US3739680A - Harp construction - Google Patents

Harp construction Download PDF

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Publication number
US3739680A
US3739680A US00174393A US3739680DA US3739680A US 3739680 A US3739680 A US 3739680A US 00174393 A US00174393 A US 00174393A US 3739680D A US3739680D A US 3739680DA US 3739680 A US3739680 A US 3739680A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
fret
string
harp
lever
block
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00174393A
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English (en)
Inventor
H Christiansen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
LYON AND HEALY Inc
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LYON AND HEALY Inc
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Publication of US3739680A publication Critical patent/US3739680A/en
Assigned to BANK OF NEW ENGLAND, 28 STATE STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION reassignment BANK OF NEW ENGLAND, 28 STATE STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION SECURITY INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: LYON AND HEALY HARPS INC., A CORP. OF IL.
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10D—STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDIONS OR CONCERTINAS; PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; AEOLIAN HARPS; SINGING-FLAME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G10D1/00—General design of stringed musical instruments
    • G10D1/04—Plucked or strummed string instruments, e.g. harps or lyres
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10D—STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDIONS OR CONCERTINAS; PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; AEOLIAN HARPS; SINGING-FLAME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G10D3/00—Details of, or accessories for, stringed musical instruments, e.g. slide-bars
    • G10D3/06—Necks; Fingerboards, e.g. fret boards

