US538405A - Violin-mute - Google Patents

Description

W. BINGHAM. VIOLIN MUTE.

(N0 Model.)

N0. 538,405 PatentedApr. 30, 1895.

UTNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BINGHAM, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

VlOLlN-MUTE.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 538,405, dated April 30, 1895.

Application filed February 21, 1895. Serial N0. 539,244. (N0 model.)

T0 all whoin i't m0oy c0ncern:

Be in known tha.t IWILLIAM BINGHAM, a C1111- zen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Violin-Mutes; and I do hereby deelare the following to be a full, clear, and exaet description 0f the same, reference being had110theaccornpanyingdrawings,inwhich Figure I is a side view of a portion of a violin, showing my mute in its raised 01 inactive position. Fig.1l is a top view of a portion of a violin Witl1 my mute attached. Fig. III is a cross-section at the line x of Fig. I.

5 represents a portion of a violin, 6 the bridge a.nd 7 thetail-piece. These nmy all be of any common 01 preferred form of construetion, my object being to adapt a mute to be readily fitted to any violin so thac it may be operated by the performer while playing on tl1e instrument.

T0 tl1is end my invention consists in a removable attachment to the tail-pieee of the vio1in, adapted to be pressed upon tl1e bridge to impede the vibration thereof, thus doing the service 01". a mute by lessening the sound 0f tl1e instrument, and to have its pressure upon the bridge withdrawn to permit the full volume of sound 0f the violin, both 11116 application and che withdrawal so be performed positively by the operators ehin, as hereinafter more fully described and illustrated, reference being had to the aecompanying drawings, in which- 8 represents the mute proper, eomprising arms 12 pass to the rear end of the tail-piece where they are bent up and across tl1e line of the instrument t0 join together at the return bend 15, the two arms being made of a Single wire throughout.

16 is an arch-shaped ehin-pieee seeured t0 both arn1s a.nd passing over t-he tailpiece 7.

17 is an operatinglever made Of wlre coiled around the return bend 15 0f the anns 12, baut downward to form a fulcrum bearing 011 tl1e ta.il piece 7, beneatl1 the chin-piece 16 and curved at the ends 18 t0 forn1 cam-shaped bearings to engage the tall-pieeewhen forced down past its end.

T0 plane this device upon a violin, first draw the mute 8 ol1 frorn the ends 0f tl1e arms 12, then pass the arme along under tl1e wide forward part 0f the tall-piece and up between tl1e strings behind a.nd above the bridge until tl1e clip 14 is over tl1e narrowest pa1t of tl1e tail-piece, down at the sides 0f which tl1e ears 13 are to be pushed and then the devioeis to be again pressed forward until the (321111 18 will engage the end of the tail-piece while tl1e ears 13 spread apart 130 receive tl1e wedging f0rm of the forward part of the tail-piece t0 elaxnp seeurely thereon so as t0 hold tl1e whole device in place. T0 give greater field of move ment; permitting the ears 13 t0 separate so as t0 engage tail pieces 0f different widths I may lengthen the clip into a loop 19 midway, and I may furthe1 provide a binding screw 20 t0 draW the ears firmly agaiust the edges ot' tl1e tail-piece and yet, in rn0st cases tl1etail pieces are so ne2u alike in form that the loop 19 and screw 20 may be dispensed with. Having secn1ed the Clip 14, plaee the mute 8 on the ends of tl1e arms 12 and slide it on far enough t0 engage the bridge when pressed down. Tl1e arms Will usually project about a quarter 0f an incl1 beyond the mute.

In service the lever 17 belng pressed down by the operators ehin disengages l1e c-am 18, raises the real end 01" Ehe arms 12 and presses thei1 forward ends down Witl1 the mute up0n the bridge, and a spring 21, secured t0 tl1e ears 13 acts 011 the arms 12 to hold them down, whereby the tone of tl1e violin is t0 a certain degree suppressed. T0 throw Ll1e mute 0ut of service the operator presses bis chin upon the arch 16 Whl0h reverses tl1e action before deseribed, raising tl1e mute and leaving the violin free t0 sound it s full tone. If il: be desired t0 hold the mute raised the operator presses bis ehin firmly Clown upon the arch 16 and forces the cam 18 of 1ever 17 into IOO.

engagemeno with the tail piece wherey the device is held 0ut of service. One fuot 10- cated centrally instead of the two separated feet 9 might answer the purpose, 01 even more than two might be used withont departing frorn the spirit 0f my invention. Instead of springing the Clip 14 over the narrow portion of the tail piece I may unhitch the tail piece frorn the butt0n 22 and insert it through the c1ip. T0 pennit the 1id of a box to close over the violin, remove the mute'frorn the wires 12 and they may be Sprung down without perceiving it. Different weights and forrns of 1nutes for different effects may be fitted t0 the sarne ar1ns.

Some 0f the advantages ot this mute a1e the ease with which it may be fitted so any violin, its positive aetion am the wil1of the operator t0 throw it into and out of service, its autoxnatic means for retaining the position given it, either 0ut of o1 in service,and its 1ightness, simplicity and inexpensiveness.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new, and desire t0 seeure by Letters Patent, is the following:

l. The combination ina vio1in mute 0fa Clip fitted to wedge npon the tail-pieee forward of its narrowest portion and having elastic ears; a pair 0f arrns having bearings in the said ears 0f the Clip andjoined a1; theirrear ends in a return band and bent npward at their forward ends; a mute fitted so slide closely upon the said arms and having one or 1n01e feet t0 engage the vio1in bridge, an arched chinpiece connecting the said arms near their' 2. In vio1in mutes, a perforated mute proper having one 01 more feet to engage Ehe edge of the bridge, anda pair of operating arn1s fitted to slide closely through the perforation in the mute whereby it may be adj usted 01 rernoved, substantially as described.

3. In a vio1in mute, a c1ip 0f e1astie material having depending ears adapted to spring against the edges of the taiI-pieee and to vibrate a litt1e forward and back, and mute supporting arxns mounted in the said ears, substantially as described.

4. In a violin mute, a pair of mute-supporting anns pivotally hung midway and terminating rearward in a return band; an archshaped chin piece connecting the said mms and an operating 1ever, substantially as described.

5. In a vio1in mute, a pair 0f mute supporting arms pivotally hungmidway; alever pivotally seoured t0 their re-ar ends und bent downward as a fulcrurn point to engage the tail-piece, and a spring engaging the arms t0 1naintain the position given thereto by the said lever substantially as described.

6. In a violin mute, a pair of mute supporting anns pivotally hung midway and counected at their real ends; an operating lever pivoted to the rear end of the 2mns and having a fulcrnrn bent to engage the tail piece and provided With a czun-shaped end t0 engage the tai1 piece substantially as described wher eby the device is held id1e, snbstantially as Set forth.

In testimony whereof I afifix my signature in presenco of two wibnesses.

' WILLIAM BINGIIAM.

Witnesses:

O. J. BLOODWORTH, W. B. HARRISON.

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