US632407A

US632407A - Mute.

Info

Publication number: US632407A
Application number: US71994899A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ludwig Glasser
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1899-06-09
Filing date: 1899-06-09
Publication date: 1899-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 1916-09-05

Description

No. 632.407. Patented sept. 57 |899. L. GLAssER.

MUTE.

(Application led June 9, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWIG GLASSER, OF CLEAN, NEW YORK.

MUTE.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letter. Patent No. 882,407, dated September 5, 1899.

Application filed J une 9,1399. Serial No. 719.948. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LUDWIG GLABSER, a citia 'zen of the United States, residing at Olean, in

the county of' Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Mute, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lnutes for musical stringed instruments, and is particularly designed for use in connection with violins. The object 'of the present invention is to provide a simple device which may be readily fitted to the violin andis automaticallythrown into and out of engagement with the bridge thereof, whereby the player is not required to operate the device by hand.

To these ends the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size,jand the minor details of construction may be -made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the violin, showing the improved mute Fig. 2 is a detail perspective' Fig. 3 is a detail longitu" dinal sectional view of the mute and a porfitted thereto. View of the mute.

tion of a violin, showing both the operative and inoperative positions of the mute. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the holder. Fig. 5 is a similar View of a modified form of holder.

Corresponding parts in the lseveral figures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, v'

tion of the device.

The mute consists, essentially,in a holder or support 3, a mute block or plate 4, pivoted or hinged to the holder, and an actuating-weight carried by the mute-block and adapted tol swingl the latter upon its pivotal or hinged connection with the holder thereof.

The holder is best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings and comprises upper and lower clamping members 3 and 13, respectively, the contiguous faces of which are provided with strips of felt 14 or other sui-table packing material which will not injure the vstrings of the cla-mp mem-ber 3 are bent inwardly and down wardly, forming opposite hooks 15, embracing the opposite ends of the lower clamp me'mber 13. These members are adj ustably connected together by means of a'thumb-screw 1'6, pass ing loosely through the upper member intermediate of its en'ds and engaging a suitable nut 17., fixed to the under side of the lower member 13. Connected to the under face of the lower-clamp member is a pair of opposite spring-arms 1-8, which are preferably formed from a single length of wire bent into substantially U shape, the bend thereof being soldered or otherwise secured to the said clamp member. The vlower extremities of these arms are bent inwardly so as to form pivots 19, upon which the mute block or plate 4 is adapted to be mounted.

In fitting the holder to the violin the lower clamp member 13 is placed against the under side of the hitch portions of the strings of the instrument and the upper member 3 is fitted over the upper sides of the strings with the hooks 15 embracing the outer strings and the ends of the member 3, after which the thumbscrew 16 is engaged with the members so as to clamp the same firmly upon the strings. The holder being thus positioned the muteblock 4 is passed beneath the hitch portions of the strings and in rear of the bridge 2, and then the pivots 19 of the supporting-arms 18 are sprjung into suitable openings provided in the opposite edges of the mute-block and near the lower end thereof,whereby the muteblock is pivoted to the holder and may be actuated by gravity to throw the block into engagement with the rear side of the bridge.

To hold the mute normally out of engage ment with the bridge 2, `the weight 5 is provided -and is connected to the rear side of the mute-block by means of a suitable connecting-arm 10, which engages the holder above instrument. AThe opposite ends of the upper IOC its pivotal connection with the supportiugthe connectingarm 10 intermediate of the sides of the mute-block, so that said arm may work between the l) and A strings of the violin.

The block is provided in its upper edge with suitable notches 11, corresponding to the number of strings of'thc instrument and they are adapted to receive said strings when the mute is thrown out of engagement with the bridge, as shownin Fig. 3. A suitable covering 12, ofleather, felt, or the like, is itted to the front side of the mute-block and is adapted to engage the bridge, whereby the mute-block is cushioned upon the bridge and sympathetic vibrations of the block are deadened or prevented.

A modified form of holder is shown in Fig. 5 and comprises a fiat strap A, bowed intermediate of its ends and having the latter bent inwardly across the upper face thereof, forming the hooked shoulders 6. The mute-block 4 is connected to the strap A by means of a pair of opposite arms 7, which are preferably formed from a single length of wire bent intermediate of its ends into substantially U shape, having the transverse bent portion 8 soldered or otherwise connected to the upper face of the strap A and the opposite arms 7 being passed through openings provided in the strap, whereby the arms embrace the holder and are irmly connected thereto. The free extremities of the arms are bentinward, so as to form pivots 9, which are adapted lto be loosely and removably fitted into suitable openings provided in the opposite side edges of the mute-block and near the lower end thereof.