Definitions

  • the cam surface has a decreasing ra- 1925 sg 842264 dius of curvature as it contacts the strings so that initial 2 812 681 11/1957 -Cal'l'0rl...:... 84/266 travel of the lever results in relatively lime displace ment of the string whereby the final travel of the lever FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS results in a substantial displacement of the string into 540,560 10/1941 Great Britain 84/264 engagement with the fret.
  • This invention relates in general to musical instruments and, more particularly, to harps. It deals specifically with an improvement in mechanism for fretting the strings of a harp.
  • a conventional harp comprises a base from which a column extends vertically.
  • a sounding box extends from the base at an angle to the column.
  • the upper ends of the column and sounding box are interconnected by a neck, the configuration of which preferably describes a harmonic curve.
  • the strings of the harp are anchored at their lower ends in the boxs sounding board and, at their upper ends, are fixed to the neck by means of tuning pins. The pins can be rotated for tuning the strings by drawing them tight over stationary guide nuts which determine the maximum length of the strings.
  • the manual lever mechanisms on such less expensive harps have draw-backs, in addition to their diminished versatility.
  • the lever mechanisms of the type found on the Irish harp displace the strings laterally from their normal paths when the strings are fretted. This changes the feel of the harp to the harpist; a slight but not insignificant factor in determining. the ease and attractiveness of playing the harp.
  • the manual lever mechanisms presently in use on modern harps displace the strings considerably while rubbing along them for a'substantial distance as the strings are fretted. This causes the strings to fray with constant use.
  • no manually operated fret lever system heretofore known has permitted two step fretting to bothjnatural and sharp notes.
  • a manual lever mechanism including, for each harp string, a pair of lever units including fret blocks fastened to the front face of the harp neck in alignment with the corresponding strings.
  • the blocks of each pair of fret blocks are longitudinally adjustable relative to the string in question.
  • Each block has a fret bar in which is formed a V- shaped fret in alignment with the string and displaced immediately below it.
  • Bracketing the string and the fret bar are stanchions which mount lever arms for pivotable movement about axes displaced above the corresponding string, extending perpendicularly thereto, and parallel to the neck face.
  • the length of the string is effectively shortened by the distance between the guide nut and the fret, raising the tone of the string from a flat to either a natural or a sharp, depending upon which of the two levers are actuated.
  • the blocks are adjustable longitudinally of the strings on the neck face so as to move the fret positions proportionally.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a harp incorporating a manual lever mechanism embodying features of the present invention for fretting the harp strings;
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1, illustrating the lever mechanism in substantial detail;
  • FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the lever mechanism illustrated in FIG. 2, with parts removed;
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 44 of FIG. 3.
  • DESCRIPTION OF THE FREFERRED EMBODIMENT ends to the sounding board 25 of the harp, the sounding board forming the generally fiat, upturned side of the sounding box 15.
  • the strings 21 are fixed to the neck 16 of the harp by means of tuning pins 26.
  • the tuning pins 26 can be rotated in a well-known manner to tighten or loosen the strings over stationary guide nuts 27 and, accordingly, tune the strings.
  • the natural notes and also the sharps are obtained by shortening the length of the strings, something which is accomplished according to the present invention by a manual lever mechanism 30 associated with each string.
  • the lever mechanisms 30 are manually adjusted by the harpist to shorten a selected string or strings by a predetermined length and produce a natural note or, in the alternative, to produce a note which is one-half note higher than the natural for its respective string; i.e., a sharp.
  • the manual lever mechanism 30 includes an upper lever unit 31 and a lower lever unit 32 fastened to the face 28 of the harp neck 16 in vertical alignment with the string 21.
  • the harpist can selectively fret the harp string 21 to raise the tone propagated by plucking the string from a flat to a natural note, or from a flat to a sharp note, respectively, according to the present invention.
  • the lower lever unit 32 (lower meaning that it extends vertically below the upper fret unit 31) comprises a reverse-L shaped fret block 40 including an upstanding leg 41 and a horizontally extending foot 42.
  • the leg 41 is seated flush against a plate on the face 28 of the harp neck 16 and fastened thereto by a mounting screw 44 which extends through a vertically elongated slot 45 in the leg 41.
  • the screw 44 fastens both the upper lever unit 31 and the lower lever unit 32 to the face 28 of the harp neck 16, as illustrated, so the screw head does not bear directly against the leg 41 of the fret block 40 in securing it tightly to the neck.
  • By loosening the screw 44 vertical adjustment of the fret block 40 on the neck 16 is facilitated because of the elongated slot 45 through which the screw extends into the neck. The purpose of this vertical adjustment is hereinafter'discussed.
  • the foot 42 of the fret block 40 includes a solid inner section 50, on the outer face 51 of which is formed a transversely extending fret bar 52.
  • the elongated outer surface 55 of the fret bar 52 has a Vee-shaped depression or fret 60 formed therein in alignment with the string 21 and displaced below the normal path P of the string 21.
  • the fret 60 is machined in a Vee-shaped configuration so that its side walls lie in planes disposed parallel to the normal path P of the string 21 while its apex 62 is inclined toward the leg 41 of the fret block in an upward direction.
  • the manual fret lever 70 includes an actuator handle 71 at its outermost end and an actuator cam surface 72 at its innermost end.
  • the harpist forces the actuator cam surface 72 into engagement with the string 21 which, for purposes of illustration let us assume is in its normal path P.
