Substituting and Transposing Keyboard for Pianos and Organs.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1895--Accepted, 24th Aug., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Substituting and Transposing Keyboard for Pianos and Organs.
I, WILLIAM SHEPHARD MOSES, of Tracy, in the County of Lyon, and 'State
of Minnesota, United States of America, Merchant, 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 provide a substituting and transposing keyboard
for musical instruments in which any major or minor scale may be relatively
substituted for any other major or minor scale, and by means of the improvement
the entire keyboard of a musical instrument can be readily reduced by practice to
two scales and the reading of music to two keys, so that one major scale of the
keyboard (C major) may be employed to play all major keys which are written on
the staff in the old position for writing C major, and also one minor scale (A minor)
is employed to play all minor keys which are written on the staff in the position a
minor has, all of which is accomplished by the peculiar construction hereinafter
described and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In carrying out the invention I provide a supplemental keyboard which operates
above the regular keyboard the keys of the supplemental keyboard being extended
at both ends and suitably pivoted to a sliding board which is designed to be moved
to the right or left a distance equal to the keys in the extension; means being
employed to elevate and slide the said board and lock the same in any desired
position.
In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing my invention applied. to a musical
instrument having a keyboard of ordinary construction;
Fig. 2 is a plan view;
Fig. 3 is a front elevation ;
Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is a front view of the tension device for moving the transposer;
Fig. 6 is a rear view of the tension device;
Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the crank-rod which connects. the tension
device to the transposer, and
Fig. 8 is a plan view of the locking plate of the transposer.
The case and framework of the musical instrument are of ordinary construction,
and above the regular keys or levers A is secured a rod B upon which the rear end
of the hoard C of the transposer is hung, the board being provided with an apertured
strip through which is passed the rod B. The strip b has an upwardly-projecting
portion with a bead e against which the supplemental keys D of the transposer
bear, the bead forming the pivotal point of said keys. The upper part of the
board C is cut away or recessed longitudinally and is provided with an upwardly-
projecting ledge c¹ to which the coupler-boards S, hereinafter described, are hinged,
and on the underside of the board C are depending portions c² which support the
connections for operating the coupler-boards.
E designates a rail or transverse bar which is rigidly supported by the frame of
the instrument in position below the front end of the board C, and this rail has
attached thereto brackets E' which support one end of pins e upon which are
pivoted levers E2, the other end of the pins being let into the rail E. The outer
ends of the levers E2 are provided with friction rollers e¹ which bear against the
underside of the board C when the levers are operated to raise the same, the

page_text: rail E being provided with upwardly-projecting pins e² which enter perforations e
in a plate on the underside of the board C to hold said board against movement
when lowered.
The supplemental keys D of the transposer are connected to the board C by
pins and are guided at their front ends by pins f', and the board C has attached
thereto a longitudinal strip C to the central portion of which is secured an
upwardly-projecting pin 3 which extends between the supplemental keys and
moves in front of a scale-plate g carried by the rigid part of the frame of the
instrument. The part G has a transverse series of holes in which is adapted to
be placed a stop-pin H with which engages an arm or scale-bar H' projecting
upwardly from the board C and rigidly secured thereto. The scale-plate g and
the perforations e³ in the plate on the underside of the board C, in which the
_pins e fit, as well as the holes in the part G, correspond to secure the proper
positioning of the substituter and transposer.
Through the strip C² which is secured to the board C pass pins I which also pass
through apertures in the lower part of the board so as to rest upon the regular keys
or levers A of the instrument, the upper ends of said pins bearing against the
underside of the supplemental keys D, and these pins are provided with collars i
which are rigidly attached thereto, helical springs being interposed between
the collars and board C to hold the supplemental keys normally raised, being
assisted by the counterbalance of the regular keys. One end of the wires slof
the coupler-boards is adapted to engage with the upper face of the collars i
the other end of said wires engaging with blocks f* carried by threaded pins
depending from the supplemental keys. These wires are pivoted to the coupler-
boards and extend one octave so that when one end is engaged by the block fª
the other end will engage the collar of a key one octave above if in the treble
or below if in the bass. The coupler-boards in this case are normally lowered
so that the wires will be out of engagement with the blocks f and collars i,
and each coupler board rests when lowered upon a cushion or pad k. The
coupler-boards are raised by a rock-shaft K pivoted at its ends in the supports c²
and provided with a downwardly-projecting operating arm and with rearwardly-
projecting arms K K which engage the underside of said coupler-boards. The
rock-shaft is operated by a foot-pedal K at the lower part of the instrument
being connected thereto by rods k¹ and k² and an interposed bell-crank lever k³.
