THE TRANSPOSITION OF THE SCALE OF MUSIC ON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS HAVING KEY-BOARDS, SUCH AS PIANOS AND ORGANS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Kimball Milliken, of Portland, County of
Cumberland, State of Maine, United States of America, for the Invention of
"THE TRANSPOSITION OF THE SCALE OF MUSIC ON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
HAVING KEY-BOARDS, SUCH AS PIANOS AND ORGANS."
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Edward Kimball Milliken at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1878.
EDWARD KIMBALL MILLIKEN, of Portland, in the County of Cumberland, State of
Maine, United States of America. "THE TRANSPOSITION OF THE SCALE OF MUSIC
ON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS HAVING KEY-BOARDS, SUCH AS PIANOS. AND ORGANS."
The object of my Invention is to produce such modification in the key-boards of
pianos, organs, and similar instruments that the transposition of the scale can be
effected by such altered position of the keys of the key-board relatively to the
levers, hammers, or valves, so that music may be played in different keys, while the
fingers of the player operate upon the same keys of the key-board. It consists in so
moving or operating the key-board of a piano or other instrument to the right and
left that the player may transpose any piece of music to a higher or lower pitch;
while the fingers operate upon the same keys of the key-board as if no transposition
had been effected.
j
I produce this modification by an arrangement in which the keys of the key-
board are capable of moving to the right or left, so that each key of the key-board
can be so placed as within certain limitations to operate a hammer or valve which
will produce a sound higher or lower, according as the key is moved to the right or
left

page_text: Fig. 1 is a top plan of the key-board.
Fig. 2 is a front edge view showing the cam "n.”
Fig. 3 is a bottom plan shewing rack and pinion to move the sliding bed.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation and part section showing the position of the key with
the bevelled joint when the joint is closed.
Fig. 5 is the same with the key elevated or the joint open.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation and part section when the whole long key is used.
and the supplemental "tracker;" Fig. 7 is the same in action.
Fig. 8 is a top plan of a series of keys under this arrangement slowing the
position of the pivots.
Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are side and top plan views of a modification of Fig. 6,
in which the whole long key merely strikes the supplemental "tracker" at a
different point.
Figs. 12 and 13 are a modification of the joint and section seen in Fig. 4.
With a view to the right or left movement of the keys of the key-board I place
the keys over and upon a sliding bed or carriage "a," or any other moveable device
like "a," which, with the aid of the pins "b" and "b," or any other like device, is
capable in one form of my Invention, by its motion of guiding the keys of the key-
board into any desired relation to the "trackers" "c," or the levers, hammers,
or valves.
In another form of my Invention the key is guided into a new relation to the
"trackers" placed over the inner end of the keys. The key in this case is made to
include the entire length of the lever from the point where the hand of the player
is put to the point where the end of the lever makes its joint with the supple-
mentary "tracker;" the supplementary "trackers "are seen at "c." In this form also
the pins "b" will be dispensed with, leaving only those pins which are usually
employed to steady the keys."
The sliding bed or carriage "a" moves over a bed "d," and the direction of its
movement is controlled and rendered accurate by a slot or slots in the bed "d" in
conjunction with guide pins or other devices working in slot or slots indicated by "/"
The direction of the movement of the bed "a "follows the direction of the slot or
slots; and this direction can be either as illustrated in the Drawings or in a direction
at right angles thereto, that is, toward the player.
In one form of my Invention I separate the keys from the part called the
"trackers" by making a section, which, while it permits of the keys of the key-
board being separated from the trackers, at the same time holds them in firm and
rigid union when the keys of the key-board are in a correct position for playing
upon the instrument. The essential features of this section and joint are as above
indicated, that the keys of the key-board may be easily and quickly unjointed from
what in this form I call the "trackers," and at the same time when not so unjointed
are united with sufficient rigidity to the so-called "trackers" for the operations of
the instrument.
In the accompanying Drawings, at "g," I have shown a bevelled joint or section
with the spring "h," clasping the point "i" of the "trackers," and holding the keys
of the key-board in a horizontal position. At the top of the keys of the key-board
where they unite with the so-called "trackers" there is a groove "j," with a bead
working in the same..
It is manifest however that the mere form of the section or joint is not a matter
of Invention, but it is essential that the joint should be so made as to permit the
characteristics above enumerated in this form of joint, namely firmness of union and
ease of separation, also the power of separation in the direction desired, that is to
say, up and down the length of the instrument, or in a forward direction toward the
player. But when the supplemental "tracker." is employed as exhibited in
Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, the long key or lever, when the scale is transposed, simply
slides under the supplemental "tracker" "c," and the joint is formed by the top
face of the long lever or key pressing up against the under side of the supplemental
"tracker."

