US2651961A - Violin rest - Google Patents

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R. H. HEIMERSI VIOLIN REST Sept. 15, 1953 Filed July 25, 1949 INVENTOR. nuoouw H. HE/MERS Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VIOLIN RES-T Rudolph H.v Heimers, Coronado, Calif.

Application July 25, 1949, Serial No. 106,563,

3 Claims.

My'invention relates to a violin rest, more particularly for use in aiding the violinist in maintaining his violin in certain playing position, and the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a violin rest of this class which fixes the trans-verse angle of inclination of a violin in conformance to the natural playing attitude of a violinist, whereby uniformity of position may be maintained at all times, either during the playing of violin in sitting or standing position;

Second, to provide a violin rest of this class which engages the scroll of a violin at the end thereof, and maintains the proper angle of inclination of the violin, so that the properrelaxed position of the fingers of the violinist upon the finger board and the respective arm of the violinist, is promoted;

Third, to provide a violin rest of this class having very simple and positive means for ad- Justing the angl of inclination of a violin when in playing position, whereby different attitudes of different violinists may be accommodated;

Fourth, to provide a violin rest of this class having novel adjusting clutch means for maintaining certain fixed positions of the violin rest with respect to the desired angle of inclination of the instrument to be played in engagement with said rest;

Fifth, to provide a violin rest of this class which is particularly adapted for use in training student violinists in the proper position for playing with respect to a certain angle of inclination of the instrument;

Sixth, to provide a violin rest of this class which is very readily and easily adjusted vertically to accommodate violinists in either sitting or standing position; and

Seventh, to provide a violin rest of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, efiicient in operation, and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of my violin rest, showing a violin engaging the same and the relative position of a violinist playing the violin; Fig. 2 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 1 showing the complete structure of my violin rest, and illustrating by dash lines the hanging position of the violin and the bow when not in use; Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of my violin rest; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken from the line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken from the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken from the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawing.

The base I, pedestal 2, post 3, clamp bolt 4-, bow hanger 5, casing 6, scroll-engaging socket member 1, Clutch plate 8, clutch face plates 9 and I0, bolt II, head bearing I2, pin I3, clutch arm I4, upholstery I5, hinge I6, latch I1, and the instrument hanger I8, constitute the principal parts and portions of my violinrest.

The base I is a fiat plate-like member, having a foot rest upper surface portion Ia, on which the violinistfis foot may be placed when in standing position, and this base I is also provided with a chair leg receiving recess lb, which is adapted to receive the left front leg of a chair in which the violinist sits when playing in sitting position. Fixed to the base I is the hinge I6, which connects the pedestal 2 in pivotal relationship with the base I. The pedestal is provided with an upright post 2, having laterally extending leg portions 2a, and 2b. The hinge I6 is fixed to the leg portion 21), near the bottom of the pedestal 2, and the latch H, which is a conventional cup,- board latch, or the like, engages the leg 2a of the pedestal 2 for fastening the same in connection with the base I, against pivotal movement of the pedestal 2 about the axis of the hinge I6.

Extending from the pedestal 2 considerably above the base I, on which it rests, is the clamp bolt 4. This clamp bolt 4 is provided with a wing nut 4a, on its extending externally screwthreaded end, which is adapted to clamp the post 3 in certain elevated position on the pedestal 2. This post 3 is provided with a vertically disposed longitudinal slot 3a, through which said clamp bolt 4 extends, all as shown best in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings. Secured to the post 3 by means of the wing nut 4a is the bow hanger 5, on which the violin bow may be supported when not in use. Secured to the clamp bolt 4 is the instrument hanger I8, as shown in Fig. '2\ of the drawings, which is a simple loop of flexible material, through which the scroll of a violin may be positioned, as shown by dash lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings;

Fixed to the upper end of the post 3 is the casing 6, which casing 6 is provided with a cylindrical portion 6a, and a back plate 6b, all in rigid fixed relationship with the post 3. Revolubly mounted in the cylindrical portion 6a is the scroll-engaging socket member I. This scrollengaging socket member I is provided with an obtuse conical recess portion la, having a substantially rectangular recess portion transversely thereof, which is designated 'Ib, and which extends to a greater depth than the obtuse apex of the conical recess Ta, all as shown best in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Positioned at the bottom of the transverse recess lb is the head bearing l2, which engages the head of the bolt I I, which is revolubly fixed in the back plate 61) of the casing 6 by means of the pin I3 in the slot 66:. Thebolt I iI is longitudinally adjustable by means of. the nutv Ila, externally screw-threaded" thereon, providing for the compression of the scroll-engaging. socket member I againstithe clutch plate 8, and the face plates 9 and Ill, at.-opposite sides thereof.

As shown in Fig. ,4, it will be seen thatthe. clutch plate Iflis of. smaller diameter andreduced areav compared to the clutch face plate 9, and this face plate It engages the member 6b of. the casing 6, whilethe clutch face plate 9, is interposed between the clutch plate 8 and the scroll.- engaging socket member I; Fixed to, the clutch. plate 8 is the clutch and I4, which is movably mounted in a slot Ed in the casing 6,.all asshown best in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The normally lower end of the clutch arm I4 is provided with'a loop portion Ma, which engages the slot 311' of the post 3, for maintaining the scroll-engaging socketmember l in certain fixedrelationship to. the vertical or horizontal, as desired, whereby the recess To is disposed at a: certain inclinationangle, as desired by the violinistfor the maintenance of his instrument in proper playingposition, according to his requirements.

