Improvements in or relating to Plectrum Devices for Zithers and other Stringed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1897-Accepted, 10th July, 1897
.
Improvements in or relating to Plectrum Devices for Zithers and
other Stringed Musical Instruments.
A communication from JAN ANDRIES JONKHOFF, of Polenzstrasse 14, Neu-Gruna,
near Dresden, in the Empire of Germany, Instrument Maker.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 invention relates to a plectrum or operating device for zithers
mandolines, guitars and other stringed instruments which are played by "plucking"
the strings. This plectrum device is operated by means of keys and is easier to
learn and less fatiguing for the player, than plucking the strings directly by fingers
or by a finger piece as hitherto.
By depressing a key either one or several strings can be sounded; in the latter
forin the invention is specially suitable for the so called accord-zithers. Such a
construction is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 shows an accord-zither with the plectrum device in plan.
Figure 2 is a cross section through the instrument in its inoperative position.
Figures 3 to 6 show the chief parts of the device as shown in Figure 2 but
in operative position each figure illustrating another different position of the movable
parts.
Figure 6 a plan of the main parts of the device in the position shown in Figure 5.
Figure 7 represents slight modification.
A number of the bars A are arranged across the strings of the instrument said bars
teing supported on two longitudinal bars B (Figure 2). Between A and B are
laced elastic plates b (preferably of rubber or felt) so that by tightening or loosening
the screws a the height of the bars, A on which depends the strength of sound can
le properly adjusted.
On each side of the bars A are two pins c c guiding slides C provided with
longitudinal recesses or slots c¹ c¹ the length of the slots in cooperation with the
pins c c determining the longitudinal movement of the slides C. On the slides are
pivotted at d d the plectrum fingers D D having preferably the shape of bell-crank
levers according to Figure 7 the angle is however nearly 180°. The free end of
the lever which in its operative position (Figs. 3 and 4) is pointed downwards, is
bent at the end in such manner that an inclined surface is presented opposite the
strings said surface depressing the string like a wedge when the slide is moved
forward together with the fingers and allows it to spring off at the lower point of this
surface whereby the string starts vibrating and so sounds the note.
The upper part of the levers D D engage by means of pins d¹ d¹ with a rod E.
This rod is pivotted at e to a rod F, and Fat f to the key lever G. The key lever
oscillates at g on a support A¹ secured on or formning part of the bar A. A spring gl
acts on the lever G and tends to return or to maintain the movable parts into their
position of rest (Fig. 2).

page_text: Each lever G is provided with a key. Figures 1 to 5 show-as in pianos-the
lower keys and the upper, keys G. On each bar there are two slides with fingers
and key levers. The front series having the lower keys G¹ is completely shown in
Figures 2 to 5. The back series of upper keys 'G" differs from the front series
only by its slide carrying only one operating finger, the rod F engaging directly
with the latter's pin d. It need only be added with respect to the back series that
it is used for "plucking" or sounding the lower octave of the key-note produced by
the corresponding front series. In other respects the description of the front series
will equally apply to the back series.
All the series of the device are mounted in the casing I (Figures 1 and 2) from
the raised part 1 of which projects the keys G¹ G
To enable the action of the instrument to be better understood the strings of the
series illustrated are shown by full black dots (Figures 2 to 5).
Figure 2 shows the inoperative position. If the key G¹ is pressed down the
fingers D D are at first caused to turn into their operative position, the slide C
remaining at rest (Fig. 3) it being understood that the friction in the joints fe d' d
is smaller than that of the slide C on the bar A. When the position mentioned has
been reached the fingers cannot be caused to turn any further for the rod E presses
upon the slightly projecting pins d d of the first two fingers or same result could
be attained by using special stops. When the key G¹ is depressed still further, the
slide C advances (towards the right hand side). During this time the fingers pass
in the hereinbefore described manner over the strings which produces the required
sound and the parts come into the position shown as Fig. 4 the slide being then in
its extreme right hand side position. If the key is now released the fingers return
at first into their original position under the influence of the spring g¹ (Fig. 5) and
then the slide is drawn back to its extreme left hand position.
It remains now to describe a device by means of which the strings may be damped
in such manner that the damping device made inoperative by the depression of its
corresponding key becomes operative again when the key is released, so that the
duration of a note depends on the player and all the strings which are not struck
remain damped.
For this purpose there is arranged on the slide C next to each finger D another
finger H which is covered at h with some damping material (such as felt, rubber or
the like). The damper is kept firmly pressed by means of the spring gl against the
string when the parts are inoperative (Fig. 2). When the slide moves to the right 3
the damper is moved away from its string (Fig. 4). But as the stroke of the slide is
greater then the distance between the back of the damper H and the next (right
hand) string $ the damper H is pivotted to C by means of a pin h' to enable the
damper to yield when coming in contact with this string (Figs. 4 and 5). The
damper H is prevented from oscillating in the opposite direction beyond the vertical 4
position (whereby a firm pressing against the string to be damped would become
impossible) by a stop h¹ engaging with the edge of the slide C.
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 :-
4
1. A plectrum device for zithers and other similarly operated stringed musical
instruments comprising a series of bars arranged transversely across the strings
and carrying longitudinally movable slides in combination with fingers such as D
hinged on the slides and cooperating levers under the influence of resetting
springs as g in such manner that when a key is depressed first the fingers are 5
brought into the plane of the strings and then the slide is caused to advance the
strings being operated by the fingers and in the same manner when the key is
released first the fingers are withdrawn and then the slide is returned by its spring
to its original position substantially as described.
2. A plectrum device of the character described comprising several operating 5
fingers arranged on the same slide and a bar for connecting the fingers with one

page_text: another and with the key lever for the purpose of playing a chord substantially as
described.
3. A plectrum device of the character described characterised by damper fingers
such as H hinged on the slides next to the operating fingers in such manner
as to be movable only in one direction said dainpers being pressed against the
strings to be damped when the parts are in the position of rest and being
withdrawn from the contact with said strings by the advance of the slide
substantially in the manner described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete.
plectrum device substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.