US1166746A - Musical bars. - Google Patents

Description

J. C. DEAGAN.

MUSICAL BARS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, 1911.

1,166,746. Patented Jan, 4,1916.

vi th the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. DEAGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MUSICAL BARS.

Application filed October 2, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. DEAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Bars of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to musical instruments or musical bars adapted when struck or otherwise operated upon to be set into vibration thereby to produce sound. ()ne embodiment of my invention is in the form of a Xylophone or a set of metal bars, and when the invention is thus embodied the bars are caused to have limited area of contact sound insulating bar supports or engaging elements, this result bein secured by convexing the longitudinal face of the bar that is opposed to the sound insulating material. The sound-insulating elements that support or engage the bars are theinselves also preferably so formed. that they present engaging faces to the bars of reduced area.

Another feature of my invention resides in replacing the sharp or angular upper or outer longitudinal edges of the metal bars by bevels or curved surfaces, that is the said edge portions of the bars are curved whereby these edge portions of the bars present surfaces that may be effectively hit by the operators hammer properly to set the bars in vibration, a result which could not be assured with prior designs where said longitudinal edges were so sharp or angular as there to afford very limited area of contact with the hammer when the hammer was caused to strike glancing blows.

The characteristic of my invention which is now being described is of particular advantage in connection with a set of metallic sound producing bars as the spaces between the bars are materially increased to permit of better access of the operating hammer to the contiguous surfaces of adjacent bars. Moreover the operating hammer in being caused to slide over the bars has opportunity better to strike each bar individually owing to the reception of the hammer within the spaces between adjacent bars that are increased by means of my invention. In other words the bars are set into proper vibration irrespective of the angles at which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

Serial No. 652,409.

the hammer strikes the same owing to the shape described.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing a row of horizontally disposed bars, and in which drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a musical instrument as constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of one bar on a some what larger scale of illustration.

Like parts are indicated by similar charactors of reference throughout the different figures.

The instrument which I have shown is one that includes three metal bars (4, though it is understood that in practice the number of bars may vary and that the musical. tones produced thereby may be musically different. Each bar is shown as being provided with an aperture 7) for receiving a positioning pin (2 that projects upwardly from a base structure (Z, the aperture being sulficiently large to permit the pin to pass freely therethrough to prevent interference. as far as possible, with the vibration of the bar. Distance preserving pins (2 also project upwardly from the base structure and are interposed between adjacent bars, sufficient clearance intervening between these latter pins and the bars so that the bars may be free thereof so as freely to vibrate when operated upon. The pins 0 and c are surrounded by sleeves of rubber or other suitable matorial f so that the vibrations of the bars may not be in communication with the pins. Each pin provided, at its upper end, with a head, as indicated for example in Fig. 3. The bore of each rubber sleeve f is less than the diameter of the pin head so that the sleeve cannot be dislodged. The base structure (Z also carries ridges or strips f/ of sound-insulating material that are preferably substantially triangular in cross section, the triangular formation desirably being pyramidal. The tops of the ridges g of felt or other sound insulating material are desirably slightly flattened so that these portions of the elements 9 will not be spread into wider contact with the bars a that rest thereupon. The points of contact of the elements 9 with the bars are preferably at nodal points of the bars. By the constructhe sunporting elements 9 just de- 'l: n.- contact \ith the bars a, are reduced to tln lowest i111 lit),

1 reduce the contact areas of tee bars that are presented to the idges g by convexin the bottom faces of the bars as indicated at it. As illustrated i Fig. 3, the cross section of the bars is uniform throughout, being sub stantially oblong and rounded along their upper ccges and c nvexed at their bottom sides, though I do not itsh to be limited to this characteristic especially since it is now the practice in doing certain tuning of the bars t partially remove n'ia crial at the bottom ces therm'li Tl c 3d formation the bottom faces of th iurther ree l c e support the same lVhcn torn ed of metal 1 curve the r edges thereof, as indicated at it nier blows may be properly 1' ceived b part of the b: r to which the hammer l: cess the bar i'onerly and eiliciently vibrating when the curved port'oirs are struck, a result that Was not assured when i Were provided with sharp or angular i L tudinal edges upon the bar receiving glancing hammer blows. By curving the iong 1 a ny invention concerns bars of such and has been oevisee to overcome some L the undesirable characteristics of bars of such shape.

The device oi my invention is thus seen to have three distlnct characteristics, one residin the formation of the bottom face of e bar, anoth-u' in the formation 01 the 10ni'itudinal upper edges of the bar, and the and in the formation of the si'iuiul-insulat- 1g supporting or contacting element for the be r. l. do not wish. to be limited to the embodiment of 'i'arieus :har-c cteristics in a single organization.

My invention has been particularly described in connection with a bar that is horizontally disposet, in Which case the bottom "ace (t the bar is the portion thereof that is nently engaged. Obviously the bar be vertitially disposed and its convex 101 I 1dinal face may be opposed to a soundinsr :ing body with advantages that are ob- '1011'1 the above descrirtion.

ill be seen that the instrument which I erein described includes a plurality of at substantially pa llel bar each bar a convex side value is engaged to 1) edition the has; substantially panllel sides iacent the convex side and a remaining side 'nteraening betiv een the latter two sides, the corner portions between the remaining i and the sides which intervene between 0 l e convex side being curved. cescrihed my invention it r. (in new and eesire to secure by Letters it as lit incl ding a soundproduc'ng bar and a support therefor, the l l s ibstantially oilong in cross secv *o broader length COHTBX and resting upon said 2 the longitudinal corn adja- .nmosre broad ongitudinal v:Iace are In Witness whereof, l hereunto subscribe my name this 9 day of S-33t6111l36l', A. l)

i .JAD'IESON, C. P. LIDDON.

Copies of this patent may he obtained. for five cents each, addressing the Commissioner of Ietents. Washington, D. G.

Images