An Improved Instrument for Gauging, Cutting, and Mounting the Strings of Violins and other Instruments.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Instrument for Gauging, Cutting, and Mounting the
Strings of Violins and other Instruments.
I, ALBERT KOECHLIN of 8 Faubourg du Miroir, Mulhouse, Alsace, Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of said invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object an arrangement of nippers with awl and wire gauge,
whereby facility is afforded for gauging, cutting and readily placing in position the
strings of instruments such as the violin, the violoncello, the mandolin and other
instruments more or less analogous.
Further the awl carried by the nippers may serve for various uses as will be herein-
after described.
And in order that the invention may be clearly understood I will describe the
same with reference to the accompanying drawing which is given merely as an
illustration.
Figure 1 is a side view of my new arrangement of nippers.
Figure 2 is a face view of the same and
Figure 3 is another face view of the same showing the awl open.
In these Figures, which are drawn to an enlarged scale, similar letters of reference
indicate like parts.
4
The nippers consist of two flexible arms a a, by preference of steel, made solid with
a neck band a head c.
This latter is furnished with a spiral or other shaped groove d graduated so as to
serve as a gauge to measure the diameter of the strings. Further the head c is
provided with a hole e or other suitable arrangement enabling the nippers to be
suspended from a ring or other article.
Between the arms a a of the nippers is placed an awlf capable of turning upon an
axis 9.
This awl is provided with a notch ½ (see Figure 3) in order that when closing it in
the direction of the arrow X, it enables a string placed at i Figure 3 to be cut.
The string is cut by the shearing action which the two sides of the awl exert
upon the edges of the arms a a and which exactly fill the space between them at
the place where the notch h is situated.
It will be understood that on opening out the awl f, as shown at Figure 3, the
strings can be seized by the nippers a a which enables them to be readily drawn, after
they have been introduced into the holes of the pegs. In the case of a violin these
nippers are almost indispensable to reach the second string (la) which is always
difficult to seize with the fingers.
It will be understood that the forms, dimensions and arrangements of detail of the...
various parts of my nippers may be varied without departing from the peculiar...
character of my invention which consists essentially in their combination.
Dated this 30th day of October 1889.
ALBERT KOECHLIN.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Instrument for Gauging, Cutting, and Mounting the
Strings of Violins.and other Instruments.
I, ALBERT KOECHLIN, of 8 Fauborg du Miroir, Mulhouse, Alsace, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention has for its object an arrangement of hippers with awl and wire gauge,
whereby facility is afforded for gauging, cutting, and readily placing in position the
strings of instruments such as the violin, the. violoncello, the mandolin, and other
instruments, more or less analogous.
Further, the awl carried by the nippers may serve for various uses as will be herein-
after. described.
And in order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will describe the same
with reference to the drawing. accompanying my provisional specification, which is
given merely as an illustration.
Figure 1 is a side view of my new arrangement of nippers.
Figure 2 is a face view of the same and
Figure 3 is another face view of the same showing the awl open.
In these figures, which are drawn to an enlarged scale, similar letters of reference
indicate like parts..
The nippers consist of two flexible arms a, a, by preference of steel, made solid with
a neck band a head c. This latter is furnished with a spiral or other shaped groove d,
graduated so as to serve as a gauge to measure the diameter of the strings. Further
the head c is provided with a hole e or other suitable arrangement, enabling the nippers
to be suspended from a ring or other article.
Between the arms. a, a, of the nippers is placed an awl fcapable of turning upon an
axis 9:
This awl is provided with a notch / (see Figure 3) in order that when closing it in
the direction of the arrow X, it enables a string placed at Figure 3, to be cut. The
string is cut by the shearing action which the two sides of the awl exert upon the
edges of the arms a, a, and which exactly fill the space between them at the place
where the notch is situated.
It will be understood that .on opening out the awl, as shown at Figure 3, the
strings can be seized by the nippers a, a, which enables them to be readily drawn,
after they have been introduced into the holes of the pegs. In the case of a violin
thèse nippers are almost indispensable to reach the second string (la) which is always
difficult to seize with the fingers.
"It will be understood that the forms, dimensions, and arrangements of detail of the
various parts of my nippers may be varied without departing from the peculiar
character of my invention, which consists essentially in their combination.
Having now particularly described and ascertained. the nature of my said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
The combination and arrangement of nippers with awl and gange, principally
intended for gauging, cutting, and placing in position, the strings of violins and
other, musical instruments, all substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purpose stated:
Dated this. 26th day. of July 1890