Musical Instruments.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1889-Accepted, 15th Mar., 1890
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Musical Instruments.
1. EDWIN RANSON NORCROSS, residing at Fayetteville, in the County of Washington,
and State of Arkansas, one of the United States of America, Piano Maker, 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 musical instruments, and consists essentially
of an upright case or receptacle, not unlike that of an upright piano, having strings
arranged perpendicularly therein, like the strings of a harp which are adapted to be
operated by keys similar to those on the ordinary piano-board; each of said keys
being provided with a picking finger for each string, and said picking fingers having
a motion corresponding to that which would be made by the finger of a persons' hand
in picking a harp or guitar, giving equally as fine a tone, the lower part of the said
instrument being provided with pedals to give the full twelve transpositions of the
musical scale, all as will be hereinafter fully described.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my com-
plete invention, Figure 2 a rear view, Figure 3 a vertical section taken through the
centre of the instrument, Figure 4 a detail view of the picking mechanism, figure 5
a detail view of the mutes, frets or stops, and fig. 6 a top view of the picker and its
connections.
Similar letters of reference occurring on the several figures indicate like parts.
Referring to the said drawings, the letter A represents the outer casing, which, as
above stated, is constructed somewhat similar to that of an upright piano. The key
board B, comprising a series of keys b, is similar to that on a piano or organ, the
inner ends of the keys being fulcrummed on a horizontal cross piece bresting on
the frame.
с
The picking mechanism is constructed and arranged as follows:-A series of
stationary bifurcated hangers C, are secured to the underside of a cross bar e located
some distance above the inner ends of the keys. In these hangers C are loosely
pivotted outwardly extending swinging arms Ď, on one side of the outer ends of
which are pivotted pendent vertical rods d which extend down and are pivotally
secured to the upper sides of the ends of the keys respectively. Pivotted to the
opposite sides of the swinging arms D, are vertical upwardly extending rods d' which
are pivotally connected at their upper ends to a series of bell-cranks E, the latter
being fulcrummed in cleats e secured to a cross piece of the frame.
The upper ends of levers E, have horizontally arranged rods or links e¹ loosely
secured thereto which extend inwardly and are pivotted in grooves formed in the outer
ends of head blocks F. These head-blocks have an elongated slot f formed therein to
one side of the longitudinal centres, and are provided with projecting rods " extending
out from their upper inner ends in which is formed an opening at one side of the
centre thereof, and on the side opposite that of the slot f.
On the upper face of the cleats e are secured guide-strips e formed with inclined
inner sides. In these guides are placed sliding blocks G, having sides inclined in
an opposite direction to those of the guides in which they work, thus forming a dove-
tail connection which permits only of a longitudinal movement of the slides.
On the upper face of the inner ends of these slides are secured the pickers H,
in such manner as to allow of their being partly rotated, and the peculiar formation
of which is shown in figure 4. The pickers consist of a small block having a point
or finger h, on one side and a rounded inner side. The finger h has a straight, and
an inclined side terminating in a sharp point which is adapted to come in immediate
contact with the wires.

page_text: These pickers are loosely journalled or pivotted, by having a staple or shaft
extending through them at a point between their centres and the points h. They
also have an opening in the opposite end in which is placed a pin extending
through the same and through the opening in the head block. By this arrangement
it will be observed that pressure on the keys forces the head-block forward the
length of the longitudinal slot therein and owing to the position of the connection
of the head-block with the picker, the latter is moved partly around carrying the
point or finger back at right angles to the movement of the block, its side coming
in contact with the block and its further movement thus prevented.
As the picker assumes the position referred to, the head-block and slide on which
it is mounted is forced still further in, the point on the picker coming in quick
contact with the wire, thus picking the same. When the pickers are beyond the
wires, a spring located at the forward ends of the keys, or in any other suitable
position, draws the slide and pickers back in front of the wires, the movement
giving the finger h a half turn and permitting it to escape coming in contact with
the wires, thus placing it in a position for further use. It will be observed that
the fingers are covered with soft leather or other suitable buffing.
The sounding board I, is placed in or near the centre of the casing and the wires
are stretched from the obliquely arranged anchor strip i at the bottom to the cross
anchor strip i at the top. These strings or wires are arranged in precisely the same
scale as those of a harp.
