(No Model.

B. 11 PLEMMINGS. Jr.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

GUITAR.
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No. 338,727.

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UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. FLEMMINGS, JR, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF
ONE-FOURTH TO CHARLES L. SPRAGUE, OF SAME PLACE.

GUITAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,727, dated March 30, 1886.
Application ?led September 5, 1885. Serial No. 176,236. (No model.)

Vellum heads A A, which are stretched over

said sides in any well-known manner. The
upper vellum head, A, is provided, at or near
the point where the strings are vibrated by 55
the fingers, with a number of perforations, b b,
new'and useful Improvements in Musical In through which the sound may escape.
struments, of which the following, taken in
In order to prevent the destruction of the

To aZZ whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT F. FLEMMINGS,
J r., of Melrose, in the county of Middlesex and
State of Massachusetts, have invented certain

connection with the accompanying drawings, sides a a by a too severe straining of the vel
is a speci?cation.

lum heads A A, said sides are strengthened 60

My invention relates to musical instruments, by the interior bracing, c c, which, together
[0 and especially to that class of stringed instru with the additional short braces d d, are placed
ments in which the strings are vibrated by far enough from the inner sides of the heads
the ?ngers; and it has for its object the pro A A to prevent the possibility of their con
duction of an instrument which I term the
therewith.
65
Euphonica, and which contains all of the tact
The heads A Aare stretched upon the body
15 good qualities of a guitar, while the volume of the instrument by being out to a shape

and sweetness of its tone is much superior

thereto, and at the same time it is much more

sensitive to the touch.

similar to but somewhat larger than the out

line of said body, and then having the sur
plus material bent back upon itself over a 70

My invention consists in certain novel fea~ wire, 6, which is slipped over each of said
heads after they have been placed upon the

2o tures of construction and arrangements and

combinations of parts, which will readily be
understood by reference to the description of
the drawings, and to the claims to be herein

after given.

body of the instrument, after which a band of

metal, f, is placed over each of said heads, so
that one edge thereof comes into contact with 75

that portion of the vellum or parchment head

23 ' Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan which has been turned back upon itself over
of a musical instrument embodying my in the wire 6, and then the said band f is forced
vention. Fig. 2 represents a plan of the same downward by the pull-downs g 9, having bear
with the upper vellum or parchment head re ings in the brackets h h,v which are secured to 80
moved and the neck broken away. Fig. 3 the sides or shell to a of the body of the in
0 represents a cross'sectional elevation of the strument by means of the screws h h, passing
same, the cutting-plane being on line as x on

through said shell a, and provided with suit

Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 represents another able nuts upon the interior, as shown in Fig.
cross-sectional elevation of the same, the cut
ting-plane being on line y 3/ on Figs. 1 and 2.

14..

At the points where the brackets h h are 75

thus secured to the sides a a said sides are re

35 Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal sectional ele enforced and strengthened by the narrow ribs
vation of the same, the cutting-plane being it, made of wood, the grain of which is at right
on line 2 z on Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6 repre angles with the grain of the band of wood
sents a longitudinal sectional elevation of a
portion of one end of the body of the instru

40 ment, the cutting-plane being on line 2 2 on

Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 7 represents a front ele

which forms the shell or sides a a of said body 90

of the instrument.
The metal band f is formed of a narrow rib
bon of metal, in which a slot, f, is formed at

vation of the bridge and damper; and Figs. 8 one end, while the other end is provided with
to 15, inclusive, represent details of construc a suitable threaded stud or bolt, 7, which 9 5
tion, which will be hereinafter referred to. passes through said slot f when said ends are

45 Figs. 6 to 15, inclusive, are all drawn to an en

larged scale.

caused to overlap, and is provided with a

f 3, by which the said ends may

The body of my improved instrument is clamping-nut,
be clamped together in any desired position,

made of substantially the same shape as an

so as to insure that said band will ?t snugly 100

ordinary guitar, and has similar wooden sides the perimeter of said shell or sides a a.

