Abstract: An action is described for musical instruments of the piano type. Means are included for braking and restraining each hammer of the action to prevent bouncing, rebounding, or other undesired movement, when the key is depressed and the hammer is positioned at the escapement distance from the tone generating tine and also when the key is released and the hammer is at rest position. The braking and restraining means move arcuately in cooperation with the key to exert a wedging force against a portion of the head of the hammer to brake and restrain it in the desired positions.

Abstract: The keyboard or pianos and similar musical instruments has key shanks (levers) which rest on a balance rail from which balance pins project. The balance rail is mounted on a strengthening rail which is keyed into one of two parallel slots in an underlying support wall. There are two balance-pin holes in each shank. The distance between the two holes corresponds to the distance between the two parallel slots in the underlying support. The result is that assembly or adjustment for either light or heavy touch may be achieved at almost no added manufacturing cost. The touch depends upon which slot is employed and which hole is employed.

Abstract: A device for electronically simulating vibrato and tremulant effects and the radiation effects produced by a rotary loudspeaker with the aid of two loudspeakers, in which a musical tone signal is applied to a variable delay device associated with one of the loudspeakers. The frequency modulated signal produced by the variable delay device is also subjected to amplitude modulation, controlled in synchronism with the variable delay device, and the resulting composite signal applied to the other loudspeaker. Additionally, the high frequency components of the frequency modulated signal from the variable delay device are summed, in and out of phase relationship, with the composite amplitude modulated signal to simulate the effect of a rotating high frequency horn radiator.

Abstract: A device for electronically modulating a musical tone signal to produce substantially the radiation effects produced by a rotary loudspeaker with the aid of two loudspeakers, in which circuit an amplitude modulator is associated with one loudspeaker and a variable delay device is associated with the other loudspeaker, the musical tone signal being applied to both the amplitude modulator and the variable delay device, and both the variable delay device and the amplitude modulator being modulated synchronously by a sub-audio frequency modulating signal.

Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument, such as an electronic organ, certain organ voices are synthesized by applying a tone signal to a voltage controlled low-pass sharp cutoff filter, the pass characteristic of which has a relatively sharp knee and a rapid rate of rolloff, thereby to sharply attenuate the harmonics contained in the tone signal which have frequencies above the cutoff frequency. The filter works on the principle that by switching one or more frequency-determining resistors in and out of the filter network at a rapid rate and varying the time on versus the time off, the effective value of the resistance varies to thereby alter the cutoff frequency and the character of the resulting sound signal. In accordance with the present invention, precise control over the switching duty cycle is achieved by establishing a reference voltage to which is added a voltage increment according to a binary weighting determined by selection of a particular organ voice.

Abstract: An electronic musical keyboard instrument that is controlled by a digital processor. Key and stops/effects statuses are sampled, during successive time intervals, and read into random access memory associated with the digital processor. After manipulation and/or supplementation of the status information to effect implementation of various features, key-representative signals are read out to tone generation and voicing circuits.

Abstract: A model horse is resiliently mounted to permit a child rider to cause motion of the horse having vertical and/or horizontal motion components. A trotting gait sound is generated in response to detected vertical motion, and a walk and/or gallop gait sound is generated in response to detected horizontal motion. The selection as between the walk and gallop gait is preferably based upon the amplitude or horizontal motion. The different gait sounds are obtained by generating a basic "clop" (hoofbeat) sound, and, repeating the clop sound in a different time sequence for each gait. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the sounds of a horse's "snort" and "whinny" are also generated during riding. The sounds produced in accordance with the invention are obtained by digitally forming audio frequency signals and controlling the envelope of the audio frequency signals.

Abstract: A one key chording system for an electronic organ of the type in which single contact keyswitches for D.C. keying of tone signals are employed. The keyswitches of a first group are connected to a common bus to which is also connected a mode select circuit for selectively applying thereto a D.C. potential of either positive or negative polarity. In the disclosed embodiment, when a negative potential is applied to the common bus a signal from an actuated keyswitch in said first group operates one of a plurality of chord logic circuits to produce a plurality of auxiliary keying signals which operate tone signal keyers for tone signals corresponding to a musical chord. An alpha-numeric display disposed adjacent to the keyboard indicates the name of the chord being played by the one key chording system.

Abstract: An image enhancement system for television wherein conventionally generated detail signals representative of variations in the amplitude of the video signal are further processed before being added to the video signal. A first fractional amplitude portion of the generated detail signal is amplified and then subjected to severe coring and the resulting bi-polar signal is combined with a second fractional amplitude portion of the generated detail signal to produce a resultant detail signal having a contour which reduces the width of the edging effect at contrast transitions associated with conventional enhancement systems, and in which high frequency noise and other spurious signals are substantially reduced while retaining fine detail to enhance key parts of the television picture.

Abstract: A compatible four channel system primarily for use in conjunction with a radio transmission system for transmitting four individual audio signals over a medium having primary and secondary information channels and first and second auxiliary information channels, the primary and secondary channels carrying information that is consistent and compatible with existing monophonic and stereo-phonic standards.

Abstract: An automatic rhythm system for an electronic organ adapted to enable a plurality of percussive instruments and a plurality of accompaniment and "Walking Bass" instruments normally played by the pedals of the organ includes two separate rhythm pattern generators each storing a plurality of rhythm patterns, the outputs from one of which enables selected percussive instruments and the outputs from the other enabling little used percussive instruments and the "Walking Bass" normally played by the pedals. A plurality of rhythm select switches are directly connected to respective input terminals of the first rhythm pattern generator, and to ensure against generation of musically unacceptable combinations of rhythm patterns when a combination of rhythm patterns is selected, the rhythm select switches are connected through control logic to the second rhythm pattern generator, the control causing the second rhythm pattern generator to play only the first turned on rhythm pattern of a combination of patterns.

Abstract: In television apparatus for producing signals for displaying simultaneously a succession of time-separated images of an object moving in an otherwise static scene, control is provided for causing a limited number of decaying stroboscopic images of successive positions of a moving object to appear behind the image representing the latest position of the moving object.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a utility knife which is suitable for mounting at least two different types of blades and which has an improved safety feature. The knife of the invention has an elongated handle, and means for mounting a blade of one type at an end of the handle. In accordance with an important feature of the invention, the mounting means includes means for preventing the mounting of a blade at a given end of the handle when a blade is already mounted at the opposing end of the handle. In particular, in an embodiment of the invention the handle includes a pair of elongated mateable handle elements which conform generally in shape. A pair of blade-engaging units, each of which may be, for example, a suitably sized key or nub, are respectively disposed near the opposing ends of one of the handle elements. A blade-securing pad is disposed near one (only) end of the other handle element.

Abstract: A sub-Nyquist sampled PCM NTSC color television signal is obtained directly from a PCM encoded color television signal sampled at four times the color subcarrier frequency by selecting every other sample in each line of the 4F.sub.sc sampled television signal and introducing a one 4F.sub.sc sample displacement every two sequential television lines. A sub-Nyquist sampled signal may also be obtained from an NTSC color television signal having a color subcarrier frequency F.sub.sc by generating a sampling signal having a frequency of 2F.sub.sc, the sampling phase of which shifts by 180.degree. every alternate time sequential television line, and sampling the NTSC color television signal in response to the sampling signal. Whichever of these two techniques is used to obtain the sub-Nyquist samples, the 4F.sub.sc samples can be reconstructed when comb filters are used to remove alias components. The process of converting 4F.sub.sc encoded signals to sub-Nyquist and back to 4F.sub.