Improvements in Chin and Shoulder Rests for Violins.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by HENRY OLIVER PEABODY, of Boston, County
of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Inventor.]
Improvements in Chin and Shoulder Rests for Violins.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 and shoulder rests for violins, and it consists in
certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts which
will be readily understood by reference to the description of the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 of the drawings is plan of a small portion of a violin with my improved
rests attached thereto.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a section on line x, a on Figure 1 looking towards the left of said
figure.
Figure 4 is a section on line y, y on Figure 2.
Figure 5 is an inverted plan of the clamp bar beneath the violin, and
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a plan and an elevation of the metal nut
enclosed in said clamp bar.
Figure 8 represents an elevation of a modified form of the shoulder rest knob.
In the drawing: A represents a portion of a violin, B is the chin rest, C the
clamp bar connected to said chin rest by means of the right and left-hand screw
rods a, a and b, b and the turn-buckle sleeves c, c as shown.
D is the shoulder rest removably attached to the clamp bar C by means of the
screw d, the head of which is embedded in the body of said shoulder rest and the
nut e imbedded in said clamp bar C as shown in Figure 4.
E represents the rear end of the rail piece, F the knob to which it is secured by
the cord f, see Figure 2.
The chin rest B has its upper face curved in the direction of its greatest length
with its right hand end extending over the tail piece E, and curved outward so as
to extend above the top of the violin a distance about double that of its opposite
end, and its outer face is roughened by cutting therein two series of parallel grooves
intersecting each other as indicated in Figures 1 and 3 to render it less liable
to slip.
The outward curve or projection of the right hand end of said rest B is a very
important feature as it enables the player to get a firmer hold upon the violin with
the chin when the instrument is inclined to the desired angle for convenient
manipulation of the bow.
The rest B bears upon the violin only at the outer edge of its top, directly over
the hoop, and preferably only for a portion of its length, and has inserted between it
and the instrument a packing g of leather, cork or other suitable material as shown
in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The clamp bar C also has a packing h of leather, cork or other suitable material
between it and the outer edge of the back of the instrument and has inserted in
one end thereof the nut e both ends of which are made in the form of frustums of

page_text: cones and the middle section thereof is serrated or many sided to prevent its being
revolved within the clamp bar, said bar being preferably made of hard rubber and
moulded directly upon said nut.
The chin rest B and the shoulder rest D are also preferably made of hard
rubber, and the latter is moulded directly upon the screw d, which is prevented
from turning therein by the engagement of the rubber with the extra large slot in
its head as shown.
The shoulder rest D may be made in the form of a knob with a convex outer
face which is roughened in the same manner as the outer concave face of the chin
rest, as shown in Figure 4, so as to prevent its slipping upon the clothing, and has
inserted between it and the clamp bar C a packing of leather, cork or other
suitable material as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4.
The shoulder rest D is arranged to bear upon the collar bone and may be made
of greater or less length and of different forms as shown in Figures 4 and 8 to
accommodate persons having long or short necks and may be prevented from slipping
by serrating its outer surface or covering it with cloth, and is removed when the
instrument is placed in the case.
I am aware that chin rests have been made and used to some extent that were
secured to the violin by means of turn buckles, and a clamp to engage the edge of
the back of the instrument and therefore I do not claim broadly the use of turn
buckles or clamps operated thereby to secure said rests to the instrument.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. The combination of a chin rest; a clamping bar to engage the opposite
side of the violin ; turn-buckle connections between said rest and clamp; and a
shoulder rest, in the form of a circular knob having its outer end surface serrated
or roughened or covered with a frictional material, and removably connected to the
outer end of said clamping bar, with its axis at right angles to the under face of
said bar.
2nd. In combination with a chin rest for violins, a non-metallic clamping bar to
engage the back of the instrument; a pair of turn buckles connecting said chin
rest and clamping bar; a metal nut imbedded in said non-metallic clamping bar;
and a shoulder rest provided with a screw shank to engage said nut, and projecting
at right angles from the under surface of said clamping bar as set forth.
3rd. The combination of the clamp bar C of non-metallic material; a metallic
nut imbedded therein; the shoulder rest kuob D of non-metallic material; a
metallic screw imbedded in said knob; and means for clamping said bar and
shoulder rest to a violin.
Dated this 6th day of August 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.