US550529A - Musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

.(No Model.)

L. E. PYLE.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 550,529. PatentedNov. 26, 1895.

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UNITED STATES LEVFIS ED\VIN PYLE, OF

PATENT OEEIcE.

ELAM, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSICAL ENSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,529, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed March 13, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LnwIs EDWIN PYLE, of Elam, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Musical instrument, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to mandolins, guitars, and similar instruments; and its object is to provide a new and improved stringed musical instrument which is simple and durable in construction, rich in melodious tones, arranged to prevent bending of the neck, and formed to fit properly on the performers body to permit of executing the music with great ease.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with part in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the same 011 the line 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. a is a sectional plan view of the joint between the neck and the body.

The improved musical instrument is provided with a body A, made approximately heart-shaped, as is plainly shown in Fig. 1, and formed of the side A, the sounding-board A and the bottom A between which and the sounding-board are secured the bottom and top edge of the side A.

The neck B of the instrument is fitted into the apex of the body A by having the ends of the side A rest on the sides of the wedgeshaped end 13 of the neck B, as is plainly indicated in Fig. 4. The bottom of the wedge shaped end B is covered by the back A and the sounding-board A extends into a notch or cut'out port-ion of the end B at the top thereof, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. The several parts are securely glued together, so that the neck is very firmly attached to the body and is not liable to bend or spring when tuning the instrument or when playing the same.

Serial No. 541,578. (No model.)

A head C is secured to the neck B by a diamond-shaped piece D, inserted in correspondin g V-shaped recesses formed in the adjacent ends of the neck B and head C. The strings are secured at their upper ends on keys or pegs held in the head 0, to then extend down over the neck B and body A over a projection E, to be fastened at their lower ends 011 a tailpiece F, held at the bout of the body A, as is plainly shown in the drawings. A strengthening-rib G is secured to the under side of the sounding-board A at the sounding-hole A thereof, as is plainly shown in the drawings.

It will be seen that by the arrangement described the several parts are very firmly united with each other, so as to produce an instrument having great strength, and at the same time one which will emit rich and melodious tones when the strings are played. It will also be seen that the tailpiece, being located in the recess at the base of the instrument between the projections, is protected from contact with any surface on which the instrument may be placed, and interference with the proper vibration of the strings is prevented. It will further be seen that by the peculiar shape given to the body A the latter may be conveniently seated or rested on the players body to permit the latter to execute the music with great comfort and ease. The projecting portions at the base of the instrument will rest upon the body of the player, and the instrument will consequently be held firmly in position and will not turn while in use.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a musical instrument the combination with a body having two projecting portions at its base end and a recess between the projecting portions, of a tail piece secured within the said recess, substantially as shown and described.

2. A musical instrument comprising abody having two projecting portions at its base and a recess between the projecting portions, the said body being approximately heart shaped, a neck secured in the apex of the body hetween the sounding board and back and with the ends of the sides resting on the sides of the neck, a head secured to the neck and provided with keys or pegs to which the strings are secured at their upper ends and a tail piece secured in the recess at the base of the body and to which the lower ends of the strings are fastened, substantially as shown and described.

LEWVIS ED\VIN PYLE.

-Witnesses:

FRANK 13. STANDBRIDGE, JOHN H. JOURNEY.

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