An Improved Method of Attaching the Strings to Musical Instruments.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Attaching the Strings to Musical
Instruments.
I, EWALD GLAESEL, Manufacturer, of Markneukirchen, in the Kingdom of
Saxony, German Empire, 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 :-
The present invention consists of a method of attaching the strings to musical
instruments, whereby it is not necessary to knot or make loops in the ends of the
said strings as hitherto the case, nor are pins employed to assist in securing the ends
of the strings; furthermore the present method is applicable to any class of strings
such as catgut, wire, or plated catgut strings, which has not been the case with
those methods hitherto known and employed.
The attachment is effected by means of a small ball having a groove round it
into which the string is clamped, the string is then threaded through a small
tubular orifice arranged in the string frame and carried upwards over the bridge to
the pegs in the usual manner. The ball will thus be drawn tightly onto the end of
the tube when the string is stretched.
The ball may also be advantageously made in two parts, to one of which a stem
is attached, said stem having a thread onto which the opposite half of the ball is
screwed, whilst the string is passed round the stem and clamped by screwing the
two halves of the ball together.
And in order to make the present Specification more easily intelligible, reference
is had to the accompanying drawing, in which similar letters denote similar parts
throughout the several views.
Fig. 1, is an elevation of a part of the frame of a zither, showing the attachment
of the strings.
Fig. 2, is a part plan of the zither, and
Fig. 3, a cross section through the zither-frame.
In a groove of the zither frame A, a casing B having a spring cover C is
attached by means of screws d. The cover C is made to close onto the casing
sufficiently tightly so that no vibration takes place when the zither is being played.
The casing B is perforated for the reception of the string guide tubes e.
The strings are attached in the following manner :-
If solid balls b are employed, the string E is passed round the same in the groove
made for its reception then threaded through the tube e and carried to the peg in
the usual manner. If the divided balls are employed the string is passed round
the stem and clamped between the two halves as shown at a in Fig. 1. After the
strings have all been attached the cover C should be closed down. The cover C is
not necessary and may be omitted if so desired.
The advantages of the present method of attaching the strings, are, that the
latter do not slacken out to such an extent when playing, that the untidyness
caused by the ends of the strings hanging about the instrument frame is avoided,
that by obviating the necessity of pins, the disadvantages accruing from the use of
the same, such as their giving way and breaking, splitting the instrument frame
and the like, are avoided.
Above all things however the appearance of the instrument frame is greatly
enhanced and the strings can be replaced with much greater convenience and
rapidity than heretofore.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is :-
1. A method of attaching strings to musical instruments, in which the employ-
ment of pins, and loops aud knots in the strings is avoided, consisting in attaching
a whole or divided ball to the end of the said string, passing the string through a
tube and attaching the same to the peg in the usual manner, so that when the said
string is tightened up the lower end of the same will be clamped in the groove or
round the stem of the ball, substantially as described.
2. In a zither, the combination of the casing B having spring cover C, the guide
tubes e and strings E having whole or divided balls b or a attached to their ends,
in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.
3. In carrying out the method covered under Claim 1, the employment of strings,
such as catgut, wire or plated catgut strings, having their ends attached to the
string frame by means of whole or divided balls b or a, the former having a groove
around which the string is passed, the latter having a stem to connect the two
halves, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 31st day of August 1893.
AMBROSE MYALL,
2, Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.