An Improved Appliance for Use in Teaching Music.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for Use in Teaching Music.
I, EVELYN ASHTON FLETCHER, of 480 Ontario Street, in the City of Toronto,
in the County of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, Music Teacher, 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: —
My invention relates to improvements in Separable Object Lesson Key Boards
more particularly adapted for teaching pupils the piano and the object of the
invention is to design a portable form of key board whereby a pupil may be
thoroughly familiarized with the notes of a key board of a piano and their relative
arrangement and position, as to each other and as to the treble and bass staffs
and ledger lines and notes thereon in sheet music and it consists essentially in
providing on what is known as the white keys of the piano in both treble and
bass and the centre of the piano the representation of a staff and notes peculiar
to the situation of the individual key, and upon what is known as the black keys
of a piano the representation of a staff and notes representing both sharps and
flats, each white and black key being separable from the base in which they are
held in juxtaposition to each other by depending projections, the key board being
preferably hinged in the centre and a carrying cover preferably in two parts
being also provided having edge strips fitting around the black and upon the
white keys, so as to hold all the keys in position as hereinafter more particularly
explained.
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of my learner's key board with cover removed.
Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section through the line -y Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a perspective view from the back on a smaller scale than Figs. 1 and 2,
of the key board with cover in position, a part of such cover being in section and
some of the keys removed to exhibit the holes for holding the keys.
.
Fig. 4, is a perspective view of the key board folded ready for transportation.
Fig. 5, is a cross section showing the manner in which each white key is
supported and held in position on the base and also for transportation.
Fig. 6, is a cross section showing how each black key is held on the base and
for transportation.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each
figure.
It is intended in this invention that the portions of the staff and note on each
key may be utilized not only on a dumb key board such as hereinafter described
but on the actual key board of a piano by utilizing strips containing staff and
notes, which may be pasted on each key temporarily and removed after the pupil
has become familiar with such keys.
A are the bass white keys and A¹ the treble white keys and A³ the central
white keys. B are the bass black keys and B₁ the treble black keys, which of
course represent sharps or flats. Each of the bass white keys A have portions
of the staff with bass cleff and note, each of which portions I designate a. The
treble white keys A¹ have each staff portion a¹ with treble cleff and note corre-

page_text: °
sponding to key imprinted on them. The central keys A2 have preferably staff
portions and a³ having the bass cleff and treble cleff respectively on the staff
and the corresponding notes in the bass and treble of each imprinted on them.
The black bass keys B have each two staff portions and b¹ imprinted or marked
ou them representing the sharp and flat of each key. The black treble keys B 5
have two staff portions 2 and 3 imprinted on them representing the sharp and
flat of each key.
Each white note has two depending projections 2 which fit into corresponding
holes 3 and 4 in the front and rear longitudinal stripe and c¹ of the supporting
base (see Fig. 5). is an intermediate longitudinal strip, which supports the 1
front ends of the black keys B and B'. The rear end of each black key has a
depending projection 5, which extends into a hole 6 in the longitudinal strip c¹.
The front end of each black key B rests upon the central strip c³ (see Fig. 6).
D are the hinges by which the central ends of the base C are connected together.
E are the cover boards. are longitudinal strips fastened to the cover boards
at the front edge thereof and designed to rest upon the front ends of the white
keys, and e³ are longitudinal strips fastened to the rear edge of the cover boards
and designed to rest upon the rear ends of the white keys. e are the end strips
of the cover boards. The cover boards are divided centrally, the rear strips of
the cover boards being connected to the base C by the hooks and eyes e and e
respectively and the end bars of the cover boards being connected to the base C
by the hooks and eyes and respectively. The ends of the key board and
cover boards when folded for transportation as shown in Fig. 4, arc fastened
together by a suitable clasp e and are carried by suitable handles FF connected
to the base by rivets or otherwise.
The use of the board as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will be readily understood by
those accustomed to the teaching and study of music and of the pianoforte in
particular, and its advantage will readily be comprehended by the same class.
A pupil will naturally soon understand the position of the keys on the piano, their
relative value and their relation to the staffs in a sheet of music thus facilitating
the rapid learning of the notes by beginners.
In order to more fully impress upon the minds of the young the various positions
of the several keys forming the key board, and their values, the keys being
separable may be entirely removed and mixed together by the teacher and the
placing of them in their proper relative position on the base will soon serve to
indelibly fix such relative position and value upon the mind. Although I show
the staffs and notes for each key indited directly on each key it will be understood
that they might be applied opposite each key instead but I prefer the form shown.
Again the form of the cover boards is so simple that they serve when fastened
by the devices hereinbefore described to securely hold the keys in position upon
the base when such base is folded and at the same time prevent them from injury
during transportation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A device for teaching pianoforte comprising the bass keys with a staff, bass
cleff and corresponding note to the key indited on each, the white treble keys
with a staff treble cleff and corresponding note to the key indicated on each, and
the central white keys having on each both the treble and bass staffs and cleffs
and corresponding notes to each key as and for the purpose specified.
2. A device for teaching pianoforte comprising the separable white and black
keys having the staffs and notes of the musical notation indited thereon, and a
base for supporting the keys at their proper height and interlocking parts between
each of the keys and the base as and for the purpose specified.
3. A device for teaching pianoforte comprising the separable white and black
keys having the staffs and notes of the musical notation indited thereon, depend-

page_text: ing projections on the white keys, the base, longitudinal strips thereon with holes
to receive the depending projections, depending projections on the black keys and
a rear strip provided with holes between the white keys designed to receive the
projections on the black keys, and a longitudinal strip supported on the base and
designed to form a rest for the front ends of the black keys as and for the purpose
specified.
4. In combination the separable white and black keys, the base for supporting
the same, a cover board, front rear and end strips adapted to fit and rest upon
the white keys, so as to encompass the black keys, such strips being such a depth
as to bring the cover board against the top of the black keys and means for holding
the cover boards to the key board as and for the purpose specified
5. In combination the separable white and black keys, the base for supporting
the same, a cover board, front rear and end strips adapted to fit and rest upon
the white keys, so as to encompass the black keys, such strips being such a
depth as to bring the cover board against the top of the black keys and side and
end strips and hooks and eyes for detachably connecting the cover boards to the
key board as and for the purpose specified.
6. In combination the separable white and black keys, the base for supporting
the same constructed in two parts and hinged together, a cover board formed in
two parts, means for fastening the cover board to the base, a clasp for connecting
the two parts of the base and the two parts of the cover boards situated between
them together, when folded, and suitable handles attached to the base as and
for the purpose specified.
DL
1
1007
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.