US1328718A - Musical-notation indicator - Google Patents

Description

1. (JOHN...

' MUSICAL NOTATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5 1916.

1 328,7 1 8. Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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MUSICAL NOTATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5. I916.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I/E/i ATTORNEY.

J. COHN.

MUSICAL NOTATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1916.

Patented Jan.20,1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

J. COHN.

MUSICAL NOTATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5. 1916..

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

:fl] ::ID I Y III III ""II II """I" Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

J OHANNA (JOHN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MUSICAL-NOTATION INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

Application filed December 5, 1916. Serial No. 135,149.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANXA Conn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Xew York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical-Notation Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instructors and the method of using the same whereby certain mechanicatmeans are connected with the keys of a piano or other instrument so that the pupil may combine with the sound of the note certain movements or indications by corresponding visual characters. These. characters may be pointers, fingers or similar devices or may consist of printed or painted objects or figures, each corresponding with a note or sound in order to associate the two in the mind of the student and constitute an instantaneous sight reading and ear training method so necessary in the kindergarten stage of musical instruction,. all of which will be more fully described in the following specification,'set forth in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein 2 Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a key board with the G note indicatorsthrown down.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of part of a key board with indicators which areto be thrown down from above.

Fig. 4.- is a sectional view through the box containing the same. t

Fig. 5 is an end view of the box.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of part of a piano key board with a chart upon which the note is exhibited as the key is struck.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the same.

Fig. 8 is a modification of the attaching means for the note displayer.

Fig. 9 shows how the notes may be hinged to a rod or line.

Fig. 10 shows how the note may be adapted to slide along the rod.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of part of a key board with a chart having notes and in dicators to be displayed when the keys are struck.

Fig. 12 is a detail showing the note with its name and sound indicated and to be automatically displayed with the pointer.

A preferred form of the device is a box 20 containing a series of longitudinal bars 21 each elevated or stepped above its front bar and rotatable. Each bar also carries designating fingers 22 to correspond with notes of the same name through a plurality of octaves and has a lever 23 to rock it. In Fig. 1 the fingers of the C note are thrown down showing the pupil the location of this note on the whole key board. To further identify these fingers 22their levers 23 are marked with some device the first letter in whose name corresponds with the letter of the note. For instance the A note lever is marked with an apple, and the B note with a boy, the D note with a dog and the same with the balance of the seven notes and in order that the fingers 23 may all locate directly on the keys it is necessary for some of them to be off-set as at 24 according to the location of their respective bars above the level of the keys.

The location of these indicating fingers need not be limited to the front of the key board but the box 25 shown in Fig. 3 may be located at the back ofthe keys and the designating fingers 26 carried by bars 27, each'bar having a crank arm 28 at its end. A single lever 29 is pivoted at this end of the box and has an arm 30 carrying a link 31 with a hook 32 at its end to engage the crank arm 28 of any one of the bars 27 to throw down the fingers indicating a certain note. As shown in Fig. 5 the lever 29 is connected with the A note indicators and is arranged to throw them down along the key board. The fingers 26 may also be provided with some distinctive object as above described for 23 to connect the sound of the note with some visible object.

In order to combine the operation of the key with the display of the corresponding note on the staff, the means shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8,'is used and consists of a series of stems 10 hingedto a back or base at 11 and having a collar 12 to prevent its dropping through the sleeve which constitutes the hinge. A spring 13 and stop at limit each stem to a normal edge exposure and they are rotated by the bell-crank levers 45, one arm of which plays against a flange 16 at the lower end of the stem while the other end is connected with tine of the keys by means of a link a7, and when a key is struck, as shown in Fig. 6, the note is exhibited on the staff. In Fig. 7 the lower end of the link 47 is shown pinned in the socket 18 of the kev but where the device is to be temporarily applied to a piano the rod 47 may be carried by a metal strip 49 with a hooked end 50 to fit over the bead at the front end of the key and requires no attaching means which would mar the instrument.

As a useful means for also exhibiting the notes, the lines 33 may have hinged to them the notes 51 and by this simple construction they may be turned edgewise, to be unobservable, or turned flat to show the note as will be seen in Fig. 9, A modification of the above will be seen in Fig. 10 where wircs may be used for the lines of the stall and sleeves 50 be adapted to slide thereon so that the notes may be appropriately located. The notes 57 are hinged to thesev sleeves and are adapted to be displayed when properly located.

A simple means of indicating the key to be struck to identify a certain note is shown in Fig. 11 where the stem of the note is hinged to a board at 53 and has an indicator 54 at its lower end and when the note and indicators are turned the equivalent key is pointed to. The stem 55 oi the note also shown in Fig. 12 is hinged and has wings 56 and 57 connected by a cord 58 running through an eye 59 so that when the stem and indicator are turned and exhibited, the cord also opens the wing 56 and the name and letter of the note is shown.

It is obvious that various other means for associating the work of the eyes and ears and at the same time exciting an interest in the study of music, especially in young people, may be adopted and embraced in the scope oi the appended claims. It is also a well. known fact that childrens senses are quickly attracted by moving objects so as to associate moving designators with the note and both will be quickly and deeply impressed upon the youthful mind.

WVhat I claim as new is:

1. In a musical indicator, the combination with portable supporting means adapted to be located adjacent the keys of a musical instrument, of pivoted indicators representing keys and their notes and adapted to be moved in and out of display, and means for displaying and associating the in dicators with their respective keys sychronously with the operation of the latter.

2. In a musical indicator, the combination with portable supporting means adapted to be located in front of a musical instrument and adjacent its keys, of pivoted indicators representing the notes of the instrument and movable on the supporting means close to the keys, and actuators connecting the keys with the indicators to operate the latter and have them correspond with the notes and sounds when the keys are struck.

3. In a musical indicator, the combination of a chart adapted to be located adjacent the keys of a musical instrument and having a musical staff, stems with heads representing notes and normally hinged edgewise on the chartand the heads appropriately located adjacent the staff, arms at the lower ends of the stems, bell crank levers operating the arms, and means connecting each of the levers with a key so that a note is indi cated on the staff when the corresponding key is struck.

at. In a musical indicator, the combination of a detachable portable supporting means adapted to be located above the keys of a musical instrument, pivoted indicators on the supporting means representing each key of the instrument and each indicator adapted when its corresponding key is struck to be actuated so that the sensations of sound, sight and touch are simultaneously expcrienced by the operator, and actuating means connecting each key with an indicator.

Signed at New York, in the county 01 New York, and State of New York, this 1st day of December A. D. 1916.

' JOHANNA COI-IN.

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