Abstract: The disclosed system for correcting excessive horizontal blanking of color television signals, separates the luminance and chrominance components of the television signal, separately expands or stretches the luminance and chrominance components, corrects the error in the color subcarrier caused by expansion of the chrominance component, and combines the expanded luminance and chrominance components. The system may be implemented in either the analog domain or the digital domain, the latter being preferred because the circuits are less critical and the quality of performance is substantially constant.

Abstract: A musical keyboard instrument is disclosed for recording and storing a musical performance and then automatically playing back the performance. As is conventional, a keyboard having a plurality of keys is provided, along with musical tone generators that are associated with the keys. In accordance with the disclosed invention, means are provided for sensing, at a sensing time, those of the keys which are activated. A sequence of frames are generated, each frame including digital information representative of the keys that are activated at a given sensing time. The duration of each frame is a function of the relative locations of the keys activated at a given sensing time, and is therefore a duration which can vary from frame to frame. Each sensing time is determined by the previously completed frame, i.e., when a frame is complete, the statuses of the keys are again sensed so that the next frame can be generated. The sequences of frames are stored on magnetic tape.

Abstract: In television apparatus for producing signals for displaying simultaneously a succession of time-separated images of an object moving over a selectable time period in an otherwise static scene, the effect of the display is improved, particularly in situations where there is partial overlap of successive images of the object, by causing the latest image of the moving object to take precedence over the next previous image.

Abstract: The electric Spanish guitar incorporates a unitary nut element which has a plurality of edges offset from each other, the offsets being such that each string bends sharply at two places before being secured to a turning screw. Such edges for each string are at the ends of a passage through which the string passes. The axis of each passage is inclined relative to the axis of the guitar neck, thus producing the indicated offset. The inclination of each passage is such that each bend is through an angle in excess of 10 degrees and preferably in excess of 15 degrees. The nut is mounted fixedly on the neck of the Spanish guitar, in the same location normally occupied by a conventional nut, and in place of such conventional nut.

Abstract: The keyboard for pianos and similar musical instruments has key shanks (levers) formed of structural foam containing glass fibers, there being only one shank construction for all the white keys and another for all the black. The shanks are connected, at their outer ends, to self-positioning hollow key caps. Each shank rests, at a laterally thickened central portion, on a synthetic resin balance rail from which an integral balance pin projects into a slot in such central portion. The outer end of each shank rests on a synthetic resin guide rail having a guide pin formed integrally therewith and extending into the shank. The laterally thickened central portions of the shanks are sufficiently close to each other to provide a strengthening effect creating much resistance to side forces such as occur, for example, during shipment. The balance rail and guide rail, with their integral pins, are injection molded of solid synthetic resin.

Abstract: A rigid, hollow transparent ball has a figure therewithin. As the ball rotates, the figure is rotated by the mesh between a gear fixed to the figure and a gear fixed to the inner surface of the ball.

Abstract: An electronic circuit for simulating the sound of a skin head percussive instrument struck with a stick includes a pair of ringing oscillators of different frequencies both triggered by pulses from the rhythm pattern generator of an electronic organ, a circuit for combining the output signals from the two ringing oscillators in preselected amplitude proportions, and a circuit for distorting the combined signal in such a way as to non-linearly amplify the combined signal so as to produce an electrical signal having characteristics such that when acoustically reproduced produces a sound highly simulative of that produced when the membrane of a skin head instrument is struck with a stick.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for eliminating deadband effects in digital recursive filters caused by rounding of the quantization of products within the filter, wherein the product is represented by a digital word, consists of truncating the absolute value of the product-representing word to the next lower digit by dropping a number of least significant digits determined by the value of the multiplier and if any of the dropped digits is a "one", adding a least significant "one" to the truncated number while retaining the sign of the pre-truncated word, and repeating the process at the cycling frequency of the filter, until a steady state is reached at which the difference between the input and output of the filter becomes zero. The concept is described as embodied in a digital system utilizing a recursive filter for reducing noise in a color television signal.

