Electronic rhythm apparatus for a musical instrument

Claim 1

In an electronic organ of the type that includes at least one manual and a pedal division, an electronic rhythm device which comprises: 1. an electronic rhythm programmer having a plurality of output leads, said programmer producing a series of timed output pulses on said leads in a predetermined sequence; 2. a plurality of electronic percussion generators connected, on a one-to-one basis, with the output leads of said programmer, each generator producing an output signal imitative of a particular percussion instrument in response to an output pulse from said programmer; 3. first switch means, interposed between the output leads of said programmer and said percussion generators, for selectively breaking the connection between particular ones of said output leads and the corresponding percussion generator, in accordance with the rhythm desired; 4. a second switch means associated with the input of each of said plurality of percussion generators, each said second switch means having a normally closed contact connecting, via said first switch means, with a corresponding output lead of said programmer, and a normally open contact; 5. a first pulse generator connected to the at least one manual of said organ and generating an output pulse in response to the actuation of any one of the keys of said manual; 6. a second pulse generator connected to the pedal division of said organ and generating an output pulse in response to the actuation of any one of said pedals; 7. a plurality of ganged, third switch means each having a normally closed and a normally open contact, said plurality of third switch means being functionally divided into a first group and a second group, the output of said first pulse generator being connected in common to all of the normally open contacts of said first group, and the output of said second pulse generator being connected in common to all of the normally open contacts of said second group; 8. a first plurality of leads interconnecting the normally open contacts of the second switch means associated with certain ones of said percussion generators to the armatures of the third switch means in said first group; and 9. a second plurality of leads interconnecting the normally open contacts of the second switch means associated with the remainder of said percussion generators to the armatures of the third switch means in said second group, whereby when a given one of said second switch means is moved from the normally closed to the normally open position the corresponding percussion generator no longer sounds under control of the rhythm programmer and if, in addition, the ganged, third switch means is moved to the normally open position, the said percussion generator will sound under control of the pedal division or manual, as the case may be.