US3096676A - Tailpiece for stringed instruments - Google Patents

Description

July 9, 1963 M. HAVlVl ETAL I 3,096,575

TAILPIECE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed Feb. 1, 1961 INVENTORS M054 M4 V/ V/ MAX FP/RSZ A TTORIVEYS United States Patent 3,096,676 TAILPIECE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Mosa Havivi and Max Frirsz, New York, NY. Filed Feb. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 86,407 10 Claims. (Cl. 84302) The present invention relates to improvements in the sound of musical instruments and more particularly to a structure adapted for use in violins, Violas, cellos, and bass violins and the like.

In the construction of violins and the like, it has been, ior a great many years, known that excellent and expert craftsmanship is necessary in order to give the instrument rich, clear tones. Various constructions of such instruments have contributed to a high quality of sound produced by the instrument. However, there is always room for improvement and the present invention is directed to an improvement in the tailpiece of the instrument.

-It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a stringed musical instrument having :a novel construction of tailpiece, adapted to provide greater resonance and to improve the tone quality and quantity of the instrument.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a structure of tailpiece such as to provide a balance of pressure between the high notes and the low notes thereof.

It is further among the objects of the present invention to provide a tailpiece wherein there is an adjustable portion for the low strings so that the quality and quantity of sound produced thereby may be adjusted by the musician.

In practicing the present invention, there is provided a tailpiece which is made of wood, plastic or metal. The tailpiece is relatively narrow and relatively long, having a bulge on one side thereof at about the central area. There are provided anchoring openings for the strings; at the front end of the tailpiece are openings for anchoring the high strings, and at the bulge there are provided openings for anchoring the two low strings. An important feature of the invention is the angle of the bulge, which is curved so that the tip or edge thereof is substantially below the plane of the major portion of the tailpiece.

In another feature of the invention, the angle of the bulge is made adjustable. To accomplish this, the bulge is constructed of a separate piece of wood, plastic or metal, and a mechanism is provided whereby it is hinged to the tailpiece with means for varying or adjusting the position of the bulge relative to the tailpiece.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a tailpiece made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front end elevational view thereof taken in the direction of line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the rear of the tailpiece taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a modified form of tailpiece wherein the bulge is made adjustable;

FIG. 5 is a transverse view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 1 of a further modification of the invention.

The body 1 of the tailpiece is relatively narrow and elongated, having a slight concave curve 2 along one edge thereof. The rear 3 has a pair of openings 4 and a flat lower surface 5. Openings 4 serve as a means for the introduction of a mechanism for holding the tailpiece onto the instrument.

The front 6 of the tailpiece has the side opposite edge 2 7 in a convex curve 7 and a metal or other strip 8 raised above the surface of the tailpiece serves as 'a rest for the "ice strings. Openings 9 and 10 are provided for anchoring the high note strings and they are spaced approximately parallel to curve 7 so that opening 10 is substantially rearwardly of opening 9.

'Near the central portion of the tailpiece, curve 7 blends into concave curve 11 which with convex curve 12 form a bulge extending in the opposite direction from edge 2. A raised metal piece 13 provides support for the low notes. Adjacent to piece 13 are openings 14 and 15 for anchoring said low note strings. These openings are parallel to curvf41-1 and opening 15 is located rearward-1y of opening.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a separate piece 16 is fitted into a right angular notch or recess 16' in the side of the tailpiece opposite edge 2. A hinge 17 is secured to tailpiece 1 and bulge 16. An adjusting screw 18 passes through eye 19 secured to tailpiece lat 19. A thumb nut 20 is threaded on screw 18. The opposite end 22 of the screw is held in eye 21 anchored to bulge 16 at 21'. By means of thumb nut 20, the position of bulge 16 relative to tailpiece 41 may be adjusted so that it may be raised or lowered to vary the tension on the strings and create a balance between the low strings and the high strings.

The correlation of the musical vibrations between the bridge and tailpiece with the vibrations of the strings in front of the bridge, is of importance. IT he angle of bulge 16 permits the artist to increase the pressure on the low note strings and thus balances such pressure relative to the high note strings.

Each instrument has its own sensitivity, character and individual timbre. By application of the adjustable bulge, the musician can adjust the pressure to a more perfect and precise balance.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, it will be noted that edge 12. of the bulge is in the same plane as the fiat surface 5 at the rear of the tailpiece. It is also to be noted that the front 6 of the tailpiece as shown particularly in FIG. 2, is substantially higher than bulge 12. Thereby there is a downward angle formed by the bulge, which results in improved resonance and over-tones of all the notes. The angle may be as great as about to the plane of the tailpiece.

In the modification shown in FIG. 6, the tailpiece is formed with an edge 23 which is at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis 23' of the tailpiece. The angle 24 is usually about 30 and in no case should it be greater than 45 although an angle of as little as 15 is suitable. In this modification, similar results are obtained to those from that shown in FIG. 1. The difference is that instead of curves 7, 11 and :12, there is provided a straight edge 23.

We claim:

1. A tailpiece for string instruments comprising an elongated body having means at the rear thereof for attachment to said instrument, means at the front of said body for anchoring of at least one front string, and means at an intermediate area for anchoring of at least one intermediate string, the :front anchoring means being for high notes and the intermediate anchoring means for low notes, a flat lower surface on said body, a convex bulge rising from said flat surface at said intermediate area and extending towards the front of said body.

2. A tailpiece according to claim 1 characterized in that a lateral edge of said body is slightly concave.

3. A tailpiece according to claim 1 characterized in that said anchoring means are in substantial alinement at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said body of not over about 45.

4. A tailpiece according to claim 1 characterized in that said anchoring means are in substantial alinement at an 5. A tailpiece according to claim 1 characterized in that said bulge slopes downwardly from the upper face of said body.

6. A tailpiece according to claim '1 characterized in that the angle of said bulge relative to said body is adjustable.

7. A tailpiece according to claim 1 characterized in that said bu lzge is hinged to said body and means are provided for adjusting the slope of said bulge.

8. A tailpiece according to claim 1 characterized in that said rear has a flat under-face, and the free edge of said intermediate area is in the plane thereof.

9. A tailpiece according to claim 1 characterized in that said rear has a flat under-face, and the free edge of said intermediate area is in the plane thereof, and the front of said body is substantially above the upper face of the rear of said body.

10. A tailpiece according to claim 7 characterized in that said adjusting means includes a threaded member connecting said bulge and said body and a thumb nut on said threaded member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,588,238 Hogne Mar. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 196,532, Great Britain Apr. 26, 1923 OTHER REFERENCES Portland Daily Abstract received in Div. 5, Feb. 15,

Claims (1)

1. A TAILPIECE FOR STRING INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING MEANS AT THE REAR THEREOF FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID INSTRUMENT, MEANS AT THE FRONT OF SAID BODY FOR ANCHORING OF AT LEAST ONE FRONT STRING, AND MEANS AT AN INTERMEDIATE AREA FOR ANCHORING OF AT LEAST ONE INTERMEDIATE STRING, THE FRONT ANCHORING MEANS BEING FOR HIGH

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