IMPROVEMENTS IN VIOLINS AND OTHER SIMILAR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS AND. IN GUITARS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Hulskamp, of Troy, State of New
York, in the United States of America, and of 53, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Maker, for the Invention of "IM-
Sealed the 30th December 1862, and dated the 2nd July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Hulskamp
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd July 1862.
I, GEORGE HENRY HULSKAMP, of Troy, State of New York,, in the United
States of America, and of 53; Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Pianoforte Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VIOLINS AND OTHER SIMILAR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS AND. IN
GUITARS," to be as follows:
My improvements in violins, guitars; also violins, violincellos, bass viols,
and such like instruments relate to constructing these instruments with the

page_text: sounding board or boards placed in a state of tension, by which the quality of
the tone and power of the instrument is greatly improved.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Drawing is a plan of a violin; Fig. 2 is a vertical
section as seen from the right-hand side of the instrument; Fig. 3 is also a
part vertical section as seen from the right and side; and Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7,
represent the bridges separately.
As these improvements are different in form and construction and produce
a much louder and better sound than common violins, guitars, and other
similar instruments I call them with reference to the stringed quartett,
Hulskampana for violin, also Hulskampana for viola, bass Hulskampana fer
violoncello, grand bass Hulskampana for bass violin, and dolce Hulskampana
for guitars.
The Drawings represent the improvements applied to a violin; the appli-
cation to the other instruments named is substantially in the same way. The
sounding boards or upper and lower sides of the instrument A, A, A, A, and
B, B, B, B, instead of being rounded and curved as heretofore constructed are
made straight and the outer surface plane. The two ends of the instrument
are composed of two solid rims made of hard wood and represented at I, I, I,
and to them are firmly secured the upper and lower sounding boards. From
each of the rims proceed the three braces H, H, H, which unite near the
centre of the instrument and are there. connected with the steel screw J and
two brass nuts. By turning the screw a pressure is transmitted through the
braces to the rims and the requisite strain given to the sounding boards. The
ends of the diagonal braces are shown in section at O, O, in Fig. 3; I also
usually place a small rim N, N, N, N, around that portion of the edges of the
sounding board that are not fixed to I, I, I, on the inside for the purpose of
better attaching the sides. On the upper sounding board I also fix a circular
piece of wood Q, Q, with its edges flattened in order to give more stiffness and
elasticity to the middle of the sounding board, and with the same view I also fix a
wooden rib P, P, usually somewhat diagonally across the board, I also fix a rib
and circular piece of wood on the. inside of the lower sounding board as
represented by P1, P1, and Q, Q, in Fig. 2; R, R, represents the hole in the
upper sounding board; one of the middle wood braces H is made of one piece
with the neck K for the purpose of giving more strength to the neck. The
under sounding board B, B, is made wider at its middle than the upper board
A, A, and extends to the line C, C, Fig. 1. Having therefore more surface
of sounding board the tone of the instrument is much improved. Both legs
of the bridge on violins which have heretofore been constructed have rested on
the upper sounding board, and the two sounding boards have been connected by

page_text: a post on the inside of the instrument. This post much interferes with the free
vibrations of the sounding board but has been deemed indispensable to the instru-
ment. I have dispensed with it by making an orifice S in the upper sounding
board and extending one of the legs of the bridge down through it to the lower
sounding board; or what is still better upon the lower sounding board I erect
a tripod or upright post with two or three legs standing upon the lower
sounding board or on its rib P', P¹, suitably secured thereto and extending up
through the orifice S without touching it to the upper sounding board: One
foot of the bridge D is placed upon this tripod or post, the other upon the
upper sounding board so that the vibrations of the strings are transmitted
directly to both sounding boards alike without any interference with their
vibrations. To prevent the upper sounding board becoming indented by the
pressure of the foot of the bridge upon it I make it of hard wood and the lower
sounding board-of soft wood, instead of the reverse as usually done.
Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 show bridges D in half size constructed differently to
those herein-before in use which have more elasticity and greatly improve the
tone of the instrument. In violins and other instruments above mentioned, as
heretofore constructed there is often produced a jingling or impure sound from
the strings in their vibration striking against the sides of the grooves in which
they
are held at the head or nut of the neck and at the bridges; I have remedied
this difficulty by making the nut U on which the strings rest with a flat pro-
jection on which the strings bear and which terminate the vibrations before the
strings reach the grooves as shown at U in Figs. 1 and 2; I also make similar
projections on the bridges for the same purpose. The tail piece or string
holder E has heretofore been attached to violins, guitars, and other instru-
ments by a chord or loop passing over a nut on the end of the instrument.
have found that the instrument will be much improved by attaching the string
holder firmly to the frame of the instrument. The end of the string holder
furthest from the strings, I attach by a screw V passing through the sounding
board into the middle brace H. The other end rests upon two posts W, W,
rising up from the two braces H, H, and passing through orifices in the
sounding boards, a screw X passing down from the string holder through an
orifice in the sounding board into the middle brace holds it firmly to the
posts.
I

