IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR INSTRUMENTS EMPLOYED FOR ASSISTING OR AIDING IN THE TUNING OF PIANOFORTES AND OTHER KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Alexander Kemp at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th April 1864.
I, ROBERT ALEXANDER KEMP, of Dudley Grove, Paddington, W., do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
OR INSTRUMENTS EMPLOYED FOR ASSISTING OR AIDING IN THE TUNING OF PIANOFORTES
AND OTHER KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
The difficulty which exists in accurately tuning musical instruments by the
test of the ear alone renders it necessary to employ some accurate standard
by which inexperienced persons may be enabled to or be guided in laying
the scale bearings or temperament of pianofortes, organs, harmoniums, or of
any other keyed musical instrument; and although various instruments for
giving the tone or emitting a sound corresponding to the key struck have
been heretofore constructed, I by my present Invention am enabled to
combine in a simple, readily understood, and easily managed apparatus or
instrument, a much more complete, useful, and reliable arrangement, which is
applicable to the keyboard of the musical instrument under treatment.
The apparatus, according to my Invention, consists of bellows having within
it the apparatus for producing the test sound or sounds. The description of
such apparatus is as follows:-From the one end or side of the bellows in
connection with each reed or vibrator is a key, which projects from out of the
case of the bellows, whilst the opposite or inner end of the key rests on the
reed or vibrator, which is set in motion by the action of the bellows, there
being a supply valve within the case of the apparatus. The instrument or

page_text: apparatus when applied for use is placed under the keyboard of the piano-
forte or other keyed musical instrument, and fastened by hand screws; a key
is then registered, and the bellows raised, a note corresponding is struck on
the pianoforte, and tuned in-unison to the number of vibrations produced by
the apparatus. This process is repeated to each consecutive semi-tone until
the scale or bearings are laid or determined. The tone of the apparatus is
produced by the free reed being acted upon by a suction bellows, the lower
board of which is, weighted or loaded. The apparatus may be made with
twelve or more.notes or semi-tones.
By this Invention the following features are secured :-First, each note has
a register or stop, by which means the tone is prolonged ad libitum by the
action of the bellows. Second, the application of a damper to each note in
this description of instrument for tuning, thereby reducing the number of
centres. Third, the arrangement of the bellows, by which the moving board
is caused to act through the arc of a circle, so that an equal pressure of wind
is produced, thus obtaining an equal number of vibrations from any given note
during the passage of the bellows board from one extreme point to the other.
Fourth, the blowing apparatus being set in motion by the upward pressure
from the knee, thus leaving at liberty the hands and feet of the operator, to
manipulate the musical instrument under treatment, whilst the loaded. lower
board of the bellows maintains the standard sound.