A New or Improved Musical Instrument.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1899-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1899
A New or Improved Musical Instrument.
We, SAMUEL BOWLEY BARNES, and ALBERT EDWARD MULLINS, both of Seamore
Chambers, Bournemouth West, Hampshire, Music Publishers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists of a new musical instrument made in form similar to
an auto-harp or other suitable stringed instrument. To this instrument is
attached a device by the use of which, persons with or without any knowledge
of music can play a tune. For example, we would point out that when a per-
former plays either the banjo, mandoline, guitar or violin, he has to make his
respective notes (other than the ones the instrument is tuned to) by pressing
the fingers of the left hand on the strings at the neck of the instrument. This
we accomplish on our instrument by mechanical means only requiring on the
part of the player, very little if any attention. At present, we consider it best
to accomplish it in the following manner, namely, by suitably formed stoppers
or hammers cut to the respective length required, and pressed down one at a time,
starting at the extreme left side of the instrument and continuing one at a time
to the extreme right, the instrument strings being tuned to one note or pitch
so that the shortness or length of the stoppers would make the respective notes
required. For instance, supposing "Home Sweet Home." to have twenty notes
from beginning to end the performer would put on a set of hammers or stoppers
which have been cut to to produce the stopping that would be required for this
tune. He would start at the first string nearest him, press the stopper with his
left hand, vibrate the string, with his right, and the next string similarly, and
so on. Now when he has played through this tune and requires another, he
removes the "Home Sweet Home set of hammers and inserts another set cut to
the length that would produce say "The Blue Bells of Scotland" and so on with
other tunes, a fresh set of hammers being required for each tune.
A New or Improved Musical Instrument,
We, SAMUEL BOWLEY BARNES, and ALBERT EDWARD MULLINS, both of Seamore
Chambers, Bournemouth West, Hampshire, Music Publishers, 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 refers to stringed musical instruments of the kind. known as
ithons and the like

page_text: It consists of adding to an instrument of this description, a device by the use
of which persons with or without any knowledge of music can play a tune.
As is well known, a performer on the banjo, mandoline, guitar or violin has
to form the proper notes (other than those the instrument is tuned to) by pressing
the fingers of the left hand on the strings at the neck of the instrument. We
accomplish this on our instrument by mechanical means which require very little
attention on the part of the player. We effect this in either of the following
ways, namely, by suitably formed stops or hammers cut to the length respectively
required for each note, and pressed down one at a time or simultaneously by
means of a fixed board with adjustable screws 'forming stops or dampers.
The instrument is used either with hammers or stops pressed down separately,
or the stoppers may be attached to a board and all pressed down simultaneously.
For instance, supposing "Home Sweet Home" to have twenty notes from begin-
ning to end, the performer would put on a set of hammers or stops, or a board
with adjustable stoppers which have been cut to produce the stopping that would
be required for this tune. When using the set of stoppers he would start at
the first string nearest him, press the stoppers with his left hand, vibrate the
string with his right, and the next string similarly and so on. Now when he
has played through this tune and requires another, he can play several other
tunes with the same stops, or he may remove the "Home Sweet Home" set of
stops, and insert another, cut to the length that would produce say "The Blue
Bells of Scotland" or some other tune.
A fresh set of hammers or stoppers is not always necessary and especially so
when the stops are connected laterally by means of a board.
When the board with screw stops is used, the pressure is effected by means
of said stops, and the music is read line by line as before, no hand pressure being
required as the board is held down by cross bars and thumb screws as shewn.
We will now describe our invention with reference to the accompanying. draw-
ings, in which ;
Fig. 1, shews a plan, and
Fig. 2, shews a side view, of the instrument.
Fig. 3, shews an enlarged sectional side view of one string and the correspond-
ing stop or damper."
Fig. 4 shews a perspective view of the whole instrument.
a is the foundation or base board of the instrument, over which the wires or
strings bare stretched in the ordinary way. The wires are first all tuned to the
same pitch, and then a board or plate c is placed over the wires b, to alter the
note played by each wire. This is effected by a series of stops or dampers d,
cach of which projects from the under surface of the board c and presses upon
one of the wires, the tone of the wire being thus altered higher or lower accord-
ing to the position of the stop or damper.
The board c with the dampers d is kept tightly pressed down by thumbscrews e
and cross bars e¹.
The dampers d preferably consist of small set screws screwed into and pro-
jecting from the underside of the board c.
In the instrument shewn, the wires are arranged in sets of three, so that when
each set is vibrated by a plectrum or the like, a perfect chord is produced. The
dampers in the board c may be so arranged, that the player by vibrating the sets
of wires in regular succession from left to right, will be able to play a tune
through. 9, 9, 92 are three low pitched wires at one side, which may be used
for vamping."
46
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
In a stringed instrument such as described, the combination and application
of sets of stops or hammers, or stops attached to the underside of the board

page_text: whereby the strings are damped or stopped to vary their pitch, as herein described
and set forth.
Talth 10th day of T.1., 1900.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Agent for Applicants,
33, Cannon Street, London, E.C.