Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments of the Zither kind.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by GEORGE BENTON SHEARER, Dealer in Musical
Instruments, of Nos. 259 and 261 Main Street, Oneonta, County of Alsego,
State of New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments of the Zither kind.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, 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 invention relates to stringed musical instruments of the zither kind and it
has for its object an improved construction of the sounding board or body of the
instrument and arrangement of the strings and bridges so as to obtain greater
volume of sound and better tone, and also an improved construction of the muting
or damper mechanism; and of the instrument generally. I shall describe these
improvements referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the harp.
Fig. 2 a plan of the bottom board and rim, the sounding board and muting
mechanisin removed.
'
Fig. 3 a plan view of the harp.
Fig. 4 a vertical section through the harp on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 5 an enlarged detail view of certain parts some of which are broken away.
Fig. 6 an enlarged plan of the muting bridge and keys.
Fig. 7 a plan of muting mechanism with top bridge removed.
Fig. 8 a bottom plan of muting mechanism bridge showing the key levers.
1 is the body or base of the instrument which preferably although not necessarily
has the form or outline of a horseshoe, and consists of a baseboard 2 and a sounding
board 3, which are separated by a rim 4 so as to leave an air space or chamber 5
between them, the sounding board having through it the usual sound hole 6. Two
wooden bars or struts 7 extend by preference diagonally across the space between
the sounding board and the base board. These bars bearing against the inside of
the rim 4 serve to brace the instrument between the sides where the strings are
secured, but the struts being not in contact with the sounding board do not interfere
with its vibration. On the sounding board, at opposite sides, are fixed the bridges 8
and 9 for the strings 10, each bridge having where the strings pass over a wire or
light metal rod 11 on its face to form a durable hearing surface for the strings.
The bridge 8 lies over the edge of the rim 4 on which it takes a firm bearing and
it extends some distance inwards in contact with the sounding board so that the
vibrations of the strings are transmitted through the bridge to the sounding board
where it is free from contact with the rim thus giving greater vibration and volume
of sound.
The bridge 9 has an inward bend which lies over the sounding board at some
distance from its outer edge thus ensuring better transmission of the vibrations to
the sounding board and so obtaining a greater volume of sound, as the inwardly
bent or curved portion of the bridge lies on the sounding board where it is not in
contact with the rim. In order that the rim may be wide and strong enough for
holding the tuning and hitch pins without trespassing on the sounding board the
upper face of the rim is sloped down at 12, so as to leave a space between the rim.
and the sounding board where parts of the bridges lie on the sounding board.

page_text: The hitch pins 13 pass through a metallic plate 14 which lies behind and against
the curved portion of the bridge 9, into an inwardly extended part 15 of the rim
which gives a strong bearing for the pins but being sloped down does not make
contact with that part of the sounding board where the bridge over which the
strings pass rests. The tuning pins 16 are secured in the side of the rim 4 next to
the bridge 8. By the arrangement of the bridges and the rim as described the
vibrations imparted to the sounding board are also to a greater or less extent
transmitted to the base board of the instrument thus utilizing the base board to
some extent for adding to the volume of sound.
The strings diverge from the curved bearing portion of the bridge 9 to the
opposite bridge 8, so that they extend over a greater surface of the sounding
board and thus securing practically greater sounding board surface for the vibrations
and magnifying of tone.
Across the strings 10 extends a bridge 17 carrying the muting mechanism, this
bridge consisting preferably of the two uprights 18 secured to the sounding board,
preferably by glue, and a board 19 which spans the strings and is screwed or
otherwise secured to the uprights 18. This bridge sustains a bar 20 extending
across the strings beneath the board 19. To this bar are fulcrumed a number of
levers 21, one for each string of the instrument, each provided with a damper 22 of
felt or other suitable material such that when thrown into contact with a string it
mutes or damps it. The levers 21 are preferably fulcrumed to the bar 20 by fitting
each in a separate slot 23 formed in the bar and then passing a wire longitudinally
through the bar and through each lever so that the levers will be free to turn, each
independently of the other. The damper carried by each lever is normally held
out of contact with its strings by means of a spring 26 which holds up the damper
end of the lever. This spring is preferably made of wire coiled several times
around a rod 21 and having at one end a loop 25 in which the lever lies so that as
the lever is depressed and raised the spring can slide along the lever thus permitting
its free movement. The springs 26 are preferably separated from one another by
means of distance pieces 27 of caoutchouc or other suitable material strung on the
rod 24. For producing desired chords the proper levers have to be simultaneously
moved so as to damp all the strings that should be temporarily muted so that by
running the thumb pick over the strings which are not muted these strings alone
will be caused to vibrate. For this purpose a series of plates or bars 28 extend
transversely across the series of levers each plate arranged to move some of the
levers in opposition to the springs 26 pressing these dampers on the proper strings.
The bars or plates 28 lie beneath the levers 21 and are raised lifting the levers by
key levers 29, of which there is one for each of the bars or plates 28, each suitably
fulerumed to the under side of the bridge board 19. Its one end is connected to a
projection 30 from the plate or bar which it has to lift; its other end having a key
knob 31 which projects through the bridge board 19 to receive the pressure of the
finger. Each of the bars or plates 28 having to actuate only some of the levers 21
has notches 32 facing such of the levers as are not to be raised for muting strings.
There may be produced as many chords as there are bars or plates 28, and as these
bars are thin a large number can be accommodated in a comparatively small space
and the instrument can therefore produce an unusually large number of chords.
It is preferred to arrange the keys 31 circularly as shewn, but that arrangement
might obviously be varied.
On the bridge board 19 opposite to each key 31 are placed numerals indicating
the strings which are free to vibrate upon depressing that key. A scale 33 placed
upon the sounding board 3 beneath the strings 10, has on it numerals corresponding
with those next the keys 31 so that on depressing any particular key all the strings
baving these numbers are free to vibrate, the other strings being muted. This
scale shews also at a glance the particular string to be picked to produce a given
note and sheets of music may have corresponding numerals to mark notes.
The
instrument illustrated has 32 strings, the strings of an octave are numbered
from 1 to 7 or lettered from C to B inclusive, or if sharps occur they are marked

