Improvements in Music Transposing Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1892)
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1893-Accepted, 26th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Music Transposing Apparatus.
GODFREY BAMBERG Chemist 17 Weston Road Southend, Essex do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of transposing music mechanically
from one key to another by moving a slide under a perforated keyboard plan and
substituting notes contained in the slide appearing through the perforations for the
notes of the piece of music to be transposed instead of raising or lowering the key
by calculation of each individual note.
A very good way to effect this purpose is as follows: 1 divide the length of one
octave of the keyboard plan C to C inclusive into thirteen equal parts and on each
part I place a note of the chromatic scale consecutively vis. C, C, D, DE &c.
to C and this must be duplicated below thus
GODFREY BAMBERG Chemist 17 Weston Road Southend, Essex do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of transposing music mechanically
from one key to another by moving a slide under a perforated keyboard plan and
substituting notes contained in the slide appearing through the perforations for the
notes of the piece of music to be transposed instead of raising or lowering the key
by calculation of each individual note.
A very good way to effect this purpose is as follows: 1 divide the length of one
octave of the keyboard plan C to C inclusive into thirteen equal parts and on each
part I place a note of the chromatic scale consecutively is. C, C, D, D E &c.
to C and this must be duplicated below thus
CCD DE F FGGA | AB
CD DE FFG | G | A
This will form the slide.
AB
C
In front of this slide is a keyboard plan perforated in such manner that each
perforation will always be filled by one part of the slide.
For this purpose the proportions of the black and white keys may be slightly
varied on the plan. There is only one perforation necessary to each key on the
keyboard plan. The perforations on the keyboard plan are so arranged that
when the C of the lower part of the slide appears through the perforation of the
white or natural note C, the C of the upper part of the slide appears through
the perforation of the black key C, and so on, that is to say that the following
chromatic note from the white key perforation is on the upper part of the slide
and the following chromatic note from the black key perforation will be on the
lower part of the slide, except where there is only a semitone between the white
keys in which case they will both be on the lower part and consecutive. In using
this simple apparatus, all that is required, if say the piece of music is to be trans-
posed from the key of E to the key of A. is to place the A of the slide so that it
appears through the perforation of the E of the keyboard plan, and then substitute
the notes contained in the perforations of the keyboard plan for the notes contained
in the piece of music in the key of E and the piece of music will then be trans-
posed into the key of A. This apparatus will also facilitate greatly the work of
music teachers. It is necessary to make the slide nearly twice the length of the
keyboard plan and therefore containing the chromatic scale of two octaves so
that whatever key is selected there shall be sufficient consecutive notes on the
slide to fill all perforations of the keyboard plan. It is possible to arrange that
the keyboard plan should slide behind perforations in a plane surface but this
method is not so advantageous as the foregoing.
DL: 004.
Ob 1802
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Music Transposing Apparatus.
I, GODFREY BAMBERG, of 17 Holborn, London, 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 an improved apparatus for transposing music mechanically
ID 417

page_text: from one "key" to another, by moving a slide under a perforated keyboard plan,
and substituting notes contained in the slider, which appear through the perforations
of the keyboard plan, for the notes in the piece to be transposed, instead of having
to raise or lower the "key" by calculation of each individual note.
The annexed drawings illustrate my invention,
Figure 1 being a plan of part of a keyboard;
Figure 2 plan of the slider;
Figure 3 horizontal section on line 1-2 of Figure 1, and Figure 4 vertical
section on line 3-4 of same.
Figure 5 plan of the apparatus complete with the slider shown partly drawn out
for transposing.
I divide the length of one octave of the keyboard plan a (Figure 1) into
thirteen parts, and on, or adjoining, each part place a note of the chromatic scale
consecutively viz. :-C, C, D, D, E, F, F, G up to C.
Each of these parts is perforated at unequal distances, as shown at b, b, and
correspond to one of the notes of the chromatic scale in one octave.
The keyboard, which may be constructed of stout card, papier mache, or of
wood, is provided at the back with edge strips e on which a back piece d is
secured, leaving, an intervening space between the strips c for the reception and
working of a. slider e (Figure 2). The slider e is marked off into twenty six
equal divisions, the upper half of the divisions are in black with the notes of
the chromatic scale marked in white letters, and the lower half being white with
black notes.
"
Some of these scale notes on the slider appear through the apertures in the
keyboard a, the others being covered, the movement of the slider altering the
designation of the notes on the keyboard to correspond with those of the "key
to which the piece of music is to be transposed. Thus, if the song (or other piece
of music) is written in the key of E, and it is desired to transpose it into the key
of A, the slider must be moved until the letter A appears through the perforation of
the E key of the keyboard plan. The notes which then appear through the a
apertures in the keyboard are substituted for the notes written in the music to be
transposed.
It is necessary to make the slider nearly twice as long as the keyboard plan,
and therefore containing the chromatic scale of two octaves, so that whatever key
is selected, there shall be sufficient notes on the slider to fill all perforations in the a
keyboard plan.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The construction of music transposing apparatus consisting of a keyboard plan
with the respective keys perforated at unequal distances apart, and an adjustable
slider at the back of same, divided and marked with the notes of the chromatic
scale, which may be caused to appear through the apertures of the keyboard, for.
the purpose, and in the manner described, and as shown.
The 20th day of In 1902
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fieet Street, London,
Agent for the said Godfrey Bamberg.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fieet Street, London,
Agent for the said Godfrey Bamberg.