IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VIOLINS AND SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VIOLINS AND SIMILAR MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS." A communication from abroad by Emile Berliner, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Electrician.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th June 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF VIOLINS AND SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." A communication from
abroad by Emile Berliner, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America,
Electrician.
This Invention relates to violins and other stringed instruments which have a
finger board and a sounding body, and has for its object the production in such
instruments of more clear and perfect resonance than is practicable with ordinary
stringed instruments. The said Invention is the result of experiments and careful
study of such instruments, particularly the violin, which have shewn that in order
to develope most perfectly the capacities thereof for fine tone and expression there
must be no interference with the resonance or vibrations of its body. These
experiments have also shewn that in the ordinary violin the vibrations of the
strings are imperfectly transmitted or communicated to the body of the instrument.
In the ordinary violin the strings are strained from a tail-piece which is secured
to the lower end of the violin-body by a button; the strings rest on a bridge and
are fastened to pegs or keys at the upper end of the neck-piece, thus forming
what is known in mechanics as a "truss," and when the strings are tightened
ready for the player the strain of the strings and bridge forming the "truss" tends

page_text: to disturb the resonance of the violin-body, as in resisting such strain counter
strains of a complex character are exercised in the said body, that is to say, the
upper part of the body is subjected to a crushing strain, and the underside to a
tensile or pulling strain, and in constructing instruments of this character great
care has to be exercised to make bodies in which these different strains are
balanced, this result being very difficult to accomplish.
But according to my Invention, by dispensing with the tail-piece and extending
the finger board downward below the bridge sufficiently to receive the ends of the
strings, which rest on the bridge and extend to the keys or pegs, I make use of
only two points through which to communicate the vibrations of the strings to the
resonant body of the instrument, one of these points being in the bridge, the other
in the neck, and by dispensing with the truss form in stringing the instrument I
eliminate or prevent entirely the strains which in ordinary instruments are exerted
upon the resonant body, and am enabled to transmit the string vibrations
unimpaired to the body of my improved instrument.
My said Invention affords very important results. For example, the violin body
being in a state of equilibrium and free from internal and external strains, the
player is enabled to give great expression to, his performance. This result is
apparent not only in the superior kinds of stringed instruments, but is particularly
noticeable in what are called inferior instruments, as the latter with my Invention
applied to them will have the clearness of tone and resonance hitherto observed
only in superior instruments.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,—
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a violin embodying my Invention.
Figure 2 is a top view of a portion of the said instrument detached.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section illustrating a modification of my Invention.
A represents the violin-body; B, the neck-piece; C, the bridge; D, a device
consisting of a finger board made to extend downwardly below the bridge C to
or approximately to the position occupied by the upper part of the ordinary tail-
piece in such instruments; E is an opening in the elongated part of the said finger
board, through which the bridge C projects. The strings S are attached to the
extremity of this elongated part or prolongation, as shewn in Figure 1, and are
extended upward over the bridge to the pegs or keys in the ordinary manner.
The said elongated or free end of the finger board D may be made of such shape as
to form an ornamental feature of the instrument. The said finger board is rigidly
screwed or fastened to the neck of the instrument to make the said board and neck
practically one piece, so that there will not be any dissipation of vibration by their
separation. It will be seen that by this construction the violin-body is in equi-
librium, that is to say, not being trussed from end to end it is not bent or buckled
while the strings are under tension, and any strains arising from the pressure of
the bridge upon the sounding post have such a slight purchase or leverage that any
tendency to interfere with the transmission of the string vibrations is reduced to a
minimum.
In the modification of my Invention illustrated in Figure 3 I fasten the strings S
to a second board, or metal or wooden bar T, which is secured to the neck or the
upper block under or at the side of the ordinary finger-board, and extends beyond
the bridge, as and for the purpose above specified.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of form and con-
struction above set forth and shewn in the Drawings, as I may vary the same
according to the particular class or quality of instrument to which iny Invention is
applied, but such variations or modifications must in all cases be within the scope
of the said Invention, as above set forth, and I claim,-
A violin or similar stringed instrument constructed substantially as described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or Figure 3 of the Drawing, so that the

page_text: vibrations of the strings are communicated to the body solely by or through the
bridge and the neck of the said instrument for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
KOB.
W. RUB LAKE, (LS.)