US643452A - Stringed musical instrument. - Google Patents

Description

No. 643,452. Patented Feb. 13, I900. A, E. BARK.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sh.eatsSheet I.

WITNESSES.

AMI/W1 i 6 By I A TTOHNEYS.

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No. 643,452. Patented Fab. I3, I900. A. E. BARK. STBINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1 899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOI? S m E w W By g A TTOHNEYS.-

: Nouns PETER: no, mom umo UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREIV EMIL BARK, OF KALISPELL, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERT NORDTOME, OF SAME PLACE.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

srncrmeArron forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,452, dated February 13, 1900.

Application filed February 28, 1899. Serial No. 707,167. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern: I is provided with ahandle K'extending with Be it known that I, ANDREW EMIL BARK, its forward end above the plane of the strings; of Kalispell, in the county of Flathead and so as to be within convenient reach of the op- State of Montana, have invented a new and erator, the handles when in a normal down- 5 Improved Stringed Musical Instrument, of ward position holding the flat surfaces of the which the following is a full, clear, and exact bridge-bars on the top; but when the handles description. are thrown upward into a vertical position, as The object of the invention is to provide cershown in Fig. 4, then the said bridge-bars are tain new and useful improvementsin stringed turned in the bearing H to engage the under I a musical instruments, such as citherns or the side of the corresponding group of strings like, whereby the pitch of all the strings in a and raise the pitch thereof one-half note. The group of strings or only a few thereof can be several bridge-bars I abut against one anreadilyraisedorlowered,according to the muother, the outermost bridgebars abutting sic to be executed. against brackets H on the bearing H. I 5 The invention consists of novel features and In the bearing H are arranged similar movparts and combinations of the same, as will able auxiliary bridges K, made of half-round be fully described hereinafter and then pointbars, the ends K being round and engaged ed out in the claims. by bearings J and each bar having an arm Apractical embodiment of my invention is K under the control of the operator. When 2o represented in the accompanying drawings, a bridge-arm K is swung upward, the bridge forming a part of this specification, in which K engages the strings of the corresponding similar characters of reference indicate corgroup and raises the pitch thereof a half-tone responding parts in all the views. over that previously given by the preceding Figure 1 is aplan view of the improvement. bridge I or one full tone from the bridge D. 25 Fig.2 is a sectional side elevation of the same In the bearing H are held movable auxilon the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 31s an enlarged iary bridges L in the shape of round bars fragmental perspective view of part of the formed with notches L for some of the improvement, and Fig. 4 is a like view of the strings in the group, each bar being provided same with parts in a diiferent position. at its end with a handle L normally stand- 0 The improved stringed musicalinstrument ing in a horizontal position, the notches L is provided witha suitable body A, carryinga being turned to one side, so that all the soundingboard B, having transverselyexstrings in'the group rest on the bridge. When tending bridges D D, over which is stretched the handle L of a bridge is swung into a verthe group of melody-stringsE and the group tical position, then the notches L of this 5 of accompaniment-strings F F F F The bridge come on top to release the correspondstrings are secured at their ends to the fixed ing strings in the group from the bridge, so pegs G and the tuning-pegs G. Adjacent to that the string vibrates from the adjacent the bridge D are arranged spaced transfixed bridge D. The bridges L are so located versely-extending bearings H H, held on the relatively to the bridge D that the pitch is 0 4o sounding-board B, and a similar bearing H raised one-half tone; but when the correis arranged on asounding-bridge adjacent to sponding arm L is swung into a vertical pothe bridge I). v sition then' the pitch of the strings passing In the bearin g H,which is preferably formed into the notches L is lowered one-half tone. on top with a semicircular groove, are mount- By the arrangement described the chord 5 45 ed to turn the auxiliary bridges I, one for represented by a group of strings E, F, F, F each group of strings E F F F F Each or F is changed to a different chord when bridge I is made in the form of a half-round swinging the corresponding arm or handle L bar, the fiat surface of which is normally on into a vertical position, so that the range of top, the ends I being rounded, so as to be enthe instrument is greatly increased, in addi I00 50 gaged by bearings J in the form of springs setion to the change of pitch of all the strings cured to the bridge D. One end of each bridge in a group, by means of the movable auxiliary bridges I and K. The usual fret-board N extends from the bearing H a suitable distance under the group of melody-strings E, as indicated in Fig. 1.

Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A stringed musical instrument, comprising a body having a sounding board, fixed bridges, one at each end of the soundingboard, strings arranged in groups and extending over the bridges, a rocking bridge for each group of strings arranged adjacent to one of the fixed bridges and serving to increase the pitch of all the strings of the group, and a rocking bridge for each group of strings arranged adjacent to the other fixed bridge and serving to decrease the pitch of some of the strings of the group, substantially as described.

12. A stringed musical instrument, comprising a body having a sounding-board, fixed bridges, groups of strings extending over the bridges, three rocking bridges for each group of strings, two of the bridges being arranged adjacent to one another and to one of the fixed bridges, and each serving to increase the pitch of all the strings of the group, the other rocking bridge being adjacent to the other fixed bridge and serving to decrease the pitch of some of the strings of the group and thereby change the chord represented by the said group of strings, substantially as described.

3. A stringed musical instrument, comprising a body having a sounding-board, fixed bridges, groups of melody and accompaniment strings extending over the said bridges, two transverse bearings adjacent to one bridge, a third bearing adjacent to the other bridge, and a series of movable bridges, one

for each group of strings, mounted to rock in each of the bearings, each of the movable bridges at one end serving to change the pitch of all the strings in the group, and the movable bridges at the other end serving to de crease the pitch of some of the strings of the group and thereby change the chord represented by said group, substantially as herein shown and described.

4:. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination With the sounding-board, and a transverse bearing extending across the same and formed with a semicircular groove in its top, of a plurality of movable bridges arranged end to end in the groove of the bearing and mounted to turn therein, each bridge consisting of a notched bar provided with a handle at one end, substantially as described.

5. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination Withasounding-board,ofatransverse bearing extending across the same and formed with a semicircular groove in its top, a plurality of bridges in the groove of the bearing and each consisting of a notched bar provided with ahandle at one end, and springs extending across the ends of the bridges and holding them in the groove of the bearing, substantially as described.

6. In a musical instrument, a bearing having a semicircular groove in its top, and a bridge formed of a round bar having its middle portion cut away, and provided with a handle at one end, and springs engaging the ends of the bridge to hold it in the groove of the bearing, substantially as described.

ANDREW 'EMIL BARK.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. PoMERoY, ERNST NACHSMITH.

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