US536634A

US536634A - Multiplex-stringed musical instrument

Info

Publication number: US536634A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 1912-04-02

Description

(No Model.)

W. D. KYLE.

'MULTIPLEX STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 536,634. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

WITNESSES: z/ AQff INVENTO/f aryw WW 4 J #13 ATTORNEYS! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. KYLE, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,634, dated April 2, 1895.

Application filed November 28,1 8 94:. Serial No, 30,208- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. KYLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiplex-Stringed Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in stringed musical instruments, in which are combined the characteristic features of several different instruments.

I am aware that stringed musical instruments have heretofore been devised in which the distinctive features of two or more different instruments have been combined for musical effects, but the object of my invention is to provide a multiplex stringed musical instrument having a common sounding-board, and a common tail-piece, but having separate and distinct necks, so arranged that the operator can produce at pleasure all the effects of the guitar, the mandolin, and the banjo, separately and not in combination, upon the one instrument in a convenient and efficient manner, thereby saving the expense and incon venience of three separate and distinct instruments. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my invention showing the relative arrangement of the separatenecksupontheonesoundingboard. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mute employed to suppress the vibrations of the strings upon those necks not in use while the operator is using the remaining one.

The body of the instrument 1 consists of a front or upper sounding board, the rim 3 shown in section in Fig. 1 and asuitable back of well understood construction, not shown in the drawings. All of the said parts are made of suitable material, preferably of wood, rigidly united and strengthened in the usual manner of manufacturing guitars. The said body 1 may be cylindrical, as shown, or oval, or pear shaped like that of a mandolin, or

any other proper contour. To the upper edge (14) of the tail piece 2 are securely attached the strings of the several independent necks. This tail piece is preferably metallic to stand the increased strain of the several sets of strings, and is of sufficient width at its edge 14 to properly provide an independent attachment for each set of strings on the several necks, as seen in Fig. 1.

The instrument may be if desired suspended from the neck of the operator by a cord or ribbon secured to the pin 4 in Fig. 1.

The sounding perforations or openings 5, 6, and 7, are arranged in any proper manner relative to each other, are of any proper size, and over them the strings are properly extended, as shown, and are mounted upon the separate and

independent bridges

8, 9, and 10 respectively.

The necks ll, 12, and 13 represent those of three different instruments, viz: a mandolin, a guitar, and a banjo, respectively, each neck being provided with a fingerboard, frets, and a head peculiar to the particular instrument indicated, and the length of the said necks should correspond to those of the same. The said independent necks are rigidly attached to the periphery of the body 1 by the usual heel pieces, in a well understood manner as used in the manufacture of guitars, but not shown in the drawings. The middle neck is secured to the said body preferably on a radial line, as shown, and the other two necks may be radial with the center of a circle de scribed from the point of attachment of the tail piece to the body; though any other suitable arrangement thereof relative to the said central radial neck may be adopted. As shown in the drawings each neck is entirely independent of the others, and the relative arrangementof the said neck on the said body may be varied to suit the taste or convenience of the operator, without departing from the spirit of my invention. Each neck has its separate set of metallic strings mounted upon the said bridges as described, and rigidly secured at their inner ends to the edge 14: of the said tail piece.

When one set of strings only is playedupon by the operator, as for example that set used as a guitar, the vibration of the strings upon the other two necks is prevented by the well understood use of a proper mute, seen in Fig. 2, which may be any suitable device adapted to prevent vibration, but is preferably constructed as shown, comprising a metallic spring back with parallel jaws to which are secured pieces of cork or other non-sound conducting material, and so arranged as to be normally in contact and adapted to firmly clasp a set of stringswhen properly mounted thereon, thereby efiectually preventing vibration of said strings.

Having thus described my invention and the manner in which the same is employed, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a stringed musical instrumentof the class described, the combination of a banjo, a

guitar, and a mandolin, having asingle sound ing body with three separate and-independ ent necks rigidly attached to the saidbody each with separate head and finger board, one being fashioned and strung like a banjo, one like a guitar, and the remaining one like a mandolin, each of said necks being provided with a separate set of metallic-strings secured to its head and to a common tailpiece, as shown, supported by independent bridges, stretched over separate sounding porforations, all substantially as setforth and described.

2. In a multiplex stringed musical instrument, the combination of a single hollow cylindrical sounding body comp-rising a top sounding board and a proper back connected therewith by a proper rim edge, as shown, the said body having proper sounding perforations, arranged as described, and the three independent necks each neck with separate head and finger board attached and rigidly secured to said body and provided with independent sets of strings mounted upon proper bridges and secured to a common tail piece, whereby each set of strings can be used at the pleasure of the operator by suppressing the sympathetic vibrations of the remaining sets of strings, all substantially as described.

3. Amultiplex stringed musicalinstrument having three separateand independent necks each with head and finger board attached and with anin'dependent set ofstrings mounted thereon, and secured to a common tailpiece, so-arranged that from each of the said .setsofstrings may be secured its own independent and characteristicmusical harmony, and having means for suppressing the sympathetic vibrations of the unused sets of strings, all substantially as described.

Signed by me, at Fort Vayne, Allen county, Indian-a, this-24th day of November, A. D. 1894'.

\VILLIAM D. KYLE.

Witnesses:

Gno. F. FnTTs, FLAVIUS .T. YOUNG.