US2495343A

US2495343A - Mute for string instruments

Info

Publication number: US2495343A
Application number: US650271A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ohab Stanley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-02-26
Filing date: 1946-02-26
Publication date: 1950-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 1967-01-24

Description

Jan. 24, 1950, s. OHAB 2,495,343

MUTE FOR STRING INSTRUMENTS Filed Feb. 2 1946 1| \Ill'lllllllHlll g llilUH] P INVENTOR. j'hmfqy (l/za BY M M Patented Jan. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUTE FOR STRING INSTRUMENTS Stanley Ohab, New York, N. Y.

Application February 26, 194.6, Serial No. 650,271

3 Claims. (Cl. 84-311) The purpose of my invention is to make a mute which is set in a certain position by means of a spring in the tail of the violin and is held tightly to allow for adjustment of the mute over the bridge of the violin, to soften the sounds.

There are three positions of adjustment in which this mute is used, namely, the normal position adjacent to the bridge, which does not affect the sound while the bow is drawn across the instrument, or the second position in which a small outside notch is set over the bridge, or the third position in which the deeper notch of the mute is set over the bridge. These positions affect the tones by mufiling the sounds as desired by the violinist. The eiiect is the same upon any string instrument.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mute which once set, is immovable in its position, and will allow the player to attain the desired tone or sound by simple adjustment in moving the mute.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate my invention:

For purposes of illustration, a violin is shown.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the mute in applied position adjacent to the bridge.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same (see Fig. 1).

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the mute in one adjustment on the bridge.

Figure l is a similar view to Fig. 3, with another adjustment on the bridge.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the mute.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Figure 1.

Figure '7 is a top view of the mute stem.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

The mute l is pivotly mounted onto the saddle 2 of the violin 3 at 4 with the pin 5. The groove 6 of the stem '5 of the mute l carries the spring 8 which bears against the saddle 2, and the violin which tends to press the stem 1 in a downward direction. At the other extremity at the stem 1 is the pin 9 on which is mounted the mute portion 10. The spring 1! tends to press the mute in a. rearward direction. The mute l is composed of the upright portion i2 which is grooved at I3 to accommodate the strings l4 and I5 of the violin. In Figure 3, the longitudinal cut I 6 gives resiliency to the notch at H, which sets as indicated, over the bridge 2| at is. In the Figure 4, the opening it sets over the bridge 2| as indicated, with the top of the mute shown at i8 in horizontal position. The finger grips 20 are made on both sides of the mute to accommodate the finger nails in raising the mute. The strings l4 and I5 pass through the slotted openings shown at 22 and 23.

Although the drawings and the above specifications disclose the best method in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, I desire in no way to be limited to the details of such disclosure, for in the further application of my invention changes in form and proportions can be made as circumstances require or as experience suggests without departing from the spirit of my invention within the scope of the appended claims.

The mute is made of any desired hard substance.

What I claim as new and novel is:

1. A mute for a stringed instrument having a saddle extending towards a bridge and strings connected to the saddle and extending over the upper edge of the bridge, said mute comprising an arm hingedly connected to the under side of the saddle and extending towards the bridge, spring means for normally urging said arm downwardly away from the strings, a mute hingedl connected to the outer end of the arm, said mute having longitudinal openings therethrough and through which certain of the said strings pass, the under side of said mute being provided with a transverse bridge edge receiving slot, said means for urging the arm downwardly also forming means for holding the bridge edge in the slot.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 including a shallow transverse slot carried by the mute forwardly of the first mentioned slot for receiving the upper edge of the bridge for a modified muting operation.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 including spring means carried by the forwardly extending arm and cooperating with the mute for holding the mute in rearwardly spaced relation to the bridge when in inoperative position.

STANLEY OI-IAB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 444,448 Loebs Jan. 13, 1891 538,405 Bingham Apr. 30, 1895 1,215,973 Olmedo Feb. 13, 1917