US1415574A - Mandolin attachment for pianos - Google Patents

Description

P. C. JOHNSON.

MANDOLIN ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILI-:D SEPI. 9. I92o.

154151574. l Patented May9,1922.

l g l d o 4 *i* of l l I W I UNITED STATES PAT d' Pirrmr c. JOHNSON, or CHICAGO, .ILLrNoIs'- Application led September 9, 1920.

To all 'Lo/1.0m @It may Concern Be it known that. I, ,PHILIPXC.,JoHlvsoN,k a citizen of the United States .of America,`

and aresident of-Chicago, county. of Cook, State of Illinois, have inventedy certain new andV useful 'Improvements in Mandolin At-v tachments for Pianos, of which the follow-` similar instrument; and to provide such an attachment4 adapted for: fitting to pianos of usual construction to accomplish the desired effect.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is an elevation view, with the front board removed, of that part of a piano which includes the hammers and immediately related members, the view being from the ri ht of Fig. 2. r

ig. 2 is a much enlarged section at the line 2 2 on Fig. l, and includes a side view of a hammer and associated mechanism, the hammer being in its retracted position.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 except that the hammer is shown in its effective striking position, with the button or string agitator in its vibrating position beneath the hammer.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a fragment of the tongued button-supporting member and shows a number of buttons secured to the several tongue tips.

In the construction shownin the drawings, the instrument includes a sounding board l, strings or wires 2 related thereto in the usual manner, hammers 3 for sounding the strings, intermediary members 4 disposed be tween the several strings and corresponding hammers, and a support 5 for said members 4.

The bar 5 when the attachment herein described is in use, is secured rigidly in place r relative to the board l, and in front of the strings 2 from which it is spaced slightly. Secured to the back of said bar is a strip 6 of flexible material, preferably leather, having a series of downwardly projecting y vspecification of Letters Patent.

ksecured yto the outer 8. The said strips 6, 8 and 9 are secured f the felt 'damper strip wider than its main MANDOLIN ArrAonMnN'rronrrnNos. y

`semaine.109,113. f

sur orifice.

Patented May 9, `19,22.'

tongues constituting the members 4, to thev lower tips of which are secured the metallic buttons `7 arranged to strikel or vibrate directly against the strings for sounding the latter.

A strip S of soft shock-absorbing material, as for instance felt, is secured to the opposite side ofstripv 6,;from the bar aand a hard rigid strip 9, preferably ofsheet metal` is side of the felt strip rigidly together and againstsaidbar 5 by means of fastenings l0,suchfas screws Vor the` like, but said strips are free relative to one anotherat and adjacent to their lower edges. The strip 9 is straight horizontally but v `has a peculiar curved shape vertically,

adapted tolimit the forward movement of the strip` 6 and so adjust the swing amplitude of the tongues 4 and buttons 7. Said strip or stop 9 has a convexy face disposed toward the hammers 3 and strip 6.

The bass strings of the instrument do not produce desirable results through the application of this improvement,`and therefore the strip 6 ywith its tongues 4 and buttons 7 extends over only about three quarters of the bar 5 and strings 2. The left end of 8, as at 8, is somewhat body art, yso as to extend down into alinement with the tongues 4 andbuttons 7 at the right.

The above described device, which I commonly refer to as a ukelele attachment, may be raised out of its effective position whenever desired,A as will be understood, the bar 5 being carried on the free ends of a pair of pivotally mounted arms 11 swung onpivots l2.

f The operation of the device is as follows: When the hammer 3, swinging on its shank 3', is advanced, for instance by key action as usual in such devices, the blow is received directly by the button stem or tongue 4 adjacent to its base or point of connection to the strip 6. The force of the hammer blow throws the strips 6 and 8 backward against the stop 9 where'their movement is arrested. The tongue 4 and button 7 are also thrown backwardly and the latter is thereby caused to strike vimmediately against the string `2. The tongue 4 and button 7 being very light and the button being very resilient, the latter vibrates backward and forward `striking against the string. The position for vibration of members 4l and 7 is well shown by Fig. 3. As a result of this action the string gives forth a note corresponding in quality very closely to that of the strings of a ukelele, banjo, mandolin or the like. As will be understood, the striker 7 being very light and the stem Li being` very short, the vibration period is very brief.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a stringed musical device of the character described, wherein hammers are arranged for actuation, the combination of an attachment comprising a stop strip, a striker supporting strip, 'n damper strip interposed therebetween, the second. mentioned strip having tongues projecting beyond said stop strip, and strikers secured to said tongues, and arranged in `position for actuation by said hammers.

2. An attachment for use with a musical instrument wherein a sounding string is arranged for actuation by a hammer, said attachment comprising a stop movable into position between said string and hammer, a striker located between said stop and hamA mer and arranged to be struck by the hammer so as to react upon the string, and a shock absorbing member arranged between said stop and striker and located in the path of movement of the hammer to arrest the advance of the hammer toward the string.

An attachment for use with a musical instrument wherein a sounding string is arranged for actuation by a hammer, said attachment comprising a movable support, a stop rigidly secured to said support and movable into position between said string and hammer, a striker carried by a stem secured to said support and located between said stop and hammer, said stem being arranged to be struck by the hammer so as to cause said striker to react upon the string, and a damper strip secured to said support and located between said stop and stem, said damper strip extending into the path of movement of the hammer.

Signed at Chicago this 3rd day of Sept.,

PHILIP C. JOHNSON.

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