- Rockin’ Patent®: US Patent No. 2,871,745
- Filed: 20 December 1956
- In the name of: Raymond Scott (inventor)
- Title: Keyboard Operated Electrical Musical Instrument
- What’s claimed: “A musical instrument comprising loudspeaker means for emitting an audible note, an oscillator of controllable frequency connected to energize said loudspeaker means for producing said note, said oscillator comprising a terminal for controlling the frequency of oscillation of said oscillator by variation of the capacitance to ground of said terminal, a fixed control electrode connected to said terminal, a movable grounded electrode cooperating with said control electrode for varying the pitch of said note by changes in the relative positions of said electrodes, a control bar by which said grounded electrode is carried, an end portion of said control bar being pivoted to supporting means for angular movement of said control bar, a keyboard comprising series of parallel elongated key bar members extending perpendicularly with respect to said control bar, and means’ individually interconnecting each of said key bar members and said control bar whereby those key bar members which are located nearer to said pivoted end portion of said control bar will produce greater angular displacements of said control bar than those of said key bar members which are more remote from said pivoted end portion.”
- Why this patent rocks: This patent appears to relate to the ‘Clavivox’, a keyboard sound synthesiser and sequencer, invented by Raymond Scott. This article by 120 Years of Electronic Music describes the instrument as a vacuum tube oscillator controlled by a three-octave keyboard, designed to ‘simulate the continuous gliding tone of the Theremin’ but playable with a keyboard. For a more detailed take on the Clavivox, see here.
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