US3649737A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electric vibraphone
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-02-12
•
Granted: 1972-03-14
•
Expires: 1990-02-12
Abstract
Abstract A percussion musical instrument of the xylophone type having a plurality of aluminum alloy bars and played by striking the bars with mallets. No tubular resonators are required although they may be used. A magnetic pickup coil, with a permanent magnet core, is positioned under one of the ends of each bar and coupled to an amplifier and sonic transducer to reproduce musical notes. By alternately reversing the permanent magnet poles and connecting the pickup coils in pairs, noise, hum, and unwanted magnetic feedback is avoided.
Inventors
- 👤 Oliver Jespersen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 22:58
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H3/00; G10H3/12; G10H3/14; G10H3/20; G10H2230/00; G10H2230/045; G10H2230/251; G10H2230/255
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A musical instrument adapted to drive amplification means, comprising a plurality of resonant bars arranged side by side and substantially within a plane, said bars having substantially flat surfaces which flex orthogonally to said plane when a bar is struck, and being made of an alloy of aluminum containing a magnetic substance; a pickup coil positioned in proximity to each of said bars, and having a permanent magnet core which is disposed perpendicularly to said plane, the permanent magnet cores of adjacent coils being oriented with opposite polarity, and said coils being in alignment with their ends in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said bars; and circuit means connecting adjacent coils in pairs with each pair connected in parallel such that current flow within one coil of the pair will develop the opposite magnetic polarization in the other coil each pair of coils being serially connected to said amplification means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A musical instrument adapted to drive amplification means, comprising a plurality of resonant bars arranged side by side and substantially within a plane, said bars having substantially flat surfaces which flex orthogonally to said plane when a bar is struck, and being made of an alloy of aluminum containing a magnetic substance; a pickup coil positioned in proximity to each of said bars, and having a permanent magnet core which is disposed perpendicularly to said plane, the permanent magnet cores of adjacent coils being oriented with opposite polarity, and said coils being in alignment with their ends in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said bars; and circuit means connecting adjacent coils in pairs with each pair connected in parallel such that current flow within one coil of the pair will develop the opposite magnetic polarization in the other coil each pair of coils being serially connected to said amplification means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
A musical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the ends of each of said bars fall along a line extending from the end of the bars on the remote edges of said side-by-side arrangement, and wherein said coils are secured within a single support member that is disposed substantially in parallel with said line.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
A musical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein each coil is positioned at one end of its associated bar and establishes a primary magnetic circuit comprising only the end of said bar, the gap between the bar and said coil, and the permanent magnet core of said coil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
A musical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein an uneven number of said bars are utilized, including an additional coil connected in parallel with the unpaired coil to form a further pair, said further pair being serially connected with all of the other pairs to said amplifying means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A musical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said bars are made of an aluminum-nickel alloy having a permeability within the range of 5 to 30.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2310199A
Cited
US2480131A
Cited
US2492919A
Cited
US2510094A
Cited
US2568862A
Cited
US2606474A
Cited
US2686270A
Cited
US2588295A
Cited
US2655069A
Cited
US2690091A
Cited
US2822716A
Cited
US2862412A
Cited
US3249677A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-14 | 1975-09-13 | 1976-03-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-14 | 1979-09-13 | 1980-03-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-14 | 1983-09-13 | 1984-03-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |