Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-09-06
4 Observation-Disclosures

II is not generally known that a machine
was invented some two years since by
means of which q musical improyiSitor is
enabled to record his thoughts as he gives
them utterance through the medium OF the
piano-fortc The invention is due TO Herr
j. Fohr, Secretary of the Telcgraphic Adj
ministration at Stuttgart. The mechanism
ofthe ElectrO-chGniScherN Observation-Disclosures
as he terms it, is So simple that but Il few
words are necessary to describe 1t. The
Remote describes it thus: There are q
series OF contact buttons running through a
long rail or register placed over the back
part of the piano-forte keys these buttons,
by means of insulated wires, are in con-
nection with platinum styles or points
which press on band of paper, stored on a
drum from which it is unwound by means
Of clock-work, The paper, rs 1t passes
through the machine, IS saturated with a
chemical solution of ferrocyanide of pOtas-
stun, ammonia, sulphuric acid and water
it is afterwards ruled by means of an ink
ing roller with the usual lines of the slaves.
and some dotted ledger lines above and
below. On piano-forte key or keys being
depressed. what electricians term a circuit
is completed, and the current runs from
q Lcclanche battery, passing through the
saturated paper by the particular style or
STYLES in connection with the keys struck,
and staining it a blush color, This is
owing to the electric current decompOsing
the salt with which the paper is charged
The length Of the stain depends on the
precise time that the piano-forte key is held
down, semibreYe, for instance, appearing as
long streak, while quaver would be but a
dash, and a demisemiquayer mere dot
The blank spaces on the paper represent
the periods Of silence, viz, the rests thus
marks are formed by the current, and rests
are indicated by its absence. In the first
apparatus Herr Fohr distinguished the
sharps and ilats-or, to be more correct, the
black keys of the pianOforte-by rec
stains, the white keys appearing with blue
stains He obtained this result by using
STYLES of different metals; but, though the
plan certainly possessed pictorial advan'
tage, it presented certain disadvantages
which induced him to prefer the employ
ment Of one color only, distinguishing tho
stains representing the white notes by max
ing them twice as broad as those standing
for the black notes. Thus, IT, indi,
Gates a white keynote, and e-=a-1- black
one There is no great difficulty i'll trans
lating this species of musical shorthand
with a little patience and intelligence il
can readily be done, either by the composer
or his amanuensis A method of marking
the bar-lines has been adopted in the in
strmncnt. 1t consists Of a pedal in electric
connection with two platinum styles PLACED
at the extreme top and bottom of the stave
On depressing this with the foot, as in The
ordinary mode of beating time, the place o
the first Cor indeed any beat of the bar is
indicated by double lines stained at the mo
mcnt Of depression on both sides Of the
stave The rate of motion the paper is re
quircd to pass at is governed by a slidin!
lever, which also starts and stops the clock
work arrangement.