US1981092A - Musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 20, 1934. G CLOETENS 1,981,092

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 25, v1952 :s sheets-sheet 1 @eo/jew @Zoefews' Nov. 20, 1934.

Filed June 25, 1932 G. CLOETENS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 20, 1934. Q CLOETENS 1,981,092

I MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 25, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 22 IWL/enfer.- Georges C'Zoee n; 5y

Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 25, 1932, Serial No. 619,321 In Belgium September 30, 1931 10 Claims.

This invention relates to musical instruments with vibratory sound generating mechanisms such as stringed instruments, i. e. pianos, harpsichords and monochords and such as bladed instruments, i. e. carillons, xylophones and the like, having actuated members for producing sound, such as hammers for striking one or more strings or bars, jacks, plectra or ngers, and all instru- `ments having a casing or sound box provided with openings underneath as in grand pianos or at the back as in upright pianos.

The invention is particularly concerned with means for increasing the power of the instrument in unexpected and advantageous proportions, while at the same time eliminating disagreeable resonances and the means for obtaining new sounds and singing or tremolo effects.

Pianos as at present used, such as grand pianos, generally have a lid which is horizontal when closed and which can be turned up by means of hinges about its horizontal axis to allow the sounds to emerge freely from the sound box through the upper opening in the latter towards the right. left, front or back of the keyboard. This sound box has an opening in its lower part and is preferably protected in this region by a sheet and the greater part of the sounds leaving through the lower part of the sound box do not reach the listeners.

In upright pianos, the top of the sound box may be covered by a hinged lid. The sounds can leave freely through the opening which may be closed by this lid.

The sounds may also leave freely through the back of the instrument, which is generally protected by a sheet or by sack cloth and the greater part of the sound leaving this Way again does not reach the listeners. It has already been proposed to improve pianos and like instruments, and especially to increase the power of pianos by additional structures.

U. S. Patent No. 384,241 refers to a musically vibratory framing at the upper portion of an upright piano.

In U. S. Patent No. 451,667, a musical instrument comprising reeds and ratchet wheels is described and said instrument is provided with a wooden casing and inside the casing with a wooden sounding box.

Further, U. S. Patents Nos. 948,391 and 585,469 relate to pianos with special arrangements called auxiliary sounding boards or resonator attachment.

All those additions or modifications of usual instruments have resulted in additional vibrations which generate supplemental sounds besides the usual and expected sounds.

The characteristic sounds of instruments, such as carillons, xylophones and the like, cannot be obtained pure by such arrangements. 0

In order to overcome this disadvantage, according to the present invention all the openings of the instrument are provided with rigid partitions made, for example, of compressed fibre or triplex, that is to say, of material unable to generate supplemental sounds and called hereafter non-vibratory material in contradistinotion to hard resonant wood and the like.

These rigid partitions are disposed in fixed relation to and gradually spaced away from the 0 instrument and adapted to guide the sounds produced in an enclosed trumpet-like space of increasing section open at one end. In this way. all the sounds produced may be sent out, for example, from the same side of the instrument and the power of the instrument is thus increased without altering the characteristic sounds of the instrument.

According to the present invention movable baiiles which are capable of altering the free area through which the sounds can pass, such, for example, as angularly movable vanes, are also provided between the regions where the sounds are produced and the regions where they leave the instrument.

Rotation of the said vanes during the production of the sounds produces "singing or tremolo effects, the modulation of which can be influenced by the speed of rotation of the vanes.

Lastly, in accordance with the invention, hard strikers in the form of small hollow cylinders of wood, compressed bre, ebonite, metal, etc. rigidly secured to strips of deformable material, felt or leather, are also provided near the strings or bars of the instrument to allow the said strings or bars to be struck by these strikers and thus obtain new sounds different from the sounds obtained by means of percussive hammers, jacks, etc.

I am aware that strikers in the form of hard hollow cylinders have already been proposed in U. S. Patent No. 559,227, but those strikers were left to freely dangle at the end of leather strips so as to necessarily obtain repetition of sounds even after a single percussion.