50 a a; but instead of having wooden heads, as

in a guitar, it is provided with parchment or

At the narrowest part or waist of the body

13

338,727

of the instrument, at which point the greatest

strain is brought to bear upon the sides or outside of said body, said strings an being
shell a a, said sides are re-enforced by the sti? stretched over the ?xed bridge a and the ver

IO

ening-pieces j j, which are provided at either

end with suitable slots, 9 g, in which are
placed the boltsg", the threaded ends of which
extend outside of the body of the instrument
through the slots f in the metal band f, and
are provided with the nuts 9, by which the

tically-moving bridgesn3 n3, mounted upon the

bracing c c at the lower and upper ends of the 70

body, respectively.

The bridges 1131f are made of an inverted- U -

shaped form, and have bearings for their par

allel arms in the lower cross-brace, c, at the 75

band f is made to conform to the outline of upper end of the body of the instrument, all
the said waist of the body of the instrument; as shown in Fig. 10. Beneath the central por
To thelower end of the body of the instru tion of these bridges n3 a" are placed one or

ment is secured the tail-piece 0, made of thin more rods, n" n, which are pressed by the
sheet, metal, and provided with a series of springs a n7 ?rmly against the lower vellum 80
hooked wires, 2?, with each of which is con head, A, while said bridges or a are ?rmly

nected a string, in, by means of a suitable loop pressed against the opposite ends of said rods

formed in the end thereof, said string passing by the tension of the strings n12, so that the

20

over the movable bridge 7; and ?xed bridge 75-, said strings n a will be caused to vibrate with
mounted, respectively, upon the vellum head the head A in an obvious manner.
In order to insure that the lower head, A,
A and the neck B, and over which it is strained
by the tuning-peg 7.1, mounted in the head B, may readily respond to any vibration of the

and to which the otherend of the string is se upper vellum head, A, the posts 0 0 are pro
vided, which are interposed between said
cured.
The tail-piece O is secured to the lower end heads A A, and which are of alength such 90
of the body of the instrument by the screw Z, that the ends thereof are in contact with the
and its upper end,which is provided with said heads A A, so that any vibration of the up

hooksZZ, is bent over so that it is slightly per head, A, will be transmitted through said
posts to the lower vellum head, A, this re
above and parallel to the vellum head A.

sult being materially assisted by the springs

o 0, which tend to keep the upper ends of 9:
of stringing the instrument, the advantages of said posts continually in contact with the
under side of the upper vellum head, A, said
which are obvious.
posts
having hearings in which they readily
The bridge 79 is composed of a metal strip,
Z", mounted upon a wooden base portion, Z, to reciprocate in the arms 02 o?secured to one of I00
which is pivoted, at m m, a damper or mute, the lower braces, c, and the cross-piece 03, se
m, which has its upper surface provided with cured to the underside of the central brace, c.
The strings a a being strained over bridges
a covering of leather or similar material, and
which is provided on its under side with an located within the body of the instrument, it
arm, m, to which is pivoted the link m, is impossible in tuning them to sound them by
40 the opposite end of which link is pivoted to hand, and therefore great trouble would be
the lever m, having a fulcrum at m, and by experienced in ~tuning them unless some
which the damper m may be readily operated mechanical twanging device were devised for
to come into contact with the strings I; 7; and this purpose, which is accomplished by the
The hooks with which the wires Z l are pro
vided form a most convenient and ready means

modify their tone by softening or deadening tuning'rod 1), having bearings in the inverted
U-shaped bracket ]),seeured to the under side
depressing thelever m the damper at will be of the brace c, and also in one of the sides of

I10

4 the same, all as shown in Figs. 6 and 7; or by

forced from contact with the strings I; 2:, and said body through which one end of said rod
1) projects,and which is provided with a milled
thus allow them to vibrate with a full tone.
\Vithin the bodyofthe instrument, and nearer head,p2, by which said rod 1) may be moved I15
to thelower vellum or parchment head thereof, lengthwise or oscillated in its bearings,as may
are placed an additional series of strings, n in, be desired. Upon said rod 12, between the

which are of the same kind and quality as downwardly-projecting arms of the bracket
those outside, and are secured at the upper 1), is secured the picker-arm p, which has its
end of the body of the instrument by passing two sides curved to form a neck with a head
their ends through holes made in said end, at its end, which curved surfaces are covered
and having pins Z Z passing through loops with leather orsimilar material, as shown in

I20

formed in said strings to prevent said strings Figs. 2 and 15, the normal position of which

from being drawn backward through said arm is as shown in Figs. 2 and 3; but when it
holes, or the ends of said strings may be se is desired to tune the strings a a, and it is
cured to said end in any other well-known found necessary to twang said strings,the rod
manner.

