US11655A - Improvement in stringed musical instruments - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. VILD, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

lMPROVElViENT lN STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l I ,655, dated September 5, 1854.

To all whom, t Netty concern..-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. WILD, of the city of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to new and useful devices for tuning the above-named instruments. The nature of my improvement, however, does not consist simply in the employment of screws, instead of the ordinary tuning-pins, fortuning said instruments, that having been known and tried before, but to my knowledge has never been entirely successful, on account of mechanical difficulties for which no provisions were made. Providing for these difficulties, therefore, constitutes the nature of my invention.

The principal diliiculties are the liability of the screws to bend from the pressure of the strings that are attached to them, to turn around when their nut is turned, and also a want of space to attach each string to a separate screw, unless the screw be made very weak. To prevent the screw from bending, it is provided at that end to which the strings are attached with a small projection of sutlicient length to rest lirmly upon a metallic or other basis without allowing the screw itself to come in contact with the basis. The opposite end is provided with the female screw and passes loosely througha hole in a wall or ridge against which the nut rests. To prevent t-he screw from turning around, the end carrying the strings is made to work in a slot and guide. In order to have space enough to make all parts of proper strength, I attach two or more strings to one screw, which I will now term a tuning-screw,77 and tuning them simultaneously. As, however, the strings will not all harmonize together by this arrangement, I employ asecond screw, termed the regulating or harmonizing screw, by means of which they are made to harmonize perfectly with one another. This screw is made, arranged, and operated in the following manner: The screw is secured to a bar, termed the pressure-bar, beneath which the strings pass from the bridge to the tuning-screw. That end of the harmonizingscrew provided with the female screw slides loosely through a hole in a bridle or arch, both arms of which rest upon one string. If now the nut is screwed upon the bridle or arch, this will press upon the string, causing it to harmonize with the rest.

To enable others skilled inthe art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation more fully, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a top or plan view. Fig. 2 is a view showing all parts in perspective. Fig. 3 is a broken side elevation of the harmonizing` or regulating screw with its bridle. Fig. il: is a broken side elevation of the tuningscrew.

The same letters refer to like parts.

A s the basis-plate, to which all parts are secured.

B B are the strings.

O and II are the slot and guide for preventing the tuning-screw from turni-ng around.

D is the tuning-screw, to which the strings may be attached in any known way, the one shown, however, being preferable. d is the Wall through which it passes. a is its nut, and f its supporting projection.

F is the pressure-bar, firmly secured to the basis-plate and placed at such a height that the strings in passing under it to the tuningscrew D will exert a necessary pressure upon the bridge G. I'Ience the necessity of the supporting projection f.

I is the harmonizing-screw fastened in the pressure-bar. E is its nut, and L is the bridle or arch. The female screw for screw I may, however, be just as well in the bar F ask in the head E, which must then be secured to the screw I. This arrangement is preferable to the one shown. b are square heads upon the nuts for'turning them by means of a key or wrench.

To tune any instrument provided with the above described tuning and harmonizing screw, it is only necessary to turn the nut a to the right, whereby the screw D slides backward, carryin g the strings with it and subjecting them to a transverse strain. The nut a must be turned so long till one of the strings B is tuned to its proper pitch. The rest are then tuned to their proper pitch also by be- -instruments, particularly piano-fortes, can be tuned much easier and will keep in tune much longer than heretofore. There is also a great deal of time and labor saved as Well in tuning as in manufacturing the instruments, and the opportunities offered for beautifying the above-named class of instruments are unbounded. l/Vherefore I do not limit myself to any particular shape or form,

that being entirely controlled by the dictation of fancy or the requisition of circumstances.

What I claim as my invention does not consist simply in the employment of screws or their equivalents for t-uning and keeping stringedinusicalinstruments in tune; neither do I claim any particular shape, arrangement, or form; but

I claiml. The employment of the supporting projection f or its equivalents of the tuningscrew D a, for the purpose set forth.

2. The use of the slot and guides C H or their equivalents, for the purpose substantially as described.

3. The bridle L or its equivalents, operated by the harmonizing-screw I E or its equivalents, for the purpose substantially as herein specified.

GEORGE L. WILD.

Witnesses:

SAML. GRUBB, JOHN F. CLARK.

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