Improved Means for Operating Harmoniums, Pianos, and other Key-board Instruments.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1890-Accepted, 30th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Operating Harmoniums, Pianos, and other
Key-board Instruments.
I, ANTHONY ZDZIARSKI, of 118, Grande Sadovaya, St. Petersburg, in the Empire
of Russia, at present residing at The Manchester Hotel, Aldersgate Street, in the
City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad from Constantin Polienoff, of Tagil, in the Government.
of Perm, in the Empire of Russia, Iron Manufacturer) to be as follows:
This invention relates to means for enabling harmoniums, pianos and other key-board
instruments, to be played without much previous practice and without detracting
altogether from the individuality of the player.
In carrying out this invention, a frame, in which is mounted a series of fingers
corresponding with the several keys, is placed over the key-board of the instrument.
The fingers are operated by electricity; and in order to control their movements,
supplementary mechanism of the following character is employed. A series of levers
corresponding with the several keys and with the fingers before referred to are in
connection with the surface of an insulated drum, or are cut off from communication
therewith by a sheet of stout paper or other suitable non-conducting material. The
insulated drum and levers are respectively in connection with the opposite poles of a
battery or other source of electrical energy. The sheet or strip of non-conducting
material is of considerable length, and is coiled upon a cylinder whence it is drawn by
means of a manually-operated feed-drum. The sheet or strip may by these means be
advanced at the proper speed between the extremities of the levers and the surface of
the insulated drum. The paper is formed with perforations arranged in suitable
positions and of suitable lengths, according to the pitch and duration of the note
required to be produced; contact being established between the levers and the
insulated drum during the passage of the perforations in the paper; the keys of the
instrument being struck and held down by the fingers at or during such periods. It
will be perceived that a person devoid of musical training may play with the aid of
this apparatus on a wind-instrument, such as a harmonium, by simply turning the
drum or cylinder, working the pedals, and manipulating the stops; no particular
dexterity of the fingers being called into requisition. Performance on a stringed
instrument, such as a piano, is even simpler-no stops having to be manipulated.
While, therefore, the mechanical part of the playing-namely, the actuation of the
keys-is effected automatically, expression may be imparted to the music according to
the taste of the performer.
It will be obvious that the respective keys may be actuated much more quickly by
the electrically-operated levers than by hand. Further, when such levers are
employed, the distance apart of two or more keys which require to be depressed
together is immaterial.
The levers may be connected to the fingers employed to depress the keys by rocking
shafts or by other suitable mechanical appliances. Or each lever may be arranged to
establish electrical communication by means of a wire with an electro-magnet applied
to each finger. According to this method of construction, a soft iron core is mounted
upon each finger, the core dipping into a solenoid coil placed opposite each finger and
in connection with the battery. Upon electrical contact being established between
the lever and the insulated drum, the wire leading to the corresponding solenoid coil
is placed in circuit, the soft iron core is sucked into the coil, and the key is struck

page_text: and held down by means of the finger until the circuit is again broken by the sheet of
paper or other non-conducting material becoming again interposed between the
extremity of the lever and the surface of the insulated drum.
Dated this 15th day of October 1889.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Operating Harmoniums, Pianos, and other
Key-board Instruments.
I, ANTHONY ZDZIARSKI, of 118, Grande Sadovaya, St. Petersburg, in the Empire
of Russia, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me from Constantin Polienoff, of Tagil, in the Government of Perm, in the Empire
of Russia, Iron Manufacturer) 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 means for enabling harmoniums, pianos and other key-
board instruments, to be played without much previous practice and without detracting
altogether from the individuality of the player.
In carrying out this invention, a frame, in which is mounted a series of fingers
corresponding with the several keys, is placed over the key-board of the instrument.
The fingers are operated by electricity; and, in order to control their movements,
supplementary mechanism of the following character may be employed :-A series of
levers corresponding with the several keys and with the fingers before referred to
are in connection with the surface of an insulated drum, or are cut off from communi-
cation there with by a sheet of stout paper or other suitable non-conducting material.
The insulated drum and levers are respectively in connection with the opposite poles
of a battery or other source of electrical energy. The sheet or strip of non-conducting
material is of considerable length, and is coiled upon a cylinder whence it is drawn
by means of a manually-operated feed-drum. The sheet or strip may by these means
be advanced at the proper speed between the extremities of the levers and the surface
of the insulated drum. The paper is formed with perforations arranged in suitable
positions and of suitable lengths, according to the pitch and duration of the note
required to be produced; contact being established between the levers and the
insulated drum during the passage of the perforations in the paper; the keys of the
instrument being struck and held down by the fingers at or during such periods.
It will be perceived that a person devoid of musical training may play with the aid
of this apparatus on a wind-instrument, such as a harmonium, by simply turning the
drum or cylinder, working the pedals, and manipulating the stops; no particular
dexterity of the fingers being called into requisition. Performance on a stringed
instrument, such as a piano, is even simpler-no stops having to be manipulated.
While, therefore, the mechanical part of the playing-namely, tho actuation of the
keys is effected automatically, expression may be imparted to the music according to
the taste of the performer.
It will be obvious that the respective keys may be operated much more quickly by
the electrically-actuated levers than by hand. Further, when such levers are employed,
the distance apart of two or more keys which require to be depressed together is
immaterial.
The levers may be connected to the fingers employed to depress the keys by rocking
shafts or by other suitable mechanical appliances. Or each lever may be arranged to
establish electrical communication by means of a wire with an electromagnet applied
to each finger. According to this method of construction, a soft iron core is mounted
upon each finger; the core dipping into a solenoid coil placed opposite each finger
and in connection with the battery. Upon electrical contact being established between

