Foot operated electronic musical instrument

Claim 1

A foot operated musical instrument comprising: a. a rectangular transportable housing having lateral dimensions not exceeding substantially 2 feet by 3 feet, said housing having a pair of opposed longer sides and a pair of opposed shorter sides, a flat lower supporting surface, and a flat upper surface sloping upwardly from one of said longer sides to the other of said longer sides, said housing thereby having a lower side and an upper side, b. foot pedals projecting from said upper surface, said foot pedals being elongated in a fRont to rear direction and being arranged in four parallel rows, the pedals in said rows defining a plurality of columns extending at right angles to said rows, each pedal having an upper operating area adapted to be contacted by a player''s foot, the centers of the operating areas of adjacent pedals in the same column being spaced apart by a first distance, the centers of the operating areas of adjacent pedals in the same row being spaced apart by a second distance, said second distance being approximately the same as said first distance, c. means yieldably mounting each foot pedal for depression of such foot pedal, including means biasing each foot pedal to an uppermost position, and comprising: 1. a flat strip of spring metal beneath said foot pedal and having forward and rearward projections extending respectively forwardly and rearwardly of said foot pedal, 2. first fastening means fastening said strip to the underside of said pedal, 3. second fastening means fastening said rearward projection to said housing, said first and second fastening means being spaced substantially apart and said pedal being shaped so that said operating area thereon is spaced substantially from said second fastening means, so that when said pedal is depressed, said strip will curve to allow a rolling pedal motion and when said pedal is released, said strip will return said pedal to its uppermost portion, 4. and a stop mounted on said housing and extending over said forward projection of said strip, to limit upward motion of said pedal, d. a plurality of sets of electrical contacts in said housing, one set associated with each foot pedal and each set operable on depression of its associated foot pedal, each set of contacts having first and second contact surfaces, and means mounting said contact surfaces so that one such surface will wipingly engage the other when its associated pedal is depressed, e. a plurality of circuit means in said housing, one circuit means associated with each set of contacts and being operable upon operation of its associated set of contacts, each said circuit means being adapted to cooperate with sound producing means to produce a musical note of nature dependent upon the parameters of such circuit means, f. the parameters of said circuit means being such that the notes produced by said sound producing means upon operation of successive foot pedals in a given row are successive notes of a chromatic scale, and the notes produced by said sound producing means upon operation of successive foot pedals in a given column are successive musical fourths one above the other, g. the notes of said first column being, from the low side of said housing to the high side of said housing, E, A, D and G.