US149702A

US149702A - Improvement in violin attachments

Info

Publication number: US149702A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1874-04-14
Anticipated expiration: 1891-04-14

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. ALBERT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN VIOLIN ATTACHMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,702, dated April 14, 1874 application filed February 7, 1874.

To all ywhom yit may concern:

Be it known that I, GHnRLEs F. ALBERT, ot' Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Violins, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention, is to dispense with the mute used by violinists for attachment to the bridges of violins, in order to subdue the tone, and this object I attain by means of a pad, D, arranged so as to be brought against the bridge below the strings. The pad may be secured to a bar, B, combined with the tail-piece, so that the perfori'ner, by bearing with his chin against the outer end of the bar, may force the pad against the bridge, as shown in the perspective view, Figure 1, and sectional view, Fig. 2, 'of the accompanying drawing, the device enabling the performer on a violin to subdue the tone of the instrument as the character of the music may suggest, without resorting to the usual mute, the application of which to the bridge involves a temporary cessation in the performance.

The tail-piece A and bridge E occupy their usual positions on the violin, as also do the four strings, a, b, c, and d. To the tail-piece, however, I attach a light metal frame, G, which has at each end a projectiomc, the bar B above referred to passing through and being guided by the two projections. The frame G may be constructed for attachment to the tailpiece in different ways, but I prefer the plan shown in the drawing, which consists in providing the frame with a projection, f, the bent end of which underlaps the broad end .e of the tail-piece, two projections, m m, for fitting into the two middle holes of the tail-piece, which receive the knots of the strings b and c, and two hooked projections, n a, which together form a spring-clasp for embracing the narrow portion of the tail-piece.' When the frame is thus constructed it can be readily removed from the said tail-piece, after rirst detaching the clasps a a, and it can be as readily replaced at will. rEhe longitudinal bars p and q of the frame may be bowed and elastic, so as to bear with constant pressure against both tail-piece and bar, thereby steadying the latter but the precise construction of the frame is immaterial, providing it serves as a proper guide for the bar B. One end oi' the sliding bar B is provided with a pad, s, so situated and soformed as to be adapted to and admit of being pushed by the chin of the player ot' the violin, the opposite end of the bar having the elongated pad D faced with leather or other like material. Under ordinary circumstances this pad, which is situated below and free from. contact with the strings, is maintained at a short distance from the bridge E by a rubber band, 7L, or other equivalent light spring, acting on the sliding bar B, but when the player desires to subdue the sound of his instrument he pushes the pad D against the bridge by applying his chin to the pad s, and maintains the said pad `D in contact with the bridge as long as he desires the subdued tones to be continued, the removal ot his chin from the pad s being all that is necessary to insure the withdrawal of the pad from the bridge. rIhe player is thus enabled without any cessation of the performance on his instrument to produce at will more desirable changes of tone than can be obtained whe the ordinary mute is employed.

The bar B may be made in two parts, so connected together that the said pad can be readily adjusted to suit the bridges of diiierent violins.

I claim as my invention-- l. In combination with the bridge of a violin, a pad or mute, D, arranged below the strings, and adapted to be pressed against and withdrawn from said bridge at the will of the player, all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the sliding barB and its pads D and s, with a trame, G, constructed for application to and detachment from the tail-piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. ALBERT.

Witnesses WM. A. STEEL, HARRY SMITH.