US1686602A - Sound-producing instrument - Google Patents

Description

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A UNITED-STATES 1,685,502 BATENT IQFFICE.

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My to sound l reducing or musical instruments which emp oy soun producing bars. An instrument of the kind "to which m. inventionV is adaptable is detionisnottobethuslimited.

scribed in `S. Patent 1,562,103 Adated November 17, 1925, thouvh the invenn the instrument disclosed in this patent, suspended bars ane a to be struck by hammers to set them into vibration. In. appl ing my invention to the instrument of sai patent, I pro?- vide the sound producing bars, or .some of them, with supp emental bars which are also set into vibration to furnish tonal qualities lacking in the main'bars. The supplemental bars are desirably set into vibration by 'the4 y the sounds produced by both brs, and having tonal qualities which either bar alone is incapable of producing. For example, the sound thus jointly produced by the main and supplemental bars lmay have the tonal qualities of sounds produced by a flaring bell with a metallic ring or overtone.- That is the tones` produced by the two bars are complementary harmonic tones that tend to clarify the sound and make it louder and more bellLlike in tone.

The invention will be more fully explained A by' reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-,2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is. a.' sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Themain sound producing bar and the mechanism associated therewith will first be described. The main sounding bar 1 -is indicated as being tubular. It is suspended by a cord 2 from a suitable support. The bar 1 is provided with a sound damper 3 which floats upon upright coiled springs 5, these normally pressing the soundY damper the bottom of the bar. The-sound 3 is desirably an iron amature car- Springs against damper a sound damping cushion 7 preferably ph t, directly engaging the bottom end of e ar.

The barl 1 isset in vibration in any preferred wsy. I have illustrated the bar as being pro Yi ed witl a hammer-11 which is applied to the bar by means of the striking'solenoid or electromagnet 13 and which is retracted from the bar it hasstruck by means of the withdrawing solenoid or magnet 15.

l The manually operated key 17 through instrumentalities to be described,'to

This armature issincluded in 'am electromagnet haying an" energizingcoil 9.

serves,

operate the hammer 11, other keys tor con Y trolling the hammers of other sounding bars, not illustratedfbeing included in the same -bank with key 17.

The apparatus whereby the 'key 17 has control over the hammer 11 will be described. lVheiithe key 17 is depressed a circuit is established which may be traced from 'the positive pole of the generator 20 through the positive bus wire 21, the magnet or solenoid winding 22, the key contacts 23, 24,01? key 17, the negative bus wire `to the negative,

pole of the generator` 2Q. The solenoid 22,`

when energized, lifts its core 26 to bring the metallic switchk block 27 into engagementv with the. two spring contacts 28 and 29.V

When these spring contacts 28 and 29 are electrically connected b lthe switch block 27, another circuit is estab ished which includes the, switc i block 27 rela 30, andthe switchcontacts 31 and 32. W en the relay 30vis energized circuit is established which may be traced rom'the positive pole of the enerator 20 through the bus wire 21, the striking winding 13, contacts 33 and 34 'of the armature switch of relay 30, the negative bus wire 25 to the negative pole of the generator. The energized solenoid winding 13 draws the sole'- noid Acore 35 forcibly toward the bar 1 to strike the hammer 11 against this bar. As

' the hammer nears the bar the circuit of the striking solenoid 13 is` opened, the hammer moving the rest of its vstriking distance `by momentum. Tlieopening of the circuit of the striking solenoid is directly occasioned by, the separation of the contacts 31 and 32 by the separation of the contacts 31 and 32 that are included in series with the relay 30, the relay 30, when deenergized, opening the circuit of the strikingsolenoid .13 at the switch 33,

enerator 20, spring contacts 28, 29,'

Thesecontact 311 and 32 are sepzlfrted as aH Cons@finalice'.0v ,e@31erszatitmfv ,erelay 36 occurring S'wleithe liidiirs the bar,fthese contacts being included in the armature tswitchi mechanism b elpnging to this paticula'rire ay. vrThe circuit 'of 15h29 vIelay 36 includes thegenerato'r' 20,'the'"switchnl elements 28,- 27, 29, the vwindinggof the.. relay and the switch contacts 37 and 38, which are closed by the pin 39:,1`1p0'n the hammer 11 when this pin engages the horn 40 upon contact 37 as the `.hammerfnea'rs'the bar l. and which are separated when the. hammer is retracted, bythe engagement of the'pin 39 with the horn 41 upon the contact 37. When the relay36 is thus energized the contacts 31 and 32 are separated with the results described.

-To prevent repeated operation of the hammer while the key corresponding thereto is depressed, a supplemental contact 43 is employed, this contact being in multiple with the contact 37, which, with.the contact 32 that is in multiple with the Contact` 38, are substituted for the contacts 37 and 38 and performing the same function, the contact 43 heing engaged by the contact 32 when the relay 36 is energized whereby the striking solenoid 13 is maintained in open circuit and the retracting solenoid 15 is maintained in closed circuit, as long as thecforresponding key 17 .is closed.- When this key 17 isreleased the correspondinglsolenoid 22 is deenerglzed to interrupt all ammerv controlling circuits.

The sound dam er is normally` applied to the bottom end o the bar` 1. Whenever the hamber 11`is appliedA to its bar the corresponding sounddamper is withdrawn to permit the' bar to vibrate. When a key 17 is depressed, circuit isestablished through the damper withdrawing magnet 9, which' may be traced from the posltive lpole of the generator 20 through the bus wire 21,' the conductor 44, switch contact 45,"the upright metallic lunger rod 46, contact 47, contact 48 engaged v y contact 47 whenthe pluiliiger rod46 is' lifted by the insulating bloc 53 lupon the solenoid core 26, the winding ofthe damper releasing magnet `9 the negative bus wire 25 to the negative pole -of the generator. The contact 48 is pressed to a limited extei'i'v't toward the' contact 47 by means of a coiled spring 49.