page_text: the lever and the insulated, drum, the wire leading to the corresponding solenoid coil
is placed in circuit, the soft iron core is sucked into the coil, and the key is struck
and held down by means of the finger until the circuit is again broken by the sheet
of paper or other non-conducting material becoming again interposed between the
extremity of the lever and the surface of the insulated drum.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents, in vertical section, apparatus,
for operating harmoniums, pianos and other key-board musical instruments, con-
structed according to the present invention; Fig. 2 being a plan, with part of the
cover removed, and Fig. 3 an end elevation, both drawn to a smaller scale.
e.
A is the frame of the apparatus. B are fingers which correspond with the keys on
the key-board of the instrument. are double electromagnets. care iron tubes.
The upper end of each iron tube c is turned in a lathe so as to accurately fit a hole
drilled in a square iron plate c'; the plate being subsequently secured by the expansion
of the end of the tube by means of a steel expanding tool. The lower end of each
tube is internally screw-threaded. The iron tubes c are secured to a perforated plate c
by copper thumb-screws c³, which pass through the perforations in the plate and
engage with the internal screw-threads in the ends of the tubes c. The plates c¹ do
not touch one another; spaces being left between their adjacent sides, as shewn. The
tubes c, before being secured to the plate c², are covered with vellum tracing paper,
parchment or similar material. A non-insulated copper wire d is wound spirally
round one tube of each electromagnet and thence led to and wound spirally round
the other tube. Each copper wire d is separated from the plates c¹ and by paper
or parchment rings. One end d¹ of each copper wire d is bent round a headed copper
pin The pin e passes through a hole in a copper plate f, which serves as a common
conductor. When the pin is fixed, it presses the wire to the plate. The plate has
at each end a brass angle-piece screwed to the frame A. One of these angle-pieces
carries a binding screw for connecting the wire which conducts the current from the
battery or other source of electric energy to the plate f. The current flows into the
copper plate and thence into the coils of each electromagnet. The other end d² of
each copper wire d is passed through an eye e¹ and then round a pin e fixed to the
plate f, which, in the present design, is a non-conductor. The pins e guide the wires d
so that their ends d may be brought close together and parallel with one another,
as shewn in Fig. 2. Each end d' is in electrical communication with a spring-pin g
working in guides g¹ on the plate f¹. The spring-pins pass through holes in a
guide of thick paper or cardboard h, and then come into contact with a metallic
cylinder i. The latter rotates in bearings cut in plates, one of which (k) is clearly
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. One of these plates carries a binding screw for connecting
the wire through which the current returns to the battery or other source of electric
energy. Each finger B may be made of wood and is furnished at one extremity b
with a small piece of leather, which, when the finger is actuated, presses against the
key of the musical instrument. The other extremity b¹ of each finger lies over one
of the double electromagnets C. To this extremity is screwed the armature C¹, the
position of which is adjustable. The armature consists of a central piece of iron to
each end of which is welded a copper plate. The copper disc or core ( is sucked
into one of the tubes c by the electromagnet C when the electric circuit is made by
the passage of a perforation in the sheet of perforated paper hereinafter referred
to permitting the corresponding spring-pin g to come into contact with the
cylinder i.
The apparatus may be placed on a table near the musical instrument, or may be
attached to a special frame secured to the musical instrument by hinges m. The
hinge-pins are made to withdraw in order to enable the apparatus to be readily put on
or taken from the instrument. The cover of the apparatus is secured by fastenings
such as n.
The apparatus is worked by means of a coiled strip of perforated vellum tracing
paper or thin vegetable parchment containing perforations varying in size according

page_text: to the time the different keys are required to be depressed. On the strip are printed
cross lines. The name of the piece appears at the commencement of the strip. At
the side or sides are written the notes which correspond with the perforations in the
strip of paper or parchment. The coiled strip is placed on the cover of the apparatus
between the wires o and the cylinder p, and on the cross wires q; the end of the strip
being passed under the cylinder p and the hooks r, and then under the cylinder i, the
rotation of which causes the notes to advance. On leaving the cylinder i, the strip
enters rings, such as s, in which it again becomes cciled up. When one of the spring-
pins g is separated from the cylinder i by the perforated strip, no current passes
through the corresponding electromagnet C, whose armature, attached to one of the
fingers, is therefore unattracted. When, however, a perforation comes opposite the
spring-pin g, so that the spring-pin may come into contact with the cylinder i, thus
making the circuit, a current passes through the electromagnet, whose armature is
thereupon attracted and the finger to which the armature is attached drawn down so
as to strike or depress the key of the instrument. The period of time during which
the key is depressed is determined by the length of the perforation; the perforations
varying in length according to the requirements of any particular tune.
The dummy key-board T, painted on the cover of the apparatus, is for the purpose
of enabling the player to read the passing notes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. In an electrically-operated harmonium, piano or other key-board musical
instrument, the employment of a sheet or strip of non-conducting material perforated
with holes corresponding with the notes to be sounded and serving to intercept or to
permit electrical communication between the battery or other source of electrical
energy and the mechanism for operating the striking fingers.
2. The improved means for operating harmoniums, pianos, and other key-board
musical instruments substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of July 1890
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.