Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Teaching the Plano, Organ, and other like Keyed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Teaching the Plano,
Organ, and other like Keyed Musical Instruments.
I CHARLES FREDERIC POND of St. Albans in the County of Hertford Artist
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in means and apparatus to facilitate the
teaching of the piano, organ and other like keyed musical instruments.
According to one part of my improvements I print engrave or represent on paper
cardboard or other suitable material or surface a representation of the keyboard
(on the same or on a smaller scale) of a piano, organ or other like keyed musical
Above the key-
instruments. There is a board with all the keyboard lettered.
board is printed on cardboard or other surface the bass and treble clef and also all
the leger lines on or between which are pierced holes to receive pegs.
Each key on the keyboard is pierced with a hole to carry a moveable stud or peg
on which the particular note is indicated by a letter from A to G or the pegs need
not necessarily have letters on them. There will also be holes and pegs on the
block notes for sharps and flats I also print or otherwise indicate on paper card-
board or other surface the staves of five lines for the bass clef and five lines for the
treble clef and also some or all of the leger lines in the spaces and on the
lines in or on which are pierced holes to receive pegs with or without letters
viz. A. B. C. D. E. F. G.
The object of the foregoing arrangement is that a pupil may take a peg or pin
with the letter C for instance and place it in the keynote C on the keyboard and
then take another C and place it in the corresponding C on in or above the staves
Notes
and thus acquire familiarity with the notes and their respective names.
of different value on the pegs will be introduced from demisemiquavers to semi-
breves inclusively and all the rests will be used.
Similar apparatus to that previously described and having the same object may
be constructed as follows:-
A keyboard with keys thereon is so arranged that the notes can be pressed down
in the usual manner. Above this keyboard there is a representation of the staves
with the lines and spaces as previously described and there is a hole to correspond
with each note on the keyboard including sharps and flats. By means of a small
hammer or any suitable arrangement of mechanism in connection with each note when
the pupil strikes A. for instance the letter A is caused to appear in the second space
in the treble clef or any note on being struck causes its letter or a black note to
appear in the proper place in (above or below) the staves and if desirable the
musical notes may sound the same as in an ordinary piano with or without
showing the note in the staves as above described.
Suitable holders are provided for holding the pegs in spaces provided for them
when not in use on the keyboard.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Teaching the Piano,
Organ, and other like Keyed Musical Instruments.
I CHARLES FREDERIC POND of St. Albans in the County of Hertford Artist
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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in means or apparatus to facilitate the
teaching of the piano, organ and other like keyed musical instruments.
According to my present invention 1 represent on a board (of wood card-board
or other suitable material) the black and white keys of a piano which may be
pierced with holes or lettered. At a convenient distance above I represent the
staves of five lines for the bass clef and five lines for the treble clef and also
some or all of the leger lines. These lines and the spaces between them are pierced
with holes for the purpose of receiving pegs. Such pegs may have one of the
letters A B C D E F or G marked on the head or may be left plain or may have
any sign used in music marked thereon in any suitable manner.
The object of the foregoing arrangement is that a pupil may take a peg with the
letter C for instance and place it in the hole in the centre key C of the board and
then take another peg marked C and place it in the corresponding C on the staff.
The pupil may then proceed in a similar manner to take pegs and place them (accord-
ing to the letters marked thereon respectively) on the remaining notes DEFGAB
of the keys and of the staff.
Pegs may be made and used to indicate notes of different value from a demisemi-
quaver to a semibreve inclusively and all or any of the various rests and other signs
used in music.
In addition to the board and pegs already described in order to facilitate the
pupils acquiring familiarity with the key notes etcetera I represent upon a series of
cards (similar in shape and size to playing-cards) a group of the keys of a piano
with a letter or letters indicating one or more particular key or note and above the
key or keys there is a description.
Upon another series of cards I represent the bass or treble clef or sometimes both
the clefs on a single card and the musical notes and characters with the name of
each note and the number of each octave to correspond with the notes as printed in
music. There may be printed for instance C on the first leger line above the
bass clef and C on the first leger line below the treble clef so that the pupil can see
exactly where the peg should be placed.
A similar apparatus to that previously described and having the same object may
be constructed as follows:-
A keyboard with keys thereon is so arranged that the notes can be pressed down
in the usual manner. Above this keyboard there is a representation of the staves
with the lines and spaces such as previously described including sharps and flats and
there is a hole to correspond with each note on the keyboard.
By means of a small hammer or any suitable arrangement of mechanism in
connection with each note when the pupil strikes A for instance the letter A (or it
may be a plain note) is caused to appear in the second space of the treble clef or
any note on the keyboard on being struck causes its letter (or a black note) to
appear in the proper place in above or below the staves and if desirable the musical
notes may sound the same as in an ordinary piano with or without showing the notes
as previously described.
