US989628A - Musical instrument. - Google Patents

Description

C. MEYER.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21. 1908.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Wiinooeo CHARLES MEYER, OF CISSNA PARK, ILLINOIS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Application filed November 21, 1908. Serial No. 463,873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, CHARLES MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cissna Park, in the county of Iroquois and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a musical instrument of the string type to be played by means of pedals and the object of the invention is an instrument which can be employed as an accompaniment of a violin, mandolin or other instrument, the performer playing his own accompaniment by means of the pedals.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the action by means of which the hammers are thrown to and withdrawn from the strings, and in other novel features of construction hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan View. Fi 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals are employed in all of the figures to designate the same parts.

In carrying out my invention I employ an upright casing 1 about three feet square and one foot in depth, from the front of which extends a horizontally arranged frame 2 about twenty inches in length, four inches deep, and of the same width as the casin This frame 2 and the casing 1 rest upon the floor and contain the mechanism of the instrument. Arranged within the frame 2 and extending into the casing 1 are eighteen pedals, two feet in length, so that they extend four inches within the casing. The rear of the casing is cut out and over said out out portion is fitted a sound box 4t which carries thirty six strings, the highest notes being triple strung.

Arranged longitudinally through the easing is a hammer rail 6, said rail being about the level of the top of the frame 2. Hinged to this rail are eighteen hammers 7 carrying the usual hammer heads. The pedals are hinged to the front of the frame and extend below the hammer rail and between the same and a pedal stoprail S. The inner ends of the pedals project beyond the hammer rail and the inner end of each pedal is connected by a spring 9 with one of the hammers. A spring 10 of less strength than the spring 9 is secured to each hammer at one end and at the other end to the hammer rail.

The operation of the device is as follows: hen the pedal is depressed the spring 9 will be stretched and will draw the hammer forward quickly so that the hammer head will strike the string or strings with which said hammer cooperates, thus stretching the re-bounding spring 10. Upon rebound of the hammer the spring 10 will hold the hammer head from again dropping back to the strings, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and as soon as the pedal is released by the foot the spring 10 will return the hammer to its normal position, and the spring 9 will return the pedal to its proper position.

It will be understood that changes can be made in the size of the parts, in the number of pedals and in the number of strings without departing from my invention.

What I claim is 1. A foot operated string instrument comprising hinged pedals, a hammer rail, hammers hinged to said rail, springs connecting the hammers, respectively, to said rail and to the pedals, and strings for said hammers to cooperate with.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a casing a pedal frame, pedals hinged to said frame, a hammer rail arranged in the casing, strings in the casing, hammers hinged to said rail, a pedal stoprail, springs connecting the hammers to the inner ends of the pedals, and springs connecting said hammers to the hammer rail.

3. A device of the kind described comprising a vertical-casing, a horizontally arranged pedal frame, pedals hinged to the front of said frame, said pedals extending into the casing, a hammer rail arranged above the inner ends of the pedals, a pedal stoprnil arranged below the inner end portions of the pedals, hammers hinged to the rear edge of the hammer rail, springs secured at one end of said hammers and at the other end to the front edge of the hamnier rail, springs secured to the hammers at one end and at the other end to the inner ends of the pedals, a sound box carried by the rear of the casing and strings arranged in said sound boX.

CHARLES MEYER. Vitnesses F RED. hfinrnn, HENRY Rnnnnnn.

Qopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressin g the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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