US401814A

US401814A - Joseph boiimaxx

Info

Publication number: US401814A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 1906-04-23

Description

(No Model.)

J. BOHMANN. ARM REST TOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 401,814. Patented Apr. 23, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT (lemon.

JOSEPH BOIIMANN, OF CHICAGO, lIiIiIXOIS.

ARM-REST FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,814, dated April 23, 1889.

Application filed March 15, 1888. Serial No. 267,204=. (N0 model.)

To all 107mm it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH BOHMANN, ol' the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arm-Rests for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is intended to be applied to instruments which, while held against the body of the performer, are played by plucking or picking the strings, such as the mandolin, guitar, and banjo. Its object is to increase the firmness and ease of the hold on the instrument and to assist in maintaining the proper position of the hand, thereby i11- creasing the performers facility and accuracy in playing.

My invention consists in the parts and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mandolin having my arm-rest attached. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. is a section of the tailpiece and lower part of the rest,showin g more clearly the mode oi? attachment and adjustment of the arm-rest. Figs. 4 and 5 show a different mode of attaching the rest.

The arm-rest A, as will be seen by the drawings, is somewhat trough-shaped or hollowed in the direction of its length, the purpose of this curvaturebeing to fit it to the arm. For the sake of lightness, and in order to restrain the armas little as possible, the sides are cut away at a a, leaving only the extremities of the trough Z) b b b of full width. To make the rest more comfortable to the arm, all the edges of the upper surface are rounded back, as shown in the drawings. At the lower end of the rest is an extension, 13, (see Fig. 3,) which is fastened by a pivot, C, to the tailpiece E. A screw, D, is situated above the pivot C, and maybe turned in or out, thereby altering the elevation of the arnrrest at its upper end. The screw D would serve the same purpose if it passed through the armrest and abutted against the tailpiece i l; but I prei'erthe arrangement shown, for the reason that the screw is more out of the way. This adjustment is desirable, because the wrist of the player can be elevated the proper distance to suit his hand, be it long or short.

The pivot (i is preferably made removable, so that the arm-rest may be detached when the instrument is not in use.

The mode of using the arm-rest is obvious. The forearm is placed in the rest, the wristjoint projecting sufliciently to give it free play. The curvature of the rest prevents the instrument from slipping out of place, and thereby leaves the left hand of the player much more at liberty for making rapid shifts, and the right arm is supported and guided by the rest.

Figs. 4 and 5 show an extensioinB, adapted to fit into a dovetailed groove, 0, in the tailpiece E. The arm-rest may be adjusted to some extent by sliding in the groove C, but not within so wide a range as in the first instance. Other modes of fastening the armrest may be devised without departing from my invention, which consists, mainly, of an arm-rest hollowed or curved to lit the forearm, and attached in such relation to the instrument as to assist in maintaining the proper relative position of the arm and hand thereto.

When the rest is al'iixed to an instrument having no tail-piece attached thereto, or when the tail-piece is not properly situated, a separate plate, E, or an equivalent therefor, must of course be provided.

The rest may be made of any length found most suitable to the particular case.

I claiml. The combination, with a musical instrument of the class described, of an arm-rest hollowed in the direct-ion of its length to conform to the players arm, and. standing at an angle to the top of the instrumentcorresponding to the natural angle of the arm, shown and described.

2. The combination, with a musical instrument of the class described, of the arnrrest A, pivotally connected thereto, and an adj ustingscrew, 1), substantially as described.

The combination, with a musical instrument of the class described, of an arm-rest attached to the side thereof and extending over its top at an angle thereto corresponding to the natural angle of the player's arm, and adjustable to and from the instrument, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4-,. An arm-rest adapted for application. to a musical instrument of the class described for supporting the hand employed in picking the strings, said rest being of a height to elevate and position the hand of the player over the sound-board and to determine the extent to which his fingers can drop toward the strings,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. An adjustable arm-rest adapted for a'p' plication to a musicalinstrunientof the class described in position to support the hand emr ployed in picking the strings, substantially as and for the purpose set fort-hr f 6. The combination, with a musical instrument of the class described, of an arm-rest adapted and arranged to support and position the hand of the player over the sound-board and to determine the extent to which his fingers can drop toward the strings, substantially asand for the purpose set forth. f I JOSEPH BOHMANN.

Witnesses:

P. MAsoN, J. I. VEEDER.