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US 4,491,050 AGranted
Foot-controlled musical instrument
OwnerRainer Franzmanninventor
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OwnerRainer Franzmanninventor
Estimating the term…
A foot-controlled musical instrument, the control portion of which includes a heel rest mounted for rotation so that, while the heel of the playing person is firmly placed on the rest, the foot may easily be turned to various angular positions within a range of about 90 degrees, to bring the anterior part of the foot into position to make contact with any desired one of several (preferably six) pedal keys which, when activated, cause production of various sounds, e.g. according to a tonal scale. The pedal keys are mounted on a spring-loaded plate which may be depressed by foot pressure, the depression thereof serving to control certain characteristics of the produced sound. The heel rest plate is also mounted for movement in one or more linear directions in addition to its rotary movement, and these linear movements control other characteristics of the produced sound. Various other details of the control assembly are disclosed, as well as details of one form of sound production device appropriate for control by the control device or portion of the instrument.
A foot-controlled musical instrument including means for emitting sounds, a control unit comprising a support structure (1), a heel rest (2,3, 84) on which the heel portion of a player's foot or shoe may rest while the instrument is being played, said heel rest being mounted for movement in at least one approximately horizontal direction relative to said support structure, a plurality of pedal keys (4, 83) arranged in an arc of a circle approximately concentric with said heel rest and positioned so that when said heel portion is on said heel rest, the foot may be rotated to enable the anterior portion of the foot to engage and activate any selected one of said pedal keys, and a mounting plate (19) on which said pedal keys are mounted, said mounting plate being arranged for upward and downward movement relative to said support structure, activation of said pedal keys serving to determine in part what sounds are emitted, first means responsive to movement of said heel rest in one approximately horizontal direction serving to vary one characteristic of the emitted sounds, and second means responsive to movement of said mounting plate serving to vary another characteristic of the emitted sounds.
A foot-controlled musical instrument including means for emitting sounds, a control unit having a heel rest on which a player's heel may be placed while playing the instrument, said heel rest being mounted for upward and downward movement in response to varying downward pressure exerted by the player's heel, means responsive to the upward and downward movement of said heel rest for varying a characteristic of the sounds emitted by said instrument, a series of control members arranged in an arc relative to said heel rest and positioned so that a forward part of a foot of a player may press upon any selected one of said control members while the heel of the foot remains on said heel rest and swings from side to side to position said forward part over the selected member, and means responsive to pressure on said control members for controlling sounds emitted by said instrument, said control members being knob-like members (4) and being mounted for adjustment along approximately radial lines toward and away from said heel rest, to accommodate the distance from the heel rest to the control members to feet of different sizes.
A foot-controlled musical instrument including means for emitting sounds, a control unit having a heel rest on which a player's heel may be placed while playing the instrument, said heel rest being mounted for upward and downward movement in response to varying downward pressure exerted by the player's heel, means responsive to the upward and downward movement of said heel rest for varying a characteristic of the sounds emitted by said instrument, a series of control members arranged in an arc relative to said heel rest and positioned so that a forward part of a foot of a player may press upon any selected one of said control members while the heel of the foot remains on said heel rest and swings from side to side to position said forward part over the selected member, means responsive to pressure on said control members for controlling sounds emitted by said instrument, said heel rest being mounted for limited movement approximately horizontally in addition to its upward and downward movement, and means responsive to approximately horizontal movement of said heel rest for controlling sounds emitted by said instrument, said means responsive to movements of said heel rest and to pressure on said control members including electronic means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.