Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1887
Complete Left, 13th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 11th May, 1888
при ищец
GEORGE FINNIRAR 131 The Albany Albany Road, Camberwell Woollen Drapers
Assistant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
Key Board, placed above or below the strings of Banjos Guitars, and other string
instruments with holes drilled in said board, exactly over the frets (or position of
frets) round keys (as in concertina) are placed in the holes, and secured in their
positions, by springs.
Leather pads are fixed to bottom of keys, By pressing the keys down the leather
pads stop the strings exactly at the frets, on taking the fingers off the keys; the
keys are lifted off and above the strings by the said springs.
Over the frets giving natural notes may be placed white keys, over the frets
giving flats or sharps, may be placed black keys (as in pianoforte) with name of
note on the top of each circular key.
protection for
When the keys are secured, with their springs to the bottom board, another
board with perforated holes would be placed over the strings as a
the keys.
When the keys are secured to the bottom board, small metal pillars,
placed between the strings, would be the supports for the springs The keys in
either case stand above the board exactly as in the concertina.
Whether the springs are secured to pillars between the strings, or secured to the
board above the strings the springs & keys and effect would be the same.
The mechanism is simple in construction, certain in its action, and durable.
Object of the invention, The instrument may be learnt with less time expended.
On instruments without raised frets the notes are not so clear when stopped with
the fingers, as when stopped with the keys (I have demonstrated this to a player
on the finger board I have made). The glide on the ordinary instrument is not so
clear (The glide on the ordinary instrument is made by drawing the finger on the
string from one fret to the other, This pressure of the finger on the string destroys
the vibration, so that the second note is scarcely audible).

page_text: The same remarks apply to the shake when made with the continuous and rapid
movement of the finger on the string the tone is alniost inaudible. Made with the
key is more clear.
This mechanism can be made to fit any Banjo or Guitar whether they have raised,
level, or inlaid frets, or without frets at all.
Should this invention popularise the instrument in any degree I shall be much
gratified.
Leather pads will not be adhered to if some more suitable material be found,
which can be ascertained only by trials, which I am going to make.
I wish to reserve the right to apply this mechanism to any instrument of the
string family, whether plucked with the fingers or played with the bow.
Dated this Twelfth day of May Eighteen hundred and eighty seven.

page_text: Instruments with Keys Mounted on Springs.
I GEORGE FINNIEAR Warehouseman of 131 The Albany Albany Road Camber-
well in the County of Surry do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
The object of my invention is to facilitate the
guitar, violin and such like instruments.
Many persons being deterred from playing on
of the inherent difficulty of making all the
music, without any thing tangible for the mind to
especially where raised frets are not used.
learning to play on the Banjo,
stringed instruments on account
notes in the various keys in
rest on, or the fingers to grasp;
For this purpose I adapt a key Board of wood or other material, of the same
length and breadth as the finger board of the instruments over which the key
Board is placed. Fig. 1.
Holes are made in said key board parallel with the strings longitudinally and
parallel with the position of frets cross ways. Fig. 1, a¹, a³.
The keys are made of wood or other material Shape of keys to be round or flat
and longer åt tail end to meet the extra dip of the strings. The keys may be of
two colors to denote which notes are flat, sharp, or natural. A spring of steel wire
with a loop turned at one end to screw the said spring down to the key board.
The other end of the spring is turned up square and pushed up the centre of the
key Fig. 3; a small groove being cut in the key so that the spring may bed into it
Fig. 2.
The keys are then covered with leather or other material and pared down to
an apex, to allow the strings to vibrate freely when the keys are raised Fig. 4. a.
The springs may be of sufficient length to pass from one fretted position to beyond
the next fretted position by being passed between the holes in the key board, and in
the direction of the neck or the tail end of the instrument Fig. 4 B 1. & B 2.
key board is fixed over the instrument by making the neck bridge a little thicker
and of sufficient height to raise the keys off the strings. The neck bridge thus serves
as a bridge for the strings and a support for the key board. The key board being
screwed down through the neck bridge into the handle Fig. 4 C. The key board may
be cut parallel with the neck bridge or extended beyond with an ornamental end.
The key board is fixed at tail end of finger board by resting on a bridge made of
The

