Improvements in Violins and other Stringed Instruments.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1892-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Violins and other Stringed Instruments.
A communication from JAMES ANDERSON CLOSE, of the Town of Woodstock,
in the County of Oxford, Province of Ontario, Canada, Machinist.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 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 :-
The object of the invention is to provide a simple device by which a reserve
supply of string may be held on the violin and other stringed instruments, and it
consists, essentially, of a sheave on which the reserve string is wound, the said
sheave being connected to the tail piece of the violin in such a manner that it may
b: held stationary or permitted to revolve as occasion requires, means being
provided to prevent the sudden unwinding of the string in the event of breakage;
substantially as hereinafter more particularly explained.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a violin provided with this improvement.
Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the tail piece with the sheave and its
friction wheel connected directly to it.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the tail piece with a plate attached to it to carry
the sheave on which the string is wound.
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the tail piece showing an alternative form for the
friction holding wheel.
All violinists have experienced the continual annoyance of the breakage of the
E-string in violins and the delay caused thereby. By the adoption of this invention
my correspondent has upon the violin a reserve supply of the E-string which may
readily be drawn from to immediately replace the broken string without any
appreciable loss.
A represents a sheave pivotted at a on the tail piece B or on a plate C
connected to the said tail piece as indicated in Figure 3.
D is the E-string a supply of which say four extra lengths is wound on the
sheave A. When arranged as shown in Figures 2 and 4 the sheave A is held
stationary by a pin F which projects through the tail piece B and enters one of the
holes G made through the tail sheave A.
H is a friction wheel pivotted as indicated in such a manner that its elastic rim I
shall press against the string D wound upon the sheave A the said pressure being
such that in the event of the string D breaking the pressure against the reserve
string on the sheave A shall be sufficient to prevent the reaction caused by the
breakage from unwinding and loosening the string D.
In Figure 4 is shown an alternative form in place of the friction wheel H. This
alternative consists of a cage J placed upon the sheave A. This cage may be made
so as to close the entire sheave or it may be made open as shown in Figure 4.
As it may not be convenient to pivot the sheave A and the friction wheel H
directly onto the tail piece B a plate C is sometimes provided, as shown in Figure 3,
which is detachably connected to the tail piece B by means of the fingers or clips L.
On reference to Figure 3 it will be noticed that instead of the pin F there is
provided a spring finger M fixed to the plate K and designed to spring into a
notch made in the edge of the sheave A the pin F and the spring finger M both
serving the same purpose, namely to prevent the sheave revolving when the
string D is connected and tightened for use.
It will be obvious that the before described apparatus is applicable to stringed
instruments other than violins.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a violin a string sheave pivotted on the tail piece or plate connected thereto
in combination with means by which the string is held upon the said sheave
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a violin a string sheave pivotted on the tail piece or plate connected thereto
in combination with a pivotted wheel provided with an elastic rim substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 7th devof June 1800
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.