US1570601A - Mute for musical stringed instruments - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19,4926.

I A. D. GROVER MUTE FOR MUSICALSTRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed 001:. 25, 1924 ATTORNiV Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT D. GROVER, 0F LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK.

MUTE FOR MUSICAL STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed October 25, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. Gnovnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Island City, county of Queens, State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Mute for Musical Stringed Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mutes for stringed musical instruments. I

The objects of my invention are to provide a mute of the character hereinafter described, which is ver Y effective in operation, inexpensive to manufacture and which may be easily and almost instantaneously moved by the player from one position to another without removing the device from the strings.

Detachable mutes have already been used for the purpose described but it has been found that this type of mute is easily mislaid and lost, while in the present invention the mute is designed to become a permanent part of the instrument and therefore is always at hand.

The invention is illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a banjo showing my improved mute in muted position on the strings, the nonmuted position being illustrated in dotted lines; Figure 2 is a substantially longitudinal sectional View taken on lines 22 of Figure l the deflection of the strings from their normal position being greatly exaggerated; Figure 3 is a detail plan view of my improved mute; Figure 1 is an end view of the same; Figure 5, is an edge view of the mute; and Figure 6, is a bottom plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes the head portion of a banjo having the usual rim 11, stretched head 12, and superposed strings 13 supported by the bridge piece, 14:.

My improved mute comprises an integral flat metal member 15 having a forward transverse shorter arm 16 and a longer parallel arm 17 spaced from the first and connected thereto by a transversely disposed portion 18. The portion 18 projects from Serial No. 745,857.

the arms substantially midway of their length so that the general design of the mute is that of the letter H with one parallel arm shorter than the other.

The shorter arm or head 16 is provided with a groove 19 throughout its under surface and disposed parallel to the edge of the arm, the purpose of the groove being to receive the upper edge of the bridge piece 14 as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. The arm 16 is further, slightly concave throughout its length so as to bring the groove 19 on the crown of the arm along its under surface. The longer arm 17 of the mute is provided with oppositely disposed trans verse string grooves 20 arranged in pairs at l opposite sides of the connecting piece 18.

The operation of the mute is as follows: In placing the device on the instrument the projecting portions of the longer arm 17 are inserted under the outer strings and over the inner strings so as to position each string, in one of the grooves 20, either above or below the mute. The head portion 16 then rests upon the apex of the bridge piece 1 1 above the strings 13. This position of the mute causes the outer strings to be strained upward and the inner strings downward, whereby the head 16 exerts a downward pressure on the strings and on the bridge piece 12, i. e. when in muted position or in close proximity to the bridge piece.

While I have illustrated the present invention used in connect-ion with banjos it will be clear that it may be applied to violins or other stringed instruments with equal facility.

What I claim is A mute for stringed musical instruments consisting of an integral structure comprising a string engaging arm having trans verse alternating string receiving grooves in its upper and lower faces, a bridge engaging arm having an elongated bridge receiving groove in its lower face, and an intermediate member at right angles to and in- H terconnecting said arms.

In testnnony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALBERT D. GROVER.

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