Pedal switching sustain and cancellation circuit for an electronic musical instrument

Claim 1

A SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR AN ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF LIKE SIGNAL INPUT CONNECTIONS, A COMMON SIGNAL OUTPUT CONNECTION, A PLURALITY OF LIKE MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SIGNAL INPUT CONNECTIONS AND SAID SIGNAL OUTPUT CONNECTION AND EACH INCLUDING A SERIES CONNECTED DIODE NORMALLY BLOCKING TRANSMISSION OF A SIGNAL FROM THE RESPECTIVE SIGNAL INPUT CONNECTION TO SAID SIGNAL OUTPUT CONNECTION, A NORMALLY NONCONDUCTING GAS TUBE, MEANS CONNECTING SAID GAS TUBE TO ONE SIDE OF SAID DIODE, A COMMON SOURCE OF DIRECT CURRENT POTENTIAL OF FIRST POLARITY, A SECOND SOURCE OF DIRECT CURRENT POTENTIAL OF OPPOSITE POLARITY, MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF NORMALLY OPEN MANUALLY CONTROLLED SWITCHES RESPECTIVELY INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND SOURCES OF DIRECT CURRENT POTENTIAL AND SAID GAS TUBES, MEANS PROVIDING A COMMON RETURN FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF EACH DIODE TO SAID SOURCE OF POTENTIAL, CLOSURE OF ONE OF THE SWITHCES CAUSING CONDUCTION OF THE RESPECTIVE GAS TUBE AND APPLYING DIRECT CURRENT POTENTIAL FROM SAID SOURCE TO THE RESPECTIVE DIODE TO EFFECT CONDUCTION THEREOF, CONDUCTION OF SAID RESPECTIVE DIODE BEING EFFECTIVE TO CARRY A SIGNAL THROUGH FROM THE RESPECTIVE SIGNAL INPUT CONNECTION TO SAID SIGNAL OUTPUT CONNECTION, CLOSURE OF SAID ONE OF SAID SWITCHES EFFECTING CONNECTION OF SAID SECOND SOURCE TO ALL OF SAID GAS TUBES EXCEPT SAID RESPECTIVE GAS TUBE TO EFFECT FIRING THEREOF AND THEREBY APPLYING DIRECT CURRENT POTENTIAL FROM SAID SECOND SOURCE TO ALL OF SAID DIODES EXCEPT SAID RESPECTIVE DIODE POSITIVELY TO BIAS SUCH DIODES OFF.