The opposite ends of said strings an 1) is reciprocated in its bearings until the arm

pass through suitable openings in the lower or ?nger p" is in a position above and a little
end of said body, and are secured to the pegs to one side ofthe string which it is desired to
n 11, mounted in the arm D, set in and pro- , twang. Said rod]; is then oscillated in its bear 130
ings until the head at the end of said arm 1)
jecting from said lower end, and by which is
below said string, when it should be recipro
pegs n n the strings 12 a may be tuned into

perfect- unison with the strings 7;]..1, locatedl cated in its bearings until the said arm 1)
eomesinto contact with one side of the string,

338,727

at which time, if the rod 12 is suddenly oscil

lated in the opposite direction, so as to lift the
outer end of arm 193, the head portion thereon
will come into contact with the under side of
the string, lift the same a short distance and

then let go,thus causing the necessary twang,

much in the same manner as it would be ac

heads, one of which is provided with a clus-Hl

ter of circular openings, and a seriesofstringsf

within said body corresponding in number 7o

and pitch with the strings upon the outside of
said instrument.
3. A stringed musical instrument the body
of which is provided with a perforated vellum

complished by the ?nger if said strings were or parchment head and a reverberant mounted 75
accessible.

upon a spring or yielding arm, and located

The arm p is prevented from coming into beneath the perforated portion of said head
engagement with the strings n a when the in
strument is in use by a suitable rod or arm, g,
secured to the rod p, which is made to engage

with a hook, .q, secured to the side of the

15 bracket 1) nearest to the head 192 in such a man
ner that the arm 1) cannot be moved down
ward or the rod p reciprocated in its bearings
until said rod or arm q is again disengaged
from the hook q, all as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
The neck B is provided with a rectangular

to regulate the amount of sound to be emitted

therefrom.
4c. In a musical instrument, the combina- '

tion of two removable vellum or parchmei?

heads, one or more headed rods or posts in

terposed between said heads and mounted in

bearings, with their heads in contact with the
front or upper head, and a spring interposed
between the head of said rod and its bearing
to maintain said rod in contact with said front

projection, T, which ?ts into the opening r, or upper head.

5. A stringed musical instrument the body
Fig. 10, made therefor in the sti?'eningpiece
a at the upper end of the body of the instru
ment, and to this is secured the round exten
25 sion 1', the opposite end of which has a bear
ing in the stiffening-piece 1", at the lower end
of said body, and to-which it is secured by
the screw 1, (which also secures the tail-piece
O, as has been described,) the neck 13 being
further secured to said body by the screw W.
This extension r3 greatly increases the strength

of which is provided with two vellum or parch 90

ment heads, a series of strings located within
said body and corresponding in number and

pitch with ihe strings outside of said body,and

a series of pins interposed between said inside
strings and one of the heads to transmit the vi- 95
brations of said head to said inside strings.
\
6. In a stringed musical instrument, a mute

or damper consisting of a support covered with

of the instrument, which is very desirable, a non-resonant material pivoted to the bridge
especially in instruments of a large size.
Beneath the perforations b b is placed a re

35 verberant7 E, which consists of a ring, 8, over

which is stretched a disk of very thin parch
ment or vellum, which is held in place by an
other but slightly-larger ring, 8, in a well
known manner, these rings 8 8 being connected
40 through the U-shaped support 82 to the mova

