Improvements in Vibrating or Playing Devices for String Instruments.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 7th Jan.; 1899.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vibrating or Playing Devices for String
Instruments.
I, ADOLF DETMERING, of Wexstrasse 21, Hamburg, Germany, Manufacturer, 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 string instruments and bas particular reference to
vibrating or playing devices for these instruments. The object of the invention is
to provide a simple but most practical device for vibrating or playing the strings by
means of catching or playing "bars," arranged across said strings and reciprocated
over the strings through the agency of levers and springs, in such a manner that said
playing bars catch the strings in their forward motion and return back freely over the
strings into their initial position. For this purpose it is very important to enable said
playing bara to be brought, at the proper moment, into the lower catching position as
well as back into the upper initial position.
I attain the object of my invention by the arrangement, combination and construction
of parts more clearly pointed out and claimed hereinafter and illustrated in the accom.-
panying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved device in normal position.
Fig. 2 is a similar view of same having been depressed to a certain extent, and being
about to catch the strings.
Fig. 3 is a similar view the strings having been caught and the playing bar moved
to the right.
Fig. 4 shows the playing bar brought back again into its upper position and being
about to be moved back over the strings to the left of figure.
Figs. 5 and 6, show two modified embodiments of the improved playing device.
Figa. 7, 8 and 9 show another construction of the operating lever and playing bar
and the successive positions of the device as before.
In the drawings similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout all
the figures.
Referring by letters to the drawings, represents the playing bar, b coil-springs
fitted over head pins c guiding said playing bars, d indicates the catching fingers,
e damper cushions, represents the operating lever and g the controlling spring
therefor; & indicates the strings of the instrument.
The playing bar a is seated above and across the stringing of the instrument and
the ends of said bar are provided with suitable incisions or hollowings, sliding along
guiding head-pins c and supported by springs b.
The playing bar carries at its underside a plurality of catching fingers d, secured
thereto and the number of which corresponds to the number of strings to be
vibrated; on the side of each of said fingers there is a damper cushion e of suitable
form and material and adapted to contact with the string just before the catching
finger engages said string. The central part of said playing bar is provided with n
suitable recess a¹ within which operates a small roller a³ journaled in the lower end.
[D71

page_text: of a bell-crank lever f, pivote. at m and provided at its other end with a thumb
piece A or its equivalent,
Furthermore said bell-crank lever f is controlled by a coil spring or its equiva-
lent, attached by one of its ends p to one arm of said lever and the opposite end of
which is secured at y to any stationary part.
As will be seen from the aforegoing construction and arrangement, the playing
bar a is actuated by depressing the operating lever fat A (Figs. 1 to 4), engaging
by means of its lower end and roller the recess of said bar, in such a manner
that said playing bar is first depressed to a certain extent, that is, until the damper
cushions thereof are slightly pressed upon the strings 8 of the instrument: by
further depressing said operating lever, the roller which has travelled (during
the depression of the bar) in said recess until the other face thereof, engages
sai face to move the playing bar a forwards in which movement the fingers d
catch and release the strings of the instrument thus causing them to vibrate for
producing the respective sound. By releasing the operating lever f the controlling
apring draws said leve: back into its initial position, and in this back movement
of the lever f the roller a first travels back in the recess a' until the left face of
said recess; at the same the coil springs b pressing upon the underside of the
playing bar raise said bar again into its upper position the fingers of which being
thus above the strings of the instrument; now the roller a² pressing against the left
face of recess a¹, causes the playing bar a to move back into its normal position
with.om contacting with the strings of the instrument.
In Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings I have illustrated another embodiment of
the invention, consisting in a lever pivoted with a thumb-piece A and carrying at
its end a roller journaled therein and adapted to travel over another lever f
formed as shown and pivoted at ; said lever i has at its lower end an incision o, so
as to present two extensions tt', one of which (the extension () carries n roller a
adapted to travel over the playing bar a, provided at its central part with a lug o
extending into the incision o of lever f¹; lever and therefore lever fare controlled
by spring g', one end of which is secured at g to a stationary part, the other end
being provided with a bent portion pl and pressing against said lever f¹. By depres-
sing the lever, the roller a first travels over the playing-bar a lowering said bar
as with the arrangement shown in Figa. 1 to 4 until it engages lug o' to move said
bar to the right; by releasing the operating lever f, the roller a² of lever f
actuated by spring g' travels back over the playing-bar a, without moving the same
but allowing it to be raised again, until the extension of leverf engages lug of of
said playing-bar, carrying the same with it back into its initial position.
The embodiment shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing comprises a pivoted bell-crank
lever f, provided with thumb-piece A and carrying, at its lower end, a roller a²,
adapted to travel over the playing-bar a; furthermore the lever flins an extension f¹
for the purpose hereinafter described. A suitably formed spring-blade g secured at
one end q to a stationary part, is adapted to bring lever f and playing-bar a back
into their normal position after having been moved to the right for vibrating the
strings of the instrument. By depressing the operating lever f, the roller a first
travels over the playing-lar a, lowering the same but without moving it forwards,
until it engages the lug o' provided on said playing-bar, whereby the latter will be
carried to the right for vibrating the strings of the instrument; by releasing the
lever f, the spring-blade g' first causes the roller a² to run back over the playing-bar a
allowing the same to be raised again but without being moved longitudinally; then
the spring-blade g' engaging the lug o', brings the playing-bar a and the lever / back
into their initial or normal position.
In Figs. 7 to 9 I have illustrated a still further embodiment of my invention and
shown different positions of the parts, hereinafter described. The playing-bar a is,
in this case, provided with a lug o', secured theroto or made one with it and carrying
a roller a journaled therein; the guiding-bolts, springs, damper cushions and
catching fingers may be constructed and arranged as already described and shown.
The operating lever of the device, controlled by spring g, has the lower end of its