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Henry Hulskamp in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY HULSKAMP, of Troy, State of New York, in the United States; of
America, and of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Henry Hulskamp, Her special licence, that I, the said George
Henry Hulskamp, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Henry Hulskamp, my executors, administrators,.
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VIOLINS AND OTHER SIMILAR STRINGED
INSTRUMENTS AND IN GUITARS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said George Henry Hulskamp, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and 'cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months. next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Henry Hulskamp, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being bad to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
Fig. 1 is a horizontal plan of a violin constructed 'according to my Invention
by which the sounding boards are placed and kept in a state of tension by
peculiar means; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the inside of the lower sounding
board; Fig. 3 is a view of the inside of the upper sounding board; Fig. 4
is a vertical section as seen from the right-hand side of the instrument;
Fig. 5 is also a partial vertical section as seen from the right-hand side;
Figs. 6, 7, 8, & 9 represent the bridges. I apply the same principle to

page_text: guitars, alto-violins, violincellos, bass viols, and such like instruments, which
however it will be unnecessary to describe, as such will be readily understood
from the other illustrations. All these instruments differ somewhat in form
and construction, and produce a much louder, and better sound than violins,
guitars, and other instruments of ordinary construction.
The Drawing represents the improvement applied to a violin; the
application of it. to the other instruments is substantially in the same way.
The sounding boards or upper and lower sides of the instrument A, A; A, A;
and B, B, B, B, instead of being rounded, and curved as heretofore constructed
are made straight, and the outer surface plane. The two ends of the instru-
ment are composed of two solid rims made of hard wood, and represented at
I, I, I, and to them are firmly glued the upper and lower sounding. boards:
From each of the rims proceed three braces H, H, H, which unite near the
centre of the instrument, and are there connected with the steel screw J;
and two brass nuts. By turning the screw a pressure is transmitted from
the centre through the braces to the rims, and the requisite strain given to
the sounding boards. The braces are shown, as cut off in Figs. 2 & 3, for
the purpose of showing other parts; the ends of them are shown at O, O, in
Fig. 5, I also usually place a small rim N, N, N,N, around that portion of
the edges of the sounding boards that are not glued to I, I, I, on the inside for
the purpose of better attaching the sides. On the lower. sounding .board,I
also glue a circular piece of wood Q, Q, with its edges flattened in order to
give more stiffness and elasticity to the middle of the sounding board, and
with the same view I also glue on a wooden. rib P, P, usually somewhat
diagonally across. the board. I also glue on a rib, and a circular piece of
wood on the inside of the upper sounding 'board, as represented by P1, P1, and
Q, Q', in Fig. 3; R, R, represents the hole in the upper. sounding board:
One, of the middle braces H is made out of one piece of wood with the neck
K, for the purpose of giving more strength to the neck. The under sounding
board B, B,, is made wider in its middle than the upper board A, A, and
extends to the line, as shown in Figs 1 and 2, at C, C. Having therefore
more surface of sounding board, the tone of the instrument is much improved.
Both legs of the bridge in violins which have heretofore been constructed
have rested on the upper sounding board, and the two sounding boards: have
been connected by a post inside of the instrüment. This post much interferes
with the free vibration of the sounding board; but has been denied indis-
pensable to the instrument. I have dispensed with it by making an orifice S
in the upper sounding board, and extending one of the legs of the bridge down
through it to the lower sounding board. Or what is still better, upon the
:

