US73753A - Key-boaed toe oegans - Google Patents

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HENRY WARD POOLE, Or SOUTH DANVERS, rLiSSAOnUSnTTS.

Letters Pdteut'No. 73,753, dated January l28, 1868.

IMPROVED ENHABMONIG KEY-BOARD FOR ORGANS, dro.

@In Srlgehule rrfemh in in time trtttrs zzttrt mit nailing putt ai ille am;

The object of the Enharmonic Key-Board is to enable the player to execute all his melodies and harmonies" in perfect tune, or without any temperament; in other words, that every interval Ishall be taken in the exact mathematical ratio which theory assigns to it; and furthermore, to do this Without the necessity of assisting, pedals or mechanism which has heretofore been 4resorted to. All these sounds, within their limits, are shown in theaccompanying drawings,to ge ther ivith the keys by 'ivhichtheyare produced.

To give what theorists in general have called the diatonie scales, are needed two series of notes bearing'ithe i i i name of the same letter. 1 For example, the key-note ofthe natural keyl is'C, and the third of the key of four flats is also called by'the same letter, while it is`really lower, by a comma ratio, 80 :81, or aninth of a maior" tone.' I distinguish these by giving to -thekey-notc aRoman capital, (thus, 0,) and to that 'which is a'majcii"` 1r i to some keynote,uthe letter of the lower-case, (as c.) I In like manner with every other key-note and key-notes are tuned, each a perfect fth (2 3) from each other, und consequently their thirds (majorfl 5) in a similar series of` fifths, but distinct from the series of key-notes. In this key-bo'ard all the key-notes'are played by broad keys of white ivory.of about the usual size, and all exactly alike in form and position; andf A all the thirds by raised black keys, like those of the common organs. Their position is peculiar, and derived I .from thenature of the related-keys, and'is uniform in all transpositions of the scale.

An octave on an organ key-board is limitedfby the stretch of 'theingers Six and a half inchesis generally adopted hy the makers-of organs"and-pano-fortes, and is taken the samedn the enharmonic key-board.

'This space is divided into-fourvivory key's, of about an inch in width for half this length, and alittle more than three-quarters'for the remainder, and into three black 4keys, of the width and height of the usual key-boards, und three-fourths of the length of th'e white keys. They are placed -(see Fig. III) so as to allow easy finger ing, and with ample room for the shifting of thengers Although there may be 100l keys in the octave, which is the number of sounds contained in the table in Fig. V, th'er'e will Ahe no crowding or confusion of finger-keys in any required scale; vonly the width of the board'from'front to back will be increased. The four white keys named give the key-note, second, fourth, and fifth of the scale, the three last being key-notes of other scales,

and the three bla-ck raisedikeys give' the third, sixth, and seventh, the two last being also thirds of otherscales.

A simpler form of this key-board is shown in Fig. VIII, key-board No. 2," which is sniiicient for the diatonic Scalcjust described,in every key, and also for another, called the double diatonic scale. This is diiferent from'that commonly mentioned in theory, rvhichis distinguished by` the name of triple diatonic, from its derivation from three roots or chords, Whilethe double diatonic springs from the harmonies ofthe tonic and dominant alone. For the double diatonic scale is needed an additional sound for-each key or scale, namely, the perfect or harmonic seventh, in the ratio of 4 7 on each key-note or dominant. In the double diatonic, much used in practical music, although, by chance, Iirst described by myself, the dominant-seventh and dominant ninth replace thc fourth and sixth of the scale ofthe triple diatonic, which there comehfrom the sub-dominant harmony. By reference to Fig. VIH, taking C as key-note, the F and la are repla'ced by the F7 and A of the double diatonic scale. Both scales are given by this key-board No, 2, which is 'suiicient for a great -portion of good music, and recommendable where economy is necessary. It gives all music which is in the major key.

Besides the three series of sounds already mentioned, the minor keys require two more series, namely, the major thirds and perfect sevenths, or their dominants. -These additional series are provided in the key-board shown .in A

Figure I, where-the perfect sevcnths are colored red, the dominant thirds blue, and the dominant sevenths of minors yellow. These ivelserics of sounds are given in the following table, with their signs, colors, dac.

Series I. I {cy-notes, White, Roman capitals: example, A.

H. Thirds, (mqjon) Black, elevated T41, inch, Roman lower case: example, c a.,- HI. Perfect sevcnths, (major kcy,) Red, elevated 215 inch, Egyptian capitals," with 7: ex., CT Al. IV. Dominant thirds (major) ofininors, Blue, elevated Q36 inch, Italic lower case: example, c a.

V. Dominant sevcnths, of minor, Yellow, elevated U inch, Egyptian lower case, With: ex., 07 a". According to these colors and forms of letters, the several sounds are marked on the drawings.

Fivure II re resents a -ortion ofthe ke -board in ers ective and shows the relative 1iosition of the s P P y P p i i several keys.

