US834416A - Tuner for stringed musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

'No. 834,416- PATENTED OCT. 30, 1906.

A.SHUTT. TUNER FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT SHUTT, OF OAKLAND, KANSAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

Application filed. January 2, 1906. Serial No. 294,176.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT SHUTT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Oakland, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Tuner for Stringed Instruments, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a tuner for stringed instruments by which amateurs can tune the violin, mandolin, or guitar correctly and easily without the aid of other instruments.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a metal plate with an open slot in said plate which forms a clamp to hold the device in proper position on the bridge, said plate being placed over the center of violinbridge lengthwise of the strings; second, the said plate has any number of slots over which tongues or reeds are secured by rivets on the plate at the lower end of slots, the loose end of the reeds extending vertically across the slots, the slots being formed so as to fit closely to the reeds, allowing said reeds to vibrate freely in the slots. The reeds adapted for use are made very thin and are tuned to the proper pitch or in unison with the correct pitch or tones of the open strings of the violin, mandolin, guitar, or any other stringed musical inst ument.

The tuning device is intended to appeal to the ear. In order to bring a string to the proper pitch, the operator sounds the string by hand or by bow, and when the string is properly tuned with the corresponding reed said reed will sympathetically vibrate in the slot, which will produce a tone in unison with that of the open string. Then the string is in proper tune, and if the reed does not vibrate rapidly, so as to produce a sound, then it is necessary for the operator to either stretch the string more tightly or loosen the same. This operation is repeated with each of the strings, and then the tuning device is removed.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which 1 is the plate in correct position on the violin-bridge.

2 2 2 2 represent vertical slots in plate 1.

3 3 3 3 represent the reeds ,which are tuned to the proper pitch or tones corresponding with the open violin-strings. The letters denoting the pitch or tone of each reed is stamped on plate above each reed.

4 4 4 4 represent the rivets which secure the reeds to plate 1 at the lower end of slots 2 2 2 2.

5 is the violin-bridge, which is shown in the drawings by dotted lines.

6 is an open slot in plate 1, which forms a clamp for holding said plate in proper position on the bridge, the slot being formed so as to fit tightly on any violin-bridge.

7 is a dotted horizontal line representing the top or sound board of the violin.

What I claim is l. A tuner for stringed musical instruments comprising a plate having an open slot whereby it may be mounted vertically upon a bridge, a series of vertically-disposed slots in the plate, and a series of reeds corresponding in tone to the true tones of the open strings respectively, each reed being secured at the lower end to the plate and having its upper end extended across the slot.

2. A tuner for the violin, mandolin, guitar, and similar stringed musical instruments, comprising a plate having an open slot whereby it may be removably and vertically mounted on a bridge on the instrument, a series of vertically-disposed slots in the plate, and a series of reeds corresponding in tone to the true tones of the several strings respectively, each reed being secured at its lower end to the plate and having its upper end extended loosely across the slot.

3. A tuner for stringed musical instruments comprising a plate, means for removably mounting the plate on the bridge of the musical instrument, a series of slots in the plate, and a series of reeds corresponding to the strings respectively, each reed being secured at one end to the plate and having its loose end extended across the slot.

4. A tuner for stringed musical instruments comprising a late, means for removably mounting the p ate on the bridge of the musical instrument, a series of vertical slots in the plate, and a series of reeds corresponding in tone to the true tones of the strings respectively, each reed being secured at the lower end to the plate and having its loose end extended across the slot.

5. A tuner for stringed musical instruments comprising a plate, means whereby it may bemounted vertically upon .a bridge, a Inv testimony whereof I have hereunto series of vertically-disposed slots in the plate, signed my name in the presence of the suband a series of reeds correspondingvin tone to scribing Wit/1168868.

the true tones of the open strings respectively, I ALBERT SHUTT. each reed beingsecured' at one end. to thee Witnesses plate and having its loose end extended N. B. ARNOLD, across theslot. f J. L. 'PAINE.

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