page_text: In either form of my Invention various forms of joint may be used, but for the
purpose of my Invention they are the same so long as the keys of the key-board
are at some point so united to the "trackers" as to operate as indicated.
It is not essential that the joint or section in my Invention be made at the point
indicated in the Drawings at Figs. 4 and 5, but such joint or section may be
made nearer to or further from the ends of the so-called "trackers."
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown in Figs. 4 and 5 a form of joint
or section above referred to, but I desire to specify that there are others which will
readily occur to the mechanic, and that I do not limit my Invention to that form.
Whenever such joint is capable of being readily and firmly made, and easily
separated for the purpose of sliding the keys of the key-board along the outer ends
of the so-called "trackers" of either kind herein described, so that the keys of the
key-board may operate upon the hammers as desired, the purpose of the
Invention will be attained.
For the purpose of sliding the keys of the key-board along the so-called
"trackers" where the two unite, the keys of the key-board must, during that
operation, be wholly or partially disunited from the so-called "trackers." This applies
either to the form of the joint or section shown at Figs. 4 and 5 or to that shown
at Figs. 6, 7, 9, and 10. All that is necessary as to the keys of the key-board,
whether considered as including the entire lever or "tracker," as shown at Figs.
6 and 7, 9 and 10, or considered as including that part in front of section or joint,
as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is that the movement may be effected without too
much friction.
As shown at Fig. 5, the movement of the keys of the key-board is produced
by slightly elevating the bed "d." This unclasps the springs "h," and permits of
the movement of the keys of the key-board along the outer ends of the so-called
❝ trackers."
The upper part of the keys of the key-board with their beads then slide easily
and without friction in the grooves j of the so-called "trackers," and so permit
of the desired transposition of the scale to a higher or lower pitch.
The unclasping of the springs "h" referred to is more easily attained by the raising
or depression of the keys of the key-board. In order to accomplish this movement
I have hinged the bed "d" at "m," so that it can be raised or lowered on said
hinges by the cam or any other equivalent device.
When the keys of the key-board are separated from their union with the
hammers by the movement of the key-board toward the player the raising and
lowering above described is not necessary, and in the form of joint shown at
Figs. 6, 7, 9, and 10, where the supplemental "trackers" are used no raising or
depression of the sliding bed is required, because in this modification the entire long
lever or what in this instance may properly be called a key is simply slid under or
over supplemental " trackers "c," but in either form of the joint above described
transposition is effected by the movement of the keys of the key board, whether
longer or shorter upon a sliding bed "a," such as is herein described, to which bed
the keys are united by pivots or pins, and in either case whether longer or shorter
keys, they operate directly upon the "trackers" which raise the hammers.
"
In a piano the hammers must remain undisturbed, and during transposition, such
as above described, must maintain an unchanged relation to the strings of the barp
otherwise the instrument would be destroyed.
My Invention contemplates such method of transposing the scale in instruments
having key-boards as is applicable alike to pianos and organs.
To accomplish this object as above indicated I impart to the keys of the key-
board separability from the action and the power of moving by, over, or under the
"trackers" which operate the levers which move the hammers, and I give to them
the power of united action when any movement of the keys of the key-board has
been made; this enables the keys of the key-board to be separated from the
"trackers 'c" or the supplementary trackers "c" while this movement of the
"

page_text: key-board takes place; and I also provide for a conjoint action of the two when
the desired relative position has been obtained.
My Invention contemplates transposition of the scale of music by the movement
of either the longer or shorter keys herein shown and described, along, over, or
under the "trackers," as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10.
When the whole lever or key is moved to effect transposition the pivots of the
keys constitute the pins which unite the levers to the sliding bed or carriage, as
illustrated at "o," together with the steady pins at or near the outer ends of the keys.
By this method the action of the piano is much improved, the pivots of the long
levers or keys are so placed on the sliding bed that 'the are through which the
operating end of every key moves is exactly the same. I effect 'this improvement
in the touch of pianos by uniform length of leverage, which produces uniformity in
the dip of the keys. By this arrangement of the supplemental " trackers," as
shown both at Figs. 6 and 7, 9 and 10, a compensative leverage is provided, by
which the movement of the hammers is made uniform, see "c." Uniformity in the
swing of the hammers is thus secured, "" shows a scale moving over an index "s;"
this scale is so graduated as to show transposition to half or whole notes or more
than a note or tone, as the player may desire to make. This indicator enables
the player easily and promptly to know whether he has made such a change in
the pitch of the piece of music as he may happen to wish.
"
"t" shows a toothed rack on the sliding bed; and "u," a pinion by which the bed
is made to move by the meshing of the pinion with the rack. This arrangement
slides the keys of the key-board, whether longer or shorter, as described.
"" are pins let into the sliding-bed, and working in the slots "f" so as to guide
the movement of the sliding bed "a."
What I claim as my Invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,
First. The method of the transposition of the scale on musical instruments
having key-boards, which consists in the movement of the key-board up and down
the "trackers" or the supplementary "trackers" of the same, and so guiding the said
keys into fixed relations to the valves or hammers that any given key may be
made to play in different scales, substantially as herein described.
Second. The joint and section between the keys and ordinary "trackers,"
as shewn at Figs. 4 and 5.
Third. The sliding bed "a" in combination with the keys and "trackers" operating
as herein described
Fourth. The sliding bed "a," keys, and pins, and the joint and section, Figs. 4
and 5, as and for the purposes herein described.
Fifth. The sliding bed "a," when so constructed as to be capable of being lifted
and depressed or moved inwardly or outwardly, as herein described.
Sixth. The combination of the keys, supplemental "trackers" "c," and the
arrangement of the pivots "w," substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
Witnesses,
WILLIAM HENRY CLIFFORD;
FRANK M. LENNETTE.
EDWARD KIMBALL MILLIKEN, (L.S.)