page_text: engaging art cut away as shown to present a suitable recess the top face o² of
whic' is incline I toward the left, and two lugs or extensions, . A stop-piu r or its
equivalent is provided to limit the movement of lever to the right and to prevent
sail lever fr leaving roller ² of the plain bar e
This latter devic operates follows: By depressing the operatin lover f. the top
fac or inclive oiling over roll r of presses the playin bar, and the
left sid-fac of the recess o will b. brou isto agrement with while
the catching fingers dar carried iuro position about to catch the strings of the'
instruit; further pressing the lever f, the catching fi. rers catch aul vibrate
the strings, after which the bag of is allowe! to move upwar 13 in the recess o and
therefore the playinr to be raiseforing rout back into the normal
Position by the lever (Fig. 9); or. by still further depressing the operating lover,
said lay in may le moved forwards a somewhat raisel at te same time,
provie that said laras n suficient friction in its gnides in order to be prevented
from sliding upwards. In the latter case the rollera of lng of remains applied against
extension t drino t'e 1,, raversent of playing-bar a aud said bar will not be actuated
during the raising foperating lever f.
The latter construction is especially practical, the stroke of the operating lever
Leing comparatively short.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement
and construction of the parts as shown in the accompanying drawings so long as the
peculiar features of my invention be retained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sail inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim
ia :-
―
1) In a vibrating or playing device for string instruments the combination with a
playing ar, guide-ins for sail bar, and means for holding said Lar in position, of
means for actuating said playing-ar in such a manner that, before being moved
forward or backward, said bar will first be depressed or raised respectively, substantially
as describe !.
2) In a vibrating or playing device for string instruments, the combination with
a playing har laving damper na! catching devices, guide-pius arranged at the ends
of said Ear and coil-springs fittel over said guide pins to hold said playing bar and
press it upwards, of means for actuating said playing bar in such a manner that,
before being moved forward or backward, said bar will first be depressed or raised
respectively, substantially as described.
3) In a vibrating or playing device for string instruments, the combinatiea with a
playing lar having damper cushions and string entching fingers, guide-pins arrauged
at the enls of said bar and coil springs fitted over said guide-pins to hol! said
playing lar and press it upwards, of a spring actuated pivoting lever to operate said
playing-lar in such a manner that before being moved forward or backward,
said bar will first be depressed or raised respectively, substantially as described aud
shown.
4) In a device of the class described, the combination of playing bar with a pivotted
bell-crauk lever, a spring controlling said lever, a thumb-piece on said lever for
depressing the same and a small roller journalled in the lower end of said lever and
operating in a suitable recess provided in the upper face of said playing-bar,
substantially as described and shown.
5) In a device of the class described, the combination of a playing bar, with a
pivotted lever provided with thumb-piece, a second pivotted and recessed lever
operating against a suitable lug provided on the upper surface of said playing
bar, and a suitable spring for controlling said levers, substantially as described and
shown.
6) In a device of the class described, the combination of a playing bar with a
pivotted bell-crank lever provided with a thumb piece and having a roller journaled
in the engaging end and operating against a lag on said playing bar, a suitable

page_text: extension formed on said lever, and a controlling spring, substantially as described
and shown.
7) In a device of the class described, the combination of a playing bar having
damper cushions and string catching fingers, arranged on the underside of said
playing bar, of a pivotted bell-crank lever having a thumb piece or its equivalent and
the engaging end of which is suitably recessed so as to have an incline operating over
a roller journaled in a lug on said playing bar, and a spring for controlling said lever,
substantially as described and shown and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 26th day of August 1898.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst., C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent, 70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Associate Agent-