US593701A - Autoharp - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

' STUART.

Y AUTOHARP.

No. 593,701. Patented Nov, 16,1897.

Nonms Patins co, Primo-umn., wAsmNGToN u TINTTED STATES FnTnNT Trice.,

SIDNEY GRANT STUART, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOHARR.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,701, dated November 16, 1897.

Application iled September 21, 1894. Serial No. 523,682. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SIDNEY GRANT STUART, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Autoharps, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Stringed musical instruments of the class commonly known as autoharps consist, essentially, of a series of strings stretched upon a suitable bed or sounding-board and adapted, under the action of the ngerr or pick, to vibrate and produce musical tones or chords, said chords being varied by means of pads mounted upon suitable carriers and adapted to be moved against and to damp or prevent vibration of such strings as are not necessary to produce the desired tones or chords.

Prior to my invention, so far as I am aware, these muftling or damping pads have always been mounted upon swinging or verticallymovable bars ranged over and crossing the strings, eac-l1 bar having the proper number and arrangement of pads for a particular chord. Usually as many separate bars are required as there are chords to be produced, although in some instruments the pads are made movable on their carriers. In any event, however, the range or capacity of the instrument is restricted to the number of carriers which can be crowded into a comparatively narrow space extending across the strings, and-in order to get as many bars as possible into such space said bars are frequently so crowded together and made so small as to render the instrument difficult of manipulation. To obviate these difficulties- 'L'. c., to increase the range of the instrument, yet simplify the construction and operation of the same-I have devised an instrument, forming the subject of this present application, in which the damping or mufiiing pads are mounted upon a rotatable carrier, which also, if desired, may bemade longitudinally movable, rotation and longitudinal move-l ment of said carrier bringing different pads or sets of pads into contact with and to damp Various strings.

Suitable indicating characters or marks are preferably displayed upon the carrier to guide the musician in handling the instrument.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top or plan view of an instrument,illustrating one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2, a crosssectional detail on the dotted line as Fig. l; Fig. 3, a detail looking at a portion of the under side of the carrier, showing the pads thereon and Fig. 4:, a detail showing one form of guiding-strip.

In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, A is a base or sounding-board of vsuitable shape and construction, the same holding the pins a a, between which are strung the wires or strings b b.

O is one form of carrier, the same, as shown, being octagonal, or it may have any other desired number of sides or faces, or even cylindrical, and pivoted at its ends between two arms c c, fast on the ends of a rod c', mounted in the socket of the standards d d, erected on the base or sounding-board A. The standards d d, as shown, also carry a fixed rod cl2, which serves as a track for the roller or wheel e, mounted in a spring-arm c on the pivot rod c' of the carrier frame. This spring-arm or spring e acts upon the red d2 to maintain the carrier O normally in its elevated full-line position, Fig. 2, but yields, however, under pressure to permit `said carrier to be depressed into its dotted position to damp the strings, as will be described.

In the embodiment of my invention here shown Iphave applied to a plurality of adjacent faces of the octagonal carrier O a series of pads or damps f f, adapted to be pressed in contact with and to prevent vibration of certain of the strings b. The pads on the several faces are arranged with intervening spaces or breaks j" to leave free to vibrate certain strings, the tones of which will produce the desired chords. The arrangement of pads on each face also is different to produce different chords, and the pads also on any one face are so arranged or set that if the carrier be slid along in its bearings into different positions, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, the pads on any one face will in the IOO different longitudinal positions of the carrier and without rotation of the latter produce different combinations of tones or chords.

The arrangement of pads maybe varied as desired, so that rotation or sliding movement of the carrier, or both combined, will enable practically any desired chord or combination of tones to be obtained when the finger or pick is drawn across the strings.

