US1173784A - Xylophone. - Google Patents

Description

l. C. DEAGAN.

XYLOPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.|5.1915.

1,17'33784.vv Patented Feb. 29,-'1916 JOHN C.` DEAGAN, OF CICAGO, ILLINOIS.

XYLOPHONE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application led February 15, 1915. Serial No. 8,156.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. DEAGAN, 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 Xylophones, 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 sound producing devices and may constitute a component part of a musical instrument having a number of similarly constructed sound producing devices made in accordance with my invention.

My invention, in one of its characteristics,l

` includes an elongated upright vibrating element, a support therefor adjacent a nodal line of the vibrating element, and a supportengaging part upon the vibrating element adjacent said nodal line and'having its support-engaging portion adjustable longitudinally of said vibrating element. y

My invention has, as another of its features, a string, preferably non-metallic, which is carried by the vibrating element and which in turn'enables the vibrating element to be carried upon its support, this string being desirably adjustable in length to carry out the feature of the invention previously set forth. Themeans for adjusting the place of support for the vibrating bar is thus individual to such bar and may be made effective .for its purpose without affecting the adjustment of the support of any other bar in the same musical instrument.

The invention has other features and characteristics and will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawing in whichn Figure 1 is a front view of a sound producing device; Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4,-4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. v

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

The drawing illustrates one sound producing device of which a number, designed and adjusted to produce the differing tones of a musical scale, may be assembled to form a complete musical instrument. The device illustrated includes a mounting board or support 1 which carries a forwardly projecting support 2 preferably in the form of a screw which is surrounded by a sleeve of rubber 3, this screw passing through a Vshaped element 4 of cushioning material such as felt which may have a rigid base 5 through Whichthe screw also passes to its threaded connection with the mounting board 1. element is preferably suspended from the screw 2, this vibrating element being preferably in the form of a bar 6. I preferably form the vibrating bar with a hole 7 that extends above and below the nodal 'point at the upper end of the bar, the supporting screw 2 paing through this opening. The bar desirably carries a string 8 (which is preferably non-metallic, being desirably in the form of a linen thread) extending transversely of the bar and bridging .the opening 7 so as to engage the rubber sleeve 3 and support the bar clear thereof. I preferably provide means for enabling the selection of the position of t-he support 2 with respect to the bar and as the embodiment of the invention 'illustrates a suspended bar, the' means is carried by the bar, though the invention is not to be limited to this arrangement. As I desirably employ a string 8, the means for determining the point along the bar at which the support of the bar upon the p-in 2 occurs, is of a character which will enable the string to be lengthened or shortened or otherwise repositioned whereby the bight inthe string that receives .the screw 2 may have its position lengthwise of the bar adjustably determined. To this end the ends of the string 8 are desirably secured to Shanks of screws 9 either Or both of which screws may be turned to wind or unwind the string for the purpose stated. In Fig. l the bight of the string is shown as being coincident with the nodal line 10 of the bar, either or bot-h of the screws 9 having been turned to bring this string in ,exactly this adjustment. If it should be desired to have theJ string engage its support 2 above or below or upon either side of the nodal line, the string may be correspondingly slackened or tightened as the case may be.

While I prefer to employ a string which is adjustable in length for the purpose stated I do not wish to be limited to a device that is carried by the bar for determining An elongated upright vibrating the place of support of the bar with respect to its nodal line adjacent such support, and

while I also show a string provided withV swinging nodal line, these screws being provided with rubber sleeves v13 and felt wash-v ers 14.-, the sleeves, normally free of the bar, serving to limit the extent to which the bar may swing in its plane while the felt washers coperate with the cushion 11 to limit the swinging movement of the bar which is normally spaced apart from its cushions 4, 11 and the washers 14. rEhe heads of the screws 12 are desirably oblong so as to overhang the bar to limit its forward swinging movement (Fig. 1) while extending longitudinally of the bar to aminimum extent, the narrow heads of the screw being in substantial alinement with the nodal line at the lower end of the bar. The mounting board l1 desirably supports aresonator which is preferably inclusive of 'a tubular elbow 15 that has one branch passing forwardly through the board l and flared at its end Whichfaces the rear side of the`bar. The other branch of the elbow desirably parallels the board and has a slot 16 extending lengthwise thereofthrough which the shank of the bolt or screw 17 passes, this shank being in threaded connection with a tubular extension 18 of the elbow and which extension has telescopic engagement with the balance of the elbow. By loosening the screw 17 the tubular extension 18 may be moved along the rear branch of the elbow whereby the length ofthe rear branch of the elbow may be adjustably determined to tune the resonator. A

rI`he rear of the bar may berecessed at 19.

rThe lower end ofthe extensible section 18 of the elbow may contain a hollow plug 20 which is preferably Yadjustable longitudinally of the tubular portion 18 to determine its effective length. The plug has tight driv 'ing t with the tube 18 so as to be held in v anvposition to which it is adjusted. The

Vibrating bar is set into vibration by any suitable means well known to those sln'lled in the art, as by means of-a hammer applied to the bar over the flaring end of the elbow.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodimentthe vibrating element; and a support engag ing part upon .the Vibrating element adjacent said nodal line and having its supportengaging portion adjustable longitudinally of said vibrating element. l

2. A sound producing device including an elongated upright vibrating element; a support therefor adjacent a nodal line of the vibrating element; and a support-engaging string upon the vibrating element adjacent said nodal line and having its support-engaging portion .adjustable longitudinally of said vlbrating element. 3. A sound producing device including an elongated upright vibrating element; a support therefor adjacent a nodal line of the vibrating element; and a string carried by said element adjacent said nodal line for engaging said support, there being means for lengthening and shortening the string to adjust its support engaging portion with respect to and longitudinally of said element. 4. A sound producing device including an elongated upright vibrating element; a support therefor adjacent a nodal line of the element; and means carried by the vibrating element whereby the place where the vibratingelement is supported may be at dier-v ing places longitudinally .of said element.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 11th day of February A. D.,

JOI-IN C. DEAGAN. lvitnesses:

FRED WITTENBERG,

Gala. Calice.

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