US189548A - Improvement in attachments for key-board musical instruments - Google Patents

Description

G. N. C ARROZZI.

ATTACHMENTS FOR KEY-BOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 189,548. Patented April 17, 1877.

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INVENTUR N. PETERS, PHOTO-UTNOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

G. NAPOLEONE GARROZZI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ATTACHMENTS FOR KEY-BOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,548, dated April 17, 1877 application filed August 24, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. NAPOLEONE OAR- ROZZI, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Key-Board Attachment for Pianos and Organs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, which will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, and in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a piano provided with my improvements; Fig. 2, an end view of the key-board attachment; Fig. 3, a bottom view of the adjustable foot or rest, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of the pedal extension.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

In singing, or in exercising the voice in learning to sing, it is desirable that the performer, instructor, or pupil, should stand erect. It is also sometimes desirable for the singer to accompany the voice by a musical instrument, such as a piano or organ.

- The object of this invention is to adapt pianos and organs to be used in this manner with advantage and convenience; and to that end my invention consists of a key-board attachment, adapted to be applied and removed with facility, and having its keys arranged at such a height that a singer, while standing erect, may conveniently manipulate them for the purpose set forth, the keys of the attachment being also employed in connection with parts arranged to act upon the permanent keys, so as to produce the accompaniment.

My invention also consists in the means employed for the purpose of rendering the musicrack and the pedals capable of being employed with advantage in connection with an elevated key-board attachment, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawing, A represents an ordinary piano. B is the key-board. a a. are the fixed blocks or small platforms at each end of the key-board. (l is the elevated key-board attachment. This part is adapted to rest either upon the blocks a a, or upon other fixed or unyielding parts, which will offer a firm support to the attachment 0 when it is arranged for operation in connection with the key-board B.

The attachment 0 consists, in the example shown, of the parts which I will now describe. D is a horizontally-arranged board or platform, and E E are piano-keys, hinged or pivoted thereto, or otherwise adapted to be de pressed by the performer. These keys may be rendered yielding, and e c are guide-pins, which may also be employed in connection with them. F F are pins or small posts, connected to the keys E E, and resting upon the keys B B.

I deem it preferable, in order to guide the pins F F with certainty,'to make use of the lower platform or board D, through which they pass freely. G G are spiral springs surrounding the pins F F. The upper ends of these springs are attached to the pins, but the lower ends rest upon, or are attached to, the part D, the object of the springs being to render the keys E E yielding to the touch of the performer when the springs usually employed in connection with the keys B B, for a like purpose, are not sufficient to support both sets of keys. The keys E E, however, may be rendered yielding in any suitable manner. 6 c are stops to limit the upward movement of the keys E E, and may be arranged wherever they will perform this function.

The performer may sometimes wish to move some one or more of the lower keys without removing the attachment 0, and to admit of this result the board D may be arranged considerably higher than shown, and the parts of the posts F F, which then project below the board D, may bejointed, so that they may be arranged out of the way of the perforniers fingers while he may wish to use the lower key-board in the usual manner. H H are the legs or supports of the attachment. These legs are adapted to rest on the blocks a a, and are high enough to support the attachment at a suitable height.

As pianos and organs have key-boards differing from each other in length, I deem it preferable, in order to adapt the attachment to different instruments, to make the leg H laterally adjustable, as, for example, by means of the. slot h and set-screw h. One or both of the legs may also be made vertically adjustable, so that the posts F F may always be made to rest upon the lower keys, whatever the height of the blocks a a, or other supports, may be. This adjustment may be accomplished by means of the slot iand setscrew '5.

I is the music-stand. This part consists of the cross-bars J J, pivoted to each other at the ends and in the center, so as to form a vertically extensible support for the small platform or table K, pivoted at one end to the extensible frame, and slotted at the other, as shown at k, to receive the supporting-pin k, projecting from the said frame. The stand thus formed may be attached to the rear edge of the board D, or otherwise arranged thereon, so as to be conveniently used for the purpose for which it is intended.

L is the pedal-extension, consisting of the arm or treadle L, and of the parts L" L, pivoted thereto and mortised, as shown at n n, to receive the pedals of the instrument to which the key-board attachment is applied.

It will be perceived from the foregoing description that the parts embodying my invention may be used in connection with melodeons, as well as with pianos and organs, and with various styles of instruments, whether grand, upright, square, or cabinet. It is also evident that the key-board attachment may be used either with or without the extensible music-holder and pedal-extension; but that these parts are preferable, although not absolutely essential. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isr 1. The herein-described attachment for keyboard musical instruments, consisting, essentially, of the auxiliary removable key-board D 'E, the pins F F, and a frame for supporting the same, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. A removable auxiliary key-board, substantially as described, having its supports made adjustable as to length and height, as set forth.

3. The vertically-extensible music stand or holder, in combination with an auxiliary removable key-board, both together constituting an attachment, for the purposes set forth.

4:. The apparatus, substantially as herein specified, consisting of a vertically-extensible music stand or holder, an auxiliary removable key-board, and an extension pedal-lever, all adapted for operation together in connection with each other, and a key-board musical instrument having a pedal, for the purposes set forth.

G. NAPOLEONE OARROZZI. Witnesses:

F. F. WARNER, W. F. 'HARBAOK.

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