AN IMPROVED CASE FOR VIOLINS AND OTHER STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I LOUIS ORTH, of Paris in the French Republic, Professor of Music, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVED CASE FOR VIOLINS
AND OTHER STRINGED INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:
My Invention consists in an improved case for violins and other stringed
instruments, so constructed and arranged as to be readily converted, when empty,
into a portable music stand.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1. is a plan view of the case opened to
shew its internal arrangement, and Fig. 2. is an elevation of the same, when
converted into a music stand.
'
Similar letters refer to similar parts in both these figures.
a. is the shell, preferably of the same shape as the instrument and formed of
wood, pasteboard or other suitable material, provided with a lid a' fixed thereto by
a single central hinge b. instead of the two side hinges now in use.
The upper or
narrow end of the shell a. is cut away as shewn in all and the cut out portion
thereof is adapted to the corresponding end of lid a¹, as seen in a¹. A narrow
slot is made in the centre of this added portion of the lid to give passage to the
rod c. sliding in a tubular guide d. in the bottom of the case and provided with a
set screw e.; the folding desk f., to which can be fixed folding candlesticks g. g., is
adapted in any suitable manner to the bent extremity of this rod, when drawn out
to the required height.-h. h. h. are three metal rods which fit into slots i. i i. in a
boss set in the wide end of the case and forming a tripod as shown in Fig. 2.
These rods are secured in position by means of a thumb screw l. or other suitable
device. All the above parts fit into receptacles provided for them in the bottom of
the case, as shown in Fig. 1., and they are covered by a false bottom partially
invisible in the drawing, on which lies the violin or other instrument, when not in
use. m. m. indicate the position of the bows along the centre of the case between
the real and false bottoms thereof.
To convert the case into a portable music stand after the withdrawal of the
instrument (see Fig. 2.), the three rods h. h. h. are set in the boss k. and therein
secured by the thumb screw l. The rod c. for the desk is set at the required height
by the screw &, and the folding desk f. is mounted on the end of said rod.
DOLL
1
ML 7001

page_text: I, LOUIS ORTH, of Paris in the French Republic, Professor of Music, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for: "AN IMPROVED CASE FOR VIOLINS
AND OTHER STRINGED INSTRUMENTS," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement: -
My Invention consists in an improved case for violins and other stringed
instruments, so constructed and arranged as to be readily converted, when empty,
into a portable music stand.
t
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1. is a top plan view of the case, the lid
being thrown open to show its interior, arrangement. Fig. 2. is a rear elevation
showing the case converted into a music stand.
Like letters indicate like parts wherever such may occur in the above figures of
drawing.
In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated the invention as applied to a
violin-case, though it is obvious that the invention may be applied to other stringed
instrument cases. The case A. may have any desired exterior configuration, and be
of such interior form as to accomodate the instrument it is to contain. In practice
I prefer, however, to make the case of interior and exterior configuration corre-
sponding to the general configuration of the instrument it is to contain. The
case A. may be made of any material usually employed such as wood, or pasteboard,
or other suitable material. At its smaller end the case has its vertical walls cut
away, as shown at a. The edges of the walls at the point where they are cut
away are beveled inwardly, as shown at a¹. The lid A¹ of the case, instead of
being hinged to the sides, as usual, is hinged to the wider end of the case by a
single hinge b., and at the outer or narrow end of the lid the vertical walls thereof
are extended, as shown at all, to fit into the cut-away portion of the case-walls
the edges of the extension of the walls a¹ of the lid A' being beveled outwardly
to fit the corresponding edges of the walls a" and make a tight joint at that point.
The extended portion of the walls a¹ of the lid is recessed, as shown at b¹, to fit
over a rod c., when drawn out of the case for supporting a music holder, as will be
presently described. The case is divided into two compartments by a false
bottom A which is shown partially broken away in Fig. 1., and said false bottom
may rest on suitable cleats or other means of support, or it may rest on the parts to
be contained in said compartment below it. I prefer to support the false bottom A"
from cleats a* (shown in part in full lines and part in dotted lines in Fig. 1.). On
the bottom and centrally of the case A., guided by and within a suitable guide
slides a rod c. that is provided at its outer end with a thumb or set screw, a
button c¹, and a guide-pin c¹¹, for purposes. presently to be explained, and said rod
may be secured in position when drawn out by means of a set screw e., or any other
suitable fastening.
at a.,
F. indicates a music-holder composed of a central bar F1, to the opposite ends of
which are pivoted four arms-namely, two arms f. f. at its lower end, and which
latter form the base of the holder, and are provided with a projecting ledge or
flange f, upon which the music rests, and two arms fi f¹, at its upper end. To
the outer end of the arms f'f' is pivoted an arm f³, which, when the music-holder
.