page_text: thin sheet metal with its two ends bent at square angles and passed under the finger
board and secured with wedges or screws Fig. 5. In Banjoes the cavity cut
immediately below the finger board will answer the purpose of fixing this bridge
Fig. 6 a. The bridge being of sufficient height to be clear off the strings. Two
slots (Fig. 5 a. a) key hole shape are cut in the metal bridge, the narrow end of the
slots to point in the direction of the neck of the instrument. The key board is then
screwed down at neck bridge and the position of key board adjusted at tail end of
finger board. The key board is marked through the narrow end of key hole slots
and screwed down flush to the metal bridge Fig. 4 D. D. To put the key board into
position the two screw heads must be passed through the round part of the key hole
slots in the metal bridge, and the key board pushed towards the neck of the instru-
ment until the screw holes at neck end of key board are opposite the screw holes
in the neck bridge Fig. 1. C. C. The key board beings crewed down through
the neck bridge into the handle. The key board is firmly fixed, and the key board
should be in such a position that the key holes in the key board are parallel with
the strings length ways and parallel with the fretted positions cross ways. In instru-
ments with long finger boards a support in the centre of the key board can be made
by means of two thin screws being screwed into the key board and to fall between the
strings and rest on the finger board. Vent holes of any shape can be made in the key board
at available places to prevent deadening the tone of the instrument. The key board
may be taken off and the instrument played in the usual way. The notes made with
the key board are clearer than when made by stopping the strings with the fingers
especially in the upper notes.
In order to make my invention clearly understood, attention is directed to the
accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 represents a key board fixed to the handle of a
Banjo. The key board should be as wide as the handle and a full quarter of an inch
in thickness. If the handle to which it is fitted is very narrow the key board may
be made a littlo wider than the handle, to make room for the keys, or the handle faced
with a thin ebony facing, a little wider than the handle. Both ends of the board are
bevelled down to a thin edge. As the notes on the bass strings are not much used in
the extreme treble the keys may be omitted. The keys should be set parallel with
the strings length ways Fig. 1, a², and even with the frets cross ways Fig. 1. a' The
key board is fixed to the nut bridge with two screws passing through the bridge into
the handle Fig. 1. c.
The key board is fixed at treble end by resting on a metal bridge or support Fig. 5
Two square shoulder screws are screwed into the reverse side of the board Fig. 4. D
and the screw heads to stand above the board a full sixteenth, which should be about the
thickness of the support. When this bridge is fixed to the handle as at Fig. 6, the
screw heads at Fig. 4. D are passed through the round part of the key hole slots, and
the board pushed forward untill the screw holes at Fig. 1 c are opposite the holes in
the nut bridge. The board is then screwed down and is firmly fixed, The fixing should
be made at nut first, and the board adjusted at the other end and, the places for the
screws marked at the centre of the narrow part of the key hole slots Fig. 2 is a key,
showing slot in key bottom to admit spring, about a sixteenth deep, when the spring
is pushed home, the slots should be filled up with glue or other adhesive. The size
of the keys must be regulated by the width of the handle. Some seven stringed
instruments have very narrow handles, consequently the keys would be too close
to each other. The bridges must be cut for 6 strings on the handle faced a little
wider. Smaller keys may be used for the narrow part of the handle. If the keys
are very small they may be made with a flange at the bottom slightly larger
than the key. The pads should be of medium softness and a full sixteenth
thick. The position of the frets may be marked on the pads by placing a marking
thread across the frets, and pressing the keys down. The pads are to be bevelled
away from the marks as at Fig. 4. a. It is optional to bush the holes with cloth
or metal bushings or to leave the holes without. The holes should be large enough
for the keys to have play. Fig. 3, represents the spring made of thin wire as used
for stringing Dulcimers. The long springs may be a size larger than- the short

