Improvements in Violins and similar Instruments Played with Bows.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left. 16th Apr.. 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Violins and similar Instruments Played
with Bows.
I, HERMANN GLÜER of Königschaussee 78, Weissensee near Berlin, Germany,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to stringed instruments played by a bow, and the objects of
my improvements are, first, to greatly improve the sound of the instrument, second,
to decrease the weight and third, to reduce the price of such instruments. All
stringed instruments, which are played by a bow known up to the present time, have
their sounding-board made of wood. For this purpose pine-wood has always been
considered the most suitable material. Many trials have been made to improve
upon the tone of viols as to their power and brilliancy whereby always rigid materials
have been made use of. Yet until this day no material could be found, that would
replace pine-wood.
I now have succeeded in finding a material that fully solves the question. Instead
of solid material I employ a membrane preferably vellum, which is stretched across
the frame and to which the vibration of the strings is transmitted by aid of a bridge
in the same manner as is the case with all stringed instruments. The bridge
however I use for my improved instrument also differs from those hitherto in use.
The same is the result of many a trial and vastly contributes to the improvement
in the sound.
In order to make my invention well understood 1 refer to the accompanying
drawing, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different views
and in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved viol,
Fig. 2 is a plan of the hinder part of the same and
Fig. 3 is a cross-section drawn on the liners of Fig. 2.
The body of the instrument consists of the frame a, being near the centre
strengthened by the cross-piece b. The sides c are mounted on the frame a
and have on top the membrane stretched over them. An outside flat rim
serves for keeping the membrane stretched and a second inner rim d, being
horizontally flat, serves for strengthening the sides, when compressed by the strain,
exerted by the stretching of the membrane. The inner rim d has similar to the
frame a a cross-piece e, which also serves for strengthening the sides c.
The bridge proper h is provided with feet ik, being wide apart for sake of
transmitting the main pressure to the outer rim, whereon they stand. Near the
centre the bridge h is provided with secondary cross-bridges m and I, standing at
right angles to the main part and bearing directly with their feet on the
membrane f. There is also a chin-rest n at the hinder end of the viol, to avoid
the chin pressing down on the membrane. The same is firmly attached to the
framing of the violin and extends parallel closely over the vellum, care however
must be taken, not to allow the chin-rest to touch the same so as not to incumber
the vibration. Other parts of the instrument may be constructed in the usual
manner.
It will be understood by the foregoing, that there is no bottom to the violin, the
same is underneath perfectly open. This as well as replacing the wooden sound-
board by a thin membrane, for which I prefer to choose vellum, will add to
greatly reduce the weight of the instrument. However I may also replace the
frame a by a complete closed up bottom, which in this case will be provided with
sound-holes, preferably arranged in the same manner as is usually done on top,
that is to say in the usual sounding-boards of violins. This bottom I sometimes

page_text: may prefer for the sake of protecting the membrane from underneath. The same
does not alter the tone, neither as to its power nor as to its sweetness. Though it
of course again increases the weight of the violin, yet the same will still be less
than that of a common violin.
Many trials have been made with my improved violin in comparison to others of
the old type. Nothing could beat my instrument. The tones produced by the
same surpassed those of others in brilliancy and strength by far. This excellent
effect not only results from the adaptation of the membrane for a sounding-board
but also from the improved bridge, which distributes all vibrations evenly to both
sides on the vellum. Before the violin is stringed the sounding membrane is tightly
stretched on the frame, then the bridge is set on loosely touching the membrane,
and thereafter the strings may be drawn across and tuned.
While being tuned the latter undergo a severe tension and exert by means of the
bridge a pressure on the membrane, which increases the strain produced by the
stretching. Thus both vellum and strings are strained in a certain degree
conjointly, so that the first at once partakes of the vibrations produced on the
latter.
My invention not only is applicable to the common violin but also to all similar
stringed instruments which are played by a bow, but especially of course to viols,
violas and bass-violins, also to a great many of toy-instruments such as toy-violins
and others, wherever sounding boards were formerly made of wood. A great
advantage of my invention also will be arrived at on all these instruments on account
of the cheapness and the reduced weight, and of these especially the reduced cost
will secure a general introduction of my improved violin.
Dated this 29th day of March 1891.
By Edgar George,
29, Chesterfield Grove, East Dulwich, S.E., Agent for the Applicant.
An
ATATUTATATATT
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Violins and similar Instruments Played
with Bows.
1, HERMANN GLÜER of 784, Königschaussee, Weissensee, near Berlin, in the
Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Manufacturer 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 relates to stringed instruments played by a bow, and the objects of
my improvements are,
First, to greatly improve the sound of the instrument,
Second, to decrease the weight, and
Third, to reduce the price of such instruments.
All stringed instruments, which are played by a bow known up to the present
time, have their sounding-board made of wood.
For this purpose pine-wood has always been considered the most suitable material.
Many trials have been made to improve upon the tone of viols as to their power
and brilliancy wherein always rigid materials have been made use of. Yet up to the
present time no material could be found, that would replace pine wood.
I now have succeeded in finding a material that fully solves the question.
Instead of solid material I employ a membrane preferably vellum, which is
stretched across the frame and to which the vibration of the strings is transmitted
by aid of a bridge in the same manner as is the case with all stringed instruments.
The bridge however I use for my improved instrument also differs from those
hitherto in use. The construction of the same is the result of many a trial and
vastly contributes to the improvement in the sound.
In order to make my invention well understood, I refer to the drawing sent

page_text: ப WILD rovisional Specification, in which similar letters denote similar parts
throughout the different views, and in which :
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved viol,
Fig. 2 is a plan of the hinder part of the same, and
Fig. 3 is a cross-section drawn on the liners of Fig. 2.
The body of the instrument consists first of the board a. The sides are mounted
on the bottom-board a and have on top the membrane f stretched over them. An
outside flat rim 9 serves for keeping the membrane stretched and a second inner
rim d, being horizontally flat, serves for strengthening the sides, when compressed
by the strain exerted by the stretching of the membrane. The inner rim d has a
cross-piece e, which also serves for strengthening the sides c. Instead of the
board a, I may also employ an open frame a with a cross-piece b similar to the
frame formed by the rim d, (Fig. 2).
h
The bridge proper is provided with feet i k, being wide apart for sake of
transmitting the main pressure to the outer rim, whereon they stand. Near the
centre the bridge h is provided with secondary cross-bridges m and 1, standing at
right angles to the main part and bearing directly with their feet on the membrane f.
There is also a chin-rest n at the hinder end of the viol, to avoid the chin pressing
down on the membrane. This rest is firmly attached to the framing of the violin
and extends closely over the vellum and parallel to the same, care however must be
taken not to allow the chin-rest to touch the vellun so as not to incumber the
vibration. The other parts of the instrument may be constructed in the usual
manner.
It will be understood by the foregoing description, that the violin may be made
without any bottom, thus being perfectly open underneath. This as well as
replacing the wooden sound-board by a thin membrane, for which I prefer to
choose vellum, will add to greatly reduce the weight of the instrument. When
employing a completely closed up bottom a, which I prefer for the sake of pro-
tecting the membrane from underneath, I provide the sides c with sound-holes,
which are conveniently arranged at places corresponding to the usual location of
the sound-holes. The solid bottom does not alter the tone neither as to its
power nor as to its sweetness. Though it of course again increases the weight of
the violin, yet the same will still be less than that of a common violin.
Many trials have been made with my improved violin in comparison to others of
the old type. Nothing could beat my instrument. The tones produced by the
same by far surpassed those of others in brilliancy and strength. This excellent
effect not only results from the adoption of the membrane for a sounding-board,
but also from the improved bridge, which distributes all vibrations evenly to both
sides of the vellum. Before the violin is stringed the sounding membrane is tightly
stretched on the frame, then the bridge is set on loosely touching the membrane,
and thereafter the strings may be drawn across and tuned.
While being tuned the latter undergo a severe tension and exert by means of
the bridge a pressure on the membrane, which increases the strain produced by
the stretching. Thus both vellum and strings are strained in a certain degree
conjointly, so that the first at once partakes of the vibrations produced on the latter.
My invention is not only applicable to the common violin, but also to all similar
stringed instruments, which are played by a bow, especially of course to violas,
violoncellos, and contra-bassos, as also to a great many of toy-instruments, such as
toy-violins and others, wherever sounding-boards were formerly made of wood.
A great advantage of my invention also will be arrived at in all these instruments
on account of the cheapness and the reduced weight, and particularly the reduced
cost will secure a general introduction of my improved violin.
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 :-
A bow-instrument, in which the vibrations of the strings are transmitted to a

page_text: stretched membrane (f), forming the sounding-hoard of the instrument, by means
of a bridge (h), provided with feet (i k) standing on the outer rim (9), and with
secondary cross-bridges (1 m) bearing directly on the membrane (f), for the
purpose as described.
HERMANN GLÜER,
By Robert Deissler,
Agent for the Applicant.