US1665402A - Horn-resonator violin - Google Patents

Description

April l0, 1928.

G. DQBOTHWELL HORN RESONATOR VIOLIN Ffiled Feb, 26. v1923 Patented Apr. l0, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GLENN D. BOTHWELL, 0F SPRINGPORT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 GUY J'. BOTHWELL, 0F LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

HORN-RESONATOR VIOLIN.

Application filed February 26, 1923.

This invention relates to musical inst-ruments and particularly relates to stringed instruments.

It is the object of the invention to provide means to derive from stringed instruments a richer, clearer, and more mellow tone, such as has heretofore characterized only rare and costly instruments.

In attaining this object, the invention contemplates embodying in the body or shell of a stringed instrument, the structural principles of the diaphragm sound-box, the sound vibrations being transmitted from the sound-box through a suitably restricted passage to a horn suitably mounted upon said sound-box and serving to amplify the tone.

One embodiment of the invention is hereina-ftcr described, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.y wherein,

' Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved instrument.

Fig. '2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view upon line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Tnthese views the reference character 1 designates a sound-box comprised by a board 2 having its top face routed out to form a suitable cavity, and a relatively thin sounding board or diaphragm 3, which is superposed on the board 1 and marginally secured to the same. A set of vibratory strings 4 are suitably secured at one end, as in violins and other stringed instruments, to one end of the sounding box and at their other ends engage the usual tensioning keys 5 upon the neck 6 of the instrument rigidly projectingr from the corresponding end of the sound-box. At a suitable intermediate point the strings are supported by a bridge 7 of the usual form, which rests upon a relatively large bridge 8 transversely span-' ning the diaphragm of the sound-box so as to rest upon the lateral margins of the same. The board 2 is formed with a central opening 9, which opens into a hollow block 10 secured to the under face of said board, and communicates through said block with the restricted end 11 of an amplifying horn 12. Said horn extends, with a gradually increasing diameter, toward the end of the instrument remote from the neck 6 and is returnbent around said end, so that its relatively large end portion lies above the sound-box,

Serial No. 621,272.

the discharge end of the horn being adjacent the plane of the strings It. An elongated housing 13 secured to extend longitudinally of the under face of the sound-box serves both to enclose the restricted end portion of the horn and to reinforce the sound-box as well as to adjoin and support the neck of the instrument. The frame formed by the sound-box 1 2, the neck G. and the housing 13, is further reinforced by a block 14 at the juncture of said housing and neck.

In the use of the described instrument, when one (or more) of the strings 4 is set in vibration, as for example, by means of a violin bow, sound waves travel from said string (or strings) in all directions. A portion of these waves will act upon the diaphragm 2 causing the latter to vibrate in harmony with the strings. This will set up corresponding vibrations of the volume of air confined in the sound-box 1, and such vibrations, intensified, will travel out through the passage 10 and horn 12. Owing to the direction given to the sound vibations as they discharge from the horn, said vibrations have the effect of intensifying the vibrations traveling directly.7 from the strings away from the sound-box.

Thus the described instrument effects a considerable amplification of sound, as compared to ordinary stringed instruments, and furthermore transmission of the vibrations through the sound-box and horn, as described, adds considerably to the volume and richness of the resulting tone.

What I claim is:

A horn resonator violin comprising a body having one surface thereof, formed with a depression extending to the marginal regions of said surface, a diaphragm member mounted upon said marginal portions, and extending across said depression, a bridge member extending across said diaphragm and secured terminally to opposite marginal portions of said body, strings supported upon said bridge member intermediately and terminally connected to body, and a horn in communication with the depression of said body substantially centrally of said depression.

Tn testimony whereof T sign this specification.

GLENN D. BOTHWELL.

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