I. A. THINGSTAD.

FINGERING ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 1914.

1,219,884.

Patented Mar. 20,1917.

2 SHEETSFSHEET 2.

.3

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INGVAR A. THINGSTAD, OF VERGAS, MINNESOTA.
FINGERING ATTACHMENT FOR STRIN GED INSTRUMENTS.

1,219,884.

Speci?cation of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application ?led September 25, 1914. Serial No. 863,517.

To all whom it may concern:

of reference, the numeral 1 designates the

Be it known that I, Lvovnn A. THINGSTAD, neck of a guitar having the usual string!
a subject of the King of Norway, residing at 2 and frets 2.
Vergas, in the county of Ottertail and State
My invention consists of an attachment
of Minnesota, have invented certain new which comprises a plurality of sections that
and useful Improvements in Fingering At are to be used individually or otherwise if
tachments for Stringed Instruments; and I desired and adapted to be clamped upon
do hereby declare the following to be a full, the neck of the guitar to enable playing of
clear, and exact description of the inven tunes in different keys.
tion, such as will enable others skilled in the
Each of the sections comprises a frame,
art to which it appertains to make and use which consists of a pair of longitudinal side
the same.
bars 3 and 4 connected at their ends by
The primary object of my invention is bows 5 and 6 vof spring metal. The ends 7

the provision of a. new and useful attach

60

65

of the bows 5 and 6 are inclined inwardly to 70

ment for stringed instruments which will effectively hold the side bars 3 and 4 in
permit one or more strings to be pressed clamping engagement with the sides of the
and held in engagement with one or more neck 1, and said ends are secured to the
frets without placing the ?ngers upon the side bars by fastenings 8. All of the sec
strings, whereby to eliminate sore ?nger tions except the one illustrated in Figs. 3
tips.
and 9 are constructed in substantially the
This section is provided with

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Another object of my invention is to pro same manner.

vide an attachment of the character de

the side ba 's 3 and 4 as are the other sec

scribed which may be readily positioned tions and said bars are connected by a metal
upon the neck of an instrument _and held bow 9 similar to the bows 5 and 6 and by a
in the desired position without the necessity how 10. The how 10 is similar in shape to
of employing screws or similar fastening the bow 9 and is not necessarily of spring
means.
metal.

Secured to this how 10 upon the

WVith the above and other objects in view, inner face thereof isa cross bar 11 w ich is
the invention consists in the construction, recessed as at 12 to provide a finger 13
combination and arrangement of parts here which is adapted to press a plurality of
inafter fully described and claimed, and strings against one of the frets 2a and there

illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein :

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fore act as a capo tasto. The recess 12 per

mits the strings 2v upon one side of the

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a frag neck to be used irrespective of the member
mentary portion of the neck of a guitar 11. This section of the attachment is de
having one section of my attachment posi signed to be secured adjacent to the outer

tioned thereon,

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the sec

tion shown in Fig. 1,

ii)

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of another sec

tion of my attachment,
Fig. It is a top plan view of a third sec

tion of. my attachment,

I; Lit

end of the neck of the guitar by a curved

clamping bar 14 that is pivoted to one end
of the how 10 as at 15 and is of sufficient 95

length to extend around the neck 1. Upon

the other end of the bow 10 is a recessed

latch plate 16 designed to receive the free

end of the bar 14 to hold the bar in locked

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the section position about the neck 1. _

100
As a means for insuring the proper ?t
Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line ting of the sections to the neck 1, each sec
66 of Fig. 2,
tion is provided at the ends of the bars 3
Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one and 4 thereof with a plurality of L-shaped
of the string engaging members or ?ngers plates 17. The longer portions of the plates 105
used to produce a chord,
17 are secured to the outer faces of the bars
Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View of an 3' and 4 and their shorter portions extend
other one of the string engaging members or ver the upper edges of the bars 3 and 4
?ngersfor producing a chord, and
to engage the upper face of the neck 1 ad
Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the section of jacent the edges thereof.
110
the attachment shown in Fig. 3.
Each of the sections is provided with a

shown in Fig. 4,

Referring to the drawings by characters plurality of keys, each key consisting of a

