US778882A

US778882A - Stringed musical instrument.

Info

Publication number: US778882A
Application number: US17585003A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry Friedrich Theodor Mueller
Original assignee: ERNST MARTIN EDUARD MUELLER
Current assignee: ERNST MARTIN EDUARD MUELLER
Priority date: 1903-10-05
Filing date: 1903-10-05
Publication date: 1905-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 1922-01-03

Description

No. 778,882. PATLNTBD JAN. a; 1905.

H. P. T. MLLER. STRINGBD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 00T,5.1803.

3 SHBETSBHEET 1.

WITNESSESI INVENTOR mw. Bf ffmzg@ No. 778,882. PATENTED JAN. 3, 19051 H. F. T. MLLER. STRINGED MUSIGAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 5- 1903 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 778,882. PATLNTED JAN. 3, 1905. H. P. T. MLLER.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 5. 190s.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

HENRY FRIEDRICH THEODOR MLLER, OF HALEN SEE, NEAR BERLIN. GERMANY, ASSIGNGR TO ERNST MARTIN EDUARD MULLER, OF

HAMBURG, GERMANY.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,882, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed October 5,1903. Serial No. 175,850.

To LZZ whom, t Indy 0077/067170.

Be itA known that I, HENRY FRIEDRICH TIIEoDoR MLLER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Auguste-Victoria strasse 3, 1 Halensee, near Berlin, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stringed Musical Instruments, (for which I have applied for Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 18,178, bearing date 22d of August, 1903, and in Germany, No. M. 28,691, V/lc, bearing date 20th of June, 1908,) of which the following' is a full and complete specification.

This invention relates to a stringed instrument operated by a friction-band, the said band being oi' a limited length and adapted to be moved forward and backward in order to produce sound in the same manner as by a violin-bow and to obtain all the modifications of fiddling, quickest repetition of the same sound bowings, Sac.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate this invention, Figure 1 is a view in plan of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a view in sectional elevation on line a' Fig. 1. Figs. 8 and 4 are broken views, in side elevation, partly in section, and end elevation, respectively, showing two different forms of the inclined diverting-pins. Fig. 5 is a view of the removable sound damping apparatus. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the mechanism for producing iiageolet tones. Fig. 7 is a view illustrating the mechanism for inducing several strings to vibrate simultaneously in lageolet tones. Fig. 8 is a view illustrating the application of keys, and Fig. 9 is a view showing a special arrangement of suoli keys.

Throughout the views similar parts are I marked with like letters of reference.

The instrument consists of a iiat soundingbox CZ, carrying the strings f, which are iiXed at one side to hitch-pins b and at the `other side to tuning or wrest pins c and cross the bridges CZ and e. Between the bridges Z and c is a bar ll, carrying diverting-pins g, which are so arranged as to cause the strings f to lie out of direct lines between the pins Z and c, so that the strings by their own tension are strongly pressed against the pins g, and thereby become divided in two different parts, the one lying between the pins g and the bridge e, which is destined to produce the sound, and the other lying between the pins g and the bridge rZ, being that to be touched either by hand or by means oi` keys.

Under the parts of the strings lying between the pins g and the bridge e and at a convenient distance from the said pins is the friction-band Z, which is led across a table e', carried bythe upper sound-board, and is supported by a suitably-arranged roller p. The ends of this band Z are connected by a flexible vconnection Z, supported by a suitably-arranged roller o. The friction-band Z acts like a violin-bow covered with resin and does not touch the strings unless the playerdepresses onev or more of them by pressing down that part lying` between the pins g and the bridge eZ, which may be done either by hand or by means of keys.

The table c' is provided with a series of frets or uprights m, adapted to carry the frictionband and enable it to sustain as much pressure of the strings as is necessary for putting them into vibration. The connection Z is attached to the friction-band Z by a ring-shaped handle n, which forms a convenient device for enabling the friction-band to be moved to and fro.

An adjustable pulley or a similar arrangement may be provided to adjust the tension or' the friction-band.

In order to produce sounds by making the strings vibrate, the ring-handle a is seized by one hand of the player and the band is alternately moved to and fro in the free room between the roller 0 and the edge of the frictiontable c' in the same manner as a violin-bow is operated.

The roller 0 is mounted on the bearer 7)', carried by the box a, at such a distance from the edge of said box as to make the length of the friction-band between these two points equal to that of a iiddle-bow, and thereby enable it to give the sound the same duration as with such a bow.

[n order to balance the sharpness or rise in tone of each string which happens when the tension of the string is increased by being pressed onto the table the diverting-mns g are arranged out of the vertical with the plane of the strings. This may be done either as shown by Fig. 3, in which arrangement the pins are sloped in the direction of the run of the strings, the result of which is to increase the effective length of the vibrating part of each string as it is depressed in proportion as its tension is increased owing to its depression, and thereby the difference in sound will be balanced. Another arrangement is to incline the press-pins across the strings, as shown in Fig. t, the result of which-is to allow the string while it is depressed to lie in a more direct line between the pins and c, and thus compensate for the increase of tension due to depression. 1n this construction the strings do not readily return by themselves into their normal position, and I therefore employ springs (j to press them upward, as shown in Fig. 4L.

