US2189531A - Accordion - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1940. E. N. DEL PRINCIPE 2,189,531

ACCORDION Filed March 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 6, 1940. E. N. DEL- PRINCIPE ACCORDION Filed March 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1940 I 1 2,189,531

UNITED STATES @ATENT OFFICE AcooamoN Emil N. Del Principe, Chicago, 111., assignor to Sears, Roebuck and (30., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application March 19, 1937, Serial No. 131,855.

13 Claims. (Cl..84--3'76) My invention relates to the art of musical tone mounted. at the head I! of an accordion adjamodulation and more particularly to the imcent the keyboard l2 in such manner as to shield provement of the quality of sound produced by the reed valves l3 and associated mechanism. accordions and other instruments. The bo has an Edge which ay be readily S pp An object of the invention resides in the prointo and out of nested or interfitted relation to vision of a sound box or tone modulator which and held in place bythe rim M of the head and is adapted to be mounted on an instrument y b ack keys of the key fi To assist in and is so constructed. and arranged that when he s embly, end snide ra k 15 c rri y so mounted it does not increase the overall the ad e arra d 0 be received Within the dimensions f th m t y ends it of the box, and receive readily releasable 10 Another abject, of t invention is 13 provide means such as screws ll extending thru said accordion with a horn and a control therefor. s d u y hfliding the box in P It is aiso an object to provide an accordion The x comprises a hood Whose c il n or r with a sound box which does not detract from p t has an elongated opening 2| w h s of 15 the appearance of the instrument while subgradually n s n W dt t wa the lower 15 i stantially improving the quality of its tone, pitch reeds, when mounted on the instrument. A further object involves the provision of a This Op ning is covered y a superimposed hood tone modulator adapted to subdue harsh vibrant Whifih is preferably of reduced Width and sounds produced by reed instruments such as ht at the wider end of the Op and is v accordions. f gradualiy increasing dimensions toward and 20 l It is another object of the invention to probeyond e ow e the pe termi- Vide a readily attachable tone modulator adapted i ng preferably in a bell mouth 23. The upper to replace the usual ornamental valve shield of hosd d the covemd DOrlliOll 0 lower 0 1 an accordion or the like, and readily removable provide together a tone modulating horn whose 25130 permit i ti throat is formed by the opening 21, the re- 25.

It i a f th bje t of th invention t mainder of the lower hood serving as a resonance vide a tone modulator so constructed as to afor Sound boardford increased deflection for sounds of higher To control W19 quantity 0f Vibmnc air enterpitch produced by an acc-ordicn or t 1 ingthe horn and provide additional means of 30. A further object is to provide a tone modulator 955C396 f Sound. the fTOilt W311 25 of the box has of ornamental, durable, light and inexpensive a Seriefi Cf i 755 a d y a id havon tru ti ing like passages 28. The slide is guided by Further objects and advantages of the invenstraps Z9 and is actuated and arranged in tion ill appear as th descriptjgn pr0ceeds justed positions by any suitable control means ferring now to' the accompanyin draw- Such as a screw knob 3! threaded to a lug 32 on 35 the slide. This means is readily accessible by Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a tone modulator the fingers f the p v y adjusting h sl constructed and mounted on an accordion in y q es Of b t om the accordance with th in enti 7 strument may be diverted from the horn, or all 40 Fig. 2 is a side elevation and transverse secthe air y be allowed to escape thrll the 40 tional view taken as indicated bythe line 2-2 horn. thereby rendering t box flexible n p in Fig. 1. ation and affording a variety of tonal efiects Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the tone mod- While at the same time effectively modulating ulator. and subduing rasping and other sounds produced Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken y the m nt- 45 as indicated by the line 4--4 in Fig. 3. The box may be constructed of light, preferably Fig. 5 is a back view f the m d l t seen stiff acoustically efiicient material capable of in Fig. 4. resonating without undesirable overtones thru- Fig. 6 is'an enlarged fragmentary sectional out the entire pitch range or the instrument. View taken as indicated by the line 6-5 in Fig. 3. p v tonal q y is n l y p 50 Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken vided by virtue of the arrangement whereby the as indicated by the line 71 in Fig. 6. more rasping notes, which are of the higher Referring now more particularly to the draws. are subjected to correspondingly greater ings, a tone modulator or sound box embodying deflection so that the rasping qualities are the invention is indicated generally at l0 subdued. 55

It will be observed that the box is so dimensioned as to lie well within the overall dimen- I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be;

varied thru a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is not intended that the terminology employed herein be restrictive or. confining, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

Iv claim:

1. An accordion comprising a valve head,'a

shield secured over said head and comprising a sound box having an opening of gradually decreasing width and a horn-like hood of correspondingly increasing width over said opening.

