US558797A

US558797A - Plectrum for musical instruments

Info

Publication number: US558797A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1913-04-21

Description

(No Model.)

A. J. GERY & R. DOLGE.

PLEGTRUM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 558,797. Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

AN DREW EGRAHAM. PHOTO'UTHQWASKI NGTON. I) C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALDIS J. GERY, OF DOLGEVILLE, AND RUDOLF DOLGE, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO THE O. 1 ZIMMERMANN COMPANY, OF DOLGEVILLE, NEIV YORK.

PLECTRUM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,797, dated April 21, 1896. Application filed Octoberl'], 1895. Serial No.565,9'71. (No model.)

To aZZ whom zit may concern:

Be it known that we, ALDIS J. GERY, residing at Dolgeville, in the county of l-Ierkimer, and RUDOLF DOLGE, residing at New York city and county, State of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented new and useful Improvements in Plectrums or Picks for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to picks or plectrums for playing or striking stringed musical instruments, such as autoharps, guitars, zithers, and the like.

The object of our invention is to provide a I 5 novel, simple, efficient, and economical construction whereby a picking-finger or pick proper is detachably arranged between the sections of a finger-ring portion in such manner that the latter can be used with interchangeable picking-fingers and a pick-finger, when in position, is firmly held between the sections of the finger-ring portion.

To accomplish this object our invention consists in a pick or plectrum composed of a 2 5 fin ger-rin g portion made in two sections, each of which is provided with a pendent or projecting flange, a removable and replaceable picking-finger interposed between the flanges of the finger-ring sections, and a clamping 3o bolt passing through the said flanges and servin g to connect the two finger-ring sections and to clamp the same upon the picking-finger, as more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectionalview of our improved pick or plectrum. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modified construction of the flanged portions of the ring-sections, and Fig. 3 is a o detail perspective view of the picking-finger or pick proper.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will now describe the same in detail, referring to the 1,5 drawings, wherein- The numerals 1 and 2 indicate the two sections of the finger-ring portion, which are constructed, respectively, with the two pend= ent or projecting flanges 3 and at. The sections comprising the finger-ring portion are properly shaped to be placed upon the thumb or finger of the performer, and the flanges 3 and 4, as shown in Fig. 1, are bent toward each other to form shoulders 5 and 6, which shoulders constitute a seat for the base of the 5 5 picking-finger 7 when the latter is arranged between the flanges 3 and 4:. The flanges are provided with perforations directly below the shoulders 5 and 6 for the purpose of receiving a transverse connecting bolt or pin 8.

The picking-finger 7 is preferably bent or deflected in a lateral direction, as at 9, Fig. 3, and in cross-section is somewhat in the form of a wedge. The bent or deflected por tion 9 of the picking-finger causes the picking-point of the finger to stand at an angle to the body portion thereof, and is thus placed in the best position to pick or sound the strings, whether the picking is accomplished close to the person of the performer or at some distance from the performer-as, for example, where the arm requires to be extended for sweeping over a certain number of strings.

The picking-finger is seated between the flanges 3 and at, and in the construction shown 7 5 in Fig. 1 the picking-finger rests upon the shoulders 5 and 6. The transverse bolt or pin 8 serves to connect the two finger-ring sections together and to clamp the flanges 3 and at against the opposite beveled or inclined lon- 8o gitudinal edges of the picking-finger.

It is evident that the picking-finger can be readily removed by loosening the nut on the bolt or pin, and that another picking-finger can be placed between the flanges and secured 8 5 in position by tightening the nut. By this means the ring portion can be used with a variety of picking-fingers, as may be required for the quality of the tone to be produced. For example, we may use a picking-finger having a pick portion formed of felt for producing a soft tone, or we may use a pickingfinger composed entirely of hard material, such as horn or metal. When the ring portion is placed upon the thumb or finger, the latter presses upon the pickin -finger and acts in the nature of a cushion therefor, so that clean-cut contacts are secured, and overtones, which would arise from the vibration of the material constituting the picking-finger, are avoided.

In the modification; Fig. 2, the construction is similar to that described with reference to Fig. 1, but the flanges 3 and 4 are not bent inwardly to form shoulders 5 and 6. In Fig. 2 the flanges 3 and 4 are approximately parallel, and the connecting bolt or pin 8 passes through the flanges directly beneath the picking-finger 7, the construction being such that when the bolt or pin is tightened by screwing up the nut the picking-fl11- ger will be slightly forced into the finger-- space of the ring portion, so that the thumb or finger will seat firmly against the pickingfinger.

The construction of the picking-finger with beveled or inclined sides is preferable, in that when clamped in position between the flanges of the finger-ring portion there is no liability of the picking-finger being displaced from proper position by moving unduly into the space of the finger-ring during the time the pick is being used to strike the strings of the musical instrument.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. A pick or plectrum, consisting of two finger-ring sections, each provided with a pendent or projecting flange, a picking-finger interposed between the flanges of the fingerring sections, and a connecting bolt or pin passing through the flanges and serving to connect the same together and to clamp them upon the picking-finger, substantially as described.

2. A pick or plectrum, consisting of two finger-rin g sections, each provided with a pendent or projecting flange, a picking-finger having beveled or inclined longitudinal edges and located between the flanges of the fingerring sections, and a connecting-bolt passing through the flanges and serving to connect the same together and to clamp them against the beveled or inclined edges of the pickingfinger, substantially as described.

3. A pick or plectruin, consisting of two finger-ring sections having pendent or projectin g flanges constructed with lateral shoulders, a picking finger interposed between said flanges and resting upon said shoulders, and a connecting bolt or pin passing through the flanges below the shoulders and serving to connect the flanges together and to clamp them against the edges of the picking-finger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALDIS J. GERY. RUDOLF DOLGE.

\Vitnesses:

WM. 0. IIAUFF, E. F. KASTENIIUBER.