IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WHICH HAVE. KEY OR FINGER BOARDS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Abercromby, of Bainsford, in the County of
Stirling, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS WHICH HAVE. KEY OR FINGER BOARDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Abercromby at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March 1879.
JAMES ABERCROMBY, of Bainsford, in the County of Stirling, North Britain,
" IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WHICH HAVE KEY OR FINGER
BOARDS."
The said Invention relates to improvements in such musical instruments as have
key or finger boards, and has for its object to so construct the said instruments
that the fingering in playing upon them in any and all keys is the same as that
employed in playing in the key of C upon ordinary instruments, whereby the
playing upon such instruments is much more readily acquired than is the playing
upon the ordinary instruments, and the fingering is kept upon the broad or front
part of the digitals, except for incidentals.
According to the said Invention a key board similar in arrangement to the key
board of ordinary instruments is arranged so that it can be slidden to and fro over
the levers or actuating apparatus by means of which the notes are sounded. The
digitals are each provided with a pin for depressing or actuating one of the said
levers or apparatus which are arranged side by side in regular order beneath. By
shifting the key-board to one or other side the digital which corresponds to the one
for actuating the mechanism sounding the note C, natural in ordinary instruments,
is brought over that lever or apparatus beneath, which operates to sound any given
key note for playing in any key, and consequently the other digitals will sound
notes in regular succession above and below this key note, in the same manner as
when playing in the key of C, and the fingering in all keys is thus identical with
the fingering in the key of C. The sideway movement of the key board may be

page_text: effected by means of a handle upon it, and if before shifting it it is necessary to
raise the key board so that its pins move clear of the levers or apparatus beneath,
this may be effected by connecting the handle to a strip extending beneath the
digitals, so that by operating the handle they are all raised and may be moved
sideways, the instrument being of the requisite width, or having slots in its
sides, or being otherwise arranged to allow of this sideway movement.
In order that the key board may be accurately adjusted and retained in its
various positions the front of the instrument is or may be provided with a slotted
or notched plate so that when the handle which actuates the key board, or other
projection on the said board, is in any one of the slots or notches of this plate the
digitals of the key board will be in proper position to actuate the notes for the
particular key with which the slot or notch is marked.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Abercromby in the Great Seal Patent Office the 18th September
1879.
"
"
JAMES ABERCROMBY, of Bainsford, in the County of Stirling, North Britain.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WHICH HAVE KEY OR FINGER
BOARDS."
My said Invention relates to improvements in such musical instruments as have
key or finger boards. According to my said Invention a key-board, similar in
arrangement to the key-board of ordinary instruments, is arranged so that it can
be slidden to and fro over the levers or actuating apparatus by means of which the
notes are sounded. By shifting the key-board to one or other side the digital which
corresponds to the one for actuating the mechanism sounding the note C, natural in
ordinary instruments, is brought over that lever or apparatus beneath it, which
operates to sound any given key note for playing in any key, and consequently
the depression of the other digitals will cause the sounding of notes in regular
succession above and below this key note in the same manner as when playing in
the key of C, and the fingering in all keys is thus identical with the fingering in
the key of C. In order that the key-board may be readily and accurately adjusted
and retained in position for playing in any particular key, the front of the instru-
ment is provided with an indicating arrangement which may consist of a slotted or
notched plate so arranged that the digitals of the key-board will be in proper
position to sound the notes for any particular key when a projection upon the
moving key-board is in that one of the slots or notches marked with the said
particular key note.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now
proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being
had to the annexed Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say,
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, Figure 2 in plan, and Figure 3 in transverse
section the upper part of a harmonium constructed according to my Invention. The
sliding key-board is similar in the arrangement of its digitals to that of ordinary
instruments. It is capable of being slidden to and fro over the levers or actuating
apparatus by means of which the notes of the instrument are sounded, one of
which levers is marked 6 in Figure 3. The bar c (Figure 3) supporting the backs
of the digitals, and that, d, supporting their front ends, are capable of sliding upon
the board e, being rendered, if desired, more easy in their movement by mounting
them upon rollers running upon rails upon the board e, as shewn with regard to the
bar c.
The sideway movement of the key board may be effected by the knee
through the curved piece f connected to a catch-piece g strongly hinged to the
bracket h fastened to the bar d. The digitals are each provided with a pin i for
depressing or actuating one of the levers or other note-sounding apparatus which
are arranged side by side in regular order beneath, as usual. Under each digital
are springs which keep the pins i clear of the tails of the levers b so as not to
interfere with the sliding of the key-board when being shifted. The ends of the
upper part of the instrument are formed with recesses k for receiving the key-board
when shifted to one or the other side, and the board e will be slotted to allow of the
movement of the bracket h. The front of the instrument is provided with an
indicating arrangement consisting of a notched plate l, with the notches of which
the catch piece g engages to retain the key-board in correct position for playing
in any particular key. Each of the pins m over each notch is marked (as shewn in
Figure 2) with the key in which the instrument will play when the catch g is in
the notch beneath that pin. To adjust the key-board to play in say the key of A,
that of the pins m marked A is depressed, and the catch 9 is raised by the knee
g

page_text: and the key-board is moved towards the left hand of Figure 2, till the catch g comes
into contact with the said pin m when the said catch g will be allowed to engage
with the notch below the said pin m, and the key-board will be in position for
playing in the key of A with the same fingering as that employed in playing in the
key of C. If now it is wished to play in the key of say Eb, that of the pins m
marked Eb is depressed, and the catch g is raised from the notch A, and the key-
board is moved towards the right of Figure 2 until the catch comes into contact
with the depressed pin m, when the catch will engage in the notch beneath and the
key-board will be in position for playing in the key of Eb with the same fingering
as that used in playing in the key of C. In order to allow the necessary yielding
of the pins m when they are at the side of the notches towards which the catch g
is moved, the said pins m are mounted in a sliding bar n which slides at either end
in a slot p in the front of the casing of the instrument sufficiently long only to
allow of the said bar n sliding (when a depressed pin m is pressed upon by the
catch g) to bring the said depressed pin to the other side of the notch so as to allow
the catch g to fall into the said notch. The pins m are provided with a spring as
at m', Figure 1, or as at m², Figure 3, to cause them to rise when released from
pressure.
The instrument arranged according to my Invention is especially suited for
playing from the new notation or tonic sol-fa score, and I prefer to mark the digitals
with the signs employed for distinguishing the notes and half notes of that notation
as shewn in Figure 2.
Although I have described and illustrated my Invention only with regard to a
harmonium, its application to other musical instruments with key or finger boards
will be readily understood and requires no further explanation.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I wish
it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details of the indicating
arrangement for adjusting the key-board to its proper position, nor of the means
for moving the key-board, as the same may be varied without departing from the
nature of my said Invention, but what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
The herein-before described improvements in musical instruments which have
key or finger boards, that is to say, providing such instruments with a moveable
key or finger board in combination with an indicating arrangement for adjusting
and fixing the said moveable key or finger board in position for playing in any
key, essentially as herein-before described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Abercromby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JAMES ABERCROMBY. (L.S.)