US1635429A - Violin mandolin - Google Patents

Description

July 12 1927. MILLER VIOLIN MANDOLIN v Filed Aug; a', 1925 2l Referring to Patented July 12,1927.

- UNITED STATES yHENRY MILLER, F GRAFTON, WEST vIoLIN mANDoLm.

Application illed'August 8, 1925. Serial No. 49,083.

. This invention relates to inventions in musical instruments, especially violins, and has for its object to increase the volume of the musical notes emitted therefrom aswell asto improve the timbre thereof. yTo this end the `instrument which I have termed a violin` mandolin employs four kdouble strings instead of the four single strings usually found on violins, and these strings are mounted l0 over a sound box formed of a cocoanut shell which is entirely closed on the bottom and sides and has its open top closed by a cover provided with a small central a erture through which the amplified soun s may y pass.

Otherbbjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved violin-mandolin.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the instrument, parts being broken awayand Figure 3 is a bottom plan view.

the drawings more in detail, the numeral 1L indicates the musical instrument generally, while numeral 2 refers to the main frame on which the strings 3 are mounted. c

The sound box of the violirbmandolin consists of a single cocoanut shell 4 which has imperforate bottom and sides, yexcept as hereinafter indicated, and an open top 5. This open top is closed, however, by a wooden` cover 6 provided with a central opening 7 throughv `which the sounds may ass from the interior of the sound box. he cover 6 is reinforced by means of metal bands or wires wound around its periphery 4o and designated by numeral 8.

Two diametrically;opposed sides of the .shell 4 are apertured to receive the frame member 2 which passesv therethrough and to which the base portion 9 and fingerboard 10 are attached. For the `purpose `of mounting the strings 3, which are eight in number and arranged in pairs, a tail piece 11 is anchored to the base portion 9 and khas the strings 3 i attached thereto in the usual manner. These strings pass over abridge 12 mounted over opemng 7 in the soundr box cover and are secured to the tuning keysr 13 on the opposite end of the frame 2. n f l y Y violin not only 1n the fact that the volume of sound is increased by the use of the double strings, but also in the fact that the timbre of the notes produced is greatly improved by combining the double strings with a sound box of the type specified.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described what I now believe to be the best embodiment of the invention, but I do not wish to be understood thereby as limitl ing myself or the scope of the invention, as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; all such I aim to include in the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A musical instrument of the class described, including a sound box formed of a cocoanut shell'closed at its bottom and sides,

a centrally apertured cover for the top of said shell, and a reinforcing band encircling the periphery ofsaid cover.

2. A musical instrument of the class described, including a sound box formed of a single cocoanut shell having a closed bottom and sides and an open top, a frame member l extending through said sound box intern'iediate the top and bottom thereof and an aplrtured cover for the open top of said sound 3. A musical instrument of the class described, including a sound box formed of a cocoanut shell having a closed bottom and sides and an apertured top, and four sets of double strings mounted above said apertured top.

HENRY MiLLER.

Images