Musical instrument

Claim 2

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; and d. an auxiliary manual of keys disposed at the rear of one of said upper and lower manuals and substantially at the same level and all constructed to effect transfer of the same tone signals to said output means as are transferred by the immediately adjacent keys of said one manual, the keys of said auxiliary manual having a center-to-center spacing at least as great as that of said upper and lower manuals.

Claim 3

an auxiliAry manual of individual resilient plastic keys, each of said keys being rigidly secured at its rear end to said frame and being deflectable at its forward end as a cantilever by bending of plastic in response to fingering thereof, the upper surface of all said auxiliary keys lying in a common plane, each of said plastic keys including an actuator portion integral with the lower side thereof at a movable portion of such key, and

Claim 4

an auxiliAry manual of individual resilient plastic keys, each of said keys being rigidly secured at its rear end to said frame and being deflectable at its forward end as a cantilever by bending of plastic in response to fingering thereof, the upper surface of all said auxiliary keys lying in a common plane, each of said plastic keys including an actuator portion integral with the lower side thereof at a movable portion of such key, and

Claim 5

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; and d. an auxiliary keyboard having two manuals of keys disposed at the rear of one of said upper and lower manuals, a first of said auxiliary manuals including a set of chromatic keys respectively aligned with the keys of said one manual, and all such chromatic keys lying in a common plane, and a second of said auxiliary manuals including a set of keys each aligned with a plurality of the keys in said one manual, said auxiliary manuals being operative to effect transfer of the same tone signals to said output means as are transferred by said one manual.

Claim 6

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; and d. an auxiliary keyboard having two manuals of keys disposed at the rear of one of said upper and lower manuals, a first of said auxiliary manuals including a set of chromatic keys respectively aligned with the keys of said one manual, and all such chromatic keys lying in a common plane, and a second of said auxiliary manuals including a set of keys each aligned with a plurality of the keys in said one manual, said auxiliary manuals being operative to effect transfer of the same tone signals to said output means as are transferred by said one manual.

Claim 7

An organ as claimed in claim 2 wherein the auxiliary keyboard is disposed at the rear of said upper key manual.

Claim 8

a set of key switches disposed beneath said cantilevered keys, and each including a movable element engaged by said actuator portion of the associated key, said key switches being connected to said tone signal sources for effecting transfer of tone signals to said output means.

Claim 9

a set of key switches disposed beneath said cantilevered keys, and each including a movable element engaged by said actuator portion of the associated key, said key switches being connected to said tone signal sources for effecting transfer of tone signals to said output means.

Claim 10

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; and d. an auxiliary manual of keys disposed at the rear of one of said upper and lower manuals and all constructed to effect transfer of the same tone signals to said output means as are transferred by the keys of said one manual, each of said auxiliary keys being aligned with a plurality of keys in said one manual, and each being operative to effect transfer oF the same tone signals to said output means as are transferred by said plurality of keys of said one manual.

Claim 11

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; and d. an auxiliary manual of keys disposed at the rear of one of said upper and lower manuals and all constructed to effect transfer of the same tone signals to said output means as are transferred by the keys of said one manual, each of said auxiliary keys being aligned with a plurality of keys in said one manual, and each being operative to effect transfer oF the same tone signals to said output means as are transferred by said plurality of keys of said one manual.

Claim 12

An organ as claimed in claim 4 wherein said transfer by said auxiliary keys is under the further control of the keys of the other of said upper and lower manuals.

Claim 13

An organ as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of said auxiliary keys is aligned with three keys in said one manual.

Claim 14

An organ as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of said auxiliary keys has a lateral extension operative to effect transfer of one of the tone signals associated with an immediately adjacent key, the frequency of said one tone signal being the one nearest to those of the said plurality of keys.

Claim 15

An organ as claimed in claim 7 wherein said immediately adjacent key is the next higher pitched key.

Claim 16

An organ as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of said auxiliary keys is operative to transfer a maximum of four chromatically consecutive tone signals.

Claim 17

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. a chromatic key manual, of the type wherein the black keys extend upwardly from the white keys, constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; and d. an auxiliary keyboard having at least one manual of keys disposed at the rear of and near the level of said first named manual, said auxiliary keys respectively aligned with the keys of said first named manual and all said auxiliary keys having fingered surfaces lying in a common plane, said auxiliary keys being operative to effect transfer of the same tone signals to said output means as are transferred by said first named manual.