  • the cam surface 72 has a gradually decreasing radius of curvature while the surface moves progressively further from the pivot pin (at a progressively decreasing rate due to the decreasing radius) until dead center is passed; i.e., where the surface begins to move back toward the pin 66 axis.
  • the string is deflected slowly through much of its initial travel and rapidly in the latter part of its travel.
  • the lever arm moves the cam surface 72 very slightly past dead center where it is stopped by a stop pin 75.
  • the string 21 extends from its engagement with the cam surface 72 toward the fastening point with the sounding board 25 at an angle approximating the angle of inclination of the apex 62 in the Vee-shaped fret 60.
  • the cam surface 72 of the lever arm 70 pivoted slightly past horizontal dead center, as illustrated, the dimensions of the lever arm 70 are such that the string 21 is seated snugly against the sides of the Vee-shaped fret 60, along the vertical extent of these sides.
  • the cam surface 72 forces the string 21 from its normal path P substantially into the position illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 2, the string remains in lateral alignment with its normal path. In other words, it is not laterally displaced by action of the lever arm. At the same time, the cam surface 72 engages the string 21 and displaces it at an accelerating rate until maximum travel is effected just as the cam surface 72 reaches dead center. Wear or fraying of the string 21 is minimized in this manner.
  • the harpist grasps the handle 71 of the lever arm 70 and rotates it in a counterclockwise direction until the lever engages the stop pin 76.
  • the lever arm 70 remains in this position until the harpist again wants to raise the strings tone one full note from its flat to its sharp, whereupon the harpist actuates the corresponding lever arm 70 in the manner hereinbefore discussed.
  • the lever arm unit 32 is that which establishes the sharp note, as pointed out.
  • the lever unit 31 on the other hand, is positioned to shorten the effective length of the string between the guide nut 27 and the sounding board-25 by a lesser distance to raise the flat tone onehalf note to its natural tone.
  • lever unit 31 is identical inconstruction to the fret unit 32 hereinbefore described, except for certain dimensional variations which will hereinafter be described. Since the construction and arrangement of components is identical to that of the lever unit 32, however, detailed description of corresponding components of the lever unit 31 is unnecessary. For purposes of identification, lever unit 31 are designated by the reference numerals given the components of the lever unit 32, plus digits.
  • the foot 142 of the fret block is relatively shorter than the foot 42 of the fret block40, since the fret block 140 is seated on the leg 41 of the fret block 40.
  • This nesting of the fret blocks 40 and 140 is required in the area of the harp neck 16 to which the shorter strings of the harp 10 are attached, because of the paucity of space available.
  • the lever units 31 and 32 are, when associated with the longer strings of the harp at the opposite end of the neck 16,
  • the fret bar 152 of the fret block 140 is dimensional so that the Vee-shaped fret 160 is positioned closer to the normal path P of the string 21.
  • the length of the cam surface 172 on the lever 171 is, correspondingly, shorter.
  • the lever units 31 and 32 can be vertically adjusted on the neck 16 of the harp by loosening and retightening the screw(s) 44 so that the frets 60 and 160 are, once again, positioned to fret at precise one-eighteenth increments of the string length.
  • the slots 45 and 145 are elongated sufficiently to a point immediately adjacent the foot 142 of the fret block 140, whereby the guide nut 27 extends freely through these slots.
  • the lever mechanism 10 represents the first manually operated system for fretting a harp wherein two step fretting from a flat to either a natural or a sharp note is facilitated. This is possible because of the construction and nested arrangement of the lever units.
  • a lever mechanism for fretting a harp string extending between the harps neck and the sound box comprising:
  • lever means pivotable about an axis and having an actuator surface thereon
  • said actuator surface comprises a cam surface
  • said cam surface has a gradually decreasing radius of curvature while the surface moves progressively further from said axis until dead center is passed whereby the rate of displacement of said string toward the fret means accelerates as the lever is pivoted at aconstant rate toward dead center.
  • said fret means comprises a generally Vee-shaped notch formed on said fret block in alignment with the harp string
  • said Vee-shaped notch has an apex inclined toward the harp neck
  • said actuator surface deflecting the string to seat in the fret means an angle to the neck corresponding substantially to the angle of inclination of said fret means apex.
  • said fret block includes leg means secured to the face of the harp neck substantially in longitudinal alignment with the string, and
  • the lever mechanism of claim 5 further characterized by and including:
  • said fret means being formed on said fret bar in longitudinal alignment with the harp string.
  • lever mechanism of claim 6 further characterized by' and including:
  • a lever mechanism for fretting a harp string extending between the harps neck and its sound box comprising:
  • said first fretblock including generally vertically extending leg means and generally horizontally extending foot means protruding outwardly of the harp neck,
  • first fret means on said first fret block for seating the harp string
  • lever means pivotally mounted on said foot means of said first fret block and effective to force the harp string into seated relationship on said first fret means
  • said second fret block including generally vertically extending leg means and generally horizontally extending foot means protruding outwardly of the harp neck, 4
  • said second fret block being seated on said first fret block with the leg means of said second fret block sandwiched over the leg means of said first fret block.
  • said first fret block and said second fret block are longitudinally adjustable relative to the harp string and relative to each other.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Stringed Musical Instruments (AREA)
  • Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
US00174393A 1971-08-24 1971-08-24 Harp construction Expired - Lifetime US3739680A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US17439371A 1971-08-24 1971-08-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3739680A true US3739680A (en) 1973-06-19