The outer face of the scroll-engaging socket member I is provided with soft upholstering l5, having inwardly disposed skirtportions: I511, compressively secured on the outer sides of theLscrollengaging socket member 'I' by means of rubber hands Ib, which force theupholst'eryr skirt ISa into an" annular groove portion ictperipherally'of the scroll-engaging socket member I.

The operation of my violin rest is'substantially as follows: It'is to be here noted that the casing 6; together with the scroll-engaging socket member I, clutch plate 8, clutch facings 9 and I0; bolt H, and cooperative parts, may be fixed to awall or the like, without using the post 3, pedestal 2, orother supporting means, if desired. When a violinist is desirous of employing my violin rest, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings; he rests a foot on the foot engaging surface Ia'ofthe base I, and places the scroll of his violin in the conical recess la of the scroll-engaging socket member I, whereupon bearing of the scroll is accomplished normal to the inwardly extending recess lb; which bears transversely ofv the are or curveatthe end of theviolin scroll. In orderto, adjust thescrollzengaging socket member I revolubly of. theaxis of the bolt II, to, accommodate the particular angleof inclination desired by the violinist, the nut I Ia. on the bolt II may be loosened, and the clutch face plate 9 may be'slidably adjusted-revolubly until the recess 1?) is at the desired angle relative to the horizontal. may be tightened, forcing frictional engagement of the'clutch face plates 9 and I0 with the clutch. plate tend the scroll-engaging socket member I.

The nut I Ia then The revoluble adjustment of the scrollengaging socket member I about the axis of the bolt II may then be accomplished by shifting the clutch arm l4, whereupon the clutch face plate I0 slides, while the clutch face plate 9 maintains fixed relationship of the scroll-engaging socket member 1 relative to the clutch plate 8, causing the scroll-engaging socket member 1 to concisely follow the rotary motion of the clutch plate 8, controlled by the clutch arm M. This clutch arm I4 is resilient, and the loop Ida thereof may be disengaged from the slot 3a in the post 3 by deflecting the same outwardly. When it is desired to employ my violin rest by violinists in the sitting position, the chair of the violinist rests with one leg thereof in the recess lb of the base I, lending stability, tothe pedestal 2 which supports the scroll-engaging socket member I. When it is desiredlto collapse my violin rest, the latch I1 is released, permitting the pedestal 2 to be hinged into adjacentrclationship withtheupper surface Ia of the base I, which renders said violin. rest substantially portable.

It will be notedthat weight may be added to'the pedestal 2 at, its lowerend, which would eliminate the necessityof bearing on the base I with either the foot or a chair-leg. lhus, the base might be eliminated or reducedin size.

When playing in the standing position, aviolinistmay leave the left front, leg of 'thechair' in the recess lb of the base I, and pivotally shift thesame-toward the pedestal 2', so that the player need not hold the base, I: with hisfoot.

Though I- have shown and, described. a particular construction, combination. and" arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wishito-be limited tothis particular constructioncombination and arrangement, but desire :t'oinclude in the scope of my inventionthe construction, combination and arrangement. substantially asset" forth. in the appended claims.

Having thus described myinvention', what]: claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent: is:

l. A violinrest consisting off a scroll-engaging socket member havingarecessed socket portion providedwith opposed side walls engageable: with opposite sides of a violin scroll at its extremity; means for supporting the same, said scroll-engaging socket member pivotally-adjustable on-a'horizontal axis substantially parallel 'to the l'ongitu dinal axis of a violin when engaging said socket member, a clutch intermediate sa-id'scroll-engaging socket, member and said means, and anarm in connectionwith saidcl'utchforpivotally"shifting said scroll-engaging socket member,

2. A violin rest consisting of a scroll-engaging socket member having a recessedtsocket: portion provided with opposed side walls engageable with opposite sides of a violin. scroll at its extremity, means for supporting the same,.including a horizontally disposed bolt substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of a violin when engaging said socket member, on which said scroll'engaging socket member is pivotally mounted,.aclutch. for fixing said scroll-engaging socket member.- relative to said means for supporting. thesame, said clutch including a clutch plate, having a clutch facing thereon adjacent said scroll-engaging socket member,and asecond clutch facing on the opposite side thereof of lesser area than thefirst-mentioned clutch plate, engageablewith said means for supporting said scroll-engaging. socket member, whereby said second clutch. facing ismovable during seizureof said first clutch facing with said clutch plate and said scrollengaging socket member.

3. In a violin rest consisting of a scroll-engaging socket member having a recessed socket portion provided with opposed side walls engageable with opposite sides of a violin scroll at its extremity, means for supporting the same, said scroll-engaging socket member pivotally mounted on saidmeans on a horizontal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of a violin when engaging said socket member, said scroll-engaging socket member having a conical recess portion therein, said conical recess portion being obtuse and having a secondary central rectangular recess extending beyond the apex of said obtuse conical recess.

RUDOLPH H. HEIMERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Schenk Mar. 10, 1896 Pierce Mar. 30, 1897 Aubry et al Oct. 19, 1926 Campion July 22, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Aug. 6, 1909

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