And in order that my present invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to further describe same with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan of my apparatus showing the black and white keys of a piano
pierced with holes or lettered and the bass and treble clefs with leger lines placed
at a convenient distance above. The small circles represent the holes for receiving
the pegs.
A few only of the keys are marked with circles representing the peg
holes whilst a few are marked with letters but it will be readily understood that
the whole of the keys are so formed or marked one way or the other in practice.
The black keys may also have holes or be lettered. The circles at the top of the
board represent holes in which pegs are to be placed and are arranged so as to be
within convenient reach of the pupil.
Figures 2 and 3 represent a peg with the letter C marked thereon as an example
but any sign or character used in music may be shown in a similar way.
Figures 4 and 5 represent two cards of a series upon each of which is printed
a group of the keys of a piano with a letter indicating a particular key and a
description above but same together with Figure 6 form no part of my present
invention and are only shown to illustrate the application of my said invention.
Figure 6 represents one of another series of cards upon which is printed the bass
and treble clefs. Upon this particular card is shown C on the first leger line above
the bass clef and on the first leger line below the treble clef. The figure 4 printed
on the card represents the octave. Descriptive matter may be added such for
instance as that shown.
A convenient method of teaching by the use of my invention is for the pupil to
take a peg with the letter C for instance and place it in the hole in the centre key C
on the board and then take a second peg marked C and place it in the
corresponding C on the staff proceeding in a similar manner for the entire series.
The object in using the cards is to place before the pupil a practical description
of the keys, clefs, leger lines, various signs and characters and the keys of any
instrument either in connection with placing the pegs in the manner described or as
a preparatory instruction but such cards form no part of my present invention as
just previously set forth.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate another method of carrying out my present invention
and represent the keyboard of a piano with the hammer action removed or in place
thereof I fit a board upon which is represented the staves and the leger lines
(I therefore term it the great staff board) and pierced with holes corresponding
with the keys below.
a is the
Figure 7 is a sectional side elevation and Figure 8 a front elevation.
usual frame or support upon which the keys a' are balanced so that by pressing
down the key of the outer end the opposite end is raised.
is an upright connecting rod such as is usually employed to actuate the hammer
that strikes the wires to produce a tone. Each vertical rod has a pin c projecting.
d is the staff board one of the holes with which it is pierced being shown in section
at d', e is a short rod balanced or nearly balanced at ex. At one end is a disc upon
which is marked a corresponding letter with the particular key a' which actuates
its respective wooden rod b. When a key a¹ is pressed down its respective vertical
rod 6 is raised the pin e lifts one end of the short balance rod e so that the opposite
end is lowered and the letter on the disc on the end of said rod e (see Figure 9).
comes to the hole d¹ in the stave board and may thus be seen.
Figure 8 is a front elevation of a part of the key board with the corresponding
part of the staff board placed in front.
Figure 9 is a plan through the aperture d¹ (Figure 7) showing a suitable
arrangement for supporting the short rod e. The bearing bar or bar el forming the
axis bar for e may be removable so that it may be replaced by a similar bearing
bar or the like to support a rod such as e the disc on the end of which is marked
with any characters used in music.
I do not limit myself to the particular method or precise details hereinbefore set

page_text: forth for working the short rod e shown in Figures 7 and 9 because the same object
can be accomplished in various ways without departing from my invention. In
some cases a different arrangement may be required in order not to interfere with
the mechanism forming part of the instrument.
If desired this invention as illustrated in Figures 7, 8 and 9 may be made so as to
form a separate apparatus for teaching without forming part of a piano.
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. An apparatus for teaching the piano, organ or other like keyed musical
instrument consisting of a board or block of any suitable material having a
representation of a piano or the like keyboard on one part thereof and either
with or without a hole or letter in or on each such key a representation of a
musical stave (or staves) above such keyboard and a series of holes in said musical
stave to receive pegs and a second series of holes on the board or block to receive
said pegs when not in use all arranged and acting in conjunction with marked
or plain pegs substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before set
forth.
2. In an apparatus for teaching the piano or other like keyed musical instruments
the combination with a series of movable keys such as ordinary piano keys of a
vertical front board or surface such as d arranged at or about right angles to said
keys and having a series of holes or openings formed therein on above or below the
lines representing a musical stave or staves thereon and marked or plain discs or
surfaces caused by mechanical action to appear in such holes or openings in the said
front board substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
3. In an apparatus for teaching the piano or other like keyed musical instrument
I claim a movable key such as a' and vertical bar or rod such as bactuated by
said key a¹ in combination and acting in conjunction with the balanced rod e one
end of which is actuated by the projection c on the rod and the other end carrying
a disc or surface which is caused to appear in an aperture d' in the front board d
the latter having a musical stave (or staves) represented thereon substantially in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings
hereunto annexed.
Dated this 6th day of November 1801
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.