US2723583A - Device to produce musical pitch - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 15, 1955 A. B. NORRIS 2,723,583

DEVICE TO PRODUCE MUSICAL PITCH Filed Sept. 4, 1953' W 34 Ara/" lfv z R.

United States Patent Office 2,723,583 Patented Nov. 15, 1955 DEVICE T PRODUCE MUSICAL PITCH Archie B. Norris, Cal-y, N. (3. Application September 4, 1953,Sen'al No. 378,486 Claims. (Cl. 84-454) This invention relates to a pitching device and particularly to a device having a plurality of pitch bars or tuning bars and means for selectively striking one of the bars to give a pitch for vocal or other music.

It is customary. for song leaders, vocalists and others to use a pitching device in order to secure the proper pitch before beginning to sing, and it is also customary to use pitching devices to .tune the strings of stringed instruments or, in fact, any device which can be tuned. Various types of devices, such as tuning whistles, pitch pipes, tuning forks and the like have heretofore been used to securing this pitch. The present invention utilizes a plurality of tuning bars of various note pitches to secure the proper pitch and provides a convenient mounting for such devices so that any desired pitch may be sounded and utilized in a compact, simple device which may be readily carried on the operator and which may be ad justed to give any desired pitch With the simplest of op erations.

In the construction according to the invention, a substantially tubular barrel is provided with a mounting intermediate the length thereof and a plurality of tuning bars are mounted in radial relation on the support and extending in substantially annular relation to a reciprocating shaftwhich carries a pick and having means for guiding the pick into any selected tuning bar.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved tuning device. g

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tuning device for various types of instruments.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pitching device which may be conveniently carried.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pitching device having a plurality of notes available and means for easily selecting the pitch desired.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical elevation device;

Figure 3 is a cross-section through the pitching device taken substantially on the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of Figure 2 and showing one arrangement of the tuning bars;

Figure 4 is a cross-section through the device taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 44 of Figure 2 and showing the cooperation of the spline guides for directing the pick against the tuning bars; and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the device in closed relation with the plunger locked in closed position.

In the exemplary embodiment according to the invention, the device is constituted as a substantially tubular barrel having a bottom end member 12 substantially integral therewith and a top 14 which may be secured in closing relation to the opposite end of the barrel.

pitching device through the pitching of the barrel I a different note, and these notes may be obtained in any i 30 which is journaled in the aperture of the known ways, either by using diflferent length tuning bars, tuning bars of diiferent thickness or tuning bars of different composition. Herein the tuning bars 20 are shown as being of progressively greater length and have substantially the same composition so that the tuning is obtained by the length of the tuning bars.

The end 12 is provided with an aperture 24 and the top 14 is provided with an aperture 26 with the apertures 24 and 26 being substantially axial of the barrel 10. A telescoping shaft 28 is provided with a bottom stub shaft 24 and is provided with a collar 32 which is rigidly connected to the stub shaft 30 to engage the inner surface of the end 12 to prevent the disengagement of the stub shaft 30 with the end 12. Control member 34, preferably in the form of a disk-like knob, is rigidly secured to the outer end of the stub shaft 30, preferably by means of jam threads 36, so that the control member 34 will be substantially fixed on the outer end of the stub shaft 30. The control member 34 is preferably disk-like and engages the outer surface of the end 12 and preferably is substantially the same diameter as the barrel 10 and is provided with an indicia 38 in the form of apointer to cooperate with the indicia 40 on the barrel which may be of any desired type, but preferably shows the particular note of the tuning bar associated therewith.

An extension 42 is integral with or rigidly secured to the stub shaft 30 and extends axially through the barrel 10. A sliding shaft section is journaled in the aperture 26 and is provided with an axial bore 46 for receiving the shaft 42 and the reduced shaft 42 is keyed or otherwise fixed in non-rotative relation to the shaft 44.

A pick mounting collar 48 is rigidly mounted on the inner end of the sliding shaft 44 and a pick 50 is mounted on collar 48 and a disk 54 is rigidly fixed on the shaft 44 and limits its outward motion by contact with the inner surface of the cover the collar 32 and the collar 48 and resiliently urges the sliding shaft portion 44 outwardly so that the disk 54 is maintained in yielding contact with the inner surface of the cover 14. A guide block 60 is rigidly secured to the inner surface of the cover 14 and extends coaxial with the sliding shaft 44. Guide block 60 is provided with a bore 62 coaxial with the sliding shaft 44 and having longitudinally extending splines 64 therein. The disk 54 is provided with splines 66 for engagement with the splines 64 so that the disk 54 may slide through the guide block 60 and be controlled against rotation thereby. The top end of the block 60 is provided with a counterbore 68 providing a space adjacent the top of the bore 62 so that the disks 54 may be readily rotated about the axis of the shaft 28 in order to locate the splines 66 in any of the splines 64 of the guide block60. The splines 64 and 66 are coordinated with the indicia 40 on the exterior of the barrel, and the pointer 38 on the control member 34 so that when the control member 34 is adjusted to bring the pointer 38 into coincidence with any of the indicia 40, the splines will be in alignment and thepick 50 will strike the note represented by the tuning bar indicated on the indicia 40. The sliding shaft 44 is provided with a head 70 which is preferably noncircular in section. The top 14 is provided with one or more angulated-catches 72 which is rigidly attached to the top and extends in spaced inwardly directed relation to the top so that the head 70 may be rotated under the catches 72 and retained in compressed relation so 14. A spring 56 is placed between that the device may be readily carried without damage thereto. In order to permit the turning of' the head 70 in depressed relation, the guide block 60 is of less length than the combined total compressive length of: the. shaft 44 so that when the head 70 is compressed against the top surface of the cover 14, the disk 54 will. extend inwardly beyond the end of the block 60 so that: the head 70 may be rotated to bring the head into locking engagement with the catches 72.