page_text: is unfolded, bears against the ledges f¹ of the arms f. f., as shown in Fig. 2. It
will be seen that by means of this construction, I obtain a music-holder adapted to
be folded into a very small compass, as shown in Fig. 1. The central bar F' has
two or more slots f, at suitable intervals, each alot being provided with a central
enlargement for the passage of the set screw or button c¹ of rod c., whereby said
music holder is or may be secured to the rod, as shown in Fig. 2.
Other means for connecting the music-holder to the rod c. may be employed.
For instance, the bar F may be provided with a socket in which the rod may be
secured, or the socket may be screw threaded and the rod screwed thereto. I
prefer to employ devices whereby the music-holder may be adjusted vertically on
the rod, either such as shown or equivalent devices. The bar Ft may be provided
with a single slot extending over the greater portion of its length. This would,
however, tend to weaken the bar, and for this reason I prefer to provide the same
with several slots, and thereby adapt the holder for vertical adjustment on the rod,
to adjust the holder at different distances from the floor. The arms f. at their
outer ends are provided with sockets g¹ for the reception of candle-holders g. which
are preferably made in two sections pivoted together, so as to adapt the holders g.
to be folded into a small compass, as shown in Fig. 1., said holders being shown
extended and secured within their sockets g¹ in Fig. 2. At or near their pointed
ends, the holders g. are provided with a shoulder or offset or a screw thread for the
reception of a drip cup g". To the wide end of the case is secured a boss k., pro-
vided with slots and grooves i. into which fit the ends of supporting rods or feet h.,
so as to form a tripod and support the case on end, as shown in Fig. 2. The rods
are secured in position by means of a thumb-screw l. and are adjustable toward
and from each other to regulate the elevation of the case A. from the ground within
certain limits, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Any other well-known devices
-such, for instance, as the well known tripod employed for supporting surveying
instruments, may be used. The boss k. is or may be detachably connected with
the case A., or the legs h. may be detachably connected with the boss, as desired.
Within the lower compartment of the case A. are contained the bows m.; also
the candle-holders g., the drip cups g, and the supporting-rods h, or the said rods
and the boss k., as shown partly in full and partly in dotted lines in Fig. 1. These
parts may be confined in place by means of cleats a', upon which the false bottom
rests, or by any other suitable means.
Upon the false bottom A" within the upper compartment, is secured the music-
holder F., either by cleats or, as shown, by lateral receptacles for containing strings
and other things required by a musician or for his instrument. Within the upper
compartment is also contained the violin, the finger-board of which is supported
from the folded music-holder.
The operation of converting the case into a music-stand will be readily under-
stood from the above description of the construction and relative arrangement of
parts and by an inspection of the drawing, and need therefore not be described.
The folding of the music-holder, after detaching the same from the rod c. and
removing the holders g., is effected by folding the arms f³ upon those f', and then
folding the arm f¹ upon arm F', and finally folding the arms f. also against the
arm F, the ledges whereof confine the arms f¹ ƒ³ upon arm F¹.
It will be understood that I do not confine myself to the details of form, material
and construction of the apparatus as above laid down, or to any special mode of
fitting into the case the separate parts thereof, as these may be modified according
to requirements.
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:
A case for violins and other portable stringed instruments, so constructed and
arranged as to be convertible at will into a music stand by means of a supporting

page_text: tripod as in h., an extensible, rod as in c. and a folding-desk as in F., combined
with and capable of being enclosed in said case, together with, the instrument itself
and other appliances, substantially as and for the purposes above set forth and
shown in the figures of the accompanying drawing.