IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE PERFORMANCE OF CHURCH AND OTHER MUSIC ON ORGANS, HAR- MONIUMS, PIANOS, AND OTHER SIMILAR KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th July
1855. A communication.
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I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR
FACILITATING THE PERFORMANCE OF CHURCH AND OTHER MUSIC ON ORGANS, HAR-
MONIUMS, PIANOS, AND OTHER SIMILAR KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," a communica-
tion from Francois Guichené, a foreigner resident abroad, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of appa-
ratus to be fitted over the keys of an organ, harmonium, piano, or other similar
keyed instrument, whereby any performer who is capable only of reading or
playing one note at a time may, by depressing such notes singly, produce any
of the chords or harmonies required in church music, or in the performance of
other musical pieces. The apparatus consists of a square frame, which is placed
vertically over the keys of the instrument to be played upon. This frame is
fitted with a number of horizontal bars of wood or other suitable material,
placed one above the other and moving vertically in the frame. Through each
of these horizontal bars are passed loosely a series of vertical rods or wires,

page_text: baving small stop pins passed transversely through them at certain places, for
the purpose herein-after described. These rods or wires project through the
lower side of the frame, and rest with their lower ends upon the several keys
of the organ, if that be the instrument to be played. Immediately behind the
horizontal moveable bars are arranged a number of vertical bars, attached to or
suspended at their upper ends to spiral or other springs, whilst their lower
extremities are connected to a set of keys which are fitted into the apparatus,
and which are to be operated upon by the performer. These vertical bars are
each connected with one of the horizontal bars by connecting rods and suitable
attachments, so that on depressing any one of the keys in the apparatus, the
corresponding vertical bar will be simultaneously lowered, bringing down with
it the horizontal bar attached to it, which will in its descent depress a certain
number of the rods or wires, according to the arrangement of the stops or
small transverse pins in such wires. As these rods or wires correspond with
the keys of the organ, it follows that all those keys will be depressed which
correspond to the depressed rods or wires of the apparatus, thus producing the
chord in harmony with the single note or key which has been depressed by the
single finger of the performer. When the key is released, the vertical bar is
drawn up by its spring, and the whole mechanism resumes its original position
again. The apparatus may of course be modified considerably in size, so as to
admit of being played upon by two hands, if desirable; and by simply moving
it to one side or the other over the key board of the instrument it may be
made to transpose a piece, by playing it either in a higher or lower key,
according to the position of the apparatus.