Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1894-Accepted, 31st Mar., 1894
A communication from KRAFT BEHRENS, of 10), Katharinstrasse, Leipzig, in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil 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 present invention has for its object a chord zither by means of which chords
of any kind may be produced, whilst at the same time there is provided a movably
arranged finger board with a corresponding music sheet, the finger board being
pressed on the strings whilst the latter are set in vibration.
The invention is shown on the accompanying drawings as follows.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the entire appliance with a portion of the strings shown
thereunder.
Figs. 2 and 3 show a section on the line - of Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 6 are two longitudinal sections of the appliance.
Fig. 5 is a view of part of the music sheet.
The following describes how the foregoing appliance is constructed.
Two bars a a are fitted on the sounding board in the direction of the strings,
which bars are connected with a bridge f. The latter is provided in its longitudinal
direction with a piece, which is somewhat shorter than the bridge itself.
Flat springs are arranged on the lower side of the bridge f, corresponding exactly
to the strings, and which springs are connected with dampers g. The tension of
these flat springs is such that the dampers are always pressed on the board. In the
latter, and also in the piece f1 and above each flat spring, there are also seated
easily adjustable pins which are pressed constantly backwards by means of the
springs.
Between the bars a there is a finger board b swinging on the pins k, but in such a
manner that the same can be pushed along the strings. The finger board is
perfectly smooth on its upper side but on its lower side it is provided with indents r
and in such a way that each indent lies on top of one of the pins i. The indents
are oblong so that the pins on the movement of the finger board will not be
affected. In the finger board itself there is inserted a music sheet in such a manner
that its holes set free the corresponding pins whilst at the same time the other
ones are pressed downwards. The music sheet- can be inserted in an extremely
easy manner and it need only lie in a groove of the finger board so that it can
easily be changed at any time. It is however by no means necessary that the music
sheet should slide in, the same can be inserted in any other convenient way, and
indeed the latter can form a music sheet itself.
When the parts are arranged as before described the movement of the swinging
finger board is accomplished in the following manner. A slit is made at each end
of the inside of the finger board and is covered with strips m. The slit forms a
guide for the pin k, in this respect however the construction can be altered as may
be desired, for instance by an arrangement of slide rolls, etc. A guide pin c is
fastened on the upper side of the finger board which guide pin takes into racked
shaped indents d of the bar a. On the upper surface of the bar itself besides the
indents there are also numbers which serve merely for bringing to recollection the
chord which has been discontinued.

page_text: The foregoing invention is made use of in the following way.
The movable finger board b (Fig. 1) is brought with the one hand in the direction
of the strings and between the bars a into the position corresponding to the desired
chord, it is then depressed on the strings so that those pins above which the openings h
in the music sheet n may happen to be, are not effected by the sheet, whilst on
the contrary the other ones are depressed so that the dampers are pressed on
the relative strings e. The collective strings are vibrated with the right hand,
but it is evident that only those strings will emit notes which have not been touched
with the dampers. If there is to be another chord, the finger board is released so
that thereby all the depressed dampers are set free, and it is then brought into a
position corresponding to the desired chord, and the instrument used as before.
The music sheet may for instance have five chords as shown in the drawing.
Figs. 2 and 4 show the finger board in its raised position whilst Figs. 3 and 6
show the same depressed, Fig. 6 showing in particular how the dampers g rest on
the springs e.
Fig. 1 shows the finger board in a position corresponding to chord No. 3 for
instance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
A zither characterized by having a swinging adjustable finger board, provided
with a changeable music sheet, so that on the depression of the board on to a bar
provided with movable pins some of the latter are set free by the music sheet,
whilst the remainder move under in such a way that the dampers situated there-
under prevent the strings struck from sounding or giving out notes, by which
means the adjusting or moving of the finger-board may be made to produce any
desired chords, the whole for the object of producing with one and the same manual
chords of any desired kind.
Dated February 2nd 1894
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.