US769519A

US769519A - Picking device.

Info

Publication number: US769519A
Application number: US20756204A
Authority: US
Inventors: William R Verstraelen; Christian Alter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1904-05-12
Filing date: 1904-05-12
Publication date: 1904-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1921-09-06

Description

No. 769,519. PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904. W. 'R. VERSTRAELEN & G. ALTER.

PIGKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED my 12, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H0 MODEL.

No. 769,519. PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1 904.

W. R. VERSTRAELEN & G. ALTER.

PICKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. 1904.

NO MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM R. VERSTRAELEN AND CHRISTIAN ALTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PICKING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,519, dated September 6, 1904. Application filed May 12, 1904. Serial No. 207,562. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it nutg concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAMRVERSTRAE- LEN and CHRISTIAN ALTER, both citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Picking Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to self-playing zitherssuch, for instance, as shown and described in the application for Letters Patent'of the United States, Serial No. 171,752, filed by us September 3, 1903.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved picking device arranged to insure picking of the proper strings as called for by the notation of the note-sheet and to insure full and harmonious sounding of the strings and prevent injury to the same by moving the picks easily and softly in and out of engagement with the strings approximately the same as when the strings are picked by hand.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the improvement as applied to a self-playing Zither above referred to, the pick-bar being in one end position. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same, showing the pick-bar in the other end position. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the improvement, and Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the same.

The picking device is shown applied to a self-playing zither, preferably of the construction shown and described in the application above referred to, and the said self-playing zither is mounted on a stand or frame A, supporting a vertically-disposed Zither or similar stringed musical instrument B, having the usual strings B stretched over a resonating-body B and adapted to be picked by the picking device. The latter is provided with a pick bar or frame C, extending transversely of the strings B, in front of the same, and on the top of the said pick-bar C are secured or formed transversely-extending tubular bearings C, in which are mounted to slide pickers C in the form of rods, carrying at their inner ends the flexible terminals C made of hard rubber or other suitable material and adapted to engage the strings B to sound the same, as hereinafter more fully explained.

Each of the picks C is held in an outermost position by the action of a spring D, secured at one end to the pick-bar (J and engaging with its free end a notch G, formed in the pick, as plainly indicated in Fig. 1. The free end of each spring D normally rests against a felted stop E, secured to the rear face of the pick-bar C, to deaden the sound of the free end of the spring when moving into its normal positionthat is, against the stop E. The forwardend of each pick (1 is formed with a slot G", into which projects one arm of a bell-crank lever F, fulcrumed on the pickbar C and connected at its other arm by a link G with a movable part of a pneumatic connected with an action wind-chest, so that when this pneumatic is collapsed then a swinging motion is given by the corresponding link G to the bell-crank lever F to impart a transverse sliding motion to the pick U for bringing the terminal C" alongside the correspond ing string B to insure subsequent sounding thereof on giving a rocking motion to the pick-bar G, as hereinafter more fully described. On the outer threaded end of each pick C screws an adjusting-nut H, having a soft-leather or felt washer H, adapted to abut against the outer end of the bearing C to limit the inward sliding motion of the pickbar when the latter is caused to slide in this direction by the bell-crank lever F, as above explained. It is understood that as soon as the pneumatic for a link G is allowed to expand then the spring D immediately returns the pick (1 and bell-crank lever F to their normal outermost positions.

A swinging motion in a horizental plane is given to the pick-bar C, and for this purpose the ends of the pick-bar are mounted on the crank-pins 1 and 1 of crank-disks I and 1 secured on the upper ends of rock-shafts 1 and 1 disposed vertically and journaled in suitable bearings carried on brackets J, attached to the main stand A. The crank-pins 1 and 1 are pivotally connected by links K and K with'pneumatics L and L, adapted to alternately collapse and open, so as to impart a rocking motion to the crank-shafts 1* and 1 and disks 1 and 1 for the crank-pins 1 and 1 to impart the desired swinging motion to the pick-bar G. Normally the pick-bar C stands in either end position, (indicated in Figs. 1 and 2,) and in case a swinging motion is given to the pick-bar, as above described, without the bell-crank lever F being pressed then the terminals do not engage the strings B, and only when a bell-crank lever F is actuated and the pick C is moved rearwardly and a swinging motion is given to the bar C then the corresponding terminal of the pick, moved into a rearmost position picks its string. If a number of bell-crank levers are actuated and a swinging motion is given to the bar C, then the corresponding strings of the pressed picks are actuated simultaneously during the rocking of the pick-bar (3 from one of its end positions to the other. hen the pick-bar C rocks from the right to the left or from the left to the right, the terminal 0 of each particular pick only engages its own string and no other.

