US1018651A - Mandolin. - Google Patents

Description

W11. DE WIGK. MANDOLIN. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1910.

1,018,651 Patented Feb.27, 1912.

IIIIIIII/IIII/Ii/IIII/IIII/III/IIlIIlIlI/ll Ill/14021111111111! I/IIrIl/lI/I/ lllr/ IIIIII/II/(IIIIII/IIIIIII/ Inventor i Witnesses: J: I M K COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. D c.

WILLIAM H. DE WIGK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MAND OLIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16, 1910.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Serial No. 561,562.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, VILLIAM H. DE TICK, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mandolins, of which the following is a specification.

The object I have in view is to produce an instrument of the mandolin type, that is, one having a wooden head or deck, in which the head or deck will be rigidly held in place, whereby the treble strings will be caused to give a loud and brilliant tone, and the head or deck will be prevented from sagging.

A further object is to produce an instrument in which the sound openings will be concealed.

A further object is to produce an instrument in which all strains will be removed from the head or deck and in which no part of the instrument will be in contact with the head or deck except the bridge.

These and further objects will be pointed out in the following specification and claims, taken together or separately.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan View of a musical instrument embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line aa of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line ?)b of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing another modification, and Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified form of brace.

1 indicates the back of the instrument to which is rigidly secured a barrier 2 which is preferably cylindrical in form and of considerable thickness. Secured to the back 1 and preferably arranged concentrically with reference to the barrier 2 is a hoop 3 and to the top of the hoop is secured, by gluing or otherwise, a head or deck 4 which, in the preferred embodiment of my invention, is flat and imperforate. Between the barrier 2 and hoop 3 I provide an annular space 5 and in the hoop 3 is a plurality of sound openings 66. Rigidly secured to the back, hoop, and deck, is a plurality of rectangular, open braces 7 each provided at the center of its top and bottom members with an enlargement 8 to give added stiffness. The enlargement 8 may be omitted if desired. The ends of the braces are provided with feet 9 which project through the openings 6 and are secured to the barrier 2. Spacing blocks 10 and 11 are secured in place between the barrier and hoop at diametrically opposite points. The block 10 is for the purpose of adding strength at the point where the neck 12 is secured to the body. The neck 12 is provided with a dowel 13 which projects through the barrier and enters a recess 14 in the block 10, and the finger board 15 is secured to the neck in the usual manner and projects over the deck 4 but does not come in contact therewith. The block 11 is diametrically opposite the block 10 and gives an additional support for the usual tailpiece 16 which may be secured in place by screws or otherwise. Strings 17 are secured to the tail-piece in the ordinary manner, and to the usual pegs or keys at the outer end of the neck, and a bridge 18 is placed on the deck at the proper place and supports the strings at that point. The braces 7 give added stiffness to the deck and prevent sagging thereof.

In all wooden deck instruments, as far as I am aware, the decks are caused to sag by reason of the strains put upon them by the strings and because of insuflicient bracing. By placing the sound openings in the hoop as shown the deck is left imperforate, thereby adding to its stiffness and by means of the barrier the sound openings are concealed from view, thus adding to the appearance of the instrument.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the barrier and the sound openings in the hoop are omitted, the sound opening being placed in the deck, and the neck and the tail-piece are secured to the hoop 3.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the blocks 10 and 11 secured to the barrier 2 only, thus leaving the hoop 3 free at all points, and the barrier is shown as having the same height as the body only where the blocks 10 and 11 are placed, and tapers to nothing midway between those points.

It is obvious that the sound openings in the hoop may be of any size or shape and the number and position may be varied as desired.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having now described my invention What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A musical instrument of the class described, comprising a deck, a hoop supporting the deck, and a back secured to the hoop, said back extending beyond the hoop and carrying a barrier separated from the hoop.

2. A musical instrument of the class described, comprising a deck, a hoop supporting the deck, a sound opening in the hoop, a back carried by the hoop, and a barrier supported on the back and concealing the sound opening.

3. A musical instrument of the class described comprising a deck, a hoop supporting the same, sound openings in the hoop, a back carried by the hoop, a barrier supported on the back and separated from the hoop, and a brace by means of which the deck, the back, the hoop and the barrier are secured together.

4. A musical instrument of the class described comprising a flat, imperforate deck, a hoop carrying the same, a plurality of openings in the hoop, a back, a barrier carried by the back and separated from the hoop and concealing the openings, and a brace secured to the deck, the hoop, the back, and the barrier.

5. In a musical instrument of the class described the combination With a deck, a hoop supporting the same, openings in the hoop, a back carried by the hoop, a barrier secured to the back and a neck and finger board carried by the barrier, of a brace joining the deck, the hoop, and the back, said brace being provided With feet Which extend through the openings in the hoop and are secured to the barrier.

6. In a musical instrument of the class described the combination with a deck, a hoop carrying the same, a back carried by the hoop and a barrier carried by the back of blocks carried by the barrier, a neck secured. in one of said blocks, and a brace securing together the deck, the hoop, the back and the barrier.

This specification signed and witnessed this 14th day of May, 1910.

WILLIAM H. DE WIGK.

Witnesses:

JAs. F. COLEMAN, JOHN L. Lorsoi-L Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). C.

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