Auxiliary Patents (Class 84/425)
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Patent number: 7396987Abstract: A versatile portable keyboard musical instrument has a number of separable portions including a first keyboard portion detachable from a second supporting base portion for use alone, or the second supporting base portion may be removed from a support stand and the first portion to enable the musical instrument to be easily transported and played by a musician in any desired manner or position, such as vertically, horizontally, at an angle, or while standing, sitting down or moving across a stage or floor. The keyboard musical instrument includes cavities for insertion of a wireless MIDI device, various finger control devices, an electrical power source or adapters to be connected to a power source, to enable the instrument to be used without cables. Each of the different portions is sized and shaped with open areas or spaces for artistic appearance, to lessen the weight thereof and to serve as carrying handles.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2006Date of Patent: July 8, 2008Inventor: Charles A. Tentindo
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Patent number: 7368647Abstract: A support for a musical keyboard instrument has a first leg, a second leg and an adjuster. The first leg is pivotally connected to the second leg and a rod is formed in a sidewall of the second leg. Two first spiral surfaces are respectively formed in a free end of the rod and the adjuster is provided adjacent to the rod. The knob is formed on the adjuster and has two second spiral surfaces respectively formed thereon and mated with the first spiral surfaces. When the second spiral surfaces are locked by the first spiral surfaces, the first leg can be adjusted relative to the second leg. When the first spiral surfaces are engaged with the second spiral surfaces, the fist leg is secured in position on the second leg.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2005Date of Patent: May 6, 2008Inventor: Wu-Hong Hsieh
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Patent number: 7253349Abstract: A 2 manual musical keyboard with the pitch progression on one of the manuals reversed. The keys on these manuals are segregated into 2 groups of 2 different heights in the same way as a standard musical keyboard. The key configurations on these manuals have 12 semi-tones linearly distributed across 12 keys of alternating heights. Instead of the traditional 7 lower keys (white) and 5 upper keys (black), this arrangement has 6 lower keys and 6 upper keys. The notation system for this unique keyboard is a dual character set. Six unique characters for the upper keys and six unique characters for the lower keys. The musical staff for this unique keyboard will have six lines assigned to one character set and the six spaces assigned to the other character set.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2006Date of Patent: August 7, 2007Inventor: Joseph Clay Saltsman
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Patent number: 6720492Abstract: An arrangement for facilitating the installation of an action in a piano body. The arrangement includes at least one adjusting medium being adapted to facilitate the positioning of the action with respect to a piano body, wherein the at least one adjusting medium is associated solely with the action.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2002Date of Patent: April 13, 2004Inventor: David Steinbuhler
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Patent number: 6452079Abstract: A composite keyboard musical instrument includes an acoustic grand piano, an electronic sound generating system and a silent system, and an electric motor, a hammer stopper, a link work and a controller form in combination the silent system, wherein rigid arms and rigid rods are assembled into the link work so as to promptly transmit the force from the actuator to the hammer stopper without substantial time lug.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2001Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: Yamaha CorporationInventors: Nobuo Sugiyama, Shigeaki Sato
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Patent number: 6194646Abstract: A new musical keyboard and musical scale is provided by subdividing each octave into a larger number of parts, or notes. In one case, each octave contains sixteen notes, rather than the conventional twelve. In another case, each octave contains twenty notes. The new musical system enables new musical sounds and special effects to be created.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 1999Date of Patent: February 27, 2001Inventor: Andrzej Kowalski
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Patent number: 5971635Abstract: The present invention is a piano-style attachment apparatus for a computer keyboard comprising a base, a plurality of piano-styled keys hinged to said base, and anchors for anchoring the apparatus over the computer keyboard. Each piano-styled key has a protrusion extending downwardly for striking a corresponding computer key. The anchors comprise walls which extend deep in between computer keys in order to secure the apparatus to the computer keyboard.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 1998Date of Patent: October 26, 1999Assignee: Music Sales CorporationInventor: Herbert H. Wise
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Patent number: 5741990Abstract: In a method of and means for producing musical note relationships there is provided an array of staggered lines or rows or columns of symbols, in which each symbol represents a musical note. Each line may comprise a repeated series of twelve symbols forming a musical series of semitones known as a chromatic scale, and each line is staggered with respect to adjacent lines such that groups of the symbols which represent the same musical note relationship, such as intervals, scales, chords, etc., form the same visual configuration, for example diagonal configurations or vertical configurations at respective locations in the array. The array may comprise a keyboard including a plurality of keys each representative of a particular musical note.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 1997Date of Patent: April 21, 1998Assignee: Notepool, Ltd.Inventor: Peter Max Crofts Davies
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Patent number: 5646648Abstract: A musically enhanced computer keyboard (12) (FIG. 3) having a portion 106 (FIG. 5 ) resembling a partial piano style keyboard having a standard "QWERTY" alpha-numeric key arrangement (102) and a modified function key row arrangement (108). Musical information is entered by using the modified function key row (108) (keys (110) through (128)) as the piano style keyboard's black keys and using the symbol and number keys (130) through (158) as the piano style keyboard's white keys. Textual information is entered by depressing an "Alt" key (168) while concurrently depressing a musical note key (keys (110) through (128)) which causes a textual character associated with the particular key being depressed to appear on a display monitor.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 1994Date of Patent: July 8, 1997Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Randal Lee Bertram
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Patent number: 4729276Abstract: A set of vertically extended, auxiliary snap-on keys clip onto a conventional keyboard's keys, elevating the plane of the keyboards. The auxiliary keys have the same width as their host keys but are shorter. The auxiliary keys permit two keyboards to be placed closer to each other, facilitating playing of them with one hand.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 1987Date of Patent: March 8, 1988Inventor: Douglas A. Cutler
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Patent number: 4704940Abstract: A device adapted to be removably placed over a computer keyboard which converts the keyboard to the format of a muscial instrument. The computer is programmed such that selected computer keys of the keyboard will synthesize different musical sounds. The device includes a housing and a plurality of first keys and second keys which are pivotally mounted to the housing. The first and second keys are arranged in a row and are accessible through a cutout in the housing. The first and second keys are shaped to simulate piano or organ keys (white and black). The first and second keys are positioned to register with the selected computer keys. Depressing the first and second keys respectfully depresses corresponding computer keys such that playing of a piano or organ is simulated. The device can also employ a second row of keys.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 1984Date of Patent: November 10, 1987Inventor: Darold B. Cummings
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Patent number: 4700604Abstract: A master electronic musical instrument and a slave electronic musical instrument are interconnected through a cable and music playing data is transferred from the master electronic musical instrument to the slave electronic musical instrument. The slave electronic musical instrument includes a tempo signal generator. The slave electronic musical instrument receives music playing data and generates tones according to the generated tempo signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 1987Date of Patent: October 20, 1987Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shigenori Morikawa, Hiroyuki Sasaki
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Patent number: 4352313Abstract: A very inexpensive computer input device for music information includes a piano-type keyboard unit adapted to be fastened on to a standard alpha-numeric computer keyboard so that manual "playing" of music on the piano keyboard results in actuation of alpha-numeric keys and the recording of the music in the computer memory, for later playback in audible form, or print-out in sheet music form.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1980Date of Patent: October 5, 1982Assignee: RCA CorporationInventor: Nils O. Ny