Musical Instruments.
Year: 1897

page_text: Musical Instruments.
A communication from ALFRED GRUNERT, of Polenzstrasse 2, Neu-Gruna, near
Dresden, in the Empire of Germany, Merchant.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present extremely simple plectrum device for zithers, mandolines, guitars
and stringed instruments generally such as are played by plucking the strings is
characterized by its convenient and easy manipulation whereby playing of the instru-
ment is rendered extremely easy to learn. Its special advantages are, the possibility
of producing a single note or the same note several times in quick succession, thereby
obtaining a mandoline-like tremolo effect which cannot be obtained at all on the
accord-zither and on the concerto-zither can be obtained only by very skilled persons;
a simple natural regulation of the strength of the sounds and lastly the ease with
which individual sounds can be produced.
In the accompanying drawing the present invention is described as applied to an
accord-zither, that is to say to a zither in which there is a separate string for each
sound to be produced on the instrument in contradistinction to a concerto-zither with
its finger board strings. The device can however be also applied to instruments of
the latter kind.
Figure 1 is a plan
Figure 2 a front elevation partly in section,
Figure 3 a transverse vertical section through the bar A and
Figure 4 a separate view of a key-lever with finger or plectrum.
Across the strings or a part of the strings (in case all the strings of the instrument
are not to be operated by the device) is placed a bar A, vertically guided by means of
pins & and resting on elastic compressible supports. In the drawing the supports are
The latter are
shown as rubber buffers or springs a through which pass the pins a.
suitably secured to the top B of the instrument.
On the side or sides of the bar A are pivotted at cc key-levers CC one for each
string to be operated by the device. Owing to the limited space generally available
they are distributed on both sides of the bar so that the levers for the 1st, 3rd 5th etc.
strings are on one side and those for the 2nd, 4th, 6th etc. are on the other side of the
bar. The distribution of the key-levers on the sides of the bar may of course be
varied in any other desired way it may for instance be determined by musical
considerations; and instead of one bar two or more may be used. Each lever is

page_text: provided with an operating head (Figure 4) preferably hollowed out on its upper
surface whilst at its lower end there provided a (preferably elastic) finger c¹ of some
material that does not produce a metallic sound, for instance vulcanised rubber, horn,
tortoiseshell or the like.
The stroke of the key-levers is limited by fixed stops which in the construction
shown in the drawing are formed by the slots in the top of a casing E placed over the
bar A. The casing must of course be open at the bottom and not touch the strings.
On one side of the casing may project an end or extension of the bar (Figures 1 and 2
on the right hand side).
The perpendicular distance of the bar from the strings is arranged so that when
the bar is its normal position the fingers c¹ when the levers are caused to oscillate do
not touch the strings or touch them very slightly producing pianissimo notes. By
means of the extension or projecting end of the bar the latter can be depressed when
it is desired to obtain a greater sound but this can also (and as will be seen in a much
better manner) be produced by the key-levers themselves.during their operation.
The key levers are operated when it is desired to sound a note say only once by
transferring or pressing the corresponding key-lever from its one extreme position
(determined by the slot in e) to the other. The finger c¹ which itself is slightly
elastic strikes the string (Figure 2 at the left hand end and Figure 4) bends it slightly
and allows it to spring back so that it vibrates and produces the required sound. The
lever then simply remains in its new position until it is returned to its original
position by a return operation of the string.
In order to produce tremolo notes the key lever is quickly moved to and fro so that
it passes over the string several times in quick succession gives several short sounds
as each new engagement of the finger and string interrupts the previous vibrations.
By means of the key levers operative during both the forward and backward
stroke the following results are therefore obtained.
a. ordinary or tremolo play as desired.
b. the suppression of arrangements which were absolutely necessary with recipro-
cating key levers in order to strike the string only once during the reciprocation so
that the return of the lever should be inoperative; consequently a much simpler
manner of construction.
As regards the regulating of the strength of sound by the key levers themselves it
must be pointed out that when it is intended to play forte the key heads will be
struck with much greater force; this would be done instinctively by the player even
were greater force unnecessary for louder play. But as the bar A is lowered according
to the pressure upon the levers the string will be operated with greater force and
so the regulating may be called a natural automatic one not requiring previous study
or attention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A plectrum device for stringed musical instruments consisting of one or more
bars extending across the strings and resting on elastic supports and carrying pivotted
key levers provided with operating fingers which in their oscillations limited by
fixed stops can engage with the strings in either direction and produce either a
single note or the same note repeated the strength of the sound being at the same
time determined by the pressure exercised on the key lever substantially as
described.
2. A plectrum device for stringed musical instruments consisting of a bar resting
on elastic supports and extending transversely across above the strings of the instru-
ment said bar carrying pivotted key levers provided with operating fingers c' and a
casing provided with slots for accommodating and limiting the reciprocating move-
ment of the key levers substantially as described.
3. A plectrum device for stringed musical instruments consisting of a bar A
guided and supported on pins a and elastic supports a¹ key lever C pivotted on said

page_text: bar in combination with a slotted casing E substantially as and for the purposes
described.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.