Obviously, the tuning bars 20 may be arranged in any suitable formation and may be in one or two or more vertical positions as may be desired. Obviously, the stroke of the shaft 44 may be any desired amount to stroke any desired number of superimposed bars.

In the operation of. the device according, to the invention, the head 70 of the reciprocating shaft 44 will be loosened from the catch 72 and allowed to extend outwardly so that the disk54 is in' engagement with the inner surface of the cover 14 after which the control member 34 will be turned to select the desired note to be picked, after which the pitching, device will be properly held in relation to the ear of the user and the shaft 44 will be smartly depressed so that the pick 50 will contact and actuate the desired note.

After the desired note has been struck, the head '78 may be rotated to lock the shaft in contracted position or it may be allowed to extend to its original height for again stroking that or another note.

For purposes of exemplification, a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described according to the best present understanding thereof. E'IOW- ever, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the construction and arrangements of the parts thereof without departing from the true spirit and scope of the inven tion.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pitching device comprising a substantially tubular body, an end member in said body, said end member having an axial aperture therein, a shaft journaled in said aperture, a control member secured on said shaft, a support member secured in said body intermediate the ends thereof, a plurality of radially arranged tuning bars mounted on said support, said bars terminating in spaced relation to said shaft, a cover secured on said body, said cover having an axial aperture, a second shaft member journaled in said aperture, said shaft member being slidably connected to said first mentioned shaft, a pick secured on said second shaft element, a head on said second shaft member, said head including projecting portions, fastener members on said cover adapted to engage said head, said head being rotatable into and out of engagement with said fastening members.

2. A pitching device comprising a substantially tubular body, an end member in said body, said end member I having an axial aperture therein, a shaft journaltd in said aperture, a control member secured on said shaft, a support member secured in said body intermediate the ends thereof, a plurality of radially arranged tuning bars mounted on said support, said bars terminating in spaced relation to said shaft, a cover secured on said body, said cover having an axial aperture, a second shaft member journaled in said aperture, said shaft member being teiescopingly connected to said first mentioned shaft, a pick secured on said second shaft element, a spline guide fixed on said cover, a spline disk fixed on said second shaft, said spline disk being adjustable with respect to said spline guide.

3. A pitching device comprising a substantially tubular body, an end member in said body, said end memher having an axial aperture therein, a shaft journaled in said aperture, a control member secured on said shaft,

a support member secured in said body intermediate the ends thereof, a plurality of radially arranged tuning bars mounted on said support, said bars terminating in spaced relation to said shaft, a cover secured on said body, said cover having an axial aperture, a second shaft member journaled in said aperture, said shaft member being longitudinally slidable on said first mentioned shaft, a pick secured on said second shaft" element, a collar fixed on said first mentioned shaft and engaging said end member, a disk on said second shaft member, biasing means yieldingly urging said disk against said cover, splines on the edge of said disk, a guide block fixed on said cover, said guide block having an axial bore about said second shaft member, splines in said bore, said splines on said disk being engagable with the splines in said bore.

4. A pitching device comprising a substantially tubular barrel, a supporting ledge in said barrel intermediate the ends thereof, a plurality of radially arranged tuning bars secured on said support, said has being arranged in radial formation and terminating in spaced annular relation to the axis of said barrel, a cover secured on the opposed end of said barrel, axial apertures in said end and in said cover, a telescoping shaft journaled in said apertures, a collar fixed on said shaft and engaging the inner face of said end, a control member secured on said shaft and in contact with the outer face of said end, a disk fixed on said shaft, resilient means urging said shaft to extended relation to position said disk against the inner face of said cover, a head on said shaft, a pick fixed on said shaft, means for selectively positioning said pick with relation to said bars, a guide block fixed on said cover, said block having a bore. surrounding said shaft, splines in said bore, splines on said disk for sliding in the splines of said bore, said block having a counterbore adjacent said cover whereby said splines are disengaged when said disk is in contact with said cover.

5. A pitching device comprising a substantially tubular barrel, a supporting ledge in said barrel intermediate the ends thereof, a plurality of radially arranged tuning bars secured on said support, said bars being arranged in radial formation and terminating in spaced annular relation to the axis of said barrel, a cover secured on the opposed end of said barrel, axial apertures in said end and in said cover, a telescoping shaft journaled in said apertures, a collar fixed on said shaft and engaging the inner face of said end, a control member secured on said shaft and in contact with the outer face of said end, a disk fixed on said shaft, resilient means urging said shaft to extended relation to position said disk against the inner face of said cover, a head on said shaft, a pick fixed on said shaft, means for selectively positioning said pick with relation to said bars, a guide block fixed on said cover, said block having a bore surrounding said shaft, splines in said bore, splines on said disk for sliding in the splines of said bore, said block having a counterbore adjacent said cover whereby said splines are disengaged when said disk is in contact with said cover, said head being non-circular, clip members secured on said cover, said guide having a length less than the stroke of said telescoping shaft, said head being rotatable when said shaft is compressed for engagement with said clips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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