12S
PATENT SPECIFICATION
‘Application Date: Feb. 2, 1945.
Complete Specification Left: Jon. 7, 1946,
Complete Specification Accepted: May 15, 1947.
Win ott
A
588,178
No, 2660/45.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in or connected with Electro-Magnetic Pick-Up
Devices for Use with Stringed Musical Instruments
Wo, B. 8, Aurummas Lnuz, of 2,
8 and 4, Highfield Road, Shepperton,
Middleses, a British Company, and
Grimnr fiavey Oriven Gassox, of the
5 Company's. addzoss, British, Subject, do
hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:—
"This inyention relates tg the translation
of the vibrations of steel or steel-cored
10 sivings of a fretted musical instrament
into electrical oscillations which may be
reproduced in sound by normal amplify-
Ing equipment, and porticularly to. the
manne? in, which uch translation, is
15 effocied, with the object of overcoming
ertagn faults inherent in existing types
tf electro-magnetic pick-up devices used
‘vith such instromé 5
"According to {his invention, the devico
20 incorporates a permanent magnet adapted
io. be positioned with its magnetic exis
poralel to the strings, o bridge made, of
Heel or other magusiio material for.the
Strings secured to one pole face of the
2% magnet, a block or equivalent secured to
the other pole-face of tho magnet, polo-
screws or mombers projecting from said
Bloor eauivlant one fox ech tring,
adapted to be adjustable so as to vary the
30 aireap between the particular stxing and
its associated pole-screw or member, and
coils of wire on the pole-screws or mem-
here adapted to be connected electrically
ineeries and. to the input terminals of
suitable amplifying equipment.
Further according to this invention
sshere covered strings are employed, the
mrumber of coils of wire on the pole-sorews
or members may be increased, the number
4 being determined by the thickness of the
covering of the string,
The davention can bo carried into effct
in various ways a8 to detail constraction,
and ag one example, the bridge support
45 ing the strings is mado of steel or other
magnetic material and is clamped on one
pole-face of a bar-shaped permanent mog-
Bet in such a manner that the bridge
Jorms one pole-piece of the magnet. On
60 the other polefaco of the magnet. is
secured a block also of steel or other mag-
[Price 1]-]
35
netic material formed with vertical tapped
holes arranged in a line along the blook
and spaced apart to correspond to the
spacing of the strings. In each hole, and 55
fron the upper sido, is an adjustable
threaded pole-sorew, and locking sorews
of non-magnetic material, suchas brass.
fare provided in the underside of the block.
Gn each pole-serew is a bobbin carrying a 60
coil of fine wire.
‘The magnot with the bridge, block,
pole-serews and coils is mounted on the
{netrament so that the bridge occupies the
usual position of the bridge and with a 65
pelesrew under ach ering, the erage
Jog apptied tthe instrument. inthe
usual manner, All the coils are con-
nected in series and their output conveyed
4o the input terminals of suitable amplify. 70
ing equipment. The polescrews ate
adjusted to give the desired gap bebween
the olescres andthe retpctire stings
and locked by the locking sorews.
‘The flux, passing through the pole- 75
screws and their respective coils will con
fist of two. components, which may be
eferred to as the standing flux and the
variable @us. The sinnding flux, which
‘vill not induce any current in the coils, 80
is that which passes across the long aiz-
gap, betreen_fhepolezorows, and the
midge, the variable flux boing that which
passes along the strings, vie the small air-
gap. between the strings and the pole- 85
Serows. When a, string is now caused to
vibrate, the small air-gap between the
string and the pole-sorew will vary, thus
causing the ux through fiat particulae
pole-screw to vary, and induce a current 90
in its associated coil.