The parts of the strings lyingI between the pins g or their equivalent and the bridge c when they are not depressed lie iirmly against a cross-bar fr. This bar fr, which is pivoted on the sounding-box c between the bar /t and the bridge e and is placed parallel to the friction-table t' at a suitable distance therefrom, is covered on its under side with any suitable sound-damping material. When the strings are depressed either by hand or by keys, they are clear of this damper-bar and are therefore free to vibrate.

Sometimes it may be desirable to permit the strings to vibrate by their own elasticity for a certain time after they are out of contact with the friction-band. To this end the damper is arranged so that it is movable, being' provided with al holder or catch z5 to keep it in its normal position to contact with the strings and also with a springs, adapted when the catch is removed to lift the damper clear of the strings against a suitable stop fr.

For producing flageolet tones with the vibrating strings l arrange (see Fig'. 6) beneath each string a finger o, which under the action of a lightspringg/ bears against the string at that spot which shall not partake of the vibra- Ytion, but remain quiescent, and does not vibrate under the action of the friction-band. Normally this linger o will be retained in an inactive position, as shown in full lines on the drawings, by the holder or stop w, either by the weight of the latter or by the friction on the stem thereof where it passes through its guide or bearing (notshown on the drawings) or in any other convenient manner. On withdrawing or lifting up the stop w into the position shown in dotted lines on the drawings the finger o, which is formed of any sufficiently elastic material, engages the string with a light touch.

If desired, the different fingers may be united to a single bar, as shown in Fig. 7, so that several strings may be influenced at once.

The strings can be brought into contact with the friction-band either by hand or by using special keys. Then the latter are used, I prefer to shape them like buttons and arrange them as shown in Fig. 8. Vlhe keys are mounted in holes in a board or guide cl/ and rest on the strings f.

I sometimes arrange the button -keys, as shown in Fig. 9, so that they lie in two parallel rows, the keys for the tones C, D, E, F sharp, (ir-sharp, and A-sharp being placed in one row and the keys for the sounds C-sharp. VD-sharp, F, Gr, A, B being placed in the other row. By this arrangement there is the advantage that all scales and other sound-passages in the different scales can be executed by the same rule. For instance, for playing all major scales the lingering' is as follows: rlake lirst three following keys on one row, next four following keys in the other row, and, linally, to produce the octave tone take the next following key in the Iirst row.

That l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. ln a bowed stringed musical instrument a reciprocating friction-band, a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band, and a roller for guiding the said friction-band carried beyond the edge of the friction-table so that the space available for the travel of the friction-band is equal,or approximately equal, to the length of a violin-bow, as set forth.

2. In a bowed stringed musical instrument a reciprocating friction-band, a connecting medium attached to the free ends of said band, a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band and rollers for guiding the said friction-band one of which is carried beyond the edge of said friction-table so that the space available for the travel of the friction-band is equal or approximately equal to the length of a violin-bow, as set forth.

3. In a bowed stringed musical instrument a reciprocating friction-band, a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band, a roller for guiding the said friction-band carried beyond the edge of the friction-table so that the space available for the travel of the frictionband is equal or approximately equal to the length of a violin-bow, and means for keeping the effective pitch of the strings of said instrument unaltered when depressed, as set forth.

4. In a bowed stringed musical instrument, a reciprocating friction-band, a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band, aroller for guiding' the said friction-band carried beyond the edge of the friction-table so that the space available for the travel of the friction- IOO I'IO

band is equal or approximately equal to the length of a violin-bow, means for keeping the effective pitch of the strings of said instrument unaltered when depressed, and means for producing iiageolet sounds on the strings of said instrument, as set forth.

5. In a bowed stringed musical instrument, a reciprocating friction-band, a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band, aroller for guiding the said friction-band carried beyond the edge of the friction-table so that the space available for the 'travel of the frictionband is equal or approximately equal to the length of aviolin-bow, means for keeping the effective pitch of the strings of said instrument unaltered .when depressed and keys for depressing the said strings into contact with the friction-band, substantially as set forth.

6. In a bowed stringed musical instrument, a reciprocating friction-band, a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band, a roller for guiding the said friction-band and carried beyond the edge ofthe friction-table so that the space available for the travel of the friction-band is equal or approximately equal to the length of a violin-bow,` means for keeping the effective pitch of the strings of said instrument unaltered when depressed and two rows of keys for depressing said strings into contact with the friction-band, the one row containing the keys for the sounds C, D, E, F sharp, G-sharp and A-sharp, and the other row the keys for the sounds C-sharp, D-sharp, F, G, A and B, as set forth.'

7. In a bowed stringed musical instrument, a reciprocating friction-band, a connecting' medium attached to the free ends of said band, a friction-table over which the friction-band is reciprocated, means for reciprocating the said band, rollers for guiding the said band, one of which is carried beyondthe edge-of said friction-table so that the space available for the travel of the friction-band is equal or approximately equal to the length of a violinbow, means for keeping the effective length of the strings of said instrument unaltered when depressed, a movable damper adapted to be brought into contact with said strings, spring-controlled lingers adapted to engage the said strings in order to produce fiageolet tones, means for holding the said spring-controlled fingers. out of engagement with said strings, and two rows of keys for depressing said strings into contact with the frictionband, the one row containing the keys for the sounds C, D, E, F sharp, G-shar p, and A-sharp, and the other row the keys for the sounds C- sharp, D-sharp, F, Gr, A, and B, as set forth.

HENRY FRIEDRICH THEODOR MLLER. Witnesses:

HUGO THIEME, MARTHA KASTEN.