US949269A - Resonating-support for sound-reproducing instruments. - Google Patents

Description

T. S. GREENE. RESONATING SUPPORT FOR SOUND REPRODUOING INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 20, 190B.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS SUMNER GREENE, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

RESONATING-SUPPORT FOR SOUND-REPRODUCING INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed June 20, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SUMNER GREENE, a citizen of the United States, rcsiding at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Resonating-Supports for Sound-Reproducing Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to an improved resonating support or stand especially adapted for use in connection with sound reproducing instruments of the type employing disk or cylinder records, although the support may be used to good effect in connection with sound producing devices generally.

The prime object of the invention is to provide a neat, simple and comparatively inexpensive stand or support of the character described that will materially improve and amplify the quality and volume of the tones reproduced on the instrument resting thereupon.

Briefly and generally stated the invention comprises a sounding board formed of a plurality of relatively thin strips of resonant wood mounted upon a pedestal-like support also of wood, the whole having the general appearance of an ordinary pedestal table; but differing therefrom in structiiiral details and in the characteristics of the woods from which the article is formed.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to fully understand, make and use my said invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being bad for this purpose to the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stand or support constructed in accordance with the invention and having an ordinary commercial type of sound reproducing instrument resting thereon. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the stand or support. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the sounding board.

Like reference numerals indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The reference numeral 5, indicates a sounding-board formed of a plurality of relatively thin strips of well seasoned resonant wood glued together edge to edge, care being taken to form close joints between the strips so that the resonant character of the sounding'board as a whole, may

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. I5, 1910.

Serial No. 439,476.

be preserved. The strips 5 are further socured on the underside of the soundingboard by means of a pair of parallel wooden cleats (5, extending at. right angles to the resonant strips and secured thereto preferably by means of screws T. These cleats (5, serve to maintain close joints between the sections 5, and prevent the souriding-board from warping.

I prefer to form the sounding-board from relatively thin strips of well seasoned soft wood such as spruce or mahogany and the cleats from a harder or denser wood such as Oregon pine or beech. In practice, I rather prefer spruce and Oregon pine, as I have found from experiment that these two woods make a most excellent soundingl)(l:1l(l having a very high degree of resonance.

The sounding-board proper is supported upon a pedestal 8, preferably formed of Oregon pine or beech, the upper end of which is inserted in an opening 9, formed in a block 10. that is located centrally of the soundi'ng-bmird and between the parallel cleats (3, the connection being made by means of screws '12, passing through the cleats and block and into the end of the pedestal that projects into the block 10.

The pedestal may be supported in any suitable manner such as by legs 13, each having a tenon connection with the lower end thereof, the said legs each having a foot ii, to the under face of which is secured a shoe of relatively thin, and preferably hard wood, the grain of which extends at right angles to the grain of the wood from which the legs are formed. I find that by providing the shoes 15, as shown and described, the whole structure is made more resonant.

As heretofore pointed out, the sounding board is formed of the single layer of soft wood and the cleats of a harder or denser wood. Owing to this fact, and the fact that the outer edges of the strips of softer wood as well as the top surface of such strips remain exposed in the completed article, the free vibration of the board will be unrestricted, thereby providing a more resonant support for the instrument. And inasmuch as the pedestal portion is also made of the harder material, the vibration will not be affected by the presence of such pedestal.

In using my improved resonator, the sound reproducing instrument is placed upon the sounding-board as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing, and when set in operation it will be found that the tones reproduced are greatly amplified and intensified and the quality otherwise very materially improved. 7

What I claim is A resonating support for sound producing instruments comprising a pedestal table having its top composed of a plurality of relatively thin strips of resonant wood of similar density secured together edge to edge, said strips having their grain extending in substantial parallelism, each strip extending fromend to end of the table, the top being of equal thickness throughout its length and breadth, a pair of spaced parallel cleats secured to the under face of the top and extending at an angle to the direction of length of the strips, said strips and cleats constituting a sounding board, the outer edges and the top surface of said strips being exposed, whereby free vibration of the sounding board will be provided, a block mounted between and secured to said cleats at a point centrally of the top, said block having a central opening, and a pedestal member having its upper end extending into said opening and secured to said block, said member having a footed lower end. 7

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS SUMNER GREENE lVitnesses:

J. GRANVILLE IHEYERS, CHRISTIE H. FESLER

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