US666710A - Musical instrument. - Google Patents

Description

; No. 666,7l0. Patontad Jan. 29, l90l.

W. SPENCE. IwsIcAL INSTRUMENT.

(Applicltion fl lod Apr, 16, 1900.) um Nodal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SPENOE, OF KINGSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRED BRADFORD MAGLATHLIN, OF SAME PLACE.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,710, dated January 29, 1901.

Application filed April 16, 1900. Serial No. 13,027. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: instrument is used as an accompaniment in Be it known that I, WILLIAM SPENOE, of singing, and also to change the chords when Kingstomin the county of Plymouth and State it is played automatically by the action of of Massachusetts, have invented certain new the wind,as hereinafter explained. Itis also 55 and useful Improvements in Musical Instruto be used as a window-support, in which ments, of which the following is a specificacase the window presses the strings down and tion. holds them Where required.

Myinvention relates to stringed musical in- The reference-letter f designates a device struments, and aims to provide one which can designed either as a Window-support, when 60 be played automatically by a current of air the instrument is placed in an open window or manually by a person sufliciently skilled to be played automatically or as the support in its use. for the arm of a player. This device bridges A preferred form of embodiment of the inover the strings, its legs ff resting on top vention is illustrated ,in the accompanying of the instrument and being rabbeted, as at 65 drawings, wherein I have shown in Figure 1 f to take over the sides of the same. One

a top View of my instrument; in Fig. 2, a side of said legs f is formed with a series of verview, partly broken away; in Fig. 3, an end tical slots f through which currents of air View, looked at from the right-hand side of may pass when the instrument is arranged Fig. 1; in Figs. 4 and 5, end and side views to be automatically played by the action of 70 of one form of capo tasto; and in Figs. 6 and the wind.

7, side and end Views of another form of capo g designates a hollow turbinated metallic tasto. disk or wheel arranged to be turned or whirled In the drawings, the reference-letter A desby the wind, said disk being mounted upon ignates the body of the instrument cona suitable stem h, which is stepped into a 75 structed in the form of an oblong box, with bearing h in the instrument, the disk when a circular opening b therein, and of any suitturned acting upon the wires through the able resonant material. medium of a finger 2', suspended by a flexible c designates the strings or wires, which are connection 2" from the disk. chorded-thatis,tuned in harmony-and are In operation the instrument is placed so 80 also so graded (gradually lessened in size that the Wind may act upon the blades of the throughout the series from side to side) that disk and rotate the latter, causing the finger a manually-operated capo tasto, hereinafter t' to successively strike the strings, first passto be explained, may touch all the wires at ing over them in one direction and then in the same time. the other direction. When the disk is used, 85 5 d designates one form of capo tasto conthe bridge f may be placed over it, with the sisting of a piece of wood of suitable length end piece f to windward, so that the effect to extend across the wires and provided on its of the wind on the wheel or disk may be conunder side with a strip of rubber d or other trolled by the position of the bridge f, it besnitable material about one-eighth of an inch ing understood that the latter can be freely 90 40 or a little more in thickness. moved along the instrument and more or less e designates a form of capo tasto (see Fig. of the series of slots brought opposite the 6) having one or more steps 6 on the upper wheel. surface for the purpose of holding a window A reed-plate may be applied to or incor-, at difierent heights, and it is provided with porated in the end piece f, the reeds regis- 9 a thin strip of rubber e on its under side. tering with the slots and sounding under the This device is separate from the instrument, action of the wind, so as to contribute to a and when its base at e rests against the inharmonious efieet in the operation of the instrument, as indicated in Figs. 2 and o, the strnment. strip of rubber will press the strings against Having thus described my invention, what I00 0 the frets. The capo tasto may be used on I claim isthe instrument to change the chords when the 1. A capo tasto for a stringed instrument 'with the strings, said block being stepped on the upper surface to constitute a WlllClOW- support, substantially as described.

3. In an instrument of the character described the combination with the body and strings; of a journal-bearing on the body, a

Wind-Wheel engaged with the bearing so as to rotate in a plane parallel with that of the set of strings, said Wheel occupying a position over the latter and having a yielding finger or projection to sweep over the same under rotation of the Wheel, substantially as described.

at. The combination with a stringed instrument of the character described, ot' a rotary disk or wind-wheel having an appendage to act upon the strings, and a bridge piece adapted to extend across over said Wheel and having a series of slots in one end, substantially as and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM SPENOE Witnesses:

FRANKLIN M. HILL, JOHN M. MONROE.

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