Improvements in or relating to Harps, Zithers, and similar Stringed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
CUMI LEIE
Improvements in or relating to Harps, Zithers, and similar Stringed
Musical Instruments.
I HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co., of
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C. London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by the
C. F. Zimmermann Company of Dolgeville, State of New York, United States of
America, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improvement in harps or zithers and the object of
the invention is to provide an instrument which with a comparatively simple
construction can be readily made to give a considerable variety of chords or tones
and to this end the invention consists in the novel features of construction set
forth in the following Specification and claim and illustrated in the annexed
drawing in which
Figure 1 is a plan view of the instrument.
Figure 2 is a section along x x Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is a section along y y Fig. 2.
Figure 4 shows an end portion of a damper bar.
In this drawing the letter A indicates a base having legs or supports B and
from which extend the strips or pieces CD carrying a sounding board E. This
sounding board is shown in the example in the drawing as consisting of two
layers or plates of material but of course the sounding board can be constructed in
any way recognized by the art as suitable in each particular case.
The sounding board carries bridges F G across which extend the strings H
secured by hitch pins I and tuning pins K. These ridges or bridges F G are
shown each with its opposite portions oppositely inclined or curved, the bridge
portions at the longer strings having their concave sides faced inward or toward
one another, while the opposite bridge portions or ends at the shorter strings are
convex toward one another.
On the sounding board are strips or blocks L supporting shorter strips or
pieces M, the spaces between the strips M forming channels or guides for a purpose
presently explained. The channels or spaces between the strips M are shown
closed at their outer ends by plates or strips N. The studs or pins O are suitably
guided through perforations in the blocks L and are pressed upwards by springs P,
the studs O being suitably headed so that the springs P cannot press the studs O
up too far or out of the blocks L. On the studs or pins Orest damper bars Q
held by the springs P out of contact with the strings H, but which bars can be
pressed by the finger buttons R against the action of the springs P so as to have
their dampers in position to cut out the required strings. These damper bars Q
are shown guided in channels or spaces between the strips M.
Each damper bar is shown provided with dampers S fixed to the bar and one or
more of the damper bars may be provided with one or more sets of movable or
shiftable dampers T carried by slides or bars U guided in eyes or holders V on
the damper bar. Each slide Ú can be actuated by a trigger or finger plate W 80
as to carry its dampers into or out of action, the spring X restoring the slide U
when released to its normal position. The shifter or trigger W is advantageously
placed near the button R.
The space between the plates or strips N is great enough to allow the damper
bars Q to move or be shifted lengthwise. These bars Q are each shown provided

page_text: with grooves Y (Figs. 2 and 3) into which can snap or engage a shoulder or lug Z
(Fig. 3) carried by a spring finger a extending from guide strip M. The engage-
ment of shoulder Z with a groove Y prevents accidental shifting of the damper
bar but leaves said damper bar free to be shifted lengthwise when desired so
that the lug Z will snap or engage into another one of the grooves Y. Obviously
the same result would be obtained by forming the grooves Y on detent a and placing
the lugs Z on the damper bar Q.
The shifting bars with the fixed and movable dampers S T can be used very
effectively since for example the fixed dampers S can be arranged so that on the
depression of the respective damper bar Q a certain series of strings H or a chord
of a certain key is left free to sound, and the shifting of the movable dampers T can
be made for example to change the chord of the key, and the shifting of the damper
bar can be made to change the key of the chord.
The ends of the bars Q are shown covered or protected by the covering plates be
conveniently fixed to or carried by the side pieces or strips and this cover bed can
be readily secured, slipped or set on to the strips M N. The covering plate b is
shown provided with sight openings e exposing to view the end portions of the
damper bars and the plate c is also shown broken or provided with openings or
perforations for sight or for the ready escape of sound. It may also be found
convenient to provide the damper bars Q with marks or characters as seen
in Fig. 4 which marks or characters showing through the openings e or ƒ will
indicate the position to which the bar Q has been shifted.
The instrument is shown with six damper bars Q five of said bars having two
slides U and three grooves Y, but of course the number of these elements can be
varied as for example in simple instruments or toys or in instruments for teaching
beginners one bar Q without slides or with one slide U and two grooves Y may be
found appropriate, while by increasing the number of these elements the scope of
the instrument in readily producing various effects is increased.
As the damper bars are shiftable independently of one another the desired effects
can be obtained readily and without confusion or accidental movement of a bar not
to be moved.
The instrument is shown provided with a series of ridges g across which stretches
a supplemental string which by being pressed into contact with one or another
of the ridges g can be made to give various notes and this supplemental string can
be used in tuning the instrument or also for producing sounds or effects of different
character than that of the strings H.
Additional supplemental strings like the string but differently tuned might
obviously be added so as to correspond with the melody strings or fingerboard of
a zither or other instrument.
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 I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a stringed instrument, of a series of damper bars made
movable and shiftable independently of one another, and adjustable dampers carried
by and movable independently of one of said shiftable damper bars.
2. The combination with a stringed instrument, of a series of damper bars made
lengthwise shiftable independently of one another and a slide having dampers and
carried by and movable independently of one of said damper bars substantially as
described.
3. The combination with a stringed instrument, of a shiftable damper bar
provided with a slide mounted to move along a side face of the bar, dampers
supported by said slide clear of the bar, and a shifter or trigger for moving said
slide, substantially as described.