From the construction herein before described it will be noted that when it is
desired to bring the coupler-boards into an operative position it is only necessary
to depress the foot-lever K2 such movement being transmitted to the rock-shaft
the arms of which raise the coupler-boards and cause the wires thereof to
engage the adjustable blocks on the supplemental keys D and the collars on
the pins I. When pressure is removed from the pedal the coupler-boards will
be restored to their normal position by gravity.
.:
The levers E are operated to raise the front end of the transposer or board C
by means of a foot-pedal M which is positioned alongside the pedal K and is
connected to said levers by rods m and m² and an interposed lever M¹ fulcrumed
in a bracket depending from the frame of the instrument. It will be noted that
by this arrangement when the pedal M is partially depressed the board C will be
slightly raised so that the pins I will not depress the regular keys or levers A to
their fullest extent and consequently a lighter blow will be imparted to the
hammers. This is very desirable as it provides a transposer with means for
varying the force or power which is transferred from the supplemental keys to the
regular keys or levers.
When it is desired to shift the substituter and transposer.. the first action is to
depress the lever M which lowers the outer end of the lever M' and draws upon
the rods m m connected to the levers E2 causing the outer. ends of said levers to
elevate the forward end of the substituter and transposer out of engagement with
the pins projecting from the rail E and the pins I from engagement with the .keys
or levers A; thus we have the transposer at an inclination in which position.it may

page_text: )
be moved either to the right or left, and said movement is accomplished auto-
natically by means of a spring N the shaft N' to which it is attached being
supported by a suitable block, the shaft having rigidly attached thereto a ratchet-
wheel N2, and on the rear end of the spring-actuated shaft is a disk n' which
carries a pawl in engagement with the ratchet-wheel. To the disk is connected a
rod n the upper end of which is coupled to a bent arm N³, shown in Fig. 7, which
is suitably pivoted to the frame of the instrument, the upper end of said arm being
connected by a rod ³ to a lug n which depends from the board C of the transposer.
It will thus be seen that when the transposer is free to move the spring will actuate
the transposer board moving it to the right or left according to the position of the
disk. The shifting or moving of the transposer is limited by the stop-pin H which
is placed in the proper aperture or hole in the part G of the frame of the instru-
ment, and after the substituter or transposer has been shifted by the means herein-
before described it is ready to be operated or played upon when the pedal M has
been released. One end of the shaft N' is squared to receive a key for winding
the spring N, the pawl and ratchet preventing backward movement of said shaft.
The invention herein before described can be readily applied to musical instru-
ments already manufactured.
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 1
claim is:
1. A transposer and substitute keyboard for musical instruments, comprising a
longitudinally adjustable board mounted on a fixed support and provided with keys,
of means suitably supported below the transposer and adapted to be actuated by
a pedal to change the inclination of the transposer, for the purpose set forth.
2. In a transposer for musical instruments, the combination, of a frame C the
rear end of which is supported by a bar or rod B, levers pivoted to a suitable
support and engaging the frame C, said levers being connected to a pedal so that
the angle of the transposer can be varied, the transposer keys having pins which
engage the regular keys of the instrument, substantially as set forth.
3. In a transposer for musical instruments, the combination, of a frame C the
a bar or rod B, a keyboard carried by the
rear end of which is supported by
frame and located over the regular keys, the keys of the supplemental keyboard
extending beyond the ends of the regular keyboard, levers pivoted to a suitable
so that the angle of the transposer can be varied,
5 support and connected to a pedal
the supplemental keys having pins which engage with the regular keys of the
instrument, substantially as set forth.
4. In a transposer for musical instruments, the combination, of a transposer
mounted at its rear end upon a rod so that it can be moved longitudinally and the
front portion thereof raised and lowered, an apertured plate secured to the undėr-
side of the transposer, a support beneath the front portion of the transposer
having an upwardly-projecting pin which engages the apertured plate, and means
for raising the transposer, substantially as set forth.
5. In a transposer for musical instruments, the combination, of a transposer
5 board supported so as to be tilted and then moved longitudinally, of spring-
actuated means for moving the transposer board in either direction when elevated.
