Music – Instruments – Stringed
Patent
1992-07-10
1994-06-28
Gellner, Michael L.
Music
Instruments
Stringed
G10D 102
Patent
active
053236750
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bow for stringed musical instrument and particularly concerns an improvement to the stick of this bow, enabling adjustment of the stiffness thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A classical bow is composed of a curved stick with a widened hatched-shaped head and equipped at the other end with an adjustable frog. A horsehair ribbon is stretched between the head and the frog using a screw and nut system. Conventionally, the stick is cut from a fairly rare hard and resistant brazilwood, Pernambuco. More recently, it was proposed to make this stick of a synthetic material, usually composite such as a carbon-fibre based or similar material.
The qualities of a bow depend essentially on the characteristics of the stick, such as its curve and its greater or lesser rigidity. In fact, one same bow may be considered satisfactory by one instrumental performer yet disliked by another. Indeed, the best instrumentalists consider it necessary to change the bow to suit the musical work being performed, or merely their sensitivity of the moment. This therefore causes them to possess several bows. Yet, good bows are expensive.
Also, bows in a synthetic material, if reproducible on an industrial scale, are too similar in characteristics from one model to another to satisfy all instrumentalists. Indeed, one cannot conceive of an ideal bow to suit all instrumentalists, precisely because of the varied, and sometimes even contradictory, demands of these latter. Such variety, which can be obtained by a skilled craftsman making each bow individually, raises difficulties for manufacture on an industrial scale.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Among its other qualities, the invention provides a solution for these problems by proposing a bow structure which enables varying the mechanical characteristics of the stick. In particular, it enables an adjustment of the rigidity of any bow equipped with this improvement.
In this spirit, the invention essentially concerns a bow comprising a curved stick, and a first screw-nut system for horsehair tension. The screw is actuated by a first knob situated at the end of the stick and the nut. It includes a longitudinal recess extending substantially up to its head, a core stiffener being lodged in this recess and linked to a second screw-nut system coaxial to the first.
The term core stiffener refers to any rod or thread suitable to be tensioned or, on the contrary, axially compressed by the screw-nut system inside the longitudinal recess, in order to significantly modify the rigidity of the stick.
This improvement therefore enables an instrumentalist to adapt the bow to his style of playing or his repertoire.
The invention is particularly well suited for a bow including a stick of a synthetic material of the type mentioned above, a bow adaptable to the instrumentalist's wishes since it enables, from a reproducible stick structure with precise characteristics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding and clearer view of the other advantages of the invention can be obtained from the following description, given solely as an example and in reference to the appended drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is partial longitudinal section, partially cut away of a bow complying with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section on a larger scale of the handle of the bow shown in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a detailed cross-section illustrating an alternative.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular, we show a bow 10 comprising a curved stick 11 of conventional appearance, and a horsehair hank 12 stretched between the head 13 and a frog 14 whose position is adjustable along a handle 15 of the said stick. This rectilinear handle is octagonal in cross-section and serves to guide the frog 14, which for this purpose has a groove open on three longitudinal facets espousing the shape of the lateral surface of the handle. The frog 14 comprises a nut 16 lodged in a mortise 17
REFERENCES:
patent: 2234682 (1941-03-01), Notter
Gellner Michael L.
Spyrou Cassandra
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