page_text: lower sounding board I erect a tripod or upright post, with two or three legs
standing upon the lower sounding board, on its rib P, P, and glued to it at
T, T, T, Fig. 2, and extending up through the orifice S without touching it
to the upper sounding board. One foot of the bridge D is placed upon this
tripod or post, the other upon the upper sounding board, so that the vibrations
of the strings are transmitted directly to both sounding boards alike, without
any interference with their vibrations. To prevent the upper sounding board
becoming indented by the pressure of the foot of the bridge upon it I make it
of hard wood and the lower sounding board of soft wood, instead of the reverse
as usually done; Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, show bridges in half size constructed
differently than heretofore, which have more elasticity, and improve much the
tone of the instrument.
In violins and other instruments above mentioned as heretofore constructed
there is often produced a jingling or impure sound from the strings in their
vibrations striking against the sides of the grooves in which they are held
at the head of the neck K, and at the bridge D. I have remedied the diffi-
culty by making the nut U, on which the strings rest, with a flat projec-
tion, on which the strings bear, and which terminates the vibrations before
the strings reach the grooves as shown at U, in Figs. 1 and 4. I also make
a similar projection on the bridge D, see Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, for the same
purpose. The tail piece or string holder E has heretofore been attached
to violins by a cord or loop passing over a nut on the end of the instrument;
I have found that the instrument will be much improved by attaching
the string holder firmly to the frame of the instrument. The end of the
string holder farthest from the strings, I attach by a screw V passing through
the sounding board into the middle brace H, the other end rests upon
two posts W, W, rising up from the other two braces H, H, and passing
through orifices in the sounding board, and a screw X passing down from
the string holder through an orifice in the sounding board into the middle.
brace holds it firmly on to these posts. In Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 the
principle of straining the sounding board is represented without using the
screw J, in Figs. 1, 4, & 5. The string holder E and finger board E¹ is
made of one piece of wood secured to the neck K, and by a screw V to the
upper board and rim I, Fig. 11, the oblique. brace H', H', is firmly secured
with both its ends to the rims of the uppef board I, I, in the inside of the
middle of the instrument; X is a screw in the string holder, which extends
through an orifice in the upper board into the oblique brace H¹; by tightening
this screw X the upper sounding board will be strained. Fig 12 represents
the straining of the lower board by the pressure of the strings. A rib P, P,

page_text: is secured to the board, and connected with both its ends to the rims I, I;
upon this rib and rims I erect two posts each with two oblique arms H³, H²,
H, and secured firmly with both their ends to the rib and rims P, P, and
I, I, and extending up through the orifices S, S, in the upper board without
touching the same, to the upper surface of the upper sounding board the
bridge D with both its feet is placed upon these posts. The vibrations of
these strings are transmitted alike to both ends of the lower sounding board,
and by the pressure of the strings upon these oblique posts, this board will
also be strained. In the string holder and finger board is an orifice S¹,
Fig. 10, for placing the bridge without touching the same. The thickness and
form of the finger board at S¹, is represented in transverse vertical section
through the middle at Fig. 13. Straining the boards in this manner is less
expensive than applying a screw, and while transmitting the vibrations of the
strings to the upper sounding board by the upward bearing of the strings, they
are transmitted to the lower one by the pressure of the same. In giving
tension and free vibration to the sounding boards by the upward bearing and
the pressure of the strings the tone is also much improved, and this system of
straining the sounding boards with similar oblique braces and a solid finger.
board can also be easily applied to all those instruments of old construction.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, I claim the straining of sounding boards in violins, and other instru-
ments above named, and referred to of whatever material made, and operating
either with a screw or screws, or with the upward bearing and pressure of tho
strings without a screw, all as herein-before described.
Secondly, having the middle portion of the under sounding board, as shown
at C, C, made wider than the corresponding middle portion of the upper
sounding board, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and
described.
Thirdly, making one foot of the bridge to bear upon the upper and one
upon the lower sounding board, either directly or by means of the tripod or
post, as above set forth; or making the bridge to rest only upon the lower
sounding board by posts or oblique braces, and making the finger board and
string holder out of one piece of wood, with an orifice for the bridge, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Fourthly, the construction of the nut U, and bridges with the flat projecting
surface substantially as described.
Fifthly, the combination of the string holder E with one or more internal

page_text: braces H, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and
described.
Sixthly, the united string holder and finger board, connected by a screw
or otherwise, with the oblique brace H¹, H', for the purpose set forth or its
equivalent.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Hulskamp, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
G. H. HULSKAMP. (L.S.)