page_text: ones. The spring is -bent downwards slightly near the loop, which adds to its
certainty of pressing back the key. The key can be regulated backwards and
forwards, by means of the loop, which should be long enough for this purpose.
The springs may be bent laterally with but little difference to their pressing back
the key. The springs may be screwed down with square shoulder screws in either
of the two directions as in Fig. 4 6 6. There is no rule to follow as to the
directions of the springs which must depend on the space at command, and the
number of notes left out on the bass strings in the extreme treble.
The pads at
Fig. 4 are drawn too large in proportion to the other parts of the drawing, so
that the springs appear bent at sharper angles than would be the case in a full
length board. Fig. 4. is a view of the reverse side of the key board, showing
springs and pads. The slight bevel of the pads are shown a tFig. 4 a. The two
directions of the springs at 61. The two screw holes at C. The two screw
for the metal support are shown at D. Some latitude may be taken as to the
fixing of the key board at either end, as several methods may be adapted. The
string bridge on the vellum should be at the length to which the instrument is
fretted, or the intonation will not be correct. Measure the length from the nut
bridge to the twelfth fret, and take the same distance from the twelfth fret on to
the vellum and mark it, which should be the position for the bridge. Fig. 5
represents the metal bridge or support, which should be high enough to keep t!:>
pads a bare eighth of an inch off the strings. The pads may be a shade closer to
the strings at neck as they are not much disturbed in vibrating. Slots are shown
at B, by which the support can be adjusted to either side The key hole slots at B,
are explained under remarks at Fig. 1. The end of the key board Fig. 4 should be
cut to sink the support level with the board, the object being to put the two screws
into this cutting, which prevents the screw heads standing down in the way of the
vibrating strings. The two screws shown at Fig. 4. D would be the centre for this
cutting which should be a little wider than the bridge. This cutting is not shown
in the drawing. The supporting bridge may be fixed to a violin finger board, under
the finger board. May be fixed to a guitar by making the support semi circular as
the end of the finger board and fixed on the finger board at the extreme end, close
to the sound hole.
Room should be left at the extreme treble to fix some of the key springs close to
the edge of the board. In an Instrument with raised frets, the keys should fall
immediately behind the frets. Fig. 6 represents a handle and support, and nut bridge
ready to support the key board. The support can be adjusted side ways by means
of the two slots Fig. 5. B. The position of the two screws to fix the support is
shown at Fig. 6, a. The bridge should be a little wider than the handle. The
key hole slots at B, are explained with remarks on Fig. 1.
The nut bridge
should be a little thicker than the ordinary bridge, and a little higher to keep the pads
off the strings. This bridge may have a groove cut to sink it in the handle, but not
essentially so, as the screws will keep it in position.
Vent holes may be cut, or holes drilled as vents at any available places.
If objec-
tion is taken, to the springs being seen through the vent holes, they may be covered
with the usual gauze. The keys may be lettered to indicate the names of the notes,
remembering that should a row of keys be secured down as a Capo d Astro the instru-
ment will be in a different key consequently the letters on the key would be misnomers.
The row of keys next the Capo d Astro must be read as the first row of the instrument.
The second row from the Capo d Astro, as the second row of the instrument, and so
on for the others. No exception exists to this rule, which ever row of keys is used
as a Capo d Astro.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. To construct a key board for playing on the Banio. Violin Guitar and such like

page_text: 2. The key board to be made of wood or other material. The keys to be mounted
on steel wire springs and keys covered with leather or other material.
3. To adapt said key board as described to Banjos, Violins, Guitars, and such like
instruments, in the manner described.
GEORGE FINNIEAR,
Warehouseman,
131, The Albany, Albany Road,
Camberwell,
In the County of Surrey.