Improvements in or pertaining to Violins and other Stringed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or pertaining to Violins and other Stringed
Musical Instruments.
I SAMUEL FREDERICK DALLADAY of The Limes Lauriston Road Hackney
in the County of Middlesex Professor of Music do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is so to fit violins and other stringed musical
instruments and with such appliances as to ensure that the strings shall always be held
in and at the exact positions necessary to produce the required notes whether tones
or half tones.
To carry out this object I make a plate of wood or metal or other material of a
somewhat similar shape in plan to the face of the neck of the violin or other
instrument and slightly curved in cross section as is such face which plate is
supported by pegs or otherwise the desired distance off and above the face of the
neck so that the strings can freely pass between the same and is secured in such
position by one or more suitable bands or clamps or other appliances and it is
convenient to ensure that this plate shall always be in its exactly proper position
by arranging one or more of the pegs or supports to bear against the nut of the
instrument. In and through this plate are made a number of small holes where-
through loosely pass a number of small rods one being in each hole and on the
inner end of each rod inside the plate is a small block of leather or other suitable
material and on the outer end of each rod outside the plate is a suitable finger
piece and round each rod outside the plate is fitted a coiled spring in compression
or in other convenient manner the rod is normally maintained with its finger piece
away from the plate. Each rod therefore can through the finger piece be pressed
inwards against the spring or other appliance until the block on its inner end
comes in contact with and presses against and holds one of the strings of the
instrument and such a number of these rods may be provided and they are so
arranged in the plate in such exact positions as will suffice to produce all the notes
whether tones or half tones of which the instrument is capable or so many of the
same as may be desired.
Dated this 07th doof Cabo 1902
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or pertaining to Violins and other Stringed
Musical Instruments.
I SAMUEL FREDERICK DALLADAY of The Limes Lauriston Road Hackney in
the County of Middlesex Professor of Music do hereby declare the nature of this
nvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this my invention is so to fit violins and other stringed musical
instruments and to provide for and with the same such appliances and devices that
the strings of these instruments shall always be held in and at the exact positions
that are necessary to produce the required notes whether tones or half tones.
D

page_text: --
In order the more clearly to explain this my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I refer to the accompanying drawing wherein I have
shewn my invention as applied to and with a violin and Figure 1 is a side elevation
of the head and neck and adjoining parts of a violin provided with my appliances
and devices Figure 2 is a plan of the face of the same and Figure 3 is a cross
section of the same taken at ab in Figure 2.
A thin plate A of metal or wood or other suitable material is made of the desired
length and breadth and of a shape somewhat similar in plan to that of the face of
the neck B of the violin which plate A also is preferably slightly curved in cross
section as is such face and this plate A is supported by studs or pegs D or other
suchlike devices the desired distance off and above the face of the neck B which
distance ought for ease and convenience of fingering to be as small as is compatible
with allowing the strings E of the violin to pass along quite freely between the face
of the neck B and the underside of the plate A and this plate A is secured in such
position whether removably or irremovably as may be desired in each particular
case by one or more suitable bands or other suchlike ordinary appliances and I
would state that I consider that the hooked and screwed clamping rods F engaged
in sockets on the plate A and passing through and secured on and by the transverse
bar F¹ as shewn in the drawing are extremely appropriate for this purpose
whensoever as is perhaps generally preferable the plate. A is to be removable.
Such a number of studs D or other devices must be provided and must be so
arranged as will suffice in conjunction with the clamps For other appliances not
only to leave the strings E perfectly free but also and chiefly to maintain the
plate A very rigidly in its desired position closely above and parallel or thereabouts
with such strings E and to ensure that this plate A shall not touch the same and I
may state that I consider that in and for a violin four of such studs D or other
devices arranged as is shewn in Figure 2 are sufficient and very convenient for
these purposes but as is indeed obvious I do not limit myself to this particular
number and to this precise arrangement. When the plate A is made of metal it is
perferable to line the underside of the same with flannel or cloth or baize or other
suchlike material as also it may sometimes be when this plate A is made of other
materials. The studs D or other devices can most conveniently be attached to or
connected or even formed with the plate A although they may also be separate
therefrom when desired.
In and through the plate A are made a number of small holes wherethrough
loosely pass a number of small short rods K one being in each hole which rods K.
are perpendicular to or at right angles with the strings E or thereabouts and on the
inner end of each rod K inside the plate A is a small block or piece of leather or
india rubber or other suchlike suitable material which alone will come in contact with
the string E and on or at the outer end of each rod K outside the plate A is a
suitable finger-piece or knob or other suchlike appliance while round each rod K
outside the plate A may be fitted a coiled spring L in compression or in any other
convenient manner and by any other usual and suitable devices each rod K is
normally maintained in the retired position or that is to say normally the finger-
piece or other appliance on or at the outer end thereof is so far away from the face
of the plate A and the block or piece of leather or other material on the inner end
thereof is so far away from the string E as they respectively are capable of being
and as is allowed. Each rod K therefore can through and by the finger-piece or
other appliance on or at the outer end thereof be pressed inwardly against its
spring Lor other device until the block or piece of leather or other material on the
inner end thereof comes in contact with and presses against and finally holds one of
the strings E of the violin from and by which string E so held can thus in the
ordinary manner be produced a certain note as is desired. Such a number of these
note rods K are provided and they are so arranged in the plate A and in such
exact absolute and relative positions as will suffice to enable and permit preferably
perhaps all the notes of which 'the violin is capable to be produced or it may be only
so many of such notes as may be desired.
"

page_text: The note rods K or the finger-pieces or other appliances on or at the outer ends
thereof may be marked or named or numbered or may be coloured or may be
otherwise treated in any usual or other convenient manner to distinguish the one
from the other as also may be the face of the plate A by the sides of or near such
note rods K for the same purpose.
When the plate A is removable it must obviously be capable of being and be
replaced when desired in exactly the same position as it occupied aforetime in
order to allow of the production in manner as hereinbefore described of the same
notes when the same rods K are operated and this can very conveniently be
effected by fitting one of the studs D or other devices in such position as is shewn
at D' that it can bear against the ordinary nut H of the violin which arrangement
will settle the position longitudinally of the plate A when such stud D¹ is attached
to or connected or formed with such plate A and this obviously is the chief and
most essential adjustment while the position transversely can be easily settled not
only by the sides of the plate A which must conform to the sides of the neck B
but also by all the studs D or other devices when they are attached to or connected
or formed with such plate A which must pass between the strings E and further
and chiefly by the note rods K which must coincide with and must be capable of
coming in contact with such strings E.
In the same manner this my invention would be applied to other stringed
musical instruments such for example as violas violoncellos and the like of a similar
type and even it may be when desired to banjos guitars and suchlike musical
instruments and in each case the plate is made of the desired length and breadth
and of a shape somewhat similar in plan and cross section to that of the face of the
neck of the particular instrument wherewith it is to be used and this plate is
similarly maintained in its desired position being supported by the required number
of studs or pegs or other devices and secured by clamps or bands or other appliances
and such a number of spring governed or other note rods are provided and they are
so arranged in the plate that preferably perhaps all the notes of which the particular
instrument is capable can be produced in manner as is hereinbefore described or it
may be only so many of such notes as may be desired.
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. The combination with the neck B of a violin or other stringed musical instru-
ment of a plate A maintained above the strings E of such instrument and note
rods K passing through such plate A substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and declared.
2. The improvements in or pertaining to violins and other stringed musical
instruments substantially as herein before described and shewn in the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 27th day of June 1891
HART & Co.,
186, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agents.