Upon the faces of the carrier C opposite those faces on which the pads are arranged I have placed characters or figures to guide the musician in manipulating the instrument, the characters, as shown, being arranged over the open spaces or breaks f' between thepads on the opposite face-#1'. e., over the strings which are to be left free to vibrate. For example,on the top face of the carrier Will be seen the figures 1, 3, and 5, repeated several times, indicating that when the carrier, with that particular face up, is depressed upon the strings, With the l over the string representing the keynote, the first, third, and fifth of the diatonic scale will sound. By rotating the carrier toward the top of the instrument and then depressing the same the second, fourth, fifth, and seventh will be sounded, and by rotating it in an opposite direction and depressing as before the first, fourth, and sixth will be sounded. By sliding the carrier along so as to bring the first, second, er other desired tone over the corresponding strings ofy the scales in different keys the same combinations in different keys may be obtained.

In the instrument shown the strings are arranged to produce the chromatic scale, and to guide the operator I have arranged upon the base or sounding-board beneath the strings a strip s, on which is a representation of the keys of a piano, the strings or Wires of the instrument passing directly over the corresponding keys on the strings.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment of the same herein shown, for it is evident the same may be varied Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claiml.. In a stringed instrument, the combination with a base; and a series of strings stretched thereon, of a rotatable carrier traversing said strings, arranged to move toward and from said strings, and a plurality of damping-pads on said carrier and adapted to be brought into operative position by rotation thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a stringed instrument, the combination With a base, and a series of strings stretched thereon, of a rotatable carrier traversing said strings, a spring to normally raise said carrier out of contact with said strings, and a plurality of damping-pads on said carrier, substantially as described.

3. In a stringed instrument, the combination with a base, and a series of strings stretched thereon; of a rotatable and longitudinally movable carrier traversing said strings, arranged to move toward and from said strings and a plurality of daraping-pnis on said carrier, to operate, substantially as described.

af. In a stringed instrument, the combina-- tion with a base, and a series of strin stretched thereon, of a rotatable polygonall carrier, and supports therefor, a series of damping -pads on a plurality of the faces thereof, and indicating-characters on the corresponding opposite faces, substantially as described.

5. A stringed musical instrument provided With a sounding-board, a set of strings, and a rotatable mnltifaced carrier having a plurality of damping-pads arranged thereon .in series on successive faces, adapted to be brought into operative contact with the strings, substantially as described.

G. A stringed musical instrun'ient provided with a souinling-board, a set of strings, and a rotatable and vertically-movable and longitudinally-adjustable carrier having a plurality of damping-pads thereon, substantial ly as described.

7. A musical i1 strument provided with a sounding-board, a set of strings, and a rotatable multifaced carrier having a plurality of damping pads thereon, arranged to cover three or more of said successive faces, and havingintervening spaces therein, as desired, substantially as described.

S. A stringed musical instrument provided with a sounding-board, a set of strings, a fixed rod extending transversely thereof, a second rod pivoted to rotate parallel with and adjacent to said fixed rod in fixed bearings adjacent the ends of said fixed red, `fixed arms extending froin either end of said pivoted red, a carrier supported by the free ends of said arms and having a plurality of damping-pads arranged thereon, and a spring centrally fixed on said pivoted rod and arranged to engage said fixed rod whereby said carrier is normally raised from said strings, substantially as described.

i). A stringed musical instrument provided. with a sounding-board, a set of strings, a fixed rod extending transversely thereof, a second rod pivoted to rotate parallel with and adjacent to said fixed rod in fixed bearings adjacent the ends of said fixed rod, said rod being also movable longitudinally in said bearings, fixed arms extending from either end of said pivoted rod, a carrier supported by the free ends of said arms and having a pluralityP of' damping-pads arranged thereon, a sprin g centrally fixed on said pivoted rod, and arranged to engage said 'fixed rod, whereby said carrier is normally raised from said strings, and a friction-roller engaging said fixed rod and having bearings at either end respectivelyon said spring and in said pivoted rod, substantially as described.

IIO

10. A stringed musical instrument pro- In testimony whereof I have signed my vided with a sounding-board, a set of strings name to this specification in the presence of and a rotatable carrier having a plurality of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

longitudinal series of dampin g-pads arranged SIDNEY GRANT STUART. 5 thereon, adapted to be brought into operative Witnesses:

Contact with the strings, substantially as dc- FREDERICK L. EMERY,

scribed. THOMAS J. DRUMMOND. y

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