A New Musical Instrument.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1891-Accepted, 29th Aug., 1891
· PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Musical Instrument.
I JOHN MUTCH 9 Gracechurch Street London Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This instrument is more or less like a piano in appearance but is different in this
respect that instead of the strings being acted upon by hammers to produce the
sound they are made to vibrate by means of a band &c. which passes across the
strings like the bow passing across the strings of a violin. This band is pressed
against the strings or the strings are made to press against the band by a key and
lever arrangement in appearance similar to a piano.
The instrument consists of an ornamental case of various shapes with a long
sounding body or several smaller sounding bodies of sizes, depths and shapes
suitable for the purpose-or other means to develope sound-with strings and
accessories somewhat similar to the body and arrangements of a violin. This
sounding arrangement is made of suitable material and may be horizontal vertical
or any intermediate position. Across the face of the strings runs a band or bow or
series of bands endless or otherwise of hair rubber, gut or other suitable material.
This band goes round wheels or cylinders at the ends of the instrument and a
circular or reciprocating rectilinear motion is imparted to it by means of pulleys
bands, chains levers, by the band fingers and keys by the feet springs steam
electricity or other motive or automatic power, or the strings may be made to
vibrate by an electrical arrangement or by an independent vibratory force to each
string or by bows only-or otherwise. This band is pressed against the strings
and released or the strings are pressed against the band as desired by means of
keys levers &c. The strings may be in duplicate and may be arranged to be
thrown in front or forward of each other and the instrument may be arranged to
imitate the sounds of each kind of violin, viola, violoncello & bass, &c. It is also
to be arranged with suitable methods for controlling the sound.
Dated this 15th Sontember 1800.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Musical Instrument.
I, JOHN MUTCH, of 32 Cawley Road, Victoria Park, Engineer, 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 instrument constructed according to my invention is more or less like a
piano in appearance but is different in the respect that instead of the strings being
acted upon by hammers they are made to vibrate by means of a band which passes
across the strings like the bow passing across the strings of a violin. This band
may be pressed against the strings, or preferably the strings may be pressed against
the band by a key and lever arrangement.
The instrument may be enclosed in an ornamental case of various shapes and
design and consists of a long sounding body, or several smaller sounding bodies of
sizes, depths, and shapes suitable for the purpose, with strings and accessories
somewhat similar to the body and arrangements of a violin. The sounding
arrangement is made of suitable material and may be arranged horizontally,
vertically, or in any angular position.

page_text: Across the face of the strings runs a band or bow, or a series of bands, endless,
or otherwise of hair, rubber, gut, or other suitable material. This band is mounted
upon rollers or cylinders at each side of the instrument, and a circular or recipro-
cating rectilinear motion is imparted to it by means of pullics, bands, chains, levers,
or by any suitable automatic power.
The band or bow may be pressed against the strings and released, or as I prefer,
the strings are pressed against the band by means of keys and levers of which any
number may be used according to requirements, the instrument being so arranged
to imitate the sounds of violin, viola, cello, and bass altogether or separately.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have appended the
accompanying sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the
instrument and Figures 2 and 3 are sectional elevations on the lines 1, 2 and 3, 4
respectively.
Upon referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the various parts appertaining to
my invention are arranged, so that the general contour of the instrument closely
resembles what is known as a grand piano but it may take any convenient form,
that is to say, the various parts may, if desired, be arranged to form an upright, or
other instrument.
The key board contains in this case a complement of keys A necessary to a
7 octave instrument and are pivotted at or about the centre upon pins in the same
manner as is now employed in pianos of ordinary construction, or in any other way
suitable for the purpose, at one end they are attached to connecting bars B
depending from carriages C having adjustable tuning hooks D arranged upon the
front side of same. To these tuning hooks are secured in a convenient manner
the gut, silver, or other strings E which are carried back and stretched over the
sounding bodies, F upon bridges G placed at or about the middle of said sounding
bodies to other adjustable hooks H.
་
The inner faces of the carriages are curved to the arc of a circle struck from the
bridge, the static pull of each string as it is tensioned by the adjustable hooks H, D,
to its proper note being borne by quadrants or rollers I whose centres are also
arranged at a radial distance from the bridge. By this means it is possible the
quadrants and rollers I (being of proper size and diameter) to operate the keys for
lifting the strings E with the same ease and freedom usual in ordinary pianos.
In the example Figure 1, I have shown an instrument with five sounding bodies
for imitating the sounds of a violin and what I term "intermediate" viola, "cello,"
and bass respectively but I may, if necessary, use any one of the above singly or
in combination with one or more others, as may be desired, or the series of strings E
instead of being stretched over a series of separate sounding bodies F may be
stretched over one large sounding body of suitable shape for approximately
producing the sounds of the various instruments.
The strings stretched over the bass sounding body are much longer than the
others and require to have a proportionately higher lift to bring them into contact
with the bow, J to accomplish this with the same amount of depression of the
keys A, 1 interpose a radius bar K Figure 3, one end being attached to the con-
necting bars B, and the other end pivotted or centred upon a rod L the key A
lifting the radius bar K at or about one third from the fulcrum.
The dotted lines represent another device for effecting the same object, the
carriage being suspended by the pins M, upon the quadrants I and the connecting
bar B attached at a suitable distance from the centre of the quadrants I which it
lifts and with it the carriage G to the required height.
Superposed above the strings are the endless hair bows J stretched between and
upon rollers N, P, capable of adjustment by a nut and screw Q for the purpose of
imparting any degree of tension to the hair bows J the hairs of which are attached
to an elastic band R in any convenient manner. On the underside of the bows are
small rollers S, for the purpose of lifting the elastic band R clear of the hairs J, so
that these only come into contact with the strings E producing a pure sounding
note. To one roller N of each bow is attached a grooved pulley T to receive a

page_text: gut band working from a countershaft U to which motion is imparted from the fly
wheel V by the band W, said fly wheel V being operated by an ordinary foot lever
and crank under the keyboard by the instrumentalist, or by machinery in any
suitable manner.
The instrument is operated in the following manner.
The person desiring to play is seated at the keyboard with one or both feet
placed upon a pedal which he treadles for imparting motion by means of a crank
and the wheels, bands, etc. to the endless hair bows at the same time depressing the
required keys, thus lifting the particular strings into contact with the hair of the
bow, the depth or volume of sound obtained from each string depending upon
the contact pressure of the string against the hair of the bow, as regulated by the
touch of the fingers upon the keys and the speed of the bow, as regulated by the
feet, or by the speed of the machinery, if such be used for the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a musical instrument, a sounding body or bodies with gut, silver, or other
strings stretched over same upon a bridge or bridges, said strings being attached to
tuning hooks at one end and the other to movable carriages adapted to be operated
and moved by keys into contact with a revolving endless bow in the manner
substantially as set forth and shown.
2. In musical instruments of the violin piano class, the employment of an endless
revolving bow mounted upon adjustable rollers operated by treadles, or other
equivalent means substantially as shown and described.
3. In a musical instrument of the kind hereinbefore described, the combination
of sounding boxes with their attachable strings and travelling hair bows all
arranged and acting in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
LOLA OLY OF JULY 1871.
HE LOULD THEY OF JULY 1071
JNO. MUTCH.
H. Gardner,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said J. Mutch.