Popovers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Mar, 1900
Popovers.
We, JOSEF NEUMAYER, Merchant, and LUDWIG HESSLING, Merchant, both residing
at Bonn, on the Rhine, in the Province of Rhineland and Kingdom of Prussia,
Empire of Germany, 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 :-
Our invention relates to a cithern, the particularity of which is, that below the
strings, which are mounted upon the finger-board, in special cavities are contained
or arranged small reeds of metal, of the same sound, which the string utters when
stopped at the place over the corresponding reed of metal.
The sounds of the reeds are uttered with the help of compressed air, contained in
the cavities, and which enters by valves, which are opened by the pressing down of
pins, provided with plates on their upper part.
By this arrangement we attain the advantage, that the pressing down of the
strings in order to change the note, is no longer done by the fingers directly, but
by the plates of the pins, so that painful contacts between the fingers and the
strings are avoided.
We attain the new effects of our zither by the mechanism illustrated in the
accompanying sheet of drawing, in which-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the zither, Figure 2 a cross-section and
Figure 3 a partial top-view, on the right side, the finger-board being taken off in
order to show the arrangement of the tuning plates and of the valves.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
at signifies the finger-board of the zither, b and c signify the strings of it.
Between two neighbouring frets of the finger-board serving for the shortening
of the strings in order to change the note, there are arranged openings e, containing
the pins f, which are provided on their upper part with plates g.
The lower part of these plates is covered with soft leather in order to prevent
the strings from being damaged by the plates.
As may be seen from g¹ (Fig. 2) these plates, if one wishes to play the instrument,
are pressed down by the fingers of the left hand, upon the string, and then the
latter is vibrated by the thumb of the right hand.
Below the finger-board the zither is provided with two groups of cavities; the
middle of the upper of which contains the pins f, which are surrounded by
springs i, so that the pins pressed down by the fingers may return into their first
position, when the pin or its plate is released by the finger.
Each of the cavities k, l, m, situated on both sides of the cavity / contains one row
of metal reeds n, o, p; the notes of the row of reeds n correspond with the notes
uttered by stopping each of the two strings sound alike, the notes of the rows of
reeds o and p with the notes of the two other strings of the finger-board.
The metal reeds are arranged in such a manner that each of them has its position
between two neighbouring frets and utter the same sound as the string, corresponding
utters when it is touched by the plate of the pin, which actuates the valve of the
metal reed.

page_text: Below the reeds the partition-wall between the two groups of cavities is provided
with holes, which are closed by valves 7, 7, 8.
These valves are connected with the pins f in such a manner, that, if the plates g
and the pins are pressed down, the valves also sink and consequently open the
holes x.
The cavities k, l, m are filled with compressed air, which is compressed by means
of a pair of bellows and conducted into the cavities by the pipe u.
When, as already mentioned, by the pressing down of one of the pins the valve,
being in connection with it, is moved down at the same time, and when consequently
the hole, covered by this valve, becomes open, the air enters rapidly into the cavity
and vibrates, passing the metal reed, the latter in such a manner, that it
sounds.
When one only presses down the pins and the valves connected therewith, without
vibrating the strings, only the reeds are sounding and the instrument may be played
in this case as a barmonium; when on the contrary no compressed air is conducted
into the cavities and only the strings are vibrated, the instrument may be played as
a zither alone, when-thirdly the strings and the reeds are vibrated at the same time.
by the thumb and the compressed air, the sound of a harmonium and of a zither are
obtained at the same time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1.) A musical instrument, which may be played as a harmonium or as a zither
alone or as a harmonium and a zither together, characterized by the arrangement of
two groups of cavities (k, l, m) below the finger-board, the partition-wall between
them containing holes (a) closed by valves (q, 7, 8) and rows of metal reeds (n, o, p).
2.) The combination of the valves (q, r, s) with pins (f) having on their upper part
plates (g) the lower side of which is covered with soft leather for the purpose of
pressing down the valves and the strings of the finger-board.
Dated this 12th day of September 1899.
For JOSEF NEUMAYER AND LUDWIG HESSLING,
A. Ettenbach.