US295984A - James c - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. UCOOKE.

GUITAR.

No. 295,984. Patented Apr. 1, 1884.

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'Urvrrsn STATES PATENT @rrrca JAMES C. COOKE, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

GUlTAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,984, dated April 1, 1884-.

Application filed April 17, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES C. Gooxn, of Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guitars and Analogous Stringed Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The object of the invention is to betterperform that important part of the work by which the tone of each string is temporarily raised to variable extents-by what is termed fingering the strings. This is usually accomplished by pressing the fingers of the left hand upon the strings,so as to depress them at various points, and by thus shortening the vibrating portion of the string to raise the tone to the required extent. There are not a sufficient number of strings to give all the required sounds by twanging them while free to vibrate their full length. v

The improvement may apply to banjos and all analogous stringed instruments, including violoncellos and others which are played with I will describe it .as applied to a guitar. I can make the novel parts a permanently-attached portion of the instrument; but I prefer to make them easily attachable and detachable, and have provided for readily, accomplishing this. To raise the pitch of the several strings of the guitar, they are acted upon by a number of depressors, which are made with a rounded face, and covered with soft leather or with any other material which will give the best effect. These are capable of moving independently, so that the strings may each be depressed firmly upon the finger-board at exactly the right points to give the proper amount of elevation to the tone. The positions at which the strings should be thus acted on by these depressors are the same as those on which the fingers are usually pressed. They vary more widely than the finger-s can reach without shifting the hands up and down. The attachment may be so formed that the finger-keys shall be at the same distance apart.

v In such case only a portion of the advantages of the invention will be realized; but in what so that the keys are much closer together than the points where the depressors act on the strings. I have determined by experi ments that it is practicable to bring the entire set of keys within so small a compass that the extremes can be depressed by properly operating the fingers without shifting the position of the entire hand. I employ springs to hold the depressors up from the strings, except when they are depressed by the fingers. Iarrange to allow the springs to be easily removed and their tension adjusted, or the springs exchanged altogether,when desired. I propose to color the keys to aid learners in distinguishing notes. The peculiar arrangement of my keys makes it more desirable to color them than in instruments where the keys are arranged in a continuous line, side by side.

The accompanying drawings form apart of this specification, and represent what I consider the best means for carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a central longitudinal section, showing the attachment in place ona guitar;

and Fig. 2 is an end view of the attachment additional marks, as B 13 850.

G is a cross-bar pivoted to B at 0, and adapted to engage with a screw or equivalent knob, c, as will be readily understood. When the attachment is set in position on the neck of a guitar, the cross-bar O locks it thereto, and by inserting awedge, G, ora glove, handkerchief, or other convenient article, between the guitar and the cross-bar, all looseness is taken up and the union is made'firm.

13* is an end piece, having notches b, which set on the several strings over their bearings, adjacent to the tuningpins.

D D, &c., are the depressors. They are arranged in lines corresponding with the several strings, and at the proper distance apart to effect the required changes in the tone by their depression, each depressor, when called into action, holding a string firmly between itself and the linger-board A of the guitar. To each depressor is rigidly fixed a stout smooth wire, D, which is fitted to play easily in a hole in the bottom plate, B. At a proper distance above the plate B the several wires D are bent, as shown, and led in an inclined direction until they are brought into a position much nearer together in the longitudinal line than the depressors; but they may be, and preferably are, somewhat farther apart in the transverse line, so as to give ample room for the keys and lingers. Here they are again bent and extend in lines parallel to each other through easily-fitting holes in a second plate, B. Thence they extend upward in lines parallel to each other, and are finished with screw threaded ends, which receive cylind1.'icallyformed keys 1), with smoothly-rounded upper ends, adapted to be easily depressed by the fingers. A third transverse plate, B, is bored with suiiiciently-large holes to allow these keys to be easily moved up and down therein. A

coiled spring, E, surrounds each of the wires 1) between the base of the key D and the up per face of the transverse board or plate 13'.

In the operation of the attachment, the player, instead of pressing his fingers directly at the proper points on the strings of the guitar, places his hand in a convenient position to depress any desired key or keys D The effect of depressing'these several keys,

which are so near together that they may all be actuated without materially moving the hand, is to actuate the depressors and cause them to bear on the corresponding strings at the proper points to induce the required tones.

It is practicable, by theaid of my invention, to play chords which are otherwise unattainable in this class of stringed instruments. By employing any ordinary or suitable means to pick the strings in instruments of the guitar class, or by pressing with sufficient force on the bow in instruments of the violin class, so as to agitate a sufficient number of strings, I can play three, four, or more parts at once.

I find that guitars are made with their necks of so nearly uniform length that it is practicable, by making my case 13 with a slight offset, E, to cause it to be held against end movement between the body A at one end and the transverse bead or bridge A at the other end.

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions of the parts. The casing B may be made of rich wood, and decorated, inlaid,

&c., in any desired manner. The keys may be, all or any portion, of ivory or metal. \Vhat I have termed the wires D may be of sheet metal of proper thickness, cut by dies or otherwise in the desired form. The holes through which the parts I) play should be of a form corresponding to that of theparts I). They may be bushed with bone, glass, rubber, or metal. They should fit closely to prevent rattling with the vibrations. The forms and arrangements of the keys 1) maybe varied within wide limits.

I propose to manufacture guitars and other instruments having special"adaptations to the employment of this attachment, such as special conveniences for fastening the attachment; but my experiments indicate that the attachment may be applied successfully on all guitars of ordinary makes without any preparation. A dillerent attachment should be pre pared for banjos, and still. others for zithers, violoncellos, bass-viols, and other stringed instruments of various names.

I claim as my invention 1. The case 13, adapted for convenient application to a guitar or analogous stringed instrument, knobs or keys 1"), arranged near each other, the depressors D, arranged along the case in the required positions to act on the several strings of the instrument, and divergent connecting means I), in combination with each other and with means, O G, for engaging firmly with the instrument, all substantially as herein specified.

2. Thekcys 1), arranged close together, ex tensions D, and stringalepressors 1), arranged wide apart, in combination with each other and with the springs E, plates or guiding means 13 3* B, and with a stringed musical instrun'ient, A A, as herein specified.

3. The detachable case I having a lower plate or guide, 13, and second plate or guide, B", for the depressorconnections D, and atop plate, 13, keys D", and springs 11, in combinzr tion with each other and with the cross-bar or fastening means C, pivot c, and knob c, adapted to serve on a guitar or analogous stringed instrument, as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York city, New York, this 12th day of April, 1883, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES (J. (,OOKIL Witnesses:

M. F. 'lorLn, II. A. JonNs'roNn.

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