As best shown in Fig. 5, it will be seen that the holder is fitted to thehitch portions of the strings by passing the arms 7 astraddle of the D and A stringsand within the respective G and E strings, whereby the strap A engages across the top of the D and E strings, and the opposite ends of the strap are engaged beneath the respective G and E strings, and the hooked shoulders 6 engage over the latter, whereby the holder is firmly fitted in place. After the holder has been positioned as described the mute-block 4- is passed beneath the hitch portion of the strings and between the holder and the bridge 2, and then the pivots 9 of the opposite arms 7 are sprung into engagement with the respective openings provided in the opposite sides of the block, whereby the block is pivoted at its lower end to the arms of the holder and is adapted, by reason of its own weight, to drop forward into engagement with the rear side of the bridge and beneath the strings of the violin.

In the operation of the device, the violin being in its normal horizontal position, the mute-block is held out of engagement with 'the bridge by reason of the fact that the weight 5 is disposed in the rear of the vertical plane of the pivotal axis of the mute-block. Then it is desired to bring the mute into operation, it is simply necessary to lower or depress the neck of the violin, whereby the weight 5 will drop forward and engage the front side of the mute-block with the rear side of the bridge, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 3. In the normal position of the mute the bases of the notches 11 are adapted to engage against the hitch portions of the strings of the violin,so as to prevent the muteblock from being thrown or tilted too far backward and also to hold the mute-blockin a substantially upright position, whereby a slight depression of the neck end of the violin is adapted to throw the mute into engagement with the bridge.

The present invention provides an exceedingly simple and practical device which may be readily fitted to a violin, and may be thrown into or out of operation automatically, whereby the player need not stop playing to operat-e the mute. Furthermore, the parts of the device are few in number and are connected together in a simple and substantial manner, whereby the device is not liable to get out of order.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is l. A mute for stringed musicalinstruments, comprising a holder, a mute-block pivoted or hinged thereto, and actuated by gravity to throw the mute into operation, substantially in the manner shown and described.

2. A mute, comprising a holder, a muteblock pivoted or hinged to the holder, and a weight connected to the mute-block and adapted to throw the mute into operation by a movement of the instrument, substantially TOO holder and located below the hitch-strings and adapted to be thrown into engagement with the adjacent side of the bridge, the upper edge of the mute being provided with notches adapted to receive the strings, substantially as shown and described.

5. A mute for violins and other stringed musical instruments, comprising a holder adapted to be fitted to the hitch-strings of the instrument, a mute-block pendent from the holder and having a pivotal or hinged connection therewith, an arm projecting upwardly and rearwardly from the mute-block, and a weight carried at the upper end of said arm, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

G. In a mute for violins and like stringed musical instruments, the combination with a holder comprising a pair of clamping members, one of. the members being provided with hooks at its opposite ends and embracing the respective ends ofthe other member, a thumbscrew 'adj ustably connecting the clamping members, and opposite arms inclined forwardly and downwardly from the holder, and provided at their lower ends with inwardlyextending pivots, a mute-block pivoted near its lower end to the pivots of the respective arms, and an actuating-weight carried by the mute-block, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a mute for violins and like stringed musical instruments, the combination with a holder comprising a pair of clamping members, one of the latter having its opposite ends bent into hooks which embrace the respective ends of the other clamp member, a thumbscrew adjustably connecting the clamping members, and opposite arms formed from a single length of wire bent into substantially U shape and connected to the under side of the lower clamp member, the free ends of said arms bein g bent inward and forming pivots, of a mute-block mounted upon the pivots of the said arms, and an actuating-weight carried by the mute-block,substantially as shown and described.

8. In a mute for violins and like stringed musical instruments, the combination with a mute-block, of a holder therefor having opposite arms embracing the mute block and adapt-ed to be sprung into pivotal engagement therewith, and an actuating-weight carried by the mute-block, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LUDIVIG GLASSER.

\\Titnesses:

J. II. THOMPSON, J. M. LARRIN.