According to my invention, these strikers are rigidly secured to strips of deformable material to prevent such repetition of sounds by a single percussion on the actuating keys, but to nevertheless allow repetition by repeated percussion.

The percussions may be produced either by means of ordinary hammers such as used in the usual type of piano, by placing the said strikers between the strings and the hammers and by actuating the hammers, or again, by means of an articulated mechanism actuating the said strikers and comprising, for example, a pivoted lever and push members which can be operated rby means of the keys of a keyboard.

Sounds of varied tone and of greater or less intensity can be obtained according to the character of the strikers used. These may be comparable with mandolin sounds or repeated sounds or harpsichord sounds, etc. according to the nature of the strikers and ofthe deformable supports on which these strikers are mounted.

All the eirects obtained can be softened vand unexpected tones can be given to them, comparable with the tone of the oboe `stop of an organ, by interposing dampers or bands of felt, movable by the player, between the said strikers and the strings.

Other details and characteristics of the invention will appear in the description of the accompanying drawings, which show merely by way of example, various methods of carrying the invention into eiect. 'v I l Figures 1, 2 and 8 show a device suitable for grand piano, xylophones or other instruments with horizontal strings or bars.

Figures 3 and 9 show an upright piano with its strings in the vertical plane.

Figure 4 shows a celesta having metallic bars and hammers operated by keys.

VFigures 5, 6, 7 and l0 show certain details of devices shown in the other iig'ures. Corresponding elements are indicated inthe various gures by the same reference numbers.

In Figure 1 a piano 'is shown which has two rigid inclined partitions 2, madeof compressed fiber, triplex, or similar non-vibratory material, placed one lab'ovethe top of the sound box and the other below the bottom of this 'sound box, so 'as to directthe sounds emerging freelyl Aas much from below as from above the piano towards the same side of the instrument, in the present instance, towards the keyboardin an enclosed space of increasing section. The partitions 2 are provided with lateral partitions 3, which prevent lateral diusion of the sound. Thepower oi the instrument is thus increased in unexpected proportions.

' Pianos such 'as that shown have also the advantage that all disagreeable resonance is avoided when a piece of music is played in aroom having `a resonant ooring without necessitating, as is the case with pianos provided merely with a lid, the provision below the piano of a mat or other device for absorbing the sound emerging from the bottom ofthe piano.

l In the partitions 2, angularly movable vanes 20, are provided which 'can be rotated for example, by a motor to produce tremolo effects or singing eiects.

These vanes are transversly situated and are preferably set at right angles to the direction of propagation of the sounds.`

When, as is shown, two vanes are provided, it is necessary that these should be driven synchronously.

The piano `shown in the drawings has two keyboards 'and strings such as the horizontal string 4. As is well known, in double keyboard pianos, the percussion by the hammers can at will beproduced by either keyboard through known mechanisms diagrammatically represented at 5" and 6 which actuate a single hammer.

Particular sounds can also be obtained through percussion by strikers 6 in the form oi hollow hard cylinders of metal, ebonite or the like (see Figs. 5 and 6), with the aid of hammer 5. The strikers are mounted on small blades or deformable supports 7, integral with a movable support 8, which is jointed to a member 8 by a spring or a hinge 8". In the position shown, the hammer 5 can strike against the small blades '7, so as to produce sounds by means of the hard strikers 6. Push-rods 9 are provided, which rest on a lever l2 pivoted at l2 on the framework oi the piano and resting with its free end on the key 5 and at the same time on a rod 13, integral withV the key 6.V The rod 13 is provided with nuts for the adjustment of the relative vertical positions of the key 6 and the rod 13. The pushrod 9 is capable, when lifted, of removing from the string 4 a damper 14 of a known type such as is used in ordinary pianos. The push-rod 9 is provided with screws for adjusting its position relatively to the key 5'.

The member 8 is integral with a member l0, which slides over an element 11 and can be displaced in order to draw the striker 6 out of the range of the hammers 5 and, therefore, of the keys 5. The displacement of the member l0 can, for example, be brought about by means of the rod 10.

