US751880A - No model - Google Patents

Description

No. 751,880. PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904. E. s. STEVENSON.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1903.

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PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

B. S. STEVENSON. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 9, 1903. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 751,880. PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

E. s. STEVENSON.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED M 9 1903. N0 MODEL. AY 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES Patented February 9, 1904..

PATENT OFFICE.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '751,88 O, dated February 9, 1904.

Application file May 9, 1903. Serial No. 156,475. (No model.)

To aZl whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD SLADE Srnvnnson, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Eldorado, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Musical Instrument, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments, an object being to provide an instrument having the general characteristics of a guitar that is, as to its strings and notes, with an auxiliary set of strings and frets with stops by means of which a large number of notes and variations of scales may be quickly made with a small number of said auxiliary strings.

I will describe a musical instrument embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a musical instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the in strument with the invention shown on a larger scale than in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 1 is section on the line :20 of Fig. 2, and Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the footpedal mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the instrument having the general contour of a guitar. The forward portion of this body, however, has an opening 2, through which the arm 3 of the guitar extends, there being sufiicient space between the sides of the arm and the side walls of said opening to permit the fingering of the guitar-strings.

Arranged adjacent to the guitar-strings 4: are the auxiliary strings G, C, and F. Near the upper ends of these G, C, and F strings are four frets 5, 6, 7, and 8, and coacting with these frets over the strings are stops 9 10. The stop 9 has divergent portions, either one of which is designed to be moved into connection with the strings-*that is, to force the same into engagement with the frets. When the forward extension of the stop 9 is moved into engagement with the strings, the said strings will be forced into engagement with the fret 5, and when the other projection is in engagement with the strings they will be forced into contact with the fret 6, and the projections of the stop 10 are designed for pressing the strings into connection with either one of the frets 7 or 8. By this arrangement fifteen (l chromatic tones may be obtained from said three strings, making them equal to fifteen strings. These stops are mounted to swing between plates 11 and 12 on the body of the instrument, and from the upwardly-extended portion of the stop 9 a rod 13 extends to a connection with a block 14:, mounted to swing on an arm 15, projecting from the instrumentbody. A similar rod 16 extends from the stop 10 to a rocking block 17, also on said arm. The stops are he] d in normal position that is, normally out of engagement with the auxiliary strings by means of spring- fingers 18 and 19, attached to the arm and engaging, respectively, with the rods 13 and 16. From one end of the rocking block 1 1 a rod 20 extends downward through a guide 21 to a foot-pedal 22, and from the other end of said rocking block 1& a rod 23 extends down through a guide 2e and connects with a footpedal 25. The opposite ends of the block 17 are connected, respectively, through the medium of rods 26 27 with foot-pedals 28 29. Preferably each rod consists of two separable sections, the upper section of metal and the lower section of wood. By making the rods in sections they may be folded at the joint, and by employing wood in connection with metal noise will be obviated. It will be seen by this arrangement that by operating one pedal in a downward direction the block will be rocked to move its connected stop with one end into engagement with the strings, and by operating another pedal the said step will be moved in the other direction to force the strings against another fret. These footpedals are extended into a boxing 30 and are mounted to swing on a rod 31. The outer ends are held normally upward by means of springs 32 engaging with the inner ends of the foot-pedals. The several guides for the operating-rods are supported by a post 34, and rod 33 is adjustably connected at its lower end with the boxing and at its upper end to the bolt on which the blocks 14 and 17 are mounted.

To give the instrument a large volume and mellowness of tone, I preferably mount it on a frame. As here shown, this frame consists of posts 34 35, the said post 34 having a joint connection 36 with the arm 15, and the post 33 having a joint connection 37 with the tail end of the instrument-body. By these joint connections the instrument may be adjusted to any desired angle convenient to the player. From the posts 34 and bars 38 39 extend to connection with a post 40 of a stool 41, on which the player may sit. The said posts 34 and 35 are also connected to the boxing 30 by hook-rods 42 43. The several members of the supporting-frame may be separated and compactly packed when not in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A musical instrument having a main set of strings, an auxiliary set of strings, a plurality of frets for said auxiliary strings, and rocking stops for moving the auxiliary strings into engagement with any one of the frets, each of said stops having portions extended from opposite sides of its pivotal point whereby it may be engaged with the strings at either side of a fret over which it is placed.

2. A musical instrument comprising a body portion, a main set of strings thereon, an auxiliary set of strings extended along one side of the main strings, frets underneath the auxiliary strings near the upper portion of the body, a pair of rocking stops mounted on the body for moving the strings into engagement with the frets, each stop being adapted for engaging with the strings at either one of two points and foot-actuated mechanism for rocking the said stops.

3. A musical instrument comprising a body having a main set of guitar-strings, a set of three auxiliary strings arranged along the main strings, frets arranged underneath the auxiliary strings near the upper portion of the body, rocking stops for pressing the strings into engagement with the frets, each of said stops having divergent portions for engaging with strings at opposite sides of frets, rocking blocks, connections between the stops and blocks, foot-pedals, and connections between the opposite ends of said rocking blocks and the pedals.

4. A musical instrument comprising a body having an opening through it at one end, a guitar-arm extended along said opening, guitar-strings thereon, auxiliary strings, frets arranged underneath said auxiliary strings near the upper portion of the body, stops mounted to rock on the body, each of said stops having portions extended from opposite sides of its pivotal point, an arm extended from the body, rocking blocks on said body, spring-pressed rod connections between said blocks and stops, foot pedals, and connections between said pedals and the blocks, whereby they may be rocked in either direction.

5. The combination with a musical instrument, substantially such as described, of posts on which the instrument is adjustably mounted, a seat or stool, and bar connections between said posts and the seat or stool.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sul scribing witnesses.

EDWARD SLADE STEVENSON. Witnesses:

F. WV. BENSON, H. G. SANDIFER.

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