US2049770A - Musical instrument string - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 4, 1936- c B. GRAY 2,049,770

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRING Filed Oct. 16, 1935 INVENTOR CHHRLES B. GRH).

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ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlQE 1 12 Claims.

My invention relates to musical instrument strings and it has for an object to provide apparatus of this character having improved physical properties.

In my application, Serial No. 690,455, filed Sept. 21, 1933, for Musical instrument string, are

disclosed and claimed several improved features relating to musical instrument strings, and the present application is in part a continuation of certain subject matter thereof, particularly with respect to the composite type of string having external loading. Accordingly, a further object of my invention is to provide a string comprising a central metallic core or reinforcement structure and a tubular covering of coating medium saturating and incorporating fabric material t:- gether with an external metallic loading wire Wrapped thereon.

Another object of my invention is to provide a musical instrument string including a plurality of metallic strands to afford strength and flexibility.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, and showing a loaded composite string with a kinked wire central reinforcement or core structure; I

Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, are views showing modified forms of core structures or reinforcements;

Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, show further modified forms wherein the core structures include central core elements;

Fig. 11 is a View representative of any of the foregoing types without the silk wrapping; and

Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive are views showing strings consisting of strands of wires twisted together.

All of the views are enlarged to bring out clearly features of the strings and to aid in a ready understanding of the invention; and parts, such as the kinked reinforcement of Fig. 1, are exaggerated to show plainly the kinking and the like.

In Fig. l, the string includes a kinked wire reinforcement in, which is wrapped with fabric II arranged at a large helix angle. The central wire with its fabric wrapping is saturated with a coating medium, such as insulating varnish of the baking type, which gives the desired properties of hardness, flexibility, moisture-proofness and resonance and which incorporates the fabric and joinsthe latter to the reinforcement so that, as pointed out in my application aforesaid, a

unitary and resonant string structure results. The large helix angle of the fabric wrapping provides for fibers thereof being effective to carry part of the string tension. Preferably the cover. ing just described is enclosed by a layer of silk l2 and suitable loading wire it is wrapped on the silk.

The reinforcement or core structure It of Fig.' 1 has a succession of very small kinks or corrugations to give endwise elasticity to the string, making tuning easier, ten-ding to maintain the tuned condition, and promoting freer or easier vibration. The reinforcement is extended to the right in Fig. l to show features of the kinking. If tangent lines a. and b touching the crests of the 15 kinks are drawn, it will be noted that the dis tance 0 between such lines is only slightly greater than thewire diameter d, with the result that the string axis 6 is well within the structure of the wire throughout its length. In actual practice, the kinks are so small as to be hardly perceptible, the wire is practically and op-eratively straight, and wire larger than standard is not required on account of kinking. Kinking may result in the distance 0 being of the order of 10 or 29% greater than the diameter d.

In Fig. 2, there is shown a string having a central reinforcement or core structure Illa including a plurality of wires Hi twisted together.

This type of core structure provides adequate strength and flexibility. The reinforcement or core structure may be made even more flexible for large strings by making it of a plurality of twisted strands Ma, as shown in Fig. 3a, each strand including a plurality of small wires I 41). Fig. 5 shows a core structure lfib including a plurality of braided wires l5.

Fig. 4 shows a construction wherein the reinforcement consists of a single straight wire I 00.

Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, show further modified forms of central reinforcements or core structures. In Figs. 6 and '7, the core structure Hid includes a plurality of wire strands l6 twisted about a wire core element ll, each strand I6 consisting of a plurality of twisted wires I Go. In Fig. 8, the core element Ila of the reinforcement or core construction includes a plurality of wires llb twisted together; and, in Fig. 8a, the core element is made up of a plurality of twisted strands I'lc, each strand including a plurality of Wires I'ld. In Figs. 9 and 10, the core element He is made of fibrous material, for example, hemp.

As shown in Fig. 11, any of the forms so far described may have the silk wrapping omitted, the

loading wire [3 being wrapped directly on the tubular cover comprised by the coating medium incorporating the fabric material.

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 show strings without the tubular covering and loading, as already described, the strings in these views being similar to the core structures or reinforcements of Figs. 6, 8, and 10, respectively. The string in Fig. 12 includes a plurality of strands l8 wound about a central core wire 19. In Fig. 13, the core wire or element is made up of a plurality of twisted wires Mia; and, in Fig. 14, a fabric core element 19b is employed. Fig. shows a string of the types of Figs. 12, 13 and 14 with a loading wire 20 wrapped thereon.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a composite and unitary type of string with external loading which may be constructed to suit a wide field of application to musical instruments of the stringed type. The core structure or reinforcement may be comprised by a single wire or by a plurality of wires; one or more layers of fabric may be used, the fabric being incorporated in the coating medium and being so arranged that its fibers are effective to carry part of the string tension; and any suitable loading wire may be used. Endwise elasticity is afforded by the kinked reinforcement or by the twisted types, and the twisted type of construction makes possible a desired combination of strength and flexibility. The construction having a fibrous core element or center is advantageous in that, for a given amount of wire, the reinforcement of a string may be made of larger diameter, with the result that, due to the location of the wires relatively close to the string surface, likelihood of the reinforcement cutting the fabric wrapping is reduced. Also a reinforcement with fiber center makes possible a larger string diameter for a given amount of Wire. Furthermore, features of the twisted types of reinforcements or core structures with core elements or centers may be used without the fabric covering in the construction of metallic strings of desired size, flexibility and strength.

What I claim is:

1. In a musical instrument string including an inner metallic core structure, a tubular and cylindrical cover adhering to the core structure, said cover including a body of tough, flexible and moisture-proof coating medium incorporating fabric material and adhering to the latter and to the core structure, said fabric material encompassing the core structure and including fibers -or strands extending sufliciently longitudinally of the string to carry part of the string tension, and a helical wrapping of loading wire encompassing the cover.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 with a layer of silk between the cover and the loading wire.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metallic core structure includes a. plurality of strands of wire.

4. The combination as claimed in claim '1 wherein the metallic core structure is comprised by a single wire having a succession of kinks which are so small that the string axis under all conditions is entirely within the structure of the wire.

5. In a musical instrument string comprising a core structure including a central core element with a plurality of metallic strands wound helically about the core element and a tubular and cylindrical cover adhering to the core structure, said cover including a body of tough, flexible and moisture-proof coating medium incorporating fabric material and adhering to the latter and to the core structure and filling all voids and interstices to secure uniformity of string section and the fabric material being so disposed that fibers thereof are effective to carry part of the string tension.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5 wherein the central core element of the core structure is comprised by fabric material.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 5 wherein the central core element of the core structure is comprised by wire.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 5 with a helical wrapping of loading wire.

9. A musical instrument string comprising a core element and a plurality of strands of wire twisted helically about the core element.

10. The combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the core element is comprised by fabric material.

11. The combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the core element is metallic.

12. The combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the core element is comprised by a plurality of wires.

CHAS. B. GRAY.

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