With the member 10 in the position shown in Figure l, by operating one or the other ci the keys 5 and 6', harpsichord sounds can be obtained by means of the striker 6. the member l0 towards the right until the striker 6 is drawn out of range oi the hammer, ordinary piano sounds can be obtained by means of the hammers 5.

Figure 2 shows a variant suitable for a grand piano. A push-rod 9a is jointed to a piano damper 14a lof a known type and similar to the damper 14 of Figure l. Hard strikers or small hollow cylinders 6a are mounted on a lever 8a pivoted at S'a on a member 16a, so as to be capableof movement between certain limits and subjected to the action of a spring 17. In the position shown, the lever 8a rests on the damper 14a and the push-rod 9a under the action of its spring 17. The push-rodar; is capable of striking the string 4a by means of the strikers 6a and, at the same time, of lifting in a known manner the damper 14a.

`The member 10a is jointed to a rod la which can move the member 10a upwards so as to remove the lever 8a from the damper 14a to prevent it from being acted upon by the push-rod 9a and the keys 5'a and 'a, which actuate this push-rod. v

18 is a screw-threaded rod allowing adjustment of the distance between the strikers 6a and the string 4a.

19 is a band of felt or the like extending between the hollow element 6 and the strings 4. This band, which acts as a damper, can be inserted as shown between the strikers 6a and the strings 4a, or be displaced out of action towards the player.

Such a band could, of course, be provided in ,the piano shown in Figure 1.

In the position shown in Figure 2, the key 5'a can strike the string 4a by means of the hammer 5a through mechanism 5"u of a known type (i. e. such mechanisms as used in ordinary grand pianos) and bymeans of the hard striker 6a By moving y the piano and its back wall 2.

through the agency of a push-rod 9a which rests on a lever 12a pivoted at 12a on the framework of the piano. The key 6a is able to strike the string 4a by means of the hammer 5a through mechanism 6a, also of a known type. When the string 4a is struck by the hammer 5a or by the striker 6a, the damper 14 is each time separated from the string 4a. In order to strike the string 4 with a hammer 5a only, the player moves the rod 10a upwards and thus makes striking by the striker 6a impossible. Lastly, in order to strike the string 4a by means of the hard striker 6a only, a removable element 5h or 6b (such, for instance, as the rectilinearly movable member 16 shown in Figure 3) can be provided in the mechanisms 5a and 6a, which will allow the keys and the hammer 5a to be dissociated from each other for the time being by the player. v

By means of this arrangement, harpischord and piano sounds can be obtained either separately or at the same time by means of the strikers 6a or hammers 5a or elements 6a and hammers 5a.

Figure 3 shows the application of the device in accordance with the invention to an upright piano.

This piano is provided with an inclined rigid partition 2 placed opposite the back of the piano and projecting above the piano towards the front, so as to direct forwardly the sounds which emerge freely both from the back and from the top oi the piano. The partition 2 is provided with two lateral partitions 3', which prevent lateral diffusion or loss of the sounds.

The partition 2' is inclined to provide an enclosed trumpet-like space of increasing section, provided near the top with a vane which can be rotated to obtain singing or tremolo effects. In order to obtain singing effects from only a particular range of notes of the piano, a vertical partition 13a, parallel to the lateral partitions 3 and two vanes placed in the line with each other and driven individually may be provided between In another arrangement, transverse shutters 13b pivoted at 13e are provided near the top of partition 2', conibined with a single vane 20. The shutters 13b are capable of partially closing the space between the piano and its back wall 2, so as to make the vane 20 inoperative over the part that is thus closed. y

In Figure 3, the left-hand half is assumed to be closed and only the right-hand part, which, for example, has the high notes, is under the influence of the vane 2O so as to give the singing effects.

Instead of the single partitions 13a, several partitions 13a may be provided between the partitions 3 as well as more than two panels 13b.

In the upright piano shown, the sounds are produced by means of strings 4b and of hammers such as the hammer 5b controlled in a known manner by a key 5b through a mechanism diagraminatically shown by the line 5b.