Claim 18

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. a chromatic key manual, of the type wherein the black keys extend upwardly from the white keys, constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; and d. an auxiliary keyboard having at least one manual of keys disposed at the rear of and near the level of said first named manual, said auxiliary keys respectively aligned with the keys of said first named manual and all said auxiliary keys having fingered surfaces lying in a common plane, said auxiliary keys being operative to effect transfer of the same tone signals to said output means as are transferred by said first named manual.

Claim 19

An organ as claimed in claim 10 in which said first named manual comprises an upper and a lower key manual, said auxiliary keyboard being disposed at the rear of one of said upper and lower key manuals, said transfer by said auxiliary keys being under the further control of the keys of the other of said upper and lower manuals.

Claim 20

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; d. an auxiliary manual of keys disposed at the rear of one of said upper and lower manuals; e. a set of key switches under the control of the other of said upper and lower manuals; and f. a set of switch structures respectively operatively associated with each of said auxiliary keys, and each having a first element electrically connected to one of said tone signal sources respectively which are controlled by said one manual, a second element common to all said switch structures and engageable with the first elements for also effecting transfer of the tone signals to said converting means, and a third element engageable with the corresponding first element and connected in series with said set of key switches for still further effecting transfer of the tone signals to said output means when a corresponding key of said other manual is depressed.

Claim 21

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; d. an auxiliary manual of keys disposed at the rear of one of said upper and lower manuals; e. a set of key switches under the control of the other of said upper and lower manuals; and f. a set of switch structures respectively operatively associated with each of said auxiliary keys, and each having a first element electrically connected to one of said tone signal sources respectively which are controlled by said one manual, a second element common to all said switch structures and engageable with the first elements for also effecting transfer of the tone signals to said converting means, and a third element engageable with the corresponding first element and connected in series with said set of key switches for still further effecting transfer of the tone signals to said output means when a corresponding key of said other manual is depressed.

Claim 22

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. a chromatic key manual, of the type wherein the black keys extend upwardly from the white keys, constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; and d. an auxiliary keyboard comprising,

Claim 23

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. a chromatic key manual, of the type wherein the black keys extend upwardly from the white keys, constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; and d. an auxiliary keyboard comprising,

Claim 24

An organ as claimed in claim 13 wherein each of said cantilevered plastic keys simultaneously mechanically actuates a plurality of said key switches.

Claim 25

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; d. an arpeggio keyboard having a series of keys wherein the fingering surfaces lie in a common plane; e. a series of key switches comprising a number of groups of switches which number corresponds to the number of arpeggio keys, each said group of switches being responsive to one of said arpeggio keys, and being operative to tentatively couple a corresponding group of said signal sources associated with one of said manuals to said output means; and f. a further series of key switches respectively under the control of the keys of the other of said manuals, and respectively connected in series with corresponding arpeggio key switches for completing said coupling.

Claim 26

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; d. an arpeggio keyboard having a series of keys wherein the fingering surfaces lie in a common plane; e. a series of key switches comprising a number of groups of switches which number corresponds to the number of arpeggio keys, each said group of switches being responsive to one of said arpeggio keys, and being operative to tentatively couple a corresponding group of said signal sources associated with one of said manuals to said output means; and f. a further series of key switches respectively under the control of the keys of the other of said manuals, and respectively connected in series with corresponding arpeggio key switches for completing said coupling.

Claim 27

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; d. an arpeggio keyboard having a series of keys wherein the fingering surfaces lie in a common plane, the keys of said arpeggio keyboard having a center-to-center spacing at least as great as that of said upper and lower key manuals; e. a series of key switches, each of said switches being responsive to one of said arpeggio keys, and being operative to tentatively couple a corresponding signal source associated with one of said manuals to said output means; and f. a further series of key switches respectively under the control of the keys of the other of said manuals, and respectively connected in series with corresponding arpeggio key switches for completing said coupling.

Claim 28

A musical organ comprising in combination: a. a series of tone signal sources having frequencies corresponding to a chromatic musical scale; b. output means for converting tone signals produced by said tone signal sources into audible sounds; c. an upper key manual and a lower key manual each constructed to effect transfer of tone signals from said sources to said output means; d. an arpeggio keyboard having a series of keys wherein the fingering surfaces lie in a common plane, the keys of said arpeggio keyboard having a center-to-center spacing at least as great as that of said upper and lower key manuals; e. a series of key switches, each of said switches being responsive to one of said arpeggio keys, and being operative to tentatively couple a corresponding signal source associated with one of said manuals to said output means; and f. a further series of key switches respectively under the control of the keys of the other of said manuals, and respectively connected in series with corresponding arpeggio key switches for completing said coupling.