W. R. Furgang
inventor
patent holder
Biography
W. R. Furgang, of Albany, was granted a patent on April 20, 1852, for an alteration in the disposition of the raised black keys in relation to the keyboard surface, designed to bring all the keys—both 'natural' and 'accidental'—to nearly the same level. The text notes that Furgang's keyboard scheme is difficult to summarize briefly but that it attracted a body of enthusiastic, sentimental supporters and drew considerable notice in 1853. Despite this interest, the invention ultimately led to nothing lasting and was not adopted into general piano manufacture.
Highlights
- Granted a patent on April 20, 1852 for a keyboard redesign altering the disposition of the raised black keys
- His keyboard scheme brought all natural and accidental keys to nearly the same level, drawing much notice in 1853 before fading
Source
Daniel Spillane, History of the American Pianoforte (1890), p. 143.
Public domain.