- of the instrument and connected to a lever in 100

such a manner that said support may be os- i,

eillated about its axis by said lever and brought

into contact with the strings to deaden and
soften their tone.
7. In a stringed musical instrument, a re 105
verberant or sound-regulator consisting of a

ring having clamped thereon a disk of thin

ble end of the spring-arm 83, the opposite end parchment or vellum and mounted upon a
of which is secured to the bracket 8, mounted spring-arm beneath the openings for the emis

upon the inner side of the body of the instru sion of the sound.
8. In a stringed musical instrument provid
ment. As the strings 70 k are touched by the
45 musician, the heads A and A are vibrated, ed with a series of strings within the interior
and the air within the body of the instrument of the body thereof, a twanging device con
is set in motion, which in turn imparts its sisting of a rod mounted in suitable bearings
motion to the reverberant, which, as it vi in which it is adapted to be oscillated or recip 115V
' brates in unison with the strings touched to

rocated by means of a milled head located out

50 ward and from the upper head, .A, acts as a side of said body,and having mounted thereon
regulator to gage the amount of sound to be an arm provided with a cam portion by which
emitted from the perforations b b.
any desired string may be snapped.
The metal strip Z, forming the upper por
9. In astringed musical instrument, the com~
tion of the bridge is, is provided with suita bination of the strings and the tail-piece there
55 ble notches in its upper edge to receive the of with a series of independent and detachable

I20

strings 70 k, in order to keep said strings an hooked wires interposed between said strings

equal distance apart.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure

60

and said tail-piece.

'

10. In a stringed musical instrument, a se 125

by Letters Patent of the United States, is ries of strings secured in a ?xed position to
1. A stringed musical instrument the body one of the ends of the body thereof, passing
of which is provided with a parchment or through said end into the interior of the body,

vellum head perforated at or near the point where they are stretched over suitable bridges,
where the strings are operated upon,with a and passing out at the opposite end to suitable
cluster of circular openings to cause them to tuning-pegs mounted in a suitable arm pro
jecting from the lower end of the instrument.
.
65 vibrate.
2. A stringed musical instrument the body
11. In a stringed musical instrument, the
of which is provided with two removable combination of the sides a a, provided with

338,727

the slots g g, the vellum head A or A, the and r5, all substantially as and for the purposes 30
.
. bandf, the pull-downs g g, the bolts g2 5/2, and described.
the nuts (/3 93, all substantially as and for the
16. In a stringed musical instrument, the
purposes described.
combination of the sides a a, the vellum head
5 12. In a stringed musical instrument, the A or A, and the series of longitudinal and
\' combination of the sides a (I, provided with

cross-braces 0 c, all substantially as and for 35

the slots 9 g, the vellum head A or A, the the purposes described.

metal band f, provided with the slots f, j",
17. In a stringed musical instrument, the
andf? and the stud or boltfi, the bolts (/2 (f, combination of a series of strings, a it, within
IO the nuts f, g", and g, and a series of pull the body thereof, the rod 1), provided with the
downs, g 5;, all substantially as and for the pur stop-rod q and the picker-arm p, and mount- 40
\\- poses described.

13. In a stringed musical instrument, the

ombination of the sides a a, the vellum head
, A or A, the metal bandf, provided with the

ed in suitable bearings, so that it may be either

oscillated or reciprocated therein, and the hook

q, secured to a ?xed support, all substantially
as and for the purposes described.

slotf at one end and the boltf at the other,

18. In a stringed musical instrument, a 45
and the nutfg, all substantially as and for the bridge composed of a wooden base portion
purposes described.
and a metal strip the upper edge of which is
14. In a stringed musical instrument, the provided with suitable notches to receive the
20 combination of the vellum head A, the cross

brace c, the pins a" a, the vertically-moving

strings.
In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name 56

bridges as a, the springs as n, and the strings to this speci?cation, in thepresenee of two sub
a n, all substantially as and for the purposes scribing witnesses, on this 1st day of Septem
25

described.
ber, A. D. 1885.
15. In a stringed musical instrument, the
combination of the sides a a, provided with

the stiffening-pieces 1'2 and r, the neck 13, pro

k , vided with the projection r, the extension 1-,

secured to said projection, and the screws Z

Bonner F. FLEMMINGS, JR.

\Vitnesses:

\VALTER E. LOMBARD,
FRANK E. BRAY.