Tt follows that for maximum voltage
oitput, from the coils the variable ux
shonld form ag high as possible a propor-
tion of tha total flux, which is achieved 95
by making the air-gap between the pole-
serews and tho sfrings as small as possible
rithout restricting the amplitude of
ibration of the strings. Purthermore, 2
given movement af a string in.any direc- 100
fon should cause the greatest possible
ffux charge, this being achioved by mak-2 588,178
ing the heads of the pole-sorews of small
‘ross-seotional area,
‘thas long been found that tho covered
or bass strings of electrioal stringed in-
5 struments of this class give a far loss
volume output than the plain or treble
strings, duo in loge part to the thikness
of the non-magnetic oovering of the
strings causing an unavoidably lange air-
10 gap in that particular magnetic elreuit
‘To overcome this disadvantage, according
to this invention, the number of turns of
wire on the associated. coil is increased
according to the thickness of the string
15 covering, thas achieving a reasonably
Jevel output from all the strings,
By this invention, the strings do not cut
‘the lines of foroe but are made to carry
art of the flux of the permanent magnet
By forming par of the mognete cet, 20
Palaneed output ofall strings is obtained
by individual adjustment on each string
by means of the pole-screws or members
under the laser's, control, whit the s
jectromaguotio pickup unit working in
Soujunetion with the seal or stedheared
strings is of high officionoy whilst being
compact and light in weight,
Dated this 2nd day of February, 1945,
3. GARDNER. & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
1734-5, Fleet Street, London, E.0.4,
Agents for the Applicants,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION _
Improvements in or connected with Electro-Magnetic Pick-Up
Devices for Use with Stringed Musical Instruments
We, R. 8. Asountees
805 and 4; Highfield Road, Shepperton’
Middlesex, a” British Company, and
Guosur fener Ottven Gassox, of the
Company's, address, British Subject, do
hereby declare the nature of this inven-
Yion and in what manner the samo is to
be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
‘This invention relates to the translation
40 of the vibrations’of steel or -steel-oored:
strings of a frotted musical instrument
into electric. oscillations which may be
Jepralueed in sound by normal emplity-
ing equipment, and particularly to. the
45 manner in which such translation is
effected with the object of overooming
sseriain faults inherent in existing types
of electro-magnetio pick-up devices aed
with such instraments,
60 _According to this invention, the eleo-
{eosmagnate pel-up device ncrporsis a
ormanent magnet’ adapt 1 posie
Hioned with its magnetis axis parallel to
tie stzings, a bridge made of stoel or other
655 anagnetic- material for the strings scoured
10 ane pole face'of the magnet, a block or
equivalent of magnetic material secured
to the other pole face of the magnet, pole-
screws. or members of magnotio material
60 projecting from said block or equivalent,
‘one of each string, adapted to be adjust.
able so as to vary the aizrap botween the
particular string and its associated pole-
screw or member, and coils of wire on the
65 pole-screws or members connected. eleo-
‘ically. in series for connection to-tho ine
put_ferminals of “suitable amplifying
equipment.
Lauren, of 2,
35
‘Purther according to this invention in
instruments where covered strings are em.
ployed, the number of fumns of wire on
ie pole-serews or “members associated
with the covered strings may be greater
than the number of turns of wire for the
uncovered, strings, the mumber being 75
determined by the thickness of the cover~
ing of the particular string,
‘The invention will bo clearly under-
stood from the following description aided
the accompanying drawings, in 80
which:—
Figure 1 is « perspective view of one
example of carrying the invention into
‘effect, and
Figuro 2 detail views, 85
‘Tho invention can bo carried into effect
in various ways as to detailed construc.
tion, “Tn the example shown on the
accompanying drawings, ‘tho bridge 1
supporting the strings 2 is made of steel 90
or ‘other’ magnetic material, and is
Clamped on one pletace of «bar shaped
Permanent ‘magnet 3 in such a manner
that the bridge 1 forms a pole-pieco of the
magnet. On the other pole-face of the 05
magnet 8 is secured a block 4 also of stoel
or other. magnetic material formed with
‘vertical tapped holes arranged in a line
along the “block 4 and spaced apart to
gorrespond to the spacing of the strings 2. 100
Tneach hole, and trom. the upper side, is
‘an adjustable threaded polescrew 5’ of
magnetic material and locking screws 6
of non-magnetio material, such as brass,
are’provided on the underside of the block 105
4: On each pole-screw 5 is a bobbin
carrying 2 coil 7 of fine wire
~-he-magnet 8 with-the bridge 1, block
70588,178 8
4, pole-serews 6 and coilp 7 is mounted on
the instrament so that the bridge 1 oou-
pies the usual position of the bridge and
with « pole-serew 5 undor each string 2,
5 the strings 2 being applied to the instru
ment in the usual manner. All the eoila
Tare connected in series and their output
conveyed tothe input terminals of exit
able amplifying equipment. pole-
10 screws 6 are adyistable to give the desired
gap. between the pole-screws 5 and the
respective strings ® and locked by the
1g sorews 6.