Family

ID=22635998

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00174393A Expired - Lifetime US3739680A (en) 1971-08-24 1971-08-24 Harp construction

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3739680A (de)
JP (1) JPS4830913A (de)
CA (1) CA961319A (de)
CH (1) CH544368A (de)
DE (1) DE2241679A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2151359A5 (de)
GB (1) GB1400582A (de)
NL (1) NL7211544A (de)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4599931A (en) * 1982-08-09 1986-07-15 Joel Garnier Concert harps
US4669350A (en) * 1985-01-31 1987-06-02 Gressett Jr Charles A Clamping nut and method
USRE32863E (en) * 1983-10-21 1989-02-14 Locking nut assembly for a guitar
US4936182A (en) * 1989-03-09 1990-06-26 Robert Bunker Sharping lever for a musical instrument
US5140883A (en) * 1991-02-01 1992-08-25 Fay Douglas C Harp action
EP0566887A2 (de) * 1992-04-22 1993-10-27 Karl Fischer Umstimmeinrichtung für Harfe
US5796020A (en) * 1996-02-06 1998-08-18 Truitt; Betty R. Hand-manipulated sharping lever for a harp
US6080921A (en) * 1998-06-12 2000-06-27 Cunningham; Robert Blade sharping device for a lever harp
US20070131083A1 (en) * 2005-12-10 2007-06-14 Bryce Alasdair J Alternative tuning device for stringed musical instruments
US20090133562A1 (en) * 2007-11-27 2009-05-28 Mariano Gonzalez Ramirez Harp and method of playing therefor

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5236991U (de) * 1975-09-08 1977-03-16
JPS54104899A (en) * 1978-02-06 1979-08-17 Nakayama Shiyouji Kk Method of determining cooling curve of molten material by back metal system
JPS59162659U (ja) * 1983-04-15 1984-10-31 三菱重工業株式会社 溶融金属分析装置
JPH01180647U (de) * 1988-05-31 1989-12-26

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1105879A (en) * 1911-11-28 1914-08-04 Melville A Clark Harp.
US1563141A (en) * 1924-07-25 1925-11-24 Aslanian Michael Harp fork
US2241284A (en) * 1939-10-18 1941-05-06 Walder Gobi Tuning device
GB540560A (en) * 1939-11-21 1941-10-22 Gobi Walder Tuning device for stringed musical instruments such as harps
US2812681A (en) * 1953-11-13 1957-11-12 Arthur L Carron Electrically operated key-changing harp mechanism

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1105879A (en) * 1911-11-28 1914-08-04 Melville A Clark Harp.
US1563141A (en) * 1924-07-25 1925-11-24 Aslanian Michael Harp fork
US2241284A (en) * 1939-10-18 1941-05-06 Walder Gobi Tuning device
GB540560A (en) * 1939-11-21 1941-10-22 Gobi Walder Tuning device for stringed musical instruments such as harps
US2812681A (en) * 1953-11-13 1957-11-12 Arthur L Carron Electrically operated key-changing harp mechanism

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4599931A (en) * 1982-08-09 1986-07-15 Joel Garnier Concert harps
USRE32863E (en) * 1983-10-21 1989-02-14 Locking nut assembly for a guitar
US4669350A (en) * 1985-01-31 1987-06-02 Gressett Jr Charles A Clamping nut and method
US4936182A (en) * 1989-03-09 1990-06-26 Robert Bunker Sharping lever for a musical instrument
US5140883A (en) * 1991-02-01 1992-08-25 Fay Douglas C Harp action
EP0566887A3 (en) * 1992-04-22 1994-08-10 Karl Fischer Tune adjustment mechanism for harps
EP0566887A2 (de) * 1992-04-22 1993-10-27 Karl Fischer Umstimmeinrichtung für Harfe
US5796020A (en) * 1996-02-06 1998-08-18 Truitt; Betty R. Hand-manipulated sharping lever for a harp
US6080921A (en) * 1998-06-12 2000-06-27 Cunningham; Robert Blade sharping device for a lever harp
US20070131083A1 (en) * 2005-12-10 2007-06-14 Bryce Alasdair J Alternative tuning device for stringed musical instruments
US7414184B2 (en) * 2005-12-10 2008-08-19 Alasdair James Bryce Alternative tuning device for stringed musical instruments
US20090133562A1 (en) * 2007-11-27 2009-05-28 Mariano Gonzalez Ramirez Harp and method of playing therefor
US7674962B2 (en) * 2007-11-27 2010-03-09 Mariano Gonzalez Ramirez Harp with exposed soundboard and separate bridges and method of altering the pitch of the harp strings

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS4830913A (de) 1973-04-23
DE2241679A1 (de) 1973-03-01
CH544368A (de) 1973-11-15
NL7211544A (de) 1973-02-27
FR2151359A5 (de) 1973-04-13
GB1400582A (en) 1975-07-16
CA961319A (en) 1975-01-21

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: BANK OF NEW ENGLAND, 28 STATE STREET, BOSTON, MASS

Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LYON AND HEALY HARPS INC., A CORP. OF IL.;REEL/FRAME:004478/0265

Effective date: 19850912