GB930153A - Improvements relating to musical instruments having sonorous bars - Google Patents

Abstract

930,153. Musical instruments. H. LINK, [trading as JOHS LINK KOMM.-GES.]. April 4, 1960 [Oct. 5, 1959], No. 11761/60. Class 88 (2). In a musical instrument having tone bars 3, Fig. 2, which are held by supports 2, Fig. 7, 8, on a bar carrier 1 and in which each tone bar 3 is associated individually with a vertically suspended resonator tube 4, the bar carrier is provided at the upper and under sides with apertures 9, 10, Fig. 6, for insertion of the bar supports 2 and of the resonator tubes 4 and the bar carrier 1 has at least one coupling link 6 by means of which the bar carrier 1 may be, or is connected to a second, similar bar carrier. Where two linked bar carriers 1 are used one of the carriers may support tone bars tuned to the major scale of C while the other supports tone bars tuned to accidentals (Fig. 3, not shown). Alternatively in a two-bar carrier instrument, the tone bars on the two-bar carriers may run in opposite directions, or one carrier may have metal tone bars while the other has wooden tone bars. Two bar carriers each with a range of more than one octave may be connected to produce an instrument with a range of more than three octaves. The supports 2 comprise a wire stem 16, an elastic body 17 having a rib at its upper end and a pin 18 surmounted by a head 19. Each tone bar 3 has holes 20, 21 at its fundamental nodes in which pins 18 are received, hole 20 being of circular form and hole 21 being elongate. The resonator tubes 4 are of synthetic material and all have the same crosssectional dimensions. They carry bolts 12 and may be inserted in the bar carrier 1 from below, the bolts 12 being passed upwardly through radial slots 11 and the tubes then being turned through a right angle and the bolts 12 lowered into grooves 13. A stepped arrangement may be provided, Fig. 5. Insertion of a vibrator converts the device into a vibraphone.