‘The flux passing through tho pole-
15 sorows 6 and their respective coils 7"will
consist of two components, Which may be
referred to a8 the standing fox end the
variable flux. ‘The standing flax, which
rll not induce any current in the cols 7,
ap is that which passes noross the long air:
fap between the polescres 8 and the
frldge 1, tho variable flux being that
which passes along the stings 2, via the
Tinall airgop between the strings 2 and
Hho pole-srews 5, When a string 2 is
now catsed 10 vibrate the small airgap
between the string @ and the polescrow 5
vill vary, thu causing the fux through
That partoular poleserew 8 to vary, and
0 induce a current in its associated eo 7-
Te follows that for maximum voliage
output from the cols 7 the variable flux
Should form as high as possible a propor-
as Hime ll Bas ics ioe
mg tho air-gap between tho pole-
sorows 5 and. tho strings 2 ae omall as
Possible without restricting ihe amplitude
of vibration of the strings 2 Wurther-
fore, @ given movement of a sting 2 in
40 any direction should cause the grestaxt
porible fax change, this being achieved
Pep maling the heads of the pole-screws 5
of amall rose-sectional atea.
Tehas long been found that the covered
45 or bass strings 2a (Bigare 2) of electrical
stringed instruments of this clase give
far less volume outpat than tho plain ot
taetle strings, due in lange pert to the
‘kno of the nomsmagnetio covering 8
80 ofthe ing 2 cnsing an waranty
‘igo in that particular magnetic
cireuit, fo overcome this disadvantage,
according to this invention, the number of
tern okra om th sociated el for
86 the covered strings is inreased aovording
to the thickness of the sirings covering,
thus achieving a reasonably fevel output
from all tho strings
cc
By this invention, tho atrings do not cut
the lines of foree but are made to carry 60
part of the flux of the permanent magnet
3 by forming part of the magnetic cizouit,
Balanced output of all strings is obtained
by individual adjustment on each string
by means of the pole-scrows or members
under the player's control, what the
clectrosmagnatio pick-up unit working in
Conjunction with the steel or atosl-cored
strings is of high efficiency whilst being
compact and light in weight. %
‘Having now particularly desoribed and
ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be
performed, we declare that what we claim
is %
I, For the translation of vibrations of
tee or steel-cored strings of a fretted
musical instrument into electric oscilla-
tions for reproduction into sound by
tying equipment, an eleotro-
magnetic pick-up device incorporating
permanent magnet adapted. to be. posi-
tioned with its magnetio axis parallel to
the strings a bdgemade of steel or other
magnetic material for the strings secure
4o one pole face of the magna block or
equivalent of magnetic material secured to
e other pole faco of the magnet, pole-
screws or mombers of magnetic material
projecting from said block or equivalent, 90
ene for each string, adapied to bo adjusted
50 as to vary the air-gap between the par-
wular string and its. associated pol
screw or member, and coils of wire on the
polo-serows or members connected eles
Sisly nnn for onan f he
wut of the amplifying equipment,
79. A device ao Glatnol i Claim 1 for
instraments having | covered strings,
‘wherein the number of turns of the coils
of wite on the pole-screws or members
associated with the covered strings are
greater than tho numbor of turns of wire
for the uncovered strings, the number of
tums being determined by the thickness
of the covering of the particular string.
8. An electro-magnetic pick-up device
for’ stringed musical instruments oon-
structed substantially as deseribed with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of January, 1946.
H. GARDNER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
173—4—-5, Fleet Street, London, E.0.4,
“Agents for the Applicants,
9%
100
105
0
Leamington Spa: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, by the Courier Press.—1947.
Pablished at The Patent Ofice, 95, Southampton Buildings, London, W.O2, from which
copies, price 1s. 0d. each Gland) Is. 1d. (abroad) may be obtained.588,178 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[This Drawing is a reproduction of the Original on. a reduced scale)
et
FIG.1.
TEMS OT RD