2. An accordion comprising a valve head, a

shield secured over said head and. comprising a sound box having an opening of gradually decreasing. width from the lower to the higher pitched reeds, and a horn-like hood of correspondingly increasing width over said opening.

3. An accordion or the like comprising a valve head, and tone modulating means mounted over said head and providing increased deflection of sound waves from the lower to the higher pitched Q reeds, and a horn-like hood mounted over said means.

4. An instrument of the accordion type having a valve head, a sound box mounted on said head and having a horn and also having a substantially unobstructed tone passage arranged to divert vibrant air from said head away from said horn.

5. An accordion or the like comprising a' valve head, a sound box mounted over said head and having a horn, and means for varying the volume of sound emitted from said horn.

6. An accordion or the like comprising, a valve head, a sound box over said head and provided with a substantially unobstructed horn and with tone passages arranged in a series longitudinally of said head, a slide carried by said box and having a similar series of passages arranged to vary the effective size of the first series, and means for adjusting said slide.

. head, a sound box over any desired adjustment.

7. An accordion or the like comprising a valve head, a sound box over said head and provided with substantially unobstructed tone passages arranged in a series longitudinally of said head, means for varying the effective size of said series, and a horn substantially coextensive with'said series.

8. An accordion or the like comprising a valve said head and having a wall substantially coextensive with said head and an elongated opening in said wall, an elongated hood over and extending well beyond said opening, said hood having an opening spaced from the first mentioned opening and said hood being of gradually increased size toward its opening, said wall extending inward from the sides of said hood and cooperating with said hood to form a. horn.

9. An accordion or the like having a valve head, and a horn mounted over said head and disposed substantially within the overall length and width of said head, and means for varying the volume of sound emitted from said horn.

10. A tone modulator for an accordion or like instrument, said modulator comprising a cover adapted to be-positioned over the tone produc ing mechanism of the instrument, a cover mounted over the first cover and almost entirely sealed thereto, leaving an opening therebetween, said first cover thereby forming a bottom wall for the second cover, said wall and second cover together being shaped to form a horn and said wall having an opening forming the'throat of the horn.

11. A tone modulator for an accordion or like instrument, said modulator comprising a cover for the tone producing mechanism of the instrument, a cover over the firstcover and almost completely joined there-to, leaving an opening therebetween, the first cover thereby providing a bottom'wall for the second cover, said wall and second cover together being shaped to constitute a horn, said wall having an opening forming the throat of. the horn, and means for controlling the sound issuing from the horn.

12. An accordion or the like having a piano keyboard and a valve head, and a tone modu-' lator having a horn and directly interfitted with said head, leaving substantially the entire lengths of the black keys accessible to the fingers without cramping. i

13. An accordion or the like comprising a'valve head, a sound box 'mountedover said head and having a horn, adjustable means for varying the volume of sound emitted from said horn, and means for maintaining the adjustable means in 'EMIL N. DEL PRINCIPE.

' that the same may conform to the record 0 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,189,551. February 6, 191m.

EMIL N. DEL PRINCIPE It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed s 5 follows: Page 2, first pecification of the above numbered patent requiring correction a claim 6, for the words "with a substantially unobstructed column, line. 5h

d with substantially unobstructed; and

horn and with" read with a horn an that the said Letters Patent should be rea f the case in the Patent Office Signed and sealed this 16th day of April, A. D. l9l O.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents d with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record 0 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,189,551. February 6, 19m.

EMIL N. DEL PRINCIPE It is hereb'5 certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line. 5h,

I horn and with" read with a horn and with substantially unobstructed; and

read with this correction therein that the said Letters Patent should be i the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of April, A. D. l9LLO.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner Of Patents claim 6, for the words "with a substantially unobstructed v

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