US2483268A

US2483268A - Mute for musical instruments

Info

Publication number: US2483268A
Application number: US760169A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas L Fawick
Original assignee: Fawick Flexi Grip Co
Current assignee: Fawick Flexi Grip Co
Priority date: 1947-07-10
Filing date: 1947-07-10
Publication date: 1949-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 1966-09-27

Description

Sept 27, 1949.

T. L. FAWICK MUTE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed July 10, 1947 THOMAS L. FAWICK INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1949 Mti'rii FoR'MUsIoAL INSTRUMENTS I lhoiiias L. Fawi'ck, levelan'd; "Ohio, assignar to Fawick Fliii Grip "00., Cleveland, Ohio Ap lication-Junie, 1947, Serial No. 760,169

I 3 Claims. This inventionrelatesto'mutes-for musical instruments such as violins. p v

Itschief'objctshreto piovide afiiiiiteadapted to perform its function with leasing err-teammout adverselymodifyingjhe-quality of the sound that is muted; to provide a mute that willnot obscure the individuality of a line violin; and to provide a -inute having thedesifed efiectivness but of small size, not standing so high above the bridge as to be an obstruction.

Further objects are neatness of appearance, retention of the mute in ready availability for use, avoidance of scratching by contact with any part of the instrument, and secure retention of the mute upon the bridge when it is in use.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section, on line I-l of Fig. 2, of a mute embodying y invention in its pre ferred form.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, from either the right or the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same, taken in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the mute comprises a soft-rubber body III of substantially clothes-pin or bifurcated shape but having a plurality of parallel vertical ribs II, I l on each of its inner, gripping faces, the ribs of one set being respectively opposed to those of the other set, and having a transversely arcuate-walled groove l2 extending through the body at right angles to the ribs, at their upper ends, as the upper termination of the space between the two legs of the body. Such space comprises vertical grooves l3, l3 in alternation with and defined by the ribs H, and, in communication with those grooves, a triangular space M (Fig. 1) of increasing width upward to its junction with the groove I 2, such triangular space being incident to the fact that while the ribs of one set contact or nearly contact those of the other set in their lower portions the adjacent faces of the two sets of ribs, as respective groups, upwardly diverge from each other.

From this shape it results that the mute grips the bridge of the instrument with force which is greatest in their lower region and is progressively less upward therefrom. The relatively large groove l 2 permits a good hinging movement without excessively localized distortion of the rubber and, along with the triangular shape of the v H the'dowiiwardly progressing increase orgr ppmg rcrce,

To augment such ppingjforc'e, and 'appar- 'e'ntly providing other dvafntagjs, "a transversely flat metal spring 15, which is flij mti'onally of C-s'hape in edge view, is associate with'tlie rubbefr'bdy. 'Rrererab r biit fecess'a'rily, it is at least embedded inf-ano her ssibly is completely enclosed by, the rubber, except that the lower portions of the legs of the spring, where they most closely approach each other, may be exposed in small areas at the back walls of the vertical grooves 13, as an incident of the preferred method of manufacture, in which the ribs and grooves are formed by a suitably shaped mandrel or ribbed metal plate, very thin between its ribs where its grooves are deepest.

The spring I 5 preferably is of such shape when in unstrained condition that its legs will be spread apart by mounting it upon the ribs of such a mandrel, and when the mandrel is removed the recoil of the sprin will hold the rubber ribs II, II of one set in slight but substantial pressure-contact with those respectively of the other set.

Preferably the legs of the spring curve away from each other at their lower ends, as shown, to facilitate the mounting of the spring upon the mandrel and to provide deep imbedding of their lower ends in the rubber even though they grip the mandrel in the adjacent region. The rubber can be bonded to the spring by vulcanized adhesion if desired, but such bonding is not essential.

To provide for easy removal of the mute from the bridge, and possibly with an advantage in providing greater inertia for the body of the mute, the body preferably is formed with a rounded projection It at the junction of its upper edge with each of its vertical edges, the two rounded projections thus providing a head.

When not in use, the mute can be retained in ready availability for use by mounting it upon one of the instruments strings, back of the bridge.

While the reasons are not readily manifest, it is found that the mute herein described has in surprising measure the effects set out in the above statement of objects.

It is believed to be due to the fact that the rubber ribs, which are the only part of the mute contacting the bridge of the instrument, have such resilience, and such natural rapidity of recoil, when pre-loaded by the pressure of the spring, that they act as absorbers of energy, thus damping or reducing the amplitude of the bridges vibrations, without affecting the frequency, even as to overtones, the weight oi. the main body and the spring serving, not as a loading, which changes the natural frequency of a sound system, but merely for its inertia to cause the bridges vibration to express itself almost wholly in deformation of the ribs, substantially without vibrating the rest of the mute.

It is believed that the amplitude is reduced almost wholly by the energy absorption of hysteresis in the rubber ribs,'ancl that elimination of the frequency-modifying loading effect of mutes heretofore in common use is the main reason for the excellent functioning of the present mute.

Modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mute for a musical instrument, said mute comprising an inertia'structure and damping means in position to beinterposed between said structure and a vibrating part of the instrument and to be held in small-area pressure contact with the latter, said damping means having substantially the resilient deformability of vulcanized soft-rubber.

2. A mute for a musical instrument, said mute comprising an inertia structure and, in position to be interposed between said structure and a vibrating part of the instrument, and to be held in small-area pressure contact with the latter, damping means having substantially the resilient deformability of vulcanized soft-rubber, the inertia structure comprising a body integral with said damping means and a spring in pre-loading relation to the damping means.

3. A mute for a stringed musical instrument having a bridge, said mute being of bifurcated form and adapted to be mounted upon the bridge in gripping relation thereto, and said mute comprising an inertia structure, and, in position to be interposed between said structure and the bridge, and to be held under compression against opposite extensive faces of the bridge, vibrationreceiving means having substantially the resilient deformability of vulcanized soft-rubber and of such small efiective cross-sectional area in planes parallel to the bridge, in relation to the inertia of said structure, as to be deformed by the bridges vibration substantially without overcoming the inertia of said structure.

THOMAS L. FAWICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS Number