IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING FINGER EXERCISES FOR MUSICAL PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Hermann Felix Ebgel, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, in the City of Hamburg, Germany, for an Invention of
'IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING FINGER EXERCISES FOR MUSICAL
PURPOSES." A communication from Fritz Moller, of Hamburg, in the German
Empire
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix
Engel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th June
1881.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING FINGER
EXERCISES FOR MUSICAL PURPOSES." A communication from Fritz Moller, of
Hamburg, in the German Empire.
This apparatus is constructed for exercises of the joints of the hand between hand
and fingers, and has to be used in such manner that each finger alone and several
simultaneously may be exercised.
For persons learning the piano, this instrument will be of great value, as the
necessary ability or readiness and energy of the muscles of the joints of the hand
will be acquired in a far shorter time than with the mode of practising at the piano
now in use.
The construction of the apparatus is essentially as follows:-
:-
To a bed or foot plate an adjustable rest attached for supporting thereupon the
palm of the hand. To the sides of the bed plate two standards are fastened,
which carry by means of screws a padded cross-bar, which latter is by means of the
screws adjusted in such manner that it touches the knuckles of a hand that is placed
upon the hand rest.
To a shaft or axle placed across the standards and supported by same, four levers
are hinged, and to the outer free ends of these levers, by means of strips of sheet
metal or otherwise, finger rings are suspended.

page_text: The mode of using this apparatus is as follows:-The hand that has to be sub-
mitted to the above mentioned exercises is placed upon the rest between the
standards of the machine, and the fingers, from the second finger, to the last finger,
are placed through the rings.
The padded cross-bar is then screwed down upon the knuckles, which are by
adjustment of the rest by means of a slide and set spring-brought exactly under-
neath the cross-bar. After the hand has acquired the proper position, the
practising or exercising may begin, and be executed either by the practising person
herself or by another assisting person. The mode of exercising is that alternatively
one or other, or simultaneous two of the ends of levers that are opposite to the
rings are forced down, in consequence of which the corresponding finger or fingers
is or are lifted whilst the hand remains at rest. The joints and muscles of the
knuckles are thus exercised, and loosened from each other and strengthened, and
will soon gain the elasticity and power necessary for musical purposes.
The cross-bar that can by means of the wing-screws be raised or lowered on rods
of the frame, limits the down motion of the levers, and progressing with the time
of practising, this bar is more and more lowered so as to allow of a greater lift to
the rings and fingers.
For applying the same apparatus to the left hand as well as to the right hand,
the rings and suspending strips are interchangeable on their supporting shaft.
By placing the levers in contact with tuned vibrating spring tongues, as of a
musical box, musical sounds, as for instance the four notes of the major chord, may
be produced by the instrument, and will serve to guide the ear at the same time
as the exercise is offected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd December 1881.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING FINGER
EXERCISES FOR MUSICAL PURPOSES." A communication from Fritz Möller, of
Hamburg, in the German Empire.
This apparatus is constructed for exercises of the joints of the hand between
hand and fingers, and has to be used in such manner that cach finger alone and
several simultaneously may be exercised. For persons learning the piano, this
instrument will be of great value, as the necessary ability or readiness and energy
of the muscles of the joints of the hand will be acquired in a far shorter time than
with the mode of practising at the piano now in use.
The construction of the apparatus is essentially as follows:-
To a foot or bed plate an adjustable rest attached for supporting thereupon the
palm of the hand. To the sides of the bed plate two standards are fastened, which