Figure III shows, in half scale, the iinger-kcys, which, in anykey or signature, give the triple and doable diatonic scales, and

Figure IV a section of Fig.-III, made through the third quarter of the key-note, which is the space specially belonging to the-key, and contains all of its sounds, which isthe case with every key-note. The keys are here marked according to the sounds do, re, Sto., by which are indicated the invariable relations of the several notes of the scale, whic hare here expressed by their relative vibrations and the ratios of their intervals, and as they will be given by the corresponding fingerkey'sf In connection with the plan and section, Figs. III and IV, is given a table, Figgre V, of the notesland scales which such a section would give in the signatures, fromnine flats to nine sharps, both inclusive, and which table contains one hundred different sounds. In practical construction, however, twenty-two of these pipes may be dispensed with' in an organ, as v the'notes coincide so closely that there need not bea difference of onehundredth of a comma, which is well within the limits of sympathyfland draws into perfect tune, were it five I times as great. The notes libia to G (series I) thus serve for a to fx (series II,) and de' to b (series II) serve for cli to aX (series IV,) eleveu'in each series.l

Figure VI shows the methodof laying of the key-board, Fig. I. Spaces are drawn from right to left, the width of the key-board, andof'such width asis desired, which may be less, to keep th'e boa-rd narrow, ormore, to give greater surface of key. Here this space is taken at nine-tenths of an inch, and this is the space inv front of the black keys on the common organs, &c. Siicient such spaces are laid otb'y parallel lines, or as many as' the keyswhich the instrument -is intended to play, with two or three .extra at each limit, to complete'the outer finger-keys. The octaveis fixed at six and a half inches, and perpendiculars are drawn at this distance apart, as a e, Fig. VI. This may be considered as the left side of'any key, vsay that of C. The place of'C, from the front to back, being ixed, in its cent-re, lengthwise, make an oti'sot to the left, perpendicular to y the last-'drawni line, and alongpne of the iiristdescribed lines, of the length of 0.225inchvfrom its right end,

runs a straight. line .towards thefront, for the distance there is room) of seven of the spaces, equal to a il, or .9 inch, and fromthe left end, in like manner', a line runs forward seven spaces, as d e. Here is another offset tothe right, and perpendiculars drawn always parallel to each other. Along a IJ the oli'set is prolonged,

Y the line a c, inilength 5.993 inch, the width of the white key. Through this point, c, parallel with a e, is drawn towards the front, for thepdistance of two spaces, aline, c g, an offset to the left, and through that left extremity the line drawn parallel toward thefront; q c is extended tofive spaces, an odset always made to the right, and

' the line prolonged forward. Such parallels are drawn ntil the octave is divided equally and uniformly, as it will be, und diagonal rows of the offsets cover the board, which may thus be extended to any number of signatures. Next the black keys are introduced, with their rear ends placed before each ofthe offsets, as's'e'en at h.

They-:extend three spaces in length.v The three spaces at `the left of the black key are filled by the series III, red keys in front, the yellow keys of series V next, .and thenthe blue keys of series IV, according to the plan iu Fig.A I, -in which each is marked.

The question of introducing the minor third to the key-notes has been considered and provided for, by inserting a verticalwire, with a. lat ro'und head, raised three-tenthsof an inch above the black key, which can be inserted at' pleasure, and removed, if found to interfere with other movements. This is shown in the Fig. VIII, at the end of the key le, and in Fig. II, at'the end of the lower b, which, in such case, would give a bb minor third to G,.and may be marked with a Gothic letter; or this sound, if afterwards decided to be of suicient importance, maybe given to the yellow keys, which, by being taken out and reversed, end for end, would act upon a diterent lever, and give another sound. This double action can be eiected by having one end of the key only touch the action below, and by having two levers, one at each end of the' space below thckey.. This is mentioned as indicating the possibility of introducing other. sounds, which are not now considered as essen tial, but which, at a. future day, may he'wanted, at least for eziperimental purposes. Among these may be the harmonic or prime eleventh, in the ratio 8:11.

' All the keys willhave motion in vertical right lines. This is eifeeted in several ways, one of whichis shown, Figure IX. A finger-key, C, is secured to two guiding-rods 1 1, passing through two tables, 2 3,'iirmly fixed by pillars, 4, and these rods are again fixed in a parallel piece below, 5, which last acts upon the instrument?. valves', die., in the usual manner. It is thus immaterial on what part of the key the force is applied to put itdown. Although the guiding-rods are drawn square, they will probablybe round, and the key C, the two tables v 2 3, and the piece 5, will be placed in contact, andthe whole bored truly and uniformly. The keys will afterwards be cut apart and coveredwith ivory, tc. Although the key-board will, perhaps, be placed level, yet', if carried tovery many signatures, it may be placed on aplane inclining forward thirty degrees, more or less, and be more easilyr reached at its back keys.

Figure VII represents a. pedal key-board for the organ, played by the manuals described, arranged with reference to convenient management of pedal-bases. The first row of pedals give key-notes, cach a. fifth above that at the left.. Between these, further back, and raised, are the thirds (major) of the keys, in front and to the left. Directly behind each keynote,'and raised above the thirds, is the perfectseveuth of this key-note. The thirds are coloredblack, and the sevenths red, asin the nger-keys. The front row has thosckeys most wanted, but the thirds are suilicieutly in use, being also t'onics'and dominants of the minor scales. Diatouic scales can also be played, without having to passfrom a note to the next, further than to the second key to the right or v left, a; distance of ve inches, as from C to D, or a to b.

Having, as I believe, described the theory andconstructiou oi' this improvement with sutlicicnt minutencss that hereafter it may be made useful'nithout diicnlty, I desire to claim only the key-boards formanolgng the .sounds described, and no further mechanism pertaining to musical instruments.

I claim as Amy invention, and desire'to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Tle four broad white keys, 'and the three elevated black keys, in eaeh'ootave and in each signature, arranged in the positions and relations substantially as described and shown.

2. The arrangement. of keys divided into the veseres of key'nQtes,-"tl\irds, perfect sevenths, dominant thirds, and dominant seventbs, eacb series being uniform in shape, color, and size, butdifferent from the otherv series, substantially as described and figured.

3.- The pedal key board, containing the three rows of pedals for lthe three series of sounds, key-notes, hirdsLand/seveniths, arrangedv in a series of ffftls, substantially as shown and described.

. HENRY- WARD POOLE. S.] Witnesses: 1

W. Y. Bounonr,A ELIzA W. JACOBS.

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