page_text: thus 1, 2, 3, 4, 4-5--6, ; 7 the sharp being distinguished by a dash across its
uimeral. For distinguishing the octaves figures of different size or shape are
employed the heaviest or largest figures for the bass tones; smaller and still
smaller figures preferably different also in their shapes are employed to denote the
successive higher octaves.
Besides the numerals, letters may also be employed as equivalents for the
numerals as illustrated in the drawing. These letters are also of different sizes or
characters for the different octaves, and wherever there is a sharp the letter is
marked with as for instance c. indicating C sharp.
In the instrument shewn there are 16 of the keys 31 providing for 16 different
chords which are: C major. B major. F major. Bb major. D major. A major.
G minor. A minor. D minor. E minor. B minor. C seventh. G seventh.
D seventh. A seventh. C diminished seventh. Each key has a mark or signature
denoting its chord preferably on the key itself as shewn. The signature preferred
is a numeral corresponding with letter ordinarily employed and a character
placed under the numeral to indicate the particular chord, for instance, the
majors C, G, F, D, A, are signed respectively 1, 5, 4, 2, 6, and a square (□) placed
under the numeral indicates that it is major, for instance, C major is signed The
☐
1
chord Bb would be signed the numeral 6 having a diagonal line across it to
indicate Bb and the square below indicating that it is major.
In the minor chords the usual letters G, A, B, E, D, are represented respectively
by the numerals 5, 6, 2, 3, 7, and beneath each numeral is placed the character +,
5
indicating that it is minor, thus the signature of G minor is ÷
www
The signature C, G, D and A seventh are represented respectively by
numerals 1, 5, 2, 6, with the character beneath, thus C seventh is 1, the
indicating that it is seventh.
numeral indicating the letter and the character
The signature of C diminished seventh is +, the + representing C, and
the beneath it indicating that it is seventh.
•
Each key has imprinted by it the particular chord which it commands expressed
in the ordinary way, and also has imprinted upon it the signature just described, it
being intended that this signature is to be used in the music furnished with the
instrument. The purpose of employing besides the signature the usual marking to
indicate the chords is to aid the learner until familiarity with the new designating
signatures is acquired.
Each of the levers 21 is provided with an elastic cushion 34 which may be soft
caoutchouc giving certain elasticity to the levers so that they can yield a little to
the vibrations of the strings when the dampers are on them; the cushions also
serve to deaden any sound resulting from the contact of the bars 28 with the
levers.
I have described with particularity the preferred details of construction and
arrangement of the several parts, but it is obvious that changes can be made
therein without departing from the essential features of the invention.
Particular attention is directed to the placing of the tuning pins in the side of
the instrument below the bridge instead of being on the top of the instrument as
heretofore, and to the placing of the hitch pins behind the other bridge and
through the metal plate which lies against the outside edge of that bridge. The
advantage of this is that the tuning pins draw the strings down upon the bridge
next to them so that there can be no jarring of the strings, and furthermore that
the tension is put on the strings over the edge of the instrument at such an angle
next to the tuning pins that these pins are relieved from the direct strain or pull
which in the ordinary arrangement tends to turn the pins and loosen the strings

page_text: putting them out of tune. It also avoids the necessity of employing additional pins
adjacent to the tuning pins as is usually done to receive the pull on the strings as
the tuning pins are turned iu tuning.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A stringed musical instrument of the zither kind constructed and arranged
substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
2. The body of the instrument consisting of the base board, the sounding board,
the rim separating the boards and sloped on its upper face, the cross struts not in
contact with the sounding board, the bridges, one inwardly curved, and both
extending on to the sounding board beyond its bearings on the rim, substantially
as described.
3. The arrangement of the strings, extending from the hitch pins fixed in the
rim on the one side over a wire on the one bridge, and thence diverging and
passing over a wire on the other bridge to the tuning pins secured in the rim on
the other side, substantially as described.
4. The muting or damper mechanism consisting of a bridge carrying a series of
spring damper levers, one for each string, a series of notched bars arranged to
move vertically under the tails of the damper levers, and a series of finger keys one
for each notched bar, arranged and operating so as to mute various combinations of
the strings substantially as described.
5. The scales and marks denoting the names or tones of the strings, the
combinations of those muted by each finger key, and the character of the chords
resulting from the sounding of the unmuted strings, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of November 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant.