An improved Stringed musical Instrument.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1898-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1898
An improved Stringed musical Instrument.
T, ALFRED HERMANN GRUNERT, Manufacturer, residing at Johanngeorgenstadt,
Kingdom of Saxony, 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 :-
The present invention relates to a striking-apparatus for string-instruments of every
kind. It consists of a bar R situated across the strings, of which the lower side
18 provided with the striking-pins rr, and the upper side with a knob or grooved
piece T which the player presses down with his finger. At the lower part of the
front-part of the bar R a rounded nose 18 arranged. The bar is always kept in its
position of repose by a spring f which may be suitably arranged at the guide-pin g¹.
Below the nose of the bar 18 an inclined plane n which, holds in a notch the
spring f fixed to a bar n³, the fixture of the spring being situated in the rear flat end
of the bar forming the plane. The movement of the spring is limited above in
suitable manner. "In pressing the bar R, the nose of the same slides on the said
inclined plane, presses the spring into the groove of the bar, and slides over the
spring which then places itself at once behind the nose. During this movement the
striking pins r of the bar R have sounded the strings a 8.
The bar R lies now close
to the front felt buffer v¹. If now the bar should go back the same way; the strings
would be touched a second time; in order to avoid this the spring f is provided in
order to compel the bar R, which returns through the influence of the spring f¹, to
jump over its projecting part and to be moved off from the inclined plane, whereby
the bar is raised and its pins pass over the strings without touching them.
The felt buffer in the upper part, and v² at the back take up the bound of the
bar R.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing is a section of the instrument and the
striking apparatus ;
Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the keys and various sections of the apparatus in
plan-view.
Fig. 3 is a modification of the above described apparatus.
In this modification the spring ƒ is not formed as a stop-spring of the backward
movement of the bar (R), but arranged as a spiral pressure-spring (f*) under the
bar R.
The spiral spring will take effect upon the bar R sooner than the spring f¹, so
that the action will be the same as in the first-described apparatus. In the style
according to Figs. 4 and 5 a damper is arranged in order to avoid the resounding of
the strings after they are struck.
Besides, the positions of the spring, corresponding with the spring ƒ in Fig. 4,
and of the nose are reversed to each other, so that the nose 18 situated and firm
below, while spring is carried by the movable bar R
The damper actuated by the bar R consists in the first place of a rod or a plate p
which turns at one edge on two hinges pl. The turnable bearing of the damper
plate can be arranged as shown by drawing, or in other suitable manner.
Ta71
On the

page_text: plate p a strip m of felt, wool, or the like is placed lengthwise; this plate p with its
covering m is pressed up, from below, by means of a suitable spring q against the
strings 8 8.
At the end of the plate p a piece n, also provided with felt, is put on, on which a
wire frame d rests which passes through under all bars and is suitably fixed, hinge-
like, in the front-wall G This wire frame touches the under-side of the bar only by
means of an intermediate felt layer m² in order to avoid any grinding noise.
As soon as any one of the bars R 18 pressed down, it transfers this downward move-
ment to the frame d which, on its part, pushes the plate p downward by means of
the piece n, so that the strings & 8 become free from the damper m p and are actuated
in the afore-described manner by pushing the bar forward. As soon as the finger of
the player leaves the key T the bar R is raised by the spring f¹ and the spring q at
the same time causes the jumping-up of the damper pm. Through the side a pin c
with head a is put, which serves to keep the damper-frame pressed down when
tuning, which is done by pushing the pin e forward inside in order to hold the frame d
down when it is pressed down by means of one of the keys T as described, also when
the key T is left loose. After tuning, the pin c is drawn back, and prevented from
falling out by piece o¹ or the like
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 striking apparatus for string-instruments consisting of the bar with striking-
pins which, pushed with its nose (1) downward on the inclined plane, actuates the
strings while its backward movement, interrupted by a projecting spring (f), causes
the bar to jump over this spring by the spring (¹) which draws back, a resounding
of the strings being prevented, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2) In a striking apparatus for string instruments the arrangement of a spiral
pressure spring () instead of the projecting spring (f), substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
8) In a striking apparatus for string instruments the arrangement of the nose (l)
firmly arranged under a hook-spring (f) provided at the bar (R) substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
4) In a striking apparatus for string-instruments the arrangement of a damper
rod (p) provided with felt-cover (m) and supported at an edge by means of hinge (p³),
with spring (9) underneath, actuated by an oscillating frame d by means of the
bar (R) provided with the keys (T); substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5) In a striking apparatus for string-instruments an adjustable pin c for pressing
down the frame (d) while tuning the strings, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.