The sounds may also be produced by hard strikers 6b actuated by keys 6'?) through a pushrod 9b and a lever 8b pivoted at 8c. The lever 8b is connected to a damper 14h by a rod 8d provided with an eyelet and a rod 8L, which can slide towards the player in this eyelet. This damper provided with a spring 14 can be actuated by a mechanism of a known kind shown diagrammatically at 15, i. e. such mechanisms as used in ordinary pianos to withdraw the damper when actuating the hammer. The withdrawal of this damper can, therefore, be brought about individually by the keys 5'b and b through the mechanism l5 or through the push-rod 9b and the rods 8d and 8f. When this push-rod is actuated by the mechanism 15, the rod 8f slides in the eyelet of the rod 8d without affecting the lever 8b.

16 is a rectilinearly movable member which is connected to a rod 10b, which may be actuated by the player to introduce the element 16 between the key 5b and the end of the push-rod 9b. so as to cause this push-rod and the element 16 to move with the key 5b and the hammer 5b if they were integral with these parts.

With the arrangement shown in Figure 3, the liarpsichord sounds can be obtained by means of the keys 6b and the striker 6b and piano sounds can be obtained by means of the keys 5b and the hammers 5b.

The introduction of the member 16 betweenv the key 5b and the end of the push-rod 9b allows harpsichord and piano sounds to be obtained simultaneously by means of the keys 5b.

Figure 4 shows a celesta in side view, with certain parts broken away, This instrument has metallic bars 24, hammers 25, dampers 34 and mechanisms and 24 of a known type for actuating the hammers and the dampers by means of a keyboard having keys 25'.

The dampers may also be maintained separated from the bars by a pedal 34a and a lever 34. 24 is a sound box and in the celesta each bar or group of bars usually has such a sound box.

This celesta is provided with a rigid rear wall 2, which is inclined and projects above the celesta. rIhis instrument is also provided with two lateral partitions 3" and a vane 20".

Carillons are instruments similar to celestas, in which the metal bars 24 are replaced by glass bars. The Carillons may also be provided with partitions 2` and 3 and with vanes 20. The power of the celesta, carillon and the like is increased to a large extent and sounds can be given a singing tone by rotation of the vane as in the pianos shown in Figures 1 and 3.

As shown to a larger scale in perspective in Figures 5 and 6, bands of felt or dampers 49 may in accordance with' the invention, be xed to the deformable supports 7 of the hollow strikers 6 and be either partly (Fig. 5) or wholly (Fig. 6) stuck on those supports.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 7, the hollow strikers 60 are mounted opposite the strings 40 on deformable supports 70, such as small bands of felt.

I'hese supports are connected to cylinders 8O around which they can be rolled to remove the strikers out of the path of action of the hammer 50.

is a band of felt or damper connected to a movable element to enable it to be put into or out of operation.

In Figure 8, a grand piano is shown, which has a rigid partition 2y-2y-2y-2y, opposite all the openings through which sounds can freely emerge from the instrument. The angles between the different portions of said partitions are rounded and a better amplification thus obtained.

20g indicates an angularly movable vane rotated, for example by a small electric motor having a rheostat for regulating its speed as shown diagrammatically in Figure 10. This vane has jf;-

lli)

out of contact with the pulley 35.

projecting portions 2031. The partition 2y has used therein, without exceeding the scope of the an opening relatively distant from the place at which the sounds emerge from'the instrument. This opening may be closed by a shutter 22.

' The acoustic effects obtained with the shutter 22 open are different from those obtained when the shutter 22 is closed.

Figure 9 shows an upright piano having rigid partitions 2e and 22, as in the case of Figures 3, 4 and 8. These partitions are arranged in series and are jointed by curved portions 2.

20e indicates a vanesimilar to the vane 20 of Figure Il. The upper part 22 of the partition is hinged andrits angular position, as well as that of the baille 23, is adjustable.

22' indicates a shutter which can be used to close an opening as in the arrangement of Figure 8 and which is shown dotted in its open position.

Except for a question of dimensions, these pianos do not appear any different from ordinary pianos.

The resemblance may be made .still closer by placing a vertical partition behind the piano of Figure 9, to hide. the oblique partition 2e. The tremolo effect obtained by rotating the vanes 20e when the instrument is played, is different accordn ing to the direction of 'rotation and according to the speed and shape of the vanes. These vanes may advantageously be provided with projecting portions and have a curved profile or a profile in the form of an elongated S.

