NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING OR REGISTERING MUSICAL NOTES AS PLAYED ON THE PIANO, ORGAN, OR OTHER SUCH LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Lorentz Albert Groth at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1880. A communi-
cation from abroad by Nils Bengtsson, of Trelleborg, in the Kingdom of
Sweden.
LORENTZ ALBERT GROTH, K.G.V., Civil Engineer, and Proprieter of the
Scandinavian Patent Office under the Firm of L. A. Groth & Co., 97, Finsbury,
Pavement, London, and 20, Forhaabningsholms Allee, Copenhagen.
"NEW OR
IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING OR REGISTERING MUSICAL
NOTES AS PLAYED ON THE PIANO, ORGAN, OR OTHER SUCH LIKE MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS." A communication from abroad by Nils Bengtsson, of Trelleborg,
in the Kingdom of Sweden.
The object of this Invention is to print or register the notes played on a piano
or organ during the playing of the same in the form of longer or shorter strokes
on paper, in such manner that they may be afterwards used as notes to be played
from, such notes constituting, like the common ones, a complete and distinct
system of notation.
The note printing or registering apparatus forming the subject of this Invention
when applied to a piano is attached to the underside thereof by means of bolts or
pins passing through blocks connected to the bottom.
The apparatus consists of a base plate upon which is fixed a list bar, and upon
this list bar are balanced as many levers as there are keys in the piano. On the
upper side of each of these levers a draw thread runs parallel with its longitudinal
axis; this thread is secured to one end of the lever by a tightening screw, it then
passes through a hole in the lever, from whence it passes along the under side of
the lever to a point beyond that at which the latter is covered with the felt pad, it
then passes again to the upper side of the lever through a hole, and then through
a hole in the spring which is fastened to the lever. The draw thread then passes
through a longitudinal slot in the base plate, and is then carried round a roller
which is placed under the base plate parallel to the before mentioned levers and
adapted to turn on pivots. The draw thread is fastened to this. roller in such
manner as to turn the latter when drawn upwards.

page_text: Attached to each of the said rollers, and wound round it in a direction opposite
to that of the first named thread, is a second thread which is carried across a list
bar, then over a roller, and finally attached to a printing pin in such manner that
the said pin shall be raised when the thread is pulled, but will fall again when such
pulling ceases. The number of these threads correspond to the number of keys
of the piano, and each passes between two pins on the list bar so as to prevent
entanglement with the others.
The before mentioned springs serve to prevent the threads from being drawn
too strongly or too quickly in the event of the keys of the piano being struck too
forcibly, whereby tearing of the paper upon which the notes are to be printed by
the printing pins is prevented.
The printing pins pass through the brass plates, which are attached to the top
and bottom of what I call the note plate. This note plate is constructed in the
following manner:-At the top and bottom of a vertical block or bar two brass
plates are secured; these plates are provided with two rows of holes and one hole
at each end. Through the first row of holes the note printing pins work; through
the second row of holes what I call the ruling pine work. The number of the
said ruling pins is dependant upon the number of octaves in the piano, in such
wise that for each octave there are five ruling pins, that is to say, one for each
black key or semitone. These ruling pins are kept in a raised position by means
of springs; their object is to draw the lines on the paper upon which, or between
which, the notes are to be printed.
On each side of the note plate are placed rollers, upon which is wound the paper
to receive the printing. Between these rollers, and secured in the lid of the note
printing box, is a pencil, which may be a common carpenter's pencil, from one side
of which the wood has been removed so as to expose the plumbago core.
The note plate, the note pins, the ruling pins, the time printing pins, the paper
rollers, and the pencil are enclosed in a wooden box which is opened at the part
where the threads enter. This box is provided with a hinged lid fastened by a
spring; it is fixed to the bottom of the piano and projects somewhat beyond the
end of the latter.
When a key of the piano is pressed down one end of the corresponding lever is
also pressed down; the other end of such lever rises, and its draw thread causes its
corresponding roller to turn slightly on its axis. By this motion the thread
connected to that roller will be partly wound thereou, whereby the note pin
corresponding to the key which has been pressed down is raised and presses the
paper against the pencil placed behind it. A black stroke or mark is thus made
on the upper surface of the paper, of greater or lesser length, dependant upon the
duration of touch or time the key is held down; these strokes or marks constitute
the notes of the system. The ruling pins operate as soon as the paper rollers are
set in motion.
The paper rollers are moved and the time marked by an arrangement of treadles,
cranks, levers, shafts, pulleys, and straps, operated by preference by the feet of the
performer.
If now the time of a piece of music is marked by the foot pressing upon one of
the aforesaid treadles, a notched cam is caused to operate a lever which is connected
by threads to the time marking pins. These pins when raised press the paper
against the pencil, and these two strokes or marks are produced shewing the
beginning of each measure.
The signs of the notes produced by this apparatus will be readily understood to
consist of longer or shorter strokes or marks, depending upon the longer or shorter
touches on the keys of the piano.
These strokes or marks are produced by the note pins being pressed against the
paper and pencil, and appear upon or between the lines drawn by the ruling pins.
These lines being of the same number and corresponding with the black keys of
the piano, it will be seen after playing which lines have been touched by the note

page_text: pins, and the names of the corresponding keys will readily be ascertained therefrom.
The length of the "times" or measures is marked on the edges of the paper strip
by the time printing pins placed at each end of the note plate. These marks are
connected together by lines after the paper is taken out of the apparatus, and the
division of time of the whole piece will be distinctly seen.
The above description relates to the application of the apparatus to pianos, but
it will be understood that it may be readily applied to organs or other instruments
having key boards similar thereto.