page_text: carry by means of screws a padded cross bar, which latter is by means of the screws
adjusted in such manner that it touches the knuckles of a hand that is placed upon
the hand rest.
To a shaft or axle placed across the standards and supported by same, four levers
are hinged, and to the outer free ends of these levers, by means of strips of sheet
metal or otherwise, finger-rings are suspended.
The mode of using this apparatus is as follows:-The hand that has to be sub-
mitted to the above mentioned exercises is placed upon the rest between the
standards of the machine, and the fingers, from the second finger to the last
finger, are placed through the rings. The padded crossbar is then screwed
down upon the knuckles, which are by adjustment of the rest by means of
a slide and set spring brought exactly underneath the cross bar. After the
hand as acquired the proper position, the practising or exercising may begin
and be executed either by the practising person, or by another assisting person.
The mode of exercising is that alternatively one or other, or simultaneously
two of the ends of the levers that are opposito to the rings are forced down,
in consequence of which the corresponding "finger or fingers is or are lifted whilst
the hand remains at rest. The joints and muscles of the knuckles are thus
exercised and loosened from each other and strengthened, and will soon gain the
elasticity and power necessary for musical purposes.
The cross bar that can by means of the wing screws be raised or lowered on rods
of the frame, limits the down motion of the levers, and progressing with the time
of practising this bar is more and more lowered so as to allow of a greater lift to
the rings and fingers.
For applying the same apparatus to the left hand as well as to the right hand,
the rings and suspending strips are interchangeable on their supporting shaft.
By placing the levers in contact with tuned vibrating spring tongues, as of a
musical box, musical sounds, as for instance the four notes of the major chord, may
bo produced by the instrument, and will serve to guide the car at the same time as
the exercise is effected.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is represented the construction of this
improved apparatus, to which reference will be made in the following description :-
Fig. 1 is a front view; Fig. 2, a side elevation showing the apparatus in operation;
and Fig. 3, a ground plan of same. To a frame A with upright standards C, C', a
rest B is fastened for supporting the hand, adjustable in forward and backward
direction on a support and slide i, as well as in side direction by placing the support
on rod R, R', of the frame. By set screws c, c', rest B is kept in position after
adjustment. The standards C, C₁, that are hollow or partly hollow, carry racks
d, d², connected to each other by a cross bar t, which racks and cross bar are
movable in upward and downward direction by pinions, ', turnable by buttons
H, H', and which racks and bar can be arrested in position by ratchet wheels or
spring catches. To the horizontal cross bar ta bolster P is attached, which is when
operating the apparatus by the racks and pinions aforesaid adjusted in such manner
that it touches the knuckles of a hand placed upon the rest B, as will be understood
with reference to Fig. 2 of the Drawings.
Upon a shaft or axle supported by the upper projecting ends of racks d, d¹,
are placed turnable four levers m, m³, m², m³, and to arins n, n', n², and n³, of
these levers finger rings r, 1, 2, and 3 are suspended by means of strips of sheet
metal or by any other mechanical arrangement, whilst the ends of arms n, n', n³,
and n³ when at rest are supported by a rod G placed in projecting parts of standards
C, C¹, of the machine frame.
The mode of application of this apparatus is as follows:-The hand that has to
be submitted to the finger exercises is placed upon rest B between standards C, C¹,
of the machine frame, and the fingers, beginning with the first finger, are placed
through the rings 7, 1, 2, and 3 Bolster P is then pressed down upon the upper
part of the hand just above the knuckles, in which position it is adjusted on bars
R, R', and arrested by set screws e, c¹.

page_text: The exercising of the fingers is either executed by the person practising by using
the other free hand or by an assisting person. The fingers placed in the respectivo
rings, and are either alternately one after the other, or two of them at
same time, lifted by pressing down the corresponding levers m. The joints and
muscles of the knuckles are thus loosened and strengthened, and will soon gain the
elasticity and power necessary for musical playing. The down motion of levers
m, m¹, m², and m³ is limited by a cross bar E, that can be lifted or lowered on
rods v, vl, by screws D, D', and progressing with time and result of practising
this bar E is successively lowered so as to allow a greater lift to the rings and
fingers.
For applying the same apparatus to the left hand as well as to the right hand,
the rings and suspending strips are interchangeable on arms n of the levers m,
whilst for adjusting the apparatus to hands of different size, the supporting strips
of the rings are also adjustable on arms n, as will be understood with reference to
Fig. 2 of the Drawing.
For allowing of exercising the thumbs of the hands in an up and down direction
as well as in horizontal direction (inward and outward) two more levers M, M³, are
placed on axle Z. For the up and down movements ring Q is acted upon by lever M,
whilst for the side movements a crank lever and connecting rod o, which latter
carries another ring Q' for the thumb, is worked by means of lever M' to which
is attached. By pressing the lever M¹ downward, the thumb of the hand is pulled
inward, whilst it returns by spring a forcing lever M' upward again as soon as it is
released from the pressing down action.
Crank-lever k and ring Q' are interchangeable between levers M and M¹ for the
purpose of enabling the apparatus to be employed for exercising the thumbs of both
hands, the left as well as the right.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, I
claim;-
.
The improved apparatus for performing finger exercises for musical purposes,
constructed and operating as and for the purpose herein set forth, and as described
in reference to and as shown by the respective Figures of the accompanying
Drawings.
İn witness whereof, I, the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.