US3628414A

US3628414A - Violin piano

Info

Publication number: US3628414A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis Elteto
Original assignee: Louis Elteto
Priority date: 1968-09-09
Filing date: 1968-09-09
Publication date: 1971-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 1988-12-21

Abstract

A violin piano having a plurality of pivotal levers each carrying a string. When a key is struck the levers are pivoted so as to place the string in contact with a moving belt. A flexible pin is provided to act as a spring for returning the lever to its rest position and to connect the lever to a sound box.

Description

United States Patent Louis Elteto 605 N. Lincoln Ave., Alliance, Ohio 44601 [2]] Appl. No. 758,550

[22] Filed Sept. 9, 1968 [45] Patented Dec. 21, 1971 [72] lnventor [54] VIOLIN PIANO 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figs.

|52| 11.8. CI 84/257 151] 1nt.(,'1 G10c l/00 |50| Fleld of Search H 84/257, 256, 173

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,577,501 [1926 Strawn 84/256 727,665 5/1903 Moen 84/257 1,190,655 7/1916 Keller 84/257 FOREIGN PATENTS 586,090 1924 France 84/256 298,308 1928 Great Britain... 84/256 31,917 1923 Denmark 84/257 320,270 1902 France 84/257 407,995 1910 France 84/257 Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner1ohn F. Gonzales ABSTRACT: A violin piano having a plurality of pivotal levers each carrying a string. When a key is struck the levers are pivoted so as to place the string in contact with a moving belt. A flexible pin is provided to act as a spring for returning the lever to its rest position and to connect the lever to a sound box.

PATENTEU M021 [9n SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTORI LOUIS ELTETO VIOLIN PIANO SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention relates to a violin piano and has for its objective the construction of an improved form of musical instrument in which the combination of a keyboard, a lever for mounting a string thereon, a sound box and a power-driven bow causing the string to vibrate are the principal elements. With this in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and point out in the appended claim.

In the attached drawings,

FIG. 1 shows the front, and

FIG. 2 thecross-sectional view of the invention. The part numbers used in the two drawings are identical.

The keyboard resembles that of an ordinary organ, except that the key-lever 11, for more elevation, has an elongated part 16 on the free end of which the adjusting bolt 8 is in permanent contact with the string-lever l5 and 23, whether the key, moving on its fulcrum 10, is depressed or released.

The string-mounted lever, consisting of a wooden bar 15, with a string 6, a bridge 14, a saddle l7 and a. tuning peg 13 is not bonded to anything but is placed horizontally above the sound box 18 and to it by a pivotal pin 7, which pin supports it and transmits the vibration of the string to the sound box and at the same time acts as its fulcrum andbeing elastic in nature-acts also as a retracting spring. The said elastic pin is bent in such a way that the lever is forced to rest permanently on top of adjusting bolt 8, whether the lever is in the operating or resting position. The travel distance of the lever (movement up and down) can be adjusted with bolt 12 in the guide rail 5 and with the adjusting bolt 8 on the end of the elongated keylever arm.

The sound box 18 has the usual character of ordinary bow instruments, fixed on its legs 20, the top of it 24 serving as sound board and connected through its sound bar 22 only to the lever by the said elastic pin 7. The sound box has two openings 19 on its ribs 25, or on its soundboard 24 as preferable, to secure free escape of the sound waves from the interior of the box to the surrounding air.

The power-driven bow 4, through pulleys (FIG. 1,2) is guided by a padded bar 3, the latter provided with a thin plastic strip to ensure smooth operation. The belt of the bow runs in properly adjusted distance above the string-mounted lever and when the key is depressed the elevated lever brings its string in contact with the rosin-rubbed belt causing a desired friction and through it the desired sound. The bow, together with its motor, rests at a predetermined distance from the levers entirely by its own weight, so that it can be removed without the use of tools. Any individual string-mounted lever can then be pulled out with its pivotal pin, again, without use of tools.

To set the instrument into operation, the power-driven bow 4 has to be brought in motion. When the key 11 is depressed, the elongated key-lever 16 lifts, by means of its adjusting bolt 8 the string-mounted lever to the level of adjusting bolt 12, which determines its upward movement (the adjusting bolt 12 is provided with a rubber tip to prevent clatter). When in ad justment for proper contact, the friction between the powerdriven, constantly running bow 4 and the string 6 produces the desired vibration which is, through the lever 5 and pivotal pin 7, transmitted to the sound bar 22, which in turn propagates it over the large surface of the soundboard (table) 24 and through the openings 19 to the air outside. Since, except for the key fulcrum, all points of contact on the key and stringlever are padded, it is easy to produce tremolo in the manner as in a bow instrument, as the player merely vibrates the key with his finger.

Having made a detailed description of my invention, ac cording to which any person skilled in the art is enabled to make and use the same, I claim as my invention:

1. In a musical instrument having a keyboard, a lever for mounting a string thereon, a sound box, a power-driven bow for causing said string to vibrate, the improvement comprising a flexible pin for transmitting string vibrations to said box, said pin having one end fixedly secured to said box and its other end secured to said lever whereby said pin acts both as a fulcrum for pivotal movement of said lever and as a retracting spring for returning said lever to its unpivoted position.