4 In order to insure a uniform motion of the rock-shafts 1 and 1", the latter are provided With pulleys N and N, connected with each other by a band N so that the rocking motion given to one shaft by its pneumatic L or L is transmitted to the other rock-shaft in case the latters pneumatic does not act properly. In order to hold the connected rockshafts 1 and 1 and the pick-bar C and parts carried thereon in either of their two end positions, a link O is provided, pivotally connected with the pulley N and with the free end of a spring 0, attached to a bracket 0 secured on the stand A.

It is understood that in self-playing zithers of the class above mentioned a note-sheet is employed having note-apertures for controlling the pneumatic employed to actuate the picks C by the intermediate mechanism described, and the said note-sheet is additionally provided with rows of staggered apertures for controlling valved wind-chests connected by tubes L and L with the pneumaties L and L, so as to alternately deflate and inflate the same for the pneumaties L and L to impart an intermittent swinging motion to the bar 0 at the time the corresponding picks C are pushed into a rearmost position by the action of the levers F, links G, and their corresponding pneumaties.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the terminals of the picks which are not pushed rearwardly by their levers F, do not l l l touch or engage their strings during the swinging of the pick-bars G, and only those strings B are sounded which have their picks C pressed into a rearmost position, so that the music produced corresponds to the notation of the note-sheet.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A picking device comprising a pick-bar, means for intermittently rocking the pickbar in a plane at an angle to the strings to be picked, and picks mounted to slide on the pick-bar and at right angles to the direction of movement of the pick-bar.

2. A picking device comprising a pick-bar, means for intermittently rocking the pickbar in a plane at an angle to the strings to be picked, and picks mounted to slide on the pick-bar and at right angles to the direction of movement of the pick-bar, each pick having a flexible terminal arranged to engage a string at the time the pick is pressed and the pick-bar is rocked.

8. A picking device comprising a pick-bar, means for intermittently rocking the pickbar in'a plane at an angle to the strings to be picked, picks mounted to slide on the pickbar and at right angles to the direction of movement of the pick-bar, each pick having a flexible terminal arranged to engage a string at the time the pick is pressed and the pickbar is rocked, and means for holding the pickbar in either end position.

4. A picking device comprising a pick bar, picks mounted to slide transversely on the said pick-bar, springs for holding the picks normally in an inactive position relative to the strings, means for pressing the picks accordingv to the music to be produced, and rocking means for imparting an intermittent rocking motion to the pick-bar and in a direction transverse to that in which the picks are movable.

5. A picking device comprising a pick-bar, picks mounted to slide transversely on the said pick-bar, springsi'or holding the picks normally in an inactive position relative to the strings, means for pressing the picks according to the music to be produced, and rocking means for imparting an intermittent rocking motion to the pick-bar and in a direction transverse to that in which the picks are movable, the said rocking means comprising crankdisks having crank-pins engaging the said pick-bar, pneumaties and links connecting the crank-disks with the said pneumaties.

6. A picking device comprising a pick-bar mounted to rock and having transversely-extending tubular hearings on its top, picks mounted to slide in the said bearings, means for imparting movement to the picks, and adjusting devices on the picks and arranged to engage the ends of the bearings, to limit the sliding motion of the picks.

7. A picking device comprising a pick-bar mounted to rock and having bearings, picks mounted to slide in the said bearings, means for imparting movement to the picks, and adjusting devices on the picks, to limit the sliding motion thereof, the adjusting devices being in the form of nuts screwing on the picks and adapted to abut against the bearings on the pick-bar.

8. A picking device comprising a pick-bar mounted at its ends to swing in a horizontal plane, means for intermittently swinging the said bar, picks mounted to slide in bearings on the pick-bar and each having a flexible terminal, means for normally holding the picks in an inactive position, and means for moving the picks according to the music to be produced.

9. A picking device comprising a pick-bar, picks mounted to slide transversely on the said pick-bar, means for imparting movement to the picks, and means for rocking the pick-bar, the said means comprising vertically-disposed rock-shafts, crank-disks on said shafts and provided with crank-pins on which the ends of the pick-bar are mounted, pneumatics and links connecting the pneumatics with the crank-pins.

10. A picking device comprising a pick-bar mounted to rock and having transversely-extending bearings, picks mounted to slide in said bearings and each provided with a notch, springs secured at one end to the pick-bar and engaging with their free ends the notches in the picks, the picks being each provided with a slot in its forward end, means for imparting movement to the picks and including bellcrank levers engaging the slots in the picks, and means for limiting the sliding motion of the picks.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM R. VERSTRAELEN. CHRISTIAN ALTER. Witnesses:

ALBERT FREY, THOMAS GLEASON.