Abstract: The connector hardware portion of each percussive musical instrument or accessory comprises strong, practical, rugged, and economical connector parts, one of which is a clamp adapted to grip solidly onto a tube at any desired rotated and axial position, and the other (second) of which is connected to a percussive instrument or accessory portion and is adapted to lock onto the clamp in a way that prevents both rotational and axial shifting relative thereto. The locking is effected in a readily removable manner, as by means including a set screw, and the relationship is such that there can be only one position of the other (second) part relative to the clamp after locking has occurred. Therefore, once the clamp is initially set at a desired rotated and axial position, there is an automatic rotational and axial "indexing" which permits any number of separations and re-connections of the two parts (and of the percussive instrument or accessory) without permitting the locked positions to change.

Abstract: An electronic musical circuit simulates the sound of a wire brush rotated around the head of a snare drum by differently amplitude modulating and bandpass filtering in separate channels a noise signal derived from a suitable source and summing the modulated and filtered noise signals from the separate channels to produce a sound imitative of the rhythmic variations in pitch and amplitude produced by wire brush rotation on the head of a snare drum.

Abstract: Television apparatus for producing signals for displaying simultaneously a succession of separated images of an object moving over a selectable time period in an otherwise substantially static scene so that the trajectory of the object can be viewed. The effect is achieved by storing, at the start of the selectable time period, a television frame in a suitable storage device and periodically comparing the stored frame with television frames arriving subsequently during the selectable time period, and upon detection of differences between corresponding picture elements of the stored and subsequently arriving frames, substituting the picture elements that caused the detected difference in the stored frame. The system identifies such substituted picture elements and ensures that the same picture elements are not again substituted during the selectable time period.

Abstract: In a circuit for simulating the sound produced when a stringed instrument, such as a bass viol, is plucked, square wave signals of different frequencies from a tone generator are combined to produce a synthesized sawtooth waveform which is applied to a low pass filter to remove the extremely high order harmonics, and then applied to an amplifier the gain of which is controlled in accordance with an envelope signal having a fast attack and a relatively slow decay. The resulting amplified signal is applied to an off-center-biased amplifier which alters the harmonic content of the output signal as a function of decay time such that when the signal is acoustically reproduced it closely simulates the sound produced when a bass viol string is plucked.

Abstract: An organ stop switching system includes a plurality of stop switches and a random access memory within which combinations of stop switch settings are stored. The stop switch settings are multiplexed into a memory loop having a capacity fractionally smaller than the random access memory. This loop is used for an input and an output circuit for the random access memory during time slots corresponding to numbered pistons selected for storing and recalling stop setting combinations. A serial-to-parallel converter receives information from the memory loop and provides outputs for operating stop control circuitry of the organ.

Abstract: The disclosed airbrush has an elongated body formed in one piece, as by a molding from plastics material, having an internal cylindrical bore defining a cavity in which other elements are contained. A carrier member assembled within and sealed for a portion of its length to the cylindrical bore supports the point of a needle at a predetermined distance from the forward end of the body and has an internal passageway for the paint. The cylindrical bore is closed at its forward end by a cap threadably attached to the body, inside which is threadably secured a jet through which the point of the needle extends. The carrier member is shaped to provide, in association with the internal bore of the body, a passage for air to the cap and jet region of the airbrush. Adjustment of the longitudinal position of the cap on the body moves the jet with respect to the stationary needle to provide regulation of the amount of paint flow.

Abstract: In television apparatus for producing signals for displaying simultaneously a succession of separated images of an object moving over a selectable time period in an otherwise static scene, the viewability of the display is improved by enhancing the contrast, either continuously or intermittently, between the images of the moving object and the background. This is accomplished by altering the amplitude of signals representing the images of the moving objects relative to the amplitude of signals representing the background.