Figure 10 shows a vane 20e tted to an upright piano such as the upright piano oi Figure 9. This vane is mounted on the one hand by means of a lpivot 25 in a iXed support 26 and on the other hand directly on the shaft 27 of a small electric motor 28 provided with a rheostat 29 for regulation of its speed.

This arrangement has the advantage that disagreeable noises arc eliminated and that all the moving elements are hidden from view.

The speedy of the motor can also be regulated by means of the device shown dotted, which makes the provision ci a rhecstat unnecessary.

This arrangement includes a brake having, for example a lath 33 pivoted at 33 and capable of .being pressed by a cable or a rod 34 against a small pulley 35 mounted on the shaft oi a motor 3-6 is a spring normally` pressing the lath 33 This arrangement makes a rheostat unnecessary.

By means of the instruments described and shown, a large variety of new tones or combinations oi new tones andof known tones such as the piano tone proper, harpsichord tone proper, celesta tone proper, etc., can be obtained.

The volume of the sounds produced can be increased in unexpected proportions and all the tones or combinations of tones mentioned above can be obtained with trernolo effects comparable ith. the singing tones obtained by violinists and cellists by means of their fingers, so as to allow many pieces of music which are ordinarily of no interest when performed on an ordinary piano, -harpsichord or celesta to be executed in a striking manner.

The invention is, of course, not limited to the forms of construction shown, and many modications can be made concerning the shape, the situation and the constitution of the elements invention as herein claimed.

VWhat'I claim is:

l. In musical instruments provided with vibratory sound generating mechanisms, disposed in sound boxes provided with openings, additional rigid sound guiding partitions of non-.vibratory material, disposed opposite said openings` in Xed relation to and gradually spaced away from said instrument, and adapted to guide the sounds produced in an enclosed space of continuously increasing section open at one end and formed between the instrumentand said partitions.

2. In an instrument of the character described in claim 1, shuttered openings in said partitions, located at a relatively great distance from the point at which sounds leave said space.

3. In an instrument of the character described in claim 1, longitudinal non-vibratory partitions in said enclosed space and transverse shutters between said partitions, adapted to provide adjacent independent spaces for adjacent groups of Vibratory sound generators.-

4. In an instrument of the character described in claim l, angularly movable vanes located across and inside said space, and means to rotate said vanes.

5. In an instrument of the character described in claim l, longitudinal non-vibratory partitions in said enclosed space and transverse shutters between said partitions, adapted to provide adjacent independent spaces for adjacent groups of Vibratory sound generators, with angularly movable vanes located across and inside-said spaces, between said shutters and the point at which sounds leave said spaces.

6. In an instrument of the character described in claim 1, hard hollow cylindrical strikers in front oi" the vibratory sound generators and rigidly secured to strips of deformable material.

7. In an intrument of the character described in claim 1, hard hollow cylindrical strikers in front of the vibratory sound generators, rigidly secured to strips of deformable material, and strips of sound damping material between the lstrikers and the vibratory sound generators.

8. In an instrument of the character described in claim' l, hard hollow cylindrical strikers in front of the vibratory sound generators, rigidly secured to strips of deformable material, and facings oi sound damping material on said strikers.

9. In an instrument of the character described in claim 1 provided with hammers actuated by keys, hard hollow cylindrical strikers mounted in front ci the vibratory soundgenerators at the end of pivoted levers resting on push members which rest on said keys, dampers connected to the keys by articulated mechanisms adapted to withdraw the dampers when the hammers are actuated, and in addition, between said dampers and said pivoted levers, connections adapted to withdraw the dampers when the levers are displaced towards theV sound generators.v

10. In an instrument of the character described in claim 1 provided with hammers actuated by keys and push members for the lifting of dampers, the addition of hard hollow cylindrical strikers mounted in iront oi the vibratory sound generators at the end of levers resting cn said push members and pivoted on displaceable supports.

GEORGES CLOETENS.

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