6. In a transposer for musical instruments, the combination, of a transposer
board supported so that its forward end may be raised vertically and the trans-
poser then moved longitudinally, of levers for elevating the front end of the
50 transposer, and a spring-actuated frame connected to the transposer to shift the
same longitudinally when raised, and means for holding the transposer against
movement when lowered, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination, of a transposer mounted at its rear end upon a rod so that
it can be moved longitudinally and the front portion raised and lowered, of a fixed
55 support beneath the front end of the transposer and pins projecting therefrom to
engage apertures in the transposer, together with levers pivoted to the "fixed

page_text: support and provided with means for moving them in unison, the ends of the levers
which engage the transposer being provided with rollers, substantially as shown
and for the purpose set forth.
8. In a transposer for musical instruments, the combination, of a transposer
board C supported at its rear end so that it may be tilted to disengage it from its
other, supports and its locking means, means for automatically moving the
transposer longitudinally when elevated, and pins carried by the transposer board,
said pins being adapted to engage the keys of the transposer and of the instrument,
and springs which abut against the transposer board and collars on the pins to
exert an upward pressure on the pins and hold them out of engagement with the
regular keys when the front end of the transposer board is elevated.
9. In a transposer for musical instruments, the combination, of a transposer
board having pins carried thereby and of sufficient length to engage with the keys
of the transposer and with the regular keys of the instrument, an upwardly-
projecting bar carried by the transposer board, said bar being positioned in front
of a rigid part of the frame said rigid part having a series of holes for the reception
of a stop-pin, and means for automatically reciprocating the transposer board when
raised, substantially as set forth.
10. In a transposer, the combination, of a frame which is movable longitudinally
and pivotally upon a support, said frame having keys, pins extending from said
keys so as to bear upon the regular keys, the upper part of the instrument having a
slot and a transverse series of perforations with which a removable pin is adapted
to engage, a locking-bar carried by the transposer frame and extending through the
slot in the upper part of the piano frame to engage with the pin, together with the
scale or indicator plate and indicator, substantially as set forth.
11. In combination with a musical instrument, of a transposer pivotally supported
at its rear end and laterally movable, a locking-bar attached to the transposer and
extending through a slot in the frame of the instrument, a removable pin with
which the locking-bar engages, said pin being adapted to engage any one of a
transverse series of perforations in the frame of the instrument, together with means
for raising the forward end of the transposer frame and means for moving said
frame longitudinally, substantially as set forth.
12. In a transposer for musical instruments, the combination, of a rigid frame
having a transverse series of apertures, a corresponding scale-plate carried by said
rigid frame, of a movable transposer having attached thereto a scale-bar and an
indicator-pin, the scale-bar being in line with the apertures in the rigid frame and
the indicator-pin in line with the scale-plate, a removable stop-pin adapted to
engage the apertures in the rigid frame, and pins carried by a rail or bar adjacent
to the front end of the transposer, said pins being adapted to engage with apertures
in the transposer, for the purpose set forth.
13. In a musical instrument having fixed supporting means for a transposer, the
combination, of a transposer consisting in part of a board C pivotally supported at
its rear end upon a transverse rod attached to the rigid frame of the instrument,
coupler-boards hinged within a recess in the upper side of the board C, wires
pivoted on the coupler-boards and having bent ends one of which engages with
depending pins extending from the transposer keys and the other with adjustable
blocks carried by the keys, together with means for raising the coupler-boards in
unison, substantially as set forth.
11. The combination, of a transposer constructed substantially as shown and
provided with coupler-boards each having a series of wires bent as shown to engage
with the keys of the transposer and with pins interposed between the supplemental
and regular keys, means for raising the forward end of the coupler-boards, said
means consisting of a rock-shaft having arms which engage the coupler-boards, the
rock-shaft being actuated by a foot-pedal connected thereto by an interposed
bell-crank lever and connecting rods, substantially as set forth.
15. In a transposer for musical instruments constructed substantially as shown,
the combination with a pair of coupler-boards hinged to the transposer board, of a

page_text: rock-shaft pivoted at its end to the frame of the transposer and having rearwardly-
projecting arms which engage the coupler-boards for raising and lowering the same
and a depending arm by which said shaft is operated, the depending arm being
connected to a foot-pedal by means of an interposed bell-crank lever and connecting
rods, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1895
J. C. CHAPMAN,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Filing Agent.