The arrangement of the stop or fret action is as shown in figs. 2, and 5, it con-
sisting of a series of foot pedals K, preferably twelve in number, loosely fulcrummed
on a cross piece located at the bottom of the casing, their inner or rear ends
extending hack beyond the sounding board. The rear ends of these pedals have
upwardly extending rods k, pivotted thereto, of varying lengths.
A series of horizontally arranged oscillating shafts L, are journalled one above the
other in the sides of the casing. To the inner sides of tliese shafts are secured, in a
horizontal position, a series of hangers to which the upper ends of the rods & are
attached. On the outer sides of the shafts L are secured a series of staples having
cords attached thereto, which extend up and have their upper ends secured in the
outer ends of blocks or tilting levers M, which are mounted on cross pieces near the
upper end of the casing. To the top of these blocks or levers M, is secured a series
of staples m having links or rods m¹ attached thereto, which extend forward and are
connected to the long arm of the fret or stop lever N, which is fulcrummed to a
projecting block on a central partition.
The frets O, are as shown in fig. 5, formed of a flat piece of metal having a
V-shaped groove in their ends. They are pivotted to the end of the short arm of
lever N, and extend through openings formed in the partition adjacent to their
respective wires or strings in the instruinent. To throw the frets out from the wires
or strings, springs P, are secured to the cross pieces directly beneath the outer ends
of the levers M, thus serving to press the lever up and force the frets back.
As will be seen, a number of frets are operated by the same pedal, so that by the
one movement the entire chromatic scale or the twelve transpositions of the scale can
be made, making the instrument play in all keys both sharps and flats. When the
frets are forced in they impinge against the wires and thus perform the office of
changing the vibratory length of the wires and consequently the pitch of the scale.
The keys and pedals of my instrument are preferably coloured to imitate or corre-
spond with the keys of other keyed instruments.
It is obvious that many minor changes in the construction and arrangement of my
instrument can be made and substituted for those shown and described, without in
the least departing from the essential principles and spirit of my invention.
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. The combination with the keys, of the bell-crank levers, the sliding head-blocks

page_text: having elongated slots formed therein to one side of the centres thereof, the pickers
connected with the head-blocks and secured to slides below the same, rods connecting
the respective levers, and keys and the wires, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the casing the wires and keys, of the bell-crank levers
mounted near the upper end of the casing, rods connecting the same with the keys,
the head-blocks F connected with the levers, the slides G on which the head-blocks
are mounted, the guide strips e², the pickers H mounted loosely on the slides and
having an eccentric connection with the head-blocks, and springs for forcing the slides
back, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the casing the pedals and keys, of rods attached to the
keys, bell-crank levers connected with the rods, slides connected to the levers, pickers
on the slides, head-blocks for rotating the pickers, a series of oscillating shafts con-
nected with the pedals, a series of rocking levers located above and connected with
the shafts, levers having connections with said rocking levers, frets on said levers
and springs for forcing the frets and pickers out, substantially as described.
4. The combination with the casing and wires, of the keys, the rods d, the arms D,
the rods d', the levers E, the head-blocks F connected therewith, the slides G, the
guides e, the pickers H mounted on the slides and eccentrically connected with the
head-blocks, said pickers being constructed with a rounded inner end and a finger h,
and springs for drawing the slides back, substantially as described.
5. The combination with the keys and wires, of pickers operated by the keys, con-
sisting of a circular disc having a finger extending out therefrom and having a central
and an eccentric opening therein, a slide for moving the picker forward and back,
and a head-block for oscillating the same, substantially as described.
6. The combination with the casing of a musical instrument, of a series of pedals,
a series of oscillating shafts connected with the pedals, a series of rocking levers
mounted on a cross piece, a connecting rod or cord between the same and the shafts,
a lever having connection with said rocking lever, and frets on said lever, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
7. The combination with the keys and the rods connected therewith, of the bell-
crank lever, a slide having an elongated slot therein on one side of the centre thereof,
a finger on the slide and opening in the said finger, a connecting link between the
bell-crank lever and the slide, a slide below said other slide, a picker on said lower
slide having a connection with the upper slide and the strings or wires, substantially
as described.
Dated this 19th day of Inno 1880
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.