US114520A - Improvement in piano-violins - Google Patents

Description

E D. BLAKEMAN. Improvement in Piano-Violins.

Patented May 9,1871.

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ELISHA D. BLAKEMAN, OF MOUNT LEBANONs NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 114,520, dated May 9, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO-YIOLINS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EL'IsHA D. BLAKEMAN, of Mount Lebanon, in the county of Columbia and State of New York, have invented anew and'improved Piano- Violin; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enableothers skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which the drawing represents a perspective view of my improved pianoviolin and bow.

This invention relates to a new musical instrument which-combines the peculiarities of the piano and violin, being a bow'instrument with keys. Itis more particularlyemployed for the instruction of children and the playing of light music, and affords an excellent opportunity for training the' ear to the sounds, their successions and harmonious or inharmonious combinations.

The invention consists in the combination of pivoted keys and a longitudinal bridge, with a string stretched over the bridge, and held by pins to the frame of a sound-box. The string is played bya bow, and its vibrations are regulated by the depression of keys.

A in the drawing represents a sound-box of suitable shape. Over it is stretched a string, B, which. is fastened at one end by a pin, a, tolthe box, and at the other end by a pin, 1), to a projecting neck, 0, of the box.

Under the string is secured to the box a longitudinal fixed bridge, (I.

0 O is a series of keys, hinged to'the box in such manner that they will be held above the string, but clear of the same.

Vhen a bow, D, is drawn over the string at the neck portion of the instrumentit will produce a sound, which is regulated and can be varied by the depression of keys 0. But one key at a time, the one which is depressed nearest the bow, in case a number should be at once touched, will affect the' kind or quality of the sound. 7

For the guidance of the how a pin, e, is made to project from the neck 0.

In order to enable the illustration of harmony and disharmony between difi'erent sounds a second string, E, is, or may be, stretched parallel to B, but so that it is not atfected by the keys. The how can be drawn over both strings when it is desired to show the combination of the sound of E with any one sound produced on B.

The bow I prefer to make on a plain handle or stock, f, which springs the fiber g, as shown.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The musical instrument composed of the box A, string B, bridge (l, and keys 0 O, the string to be played by a bow and regulated by the keys, as set forth.

2. The guide-pin e, secured to the neck of the bow instrument for guiding the bow, as set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 11th day of March, 1871.

ELISHA D. BLAKEMAN.

Witnesses:

A. V. BRIESEN, GEO. W. MABnn.

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