US1291778A - Percussion musical instrument. - Google Patents

Description

J. C. DEAGAN. PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.6 I917.

Patented J an. 21, 1919.

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WITED' STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN C. DEAGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PERCUSSION MUSICAL ITTS'IRUMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that 1, JOHN C. DEAUAN, 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 Percussion Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to percussion musical instruments.

f' The instrument of my invention includes a plurality of sounding bars capable of producing tones of a chord when set into vibration. Inaccordance with one feature of the invention the bars are provided with a resonating box having openings therein through which the sound produced by the bars may pass. there being a partition or partitions within the interior of the box that divide the box into resonating compartments, these partitions sloping to have portions thereof underlie the openings pertaining thereto. Each resonating compartment preferably has two valves for adjusting the effective size of the opening therein, one valve being normally fixed while the other is adjustable.

In accordance with another feature of my invention the sounding bars are flat and are supported by strings located near the opposite ends of the bars and at nodal points thereof. These strings pass through openings in the bars and are themselves provided with supports that have string engaging portions located at the spaces between the bars and between the ends of the bars whereby the bars are flexibly supported in substantially the same plane without having freedom for moving materially in their plane.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation with one of the sounding bars partially broken away to reveal certain characteristics of co struction; Fig. 2 is a view on line -22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the instrument, with a part removed.

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

Each

sound producing device is inclusive Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application filed August 6, 1917. Serial No. 184,583.

of a fiat sounding bar 1 and a resonating compartment 2 longitudinally of which the sounding bar is disposed, the compartment having an opening 3 desirably extending longitudinally of the bar in the space between the nodal points thereof, this opening being narrower than the bar and provided on the side of the compartment which faces the bar. Each bar has an opening 4, at each of two nodal points, that extends from broad face to broad face of the bar and which is preferably rounded at its ends and is smallest at mid length to avoid sharp edges at its, ends. The resonating compartments 2 are formed by wall portions of a box 5 whose interior is separated off into tubular spaces by means of partitions 6 which partially underlie the openings 3, these partitions serving not only to separate the box 5 into resonating compartments but also directly acting as sound reflectors which are impinged upon by the sound waves entering the resonating chambers before encountering other walls of the resonating chambers. Sounding bar supporting posts 7 are disposed between the bars and are screwed into the front wall of the box and are provided, each, with four apertures. The two uppermost or outermost apertures in each post are threaded by a string 8 desirably in the form of a leather thong. Each post thus has engagement with the string at places spaced apart longitudinally of each post a. distance materially in excess of the thickness of the bars. There are two rows of such posts located in transverse alinement with the openings 4. There is desirably provided one thong or string 8 for the row of posts which is turned upon itself so that both ends of the same string are attached to the same post, the right hand post as exhibited in Figs. 4 and 5, where both ends of the string are tied together in a knot 9. Parts of the string are laced inwardly through the openings 4 and other parts of the string are laced outwardly through these openings, the string being crossed within the openings 4. The bight of the string is anchored to the extreme left hand post 7 as indicated. By this arrangement the bars are flexibly supported in substantially the same plane without having freedom for moving materially in such plane.

I desirably provide a supplemental string normally out of contact with the bars but serves to support the bars in the event of breakage of its associate string, In case the string 8 should sag sufiicientlyto'bring' the bars in contact with the supplemental cushions 10 the latter cushions maybe shifted to thread the openings 11. in the posts 7 which are farther away from the bars than the openings through which the strings 10 are initially passed. v Strips 12 are attached to the outer ends of the posts 7 by means of nuts 13, these strips being inthe planes; of the stringsS and 10 suiiiciently to conceal the same to. prevent the strings particularly the string 8-, from being unsightly. The concealing strips 12 are desirably i-nturned at 14: sufficiently to conceal the places of attachment of the strings 8 and 10 with the outermost posts 7,' they inturned ends of the strips 12 being in the same planes with the rows of posts 7.

The bars vare preferably,v but not necessarily, of uniform lengt-hand width but of littering thickness. p In the constructionof the instrument each opening 13 is provided with a pair of valves 16 and l7.- The yalves-l'l-are arranged to enable them to be adjustedby the user while the valves 16 are'fixedly adjusted in the constructionof the instrument. T-he instrument thus leaves the. factory accurately tuned and if for any. reason the tuning becomes disordered it may be reefi'ected by the valves 17 A Glaizns respecting, the sloping partitions (3- are contained inadivision. of

this application Serial No. 257615 filed Octo ber 10 1918.

While I have herein shown and particuchanges, may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, but havingthus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following v V 1. A musical instrument including a plurality of substantially fiat sounding; bars each providedwith an openingtherethrough passing. from broad face-to broad face thereof andadjacent anodal point; supporting posts between the bars; and a string support-having portions passing through each of saidopenings and crossing therein and having engagement with each postat places separatedlongitudinally of such post a' distance materially inexcess of the thickness of the adjacent bars." 1 2. A musical instrument includinga plurality of substantially fiat sounding bars.

each provided with an opening extending therethrough from broadfaceto'broad face thereof at'each of two nodal points ;,support' ing strings for said bars" each passing."

through openings in eachbar; and means for supportingthestrings-uwhich. enga ge the strings between the bars to" support the bars in substantially thev same plane.

.- A In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribemy name this ninth. day of J uly A. D.,; 1 91 7.

' JonN'o. DEAGAN.

.CopiesIof thii patent. may. be obtained for five cents each, byaddress ing tjlier(commissioner-of infinity y wasnin m rtr', i w

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