An Improved Chin-rest or Holder for Violins and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Chin-rest or Holder for Violins and the like.
1, FREDERICK JAMES STRONG 10 Chester Street Coventry Watchmaker 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 chin-rests or holders for violins and the like, and consists
principally of a piece of metal or other suitable material adapted to be held to the
violin or the like by part thereof fitting between the gut loop of the tail piece and
the upper edge of the end of the body. The top and bottom edges of the piece
form grips for the chin and shoulder respectively of the player.
And in order that my invention may be well understood, I append drawings
showing how the same may be carried into effect, but modifications may be made
without exceeding the limits of my invention. Like numerals refer to like parts
throughout the drawings.
Figure I shows a piece of sheet metal or the like to be used in constructing a
chin-rest or holder according to my invention.
Figure II is a front view and Figure III is a side view of an improved rest
or holder constructed according to my invention and attached to a violin or
the like.
I take a piece of thin flexible sheet steel 2 or other suitable material and cut a
hole 3 therein large enough to clear the peg 4 of an ordinary violin or like
instrument. I also cut two slots 5 forming a tongue 6 (see Figure 1). I bend the
tongue 6 back at right angles or thereabouts, and roll each of the two parts beyond
the slots 5 into a tube or the like 7, 8. I also roll the lower part of the piece 2
into a tube or the like 9. The piece is thus formed into a bracket. To attach the
bracket to the instrument, the loop 10 holding the tail-piece is released from the
peg 4 and the bracket placed against the end of the body 11 with the peg 4
projecting through the hole 3; the loop is then replaced on the peg 4 and the
tongue 6 of the bracket as shown in Figures II and III. The root of the tongue
is thus gripped between the loop 10 and body 11 and the bracket is held firmly in
position. The bracket itself may form the rest or holder, the tubes 7, 8 being
adapted to engage with the chin or lower jaw bone and the tube 9 with the
shoulder or collar bone, but I prefer to insert a rod of wood, bone or other
suitable material 12 in the tubes 7,8 and another rod 13 in the tube 14; by making
the rods and tubes slightly taper, as shown, the latter get a good hold on the former.
The tubes may be set parallel to the horizontal plane of the instrument or at an
angle thereto to suit the tastes of different players.
By these means a firm grip is provided for the chin, the violin may be readily
held in the proper oblique position, and the whole surface of the instrument be free
to vibrate.
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 chin-rest or holder for violins and the like consisting of a bracket
adapted to be held to the instrument by part thereof engaging with the tail-piece
loop and the body of the instrument and having tubular or the like upper and
lower edges, with or without rods or the like held therein, substantially as herein
described.

page_text: 2. The improved chin rest or holder for violins and the like substantially as
herein described and illustrated in Figures I, II and III of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Seventeenth day of June 1895.
FREDERICK JAMES STRONG.