along their respective rows and said entrances being aligned with said blowholes, and all of said exits being spaced adjacent said access inlets in a repeating, irregular pattern.

20. An adjustable harmonica having a mouthpiece with blowholes therein and a reed block, successive blowholes of the mouthpiece having means of wind access, respectively, to reeds tuned to successive notes of the diatonic scale of at least one given musical key, at least one blowhole of every seven also having means of wind access to a reed tuned to a note a semitone higher than said blowhole''s reed tuned to a note of said given key, and at least one blowhole of every seven also having means of wind access to a reed tuned to a note a semitone lower than said blowhole''s reed tuned to a note of said given key, and adjustment means for selectively inactivating unwanted reeds accessible to the same blowhole, but not in the given key.

23. A harmonica as in claim 22, wherein at least one outlet of which a part is in alignment with at least part of the entrance to a reed cell tuned a semitone higher than the key-of-C cell of said outlet also has a part in alignment with at least part of the entrance to a reed cell tuned a semitone lower than the key-of-C cell of said outlet.

25. A harmonica as in claim 24, wherein the inactivating means comprises a valve slide.

26. A harmonica as in claim 20 having a valve slide with perforations arranged in cycles, the relative horizontal distances between the centers of consecutive perforations in a cycle in the valve slide being, respectively, two units, two units, one unit, two units, two units, and two units, and with a one-unit distance from the center of the last perforation of a cycle to the center of the first perforation of the next cycle.