Rockin’ Patent – Raymond Scott’s “Keyboard Operated Electrical Musical Instrument”

US Patent No. 2,871,745 – Raymond Scott – Keyboard Operated Electrical Musical Instrument - Patents Rock - Russell IP
  • 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.

If you’re a patent-savvy music tech business looking for patent help, get in touch with Russell IP here!

The information above is for general interest and information only and does not constitute legal advice.

Share the Post:

Related Posts

International Internet Day: Cryptographic Communications System And Method (US 4,405,829 A)

Celebrating International Internet Day: Five Patents That Have Shaped the Internet

Celebrating International Internet Day: Five Patents That Have Shaped the Internet Introduction: The Dawn Of The Internet Did you know that the first Internet message was just two letters long? On 29 October 1969, the message “lo” marked the beginning of a technology revolution that would change our lives forever. International Internet Day, observed on 29 October each year, commemorates the moment that first message was transmitted over the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET). Interestingly, the intended first message was “login”, but the ARPANET system crashed after only the first two characters had been sent! Over the following 55

Read More
Patent drawing from UK Patent Application Number GB2209587.1 for "Training Device For Lasso/Lariat/Roping Practice"

10 UK Patent Applications of 2023: From Flatpack Coffins to Potato Cheese

10 UK Patent Applications of 2023: From Flatpack Coffins to Potato Cheese Introduction: Exploring Ten UK Patent Applications With UK-Based Inventors Published in 2023 The Guardian recently published an article titled “Flatpack Coffins And Robot Dogs: Patents Applications Show UK Inventions Of 2023”. The article identifies 5,955 UK patent applications published in 2023 with at least one UK-based inventor and highlights ten such patent applications. While the article summarises the technologies described in those ten patent applications, it does not provide direct links to the published patent applications or include detailed information about them. Also, some of the links in

Read More

Gain the Competitive Edge

Let's see how we can help protect your IP

Get in touch using the contact form or the phone number below to see how we can protect your IP.

There’s no obligation to sign up for anything.