Wrasse

leaf spring having a right angular attach

key 18Z and has secured to its free end a ?n

outer faces of the bars 3 and 6t as the case

may be Within recesses so that the outer

engaging lugs upon its under face. The lugs

ing end 19. The ends 19 are secured to the ger 21L provided with a plurality of string

are arranged to engage a plurality of

faces of said ends will be ?ush with the outer strings between some of the frets. A ?nger
faces of the bars. The ends 19 hold the body 35 is secured to the end of the key 18f; this

65

portions of the keys in normal superposed ?nger 35 is similar to the damper 3e, and

relation to the bars 3 and t and to the operates in the same manner in conjunction
strings 2 of the instrument. The free ends with the ?nger 3a to press a number of
strings into engagement with a number of
10 of the keys are located between the bars 3
and 4t and have secured to the under sides frets so that a chord may be played. The

thereof string engaging members or ?ngers. key 18g is provided with a circular ?nger
The section illustrated in Fig. 1, is pro~ 36 and the key 18h with a rectangular ?nger
vided with a transverse bar 21 located near 3'? arranged to engage different strings.
To attach the sections comprising the at
the how (3 and normally supported in super
tachment
the bars 3 and 4; are positioned.
posed relation to the strings 2 by the spring
metal arms 22 that are secured to the upper in engagement with the sides of the neck 1.
The L-shaped plates 17 serve to properly
sides of the bars 3 and 4: and to the ends' of
the bar 21.

25

position the sections with relation to the

The string engaging members or ?ngers neck 1 and the spring bows 5 and 6 hold the
23 are formed on the ends of the bar 21 and sections in clamped position upon the neck.
Tt will be readily seen with reference to
provide means by which the outermost of
the strings 2 may be pressed and held the foregoing description and accompany
against a fret. This section is also provided ing drawings that T have provided a simple
with three of the keys, 18, 18, and 18 car and inexpensive attachment which will per
rying ?ngers. The key 18 is provided with mit of the playing of chords by the depres
a triangular ?nger 24:, having at its corners sion of a single key, and enable the ?nger

8O

string engaging lugs 25. It will be seen that ing of an instrument without necessitating
the ?nger 2L1 provides means by which the operator pressing the strings with his
three of the strings 2 may be pressed against ?ngers. It will be noted that the several
the frets when it is desired to produce a sections of the attachment enable the playing
chord. The key 18 is provided at its free of tunes in different keys and may be readily
end with a ?nger 27 which has a pair of attached and detached from an instrument.
in practice I have found that the form of
spaced lugs similar to the lugs 25 to engage
two of the strings 2 simultaneously, and this my invention illustrated in the drawings

40

key is positioned below the key 18% An and referred to in the above description as
arcuate bar 28 is secured to the free end of the preferred embodiment'is the most e?i
the key 18a at a point intermediate its ends cient and practical yet; yet T desire to em
and is provided at its ends with ?ngers 29 phasize the fact that various minor changes
similar to the ?nger 25. This bar extends in details of construction, proportion and
over and engages the key 18 so that upon arrangement of parts may be resorted to,
the depression of the key 18 all of the keys when required, without sacri?cing any of
except 21 will be depressed causing a plu the advantages of my invention, as set forth.
What is claimed is 1rality of strings 2 to be pressed into and
A ?ngering attachment for stringed in
held in engagement with a plurality of
struments comprising side bars, spring bows
frets 2a.

100

105

The section illustrated in Fig. 3 is pro~ secured to the side bars, said bows connect

vided with keys 18b, 18", and 181. The key ing the side bars and adapted to hold the
181) has a ?nger 30 provided with lugs 31 side bars in clamping engagement with the
and 31a to engage a pair of strings simul

neck of the instrument, means carried by

110

taneously at different fret points. The keys the side bars for engagement with the upper

18C and 18(1 are each provided with a ?nger side of the neck to insure proper position
32 arranged to engage individual strings ing of the attachment upon the neck, spring
and to operate in connection with the ?nger keys, and fingers carried by the keys.
In testimony whereof I af?x my signature
30 to produce a chord.
The section illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is in presence of two witnesses.
TNGVAR A. THTNGSTAD.
provided with keys 186, 18*, 18?, 1811 and 33.

The key 33 is secured at one end to the bow

5 at a point intermediate the ends thereof
60 and extends under the key 188 and over the

ViTitnesses 2

0. P. Snrrrnn,
CECIL W. SHINN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ?ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.
Washington, I). C.

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