US3562394A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic musical instrument with finger-depressable note heads on musical score
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-02-18
•
Granted: 1971-02-09
•
Expires: 1989-02-18
Abstract
Abstract An electrically operated musical device with controls and tones resembling an electric organ, whose tunes are programmed by exchangeable scores that the performer plays by finger pressure seriatim upon their semiattached note heads. When in playing position, a score adapted for the device, that may be a page in a book of such scores, is-in effect-its keyboard, being in preferred size somewhat larger than conventional sheet music to make room for note heads big enough for the finger tips. Finger pressure upon each such note head transfers its effect to subjacent metallic connective pieces. Each such metallic piece, when it descends, connects electrically across an appropriate pair of subjacent conductor bars that interconnect with the pitch-determining electronic elements of an associated control console and oscillator-emplifier-loudspeaker system. The performer need not know the code of musical scoring to play a tune; the score in playing position determines for him what note sequence will issue forth as he touches the note heads one after the other.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul Edwin Kiepe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 04:50
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B15/00; G09B15/02; G09B15/04; G10; G10G; G10G7/00; G10G7/02; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/32; G10H1/34; G10H2220/00; G10H2220/155; G10H2220/221; G10H2220/236
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
An electrically operated musical device that provides a keyboard in the form of an exchangeable musical score with depressable note heads, said note heads being the effective heads of momentary-contact electrical pushbutton switches adapted to fingertip pressure that control the utterances of an interconnected oscillator-amplfiier-loudspeaker system through circuitry wherewith a sound for each musical staff position gains expression when the performer touches a note head in that score position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
69 words
An electrically operated musical device that provides a keyboard in the form of an exchangeable musical score with depressable note heads, said note heads being the effective heads of momentary-contact electrical pushbutton switches adapted to fingertip pressure that control the utterances of an interconnected oscillator-amplfiier-loudspeaker system through circuitry wherewith a sound for each musical staff position gains expression when the performer touches a note head in that score position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
The electrically operated musical device of claim 1 in combination with a sharp/flat control that provides hand-operated switching for the performer that employs and disemploys pitch determinators within the said oscillator to raise by a half tone, and to lower by a half tone, the pitch of any musical sound brought to utterance by the performer''s touch upon a note head.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
86 words
The electrically operated musical device of claim 1 in combination with a quick-operating musical-key changer that provides an integrated array of halftone-controlling electronic elements interconnected with a corresponding array of hand-operated electrical switches whose options change in a trice that tuning of said oscillator''s gamut from one musical key to another through circuitry wherewith each one of said switches provides the tones of said oscillator with a sharp option, a flat option, and a natural option through interconnected pitch determinators that said switches employ and disemploy.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The electrically operated musical device of claim 1 in the combination with a variable volume control for performer manipulation that so interconnects with the said amplifier-loudspeader arrangement''s volume determinators as to control the musical expression of any sound brought to utterance by the performer''s touch upon a note head.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
The electrically operated musical device of claim 1 in combination with a timbre control that provides hand-operated switching for the performer to employ and disemploy tone formants in the said osicllator that alter the wave form of oscillator output in options to produce utterances imitative of musical-instrument sounds, percussive sounds, and other sounds brought to utterance by the performer''s touch upon a note head.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
140 words
The electrically operated musical device of claim 1 structured in a combination of the said exchangeable score and a console that provides a dEsklike supporting surface with a score holder for said exchangeable score, an array of conductor bars subjacent to said score when within said score holder, and a switch space containing switch levers for controlling organlike tone, pitch, and volume options, said conductor bars being interconnected with said oscillator by pairs in a circuit arrangement where contact between pair members brings on a musical-tone utterance, said array of conductor bars lying subjacent to said exchangeable score within its holder so that each pair of conductor bars (by being suitably embedded in the upper surface of said console) controls a tonal utterance in pitch corresponding to the score position of each said depressable note head that lies immediately above.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
The electrically operated musical device of claim 1 in combination with a director''s override system that provides a disconnectably connectable sharp/flat control for the said oscillator-amplifier for operation remotely by one other than the performer to add and to subtract pitch to and from any musical sound brought to utterance by the performer''s touch upon a note head.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The electrically operated musical device of claim 1 in combination with a director''s override system that provides a disconnectably connectable volume control for the said oscillator-amplifier for operation remotely by one other than the performer to add and to subtract volume to and from any musical sound brought to utterance by the performer''s touch upon a note head.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A musical score mechanism which provides a musical score of semirigid material whose face bears the staves and the notes of musical notation, with heads of the notes discrete from said score sheet but kept snugly, yet flexibly, attached to said score so as to be depressable, and with a metallic connective piece attached subjacent to each such note head.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
A musical score mechanism which provides a musical score of semirigid material whose face bears the staves and the notes of musical notation, with heads of the notes discrete from said score sheet but kept snugly, yet flexibly, attached to said score so as to be depressable, and with a metallic connective piece attached subjacent to each such note head.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The musical score of claim 9 with staves, musical symbols, and note-head surfaces made in a tactility enough different from nearby surfaces to inform the blind.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
The musical score of claim 9 with said note heads formed in the shape of rectangles whose lateral dimension occurs in graduated standard lengths so as to constitute a readable code for telling the performer each note''s musical time value according to a system where longer note heads mean longer time values.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The musical score of claim 9 with said note heads so formed in shapes apparent at once to sight as constitute an immediately readable code for telling the performer musical time values.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The musical score of claim 9 with said note heads so formed in shapes apparent in a trice to touch as to constitute an immediately readable code for telling the blind performer musical time values.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
143 words
The musical score of claim 9 in a multiple arrangement that provides in a booklike form several such scores as pages, with a subjacent array of conductor bars beneath said metallic connective pieces, individual bars of said array being formed in pairs of conductor bars that lie directly beneath said metallic connective pieces so as to interconnect therewith as the related members of momentary-contact electrical switches, said array being contained in a layer of dielectric material cemented to the nether side of said musical score, said array being intracircuited with corresponding members within the booklike pages then terminaled at its distal end so as to be connectable disconnectably to a musical device suitably made for its accommodation in such manner as to make the said musical score in booklike form the keyboard of the said device, its means of being brought to utterance.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US672678A
Cited
US1821311A
Cited
US2516579A
Cited
US2879685A
Cited
US2888849A
Cited
US3186291A
Cited
US3460425A
Cited
US3394625A
Cited
US3376778A
Cited
US3470785A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-02-08 | 1974-08-10 | 1975-02-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-02-08 | 1978-08-10 | 1979-02-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-02-08 | 1982-08-10 | 1983-02-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |