Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
I, CHRISTOPHER JOHN MAYHEW, of Durlock, Minster, in the County of Kent,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to musical instruments, and has for its object the produc-
tion of an instrument which shall resemble in sound that known as a mandolin,
but which shall be mechanically operated, so far as regards the continuous vibra-
tions of the strings, and which shall be easily played upon, through the inter-
vention of piano keys, by those accustomed to perform upon the latter instrument.
To carry my invention into effect, I provide any suitable sounding body or box
fitted with a sufficiency of stretched wires or strings of varying length to produce
all the required different notes.
Above these wires or strings I provide a sliding bar, which is caused to rapidly
reciprocate transversely to the strings, by any convenient mechanical means, such
as by a crank-pin disc, and connecting rod, which may be operated by a foot
treadle as in a sewing machine, or by clock-work, or any other constant motor.
The said reciprocating bar carries a series of pivotted blocks, one to each note,
which may consist of one or more similar strings.
Each block is provided, at the extremity away from the pivot, with a projecting
nose of any flexible material, such as whale bone, tortoise shell, or the like.
The blocks are spring pressed so as normally to hold their projecting noses above
the strings, but each block is connected to one of a series of piano-forte keys,
so that it is depressed when its corresponding key is depressed by the player.
When a key and corresponding block is so depressed, the projecting nose of
the block strikes or is within reach of its specific string or strings so that the
necessary and continuous vibration of the string or strings as in a mandolin is
produced by the reciprocation of the sliding bar across the instrument, so long as
a manual key is depressed.
Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
I, CHRISTOPHER JOHN MAYHEW, of Durlock, Minster, in the County of Kent,
entleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
[Price 8d.]

page_text: the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention relates to musical instruments and has for its object the produc-
tion of an instrument which shall resemble in sound that known as a mandolin,
but shall be mechanically operated so far as regards the continuous vibra-
tions of the strings and which shall be easily played upon, through the inter-
vention of piano keys, by those accustomed to perform upon the latter instrument.
To carry my invention into effect, I provide any suitable sounding body or box
fitted with a sufficiency of stretched wires or strings of varying length to produce
all the required different notes.
Above these wires or strings I provide a sliding bar which is caused to rapidly
reciprocate transversely to the strings, by any convenient mechanical means such
as by a crank pin disc and connecting rod, which may be operated by a foot
treadle as in a sewing machine, or by clockwork, or any other constant motor.
The said reciprocating bar carries a series of pivotted blocks, one to each note,
which may consist of one or more similar strings.
Each block is provided, at the extremity away from the pivot, with a protecting
nose of any flexible material, such as whale bone, tortoise shell or the like.
The blocks are spring pressed so as normally to hold their projecting noses above
the strings, but each block is connected to one of a series of piano-forte keys,
so that it is depressed when its corresponding key is depressed by the player.
When a key and corresponding block is so depressed, the projecting nose of
the block strikes. or is within reach of its specific string or strings, so that the
necessary and continuous vibration of the string or strings as in a mandolin is
produced by the reciprocation of the slicing bar across the instrument so long as
a manual key is depressed.
And in order that my invention, may be, the better understood I now proceed
to describe the same in reference, to the drawings hereto annexed and to the letters
and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved musical instrument.
Figure 2 is a plan thereof.
Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation through the key-board and vibrat-
ing mechanism.
Figure 4 is a part plan thereof.
Figure 5 is a plan of a modified arrangement of the key board to the stringed
sounding board.
Figure 6 is a plan of a modified mode of attaching the vibrating bar to the
main frame.
Like letters refer to like parts in the various figures.
A is a frame and sounding board of any convenient construction having strings
or wires a stretched thereon to give any required musical notes when
vibrated and B is a key board, fitted with finger keys 6 white and black of the
usual form and arrangement of pianoforte keys.
These keys are pivoted at c and have an upright piece Cattached at right angles
to each of the keys, such upright piece coming normally home upon a bar 1)
under the tension of a cord or wire E, so that the finger keys stand in a horizontal
position until depressed, and upon being pressed down the keys come on to the
pad R which may be a pneumatic tube or other resilient substance which is of
such elasticity as to allow the key to be depressed to a variable degree, so as to
effect the degree of contact between the quill and wires or strings and thus to
modify the softness or loudness of the resulting note. The cord or flexible attach-
ment E attached to the upper part of a rocking block F of which there is one
to each string or series of strings forming each note.
The other end of the cord or flexible attachment E is attached to the upright C
by passing it through the said upright and winding it on to the pin e. By this
means the length of the cord E can be adjusted so as to bring the quill nose & to
within a proper distance of the wire or wires a,

page_text: Each of the said blocks F carries a quill nose or finger G of any flexible material
and the block F with its nose G is held normally in such a position that it does
not strike the strings a by means of a spring such as a piece of elastic f which
puts tension on the cord E and holds the finger keys b in their horizontal
position.
It is important to prevent any tilting action by the tension of the cord E upon
the bar H and blocks F carried thereby, that the pull of the cord E shall lie in
the same plane as the re-acting links K or their equivalent K¹.
The blocks F are pivotted upon a bar H resting on the main frame and connected
to that frame by attachments which permit the bar H to reciprocate backwards
and forwards across the wires or strings. These connections may be links K
pivoted at each end or equivalently strings K¹ (Fig. 6) screwed to the main frame
and the bar H respectively.
And in order that the blocks F may not be pulled up on by the cords E during
oscillation so as to alter the distance of the quill point G from the wires I make
the distance between the centres of the pivots passing through the link K or
the ends, of attachment of the spring K¹ (Fig. 6) equal to the length of the cord or
wire E between its attachment so that the radii of the arcs described by each
during oscillation are equal.
The said bar H receives a reciprocating movement from the connecting rod L
and the crank pin and disc M which is caused to revolve by any known clock
mechanism attached thereto represented by its external case Ñ.
The rewinding of the clock-work mechanism can be effected, from time to
time, by the operation of a foot stirrup P.
The action of playing this instrument is as follows, the clock motor N being
wound up by the stirrup P, the bar H and all the blocks F with quills attached
thereto are set into vibration across the wires or strings but do not touch the
wires or strings until one or more of the finger keys b are depressed as in piano-
forte playing, upon which one or more of the blocks F with its quill is depressed
to the desired degree by pressure on the key according to volume of sound
desired, and the specific wires corresponding to the finger keys depressed are
struck by the quill points G and vibrated.
Where a long compass is required and the length of wire or strings employed
is great, I prefer to arrange my key board along the widest side of the instrument
as in Fig. 5, and in such case the flexible connection between the uprights C
of the finger keys and the quill blocks F may be turned to any convenient
angle by passing the said connection such as a cord about pulleys or pins
(Fig. 5).
In such arrangement the distance between the centres of the pivots passing
through the link K or the ends of attachment of the spring K¹ (Fig. 6) is
equal to the length of the flexible cord or wire E between the pulley Q and its
attachment to the blocks F.
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 1
claim is;
1
1st. In a stringed musical instrument the combination with the said strings and
sounding board of a bar reciprocated by a clock work or other motor carrying
a series of quills or projecting pieces adapted to vibrate the strings but normally to
remain clear of the strings without striking them until depressed by finger-keys,
corresponding to the notes of music desired.
2nd. In a stringed instrument the combination of a series of finger-keys
similar to those of a piano-forte with blocks having a nose, quill or projecting
piece thereon, pivotted upon a mechanically reciprocated bar, and adapted by
means of springs to stand normally above the strings, and to be depressed against
such spring re-action by the operation of the said finger keys, so as to strike
and vibrate such strings as may be desired.

page_text: 3rd. In a stringed musical instrument in which the vibration of wires or strings
is produced by a mechanically moved quill which is only brought into action by
finger keys the connection between the said finger keys and vibrating bar and
pivotted quill blocks thereon, of spacing links or equivalent spring bars, and
flexible block attachments both being of the same length and vibrating through
similar arcs, so that their relative relation is not disturbed during oscillation
of the bars.
4th. In a stringed musical instrument in which the mechanical oscillation of
a quill is brought by the action of a finger key into contact with a wire or
string to vibrate the same, the combination with such finger keys of a very
resilient pad such as a pneumatic tube under such keys to permit of a con-
siderable variation of depression of such finger key to vary the loudness or softness
of the sound produced.
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.