The auxiliary bar 54 is suspended by the strap 55 to be substantially parallel with an abreast of bar 1. A bo1t 56 iscar.- fr ried by the strap and directly-supports'barf 54.' Said strap also carries'an upper frame 57 andalower frame 58. Rubber rings 59 pbsition the ba'r54 midway between the long i' sides of said frames. Rubber tubes 60 limit` the extent-to which the bar 54 may swing after being set into vibration by being' struck. Cushions `61 upon frames 57, 58 prevent bar 1 from enga g. the frames.

The main arl carriesia striker or ham neeaeoa lmounted to swing when struck) and A a'portlon that 1s withinstriking range ofthe mer near its upper end when the bar is set Ainteyibration hammer bar 54,v

.thisbar being prefeablyolloxig micross section and the hammer 62 preferably being arranged to vstrike the narrow-side' Qfiebar produced by both bars and which is not furnished by bar 1 alone,as hitherto set forth. The body offhammer 62 is desirably metallic with its striking end made of rawhide. When the bar 1 is struck it is swung Sulliciently tost-rike the ba-r54 through the inter# mediation of said hammer. Bar 54 serves as a damper to reduce the swinging movement of 'bar 1 to such` an extent that the latter bar strikes the'xiirst preferably only once, eachbeing thus permitted to continue its own vi bration without interference from the other. The supplemental bar not only contributes to the tone produced by both bars, but modies thetone produced by barl by checking its swinging movement.

A sound producing instrument made asl herein 'set iorth is capable of producing sgunds of desired tonal quality'whicheither bar acting alonev would not produce. The

sound of a, ia'ringv bell, may, for, example, be l well simulated by the device of my invention.

In the preferred embodiment'of theainyention, the tone. produced 4by strikin the supplemental bar upon the narrow 4side t ereof-` produces a complementa .u ver artial to the1 fundamental tone ry PP 'p By strikinga fiat' side of the supplemental bar, a second tone complementary to the tones produced b both bars is produced, the various tones o the bars coalescing to producelthe of the main bar.

sound of a iiaring musical bell. The inven# l' tion is not limited, in all -of its embodiments, to s ound producing bars as othervsound producing members may be employed in accordance with some characteristics ofthe inven on; y .Changes m y be made without departing om'the invention. ,v f Having thus described mylinvention', I claimt- D l iis I. In a soundproduciiig instrument, `the v combination with a main anda supplemental sound producing'bar, .the main ar being carrying supplemental bar.. v

2. In a sound producing instrument, the-11" combination with a main and 'a supplementl sound producing bar, the main bar having a ortion engageable with nthe supplemental ar when the main bar is set into sound'producing vibration to set the supplemental bar into sound producing vibration.

3. In a sound producing instrument, the combination with a main and a supplemental sound producing bar, the main bar being mounted to swing when struck and carrying a portion that is within striking range of the supplemental bar; @und dampers applicable to both bars and coupled to be simultaieously removed from engagement with said lI'S.

4. In a sound producing instrument, the combination with a main and a supplemental f sound producing bar, themain bar havin a portion engageable with the supplemental ar when the main bar is set into sound reducing vibration to set the supplementalp bar into sound producing vibration; and dampers applicable to both bars and coupled to be simultaneously removed from engagement with said bars.

5. In a sound producing instrument, the combination with a bar that is oblong in cross section; of a hammer mounted to strike the narrower side of said bar.

6. In a sound producing instrument, the combination with a main and a supplemental sound producing bar, the main bar beingy mounted to swing when struck and carrying a portion that is within striking range of the su plemental bar; dampers normally applied to oth bars; and mechanism operable upon the main bar for setting it into vibration and in controlling relation to said dampers and, when operated, operating upon said dampers 0 remove them from engagement with said ars. v

7. In a sound producing instrument,` the combination with a main and a supplemental-- sound producing bar, the main bar having a portion engageable 'with the supplemental bar when the main bar is set into sound producing vibration to set the supplemental bar into sound producing vibration; dampers normally applied to both bars; and mechanism operable upon the main bar forsetting it into vibration and in controllin relation to said dampers and, when operated, operating upon said dampers to remove them from engaglment with said bars.`

a sound producing instrument, the combination with a main and a sup lemental sound producing bar, the main ar being mounted to swing when struck and carryingla portion that is within striking range of t e supplemental bar dampers normally applied to both bars; and mechanism operable upon .the main bar and including a hammer for striking kthe main bar to set it into vibration and in controlling relation to said dampers 0 remove them from engagement with said ars. 9. In'a sound producing instrument, the combination with a main and a supplemental sound producing bar, the main bar having a Artion engageable `with the supplemental ar when the main bar is set into sound producing vibration to set the supplemental bar into sound `producing vibration; dampers normally a plied? to both bars; and mechanism o era le u on the main bar and including a ammer or striking the main bar to set it into vibration and in controlling relaltion to said dampers and, when operated, op-

erating upon said dampersto remove them from engagement with said bars.

10. In a sound producing instrument, the combination with a main and supplemental sound iroducing member; dampers, normally applie to both members; and mechanism operable upon said members for settin them into vibration. and in controlling relationto said dampers and, when operated, operating upon saiddampers to remove them from engagement with said members.

11. 'In a sound producing instrument, the l combination with a main and supplemental sound producing member; dampers normally applied to both members; and mechanism operable upon said members and including a hammer for striking the main member to set it into vibration and in' controlling relation to said' dam rs and, when operated, operat# ing upon 'said dampers to remove them from en gement with said members'. p Iii witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name. y t

. -JOHN Q DE'AGAN.

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