US2780953A - Violin bow frog - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 12, 1957 A. F. GARDNER VIOLIN BOW FROG Filed Nov. 17, 1953 r E a ::m

' INVENTOR ALBERT E GARDNER ATTORNEYS Uited States This invention relates to violin bow construction, and more particularly has reference to the frog conventionally applied to one end of the bow in a manner to slide longitudinally of the bow back, for placing under tension the hair of the bow.

it is conventional practice to mount a frog for sliding movement directly upon the back of the bow, the frog being adjustable longitudinally of the bow back by means of a screw that extends into the back or shank of the bow and has threaded engagement with a follower secured to the frog.

This conventional construction has certain notable deficiencies. After the bow has been used for some time, warpage of the bow tends to develop in the area in which is located the conventional longitudinal slot through which the follower extends from the screw into the frog. As a result, the continuous strain imposed upon the bow back by reason of the tensioning of the hair of the bow will in many instances split the end of the bow above the screw.

A second deficiency which has been noted arises from the tendency of the side edges of the slot to become worn, as a result of which the frog twists out of alignment with the bow when the bow is in use.

In view of the above, it has been the main object of the present invention to provide a violin bow frog construction which will eliminate the tendency of the bow toward warpage, thus to prevent splitting, and which will further keep the frog tight upon the bow at all times. By providing a frog construction that will meet these desirable objects, 1 propose to give longer life to the bow while at the same time assuring its proper functioning whenever it is in use.

It is further proposed to provide a violin bow frog which will be particularly designed for use with nylon strands of hair, though it is also capable of use with the conventional horse hair strands.

A still further object is to provide a violin bow frog construction as described, wherein the hair can be easily mounted within the frog, thus to permit the bow to be re-haired swiftly and easily.

A still further important object of the present invention is to provide a violin bow frog construction as stated which will meet the several desirable objects set forth above, but which will at the same time be capable of manufacture at relatively low cost.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a violin bow equipped with a frog formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of said frog;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

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Figure 4 is a sectional view, the scale being enlarged still further, taken on line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 designates a back or shank of a violin bow, this being of generally conventional construction. As may be noted from Figure 2, the frog-supporting end of the back is of hexagonal cross sectional configuration, but it is believed worthy of note that other cross sectional shapes can be used if desired.

At one end, the back 10 is provided with the conventional tip 12, to which is connected one end of the hair 14. I prefer to use nylon hair, since I have found that not only does this provide a clearer tone while being much stronger than the conventionally employed horse hair, but also it is readily formed to uniform lengths, a characteristic which is particularly valuable in view of the specific frog construction which I have designed.

The invention includes an elongated tube 16 of a suitable metal material, said tube being formed to a cross sectional configuration complementing that of the bow back. The tube 16 is open at one end, to receive the bow back in a manner particularly Well shown in Figure 2, the tube sliding longitudinally of the back but being held against rotation relative to the back by reason of the non-circular cross sectional shapes of the tube and back.

The other end of the tube projects beyond the tubesupporting end of the bow back, and is of closed formation, said closed end of the tube being provided with a smooth walled opening 18. A fiber washer 20, having a smooth walled opening registering with the opening 18, is positioned within the tube, and is placed against the closed end of the tube, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, as a wearing washer between the end wall of the tube and a flange 21 secured to the shank 26 of an adjusting screw, to provide an abutment bearing against the washer-protected end Wall of the tube.

I provide a nut 22, which is loose within the tube, but which is held against rotation by reason of the complementary non-circular cross sectional shape of the nut and tube. The nut rests against the adjacent end of the back ll), and is provided with a threaded opening 24 registering with the openings of the end wall of the tube and washer 2s.

Threadedly engaged in the opening 24 is the shank 26 of an adjusting screw. One end of the screw extends into a smooth walled Socket 2'? formed in the adjacent end of the bow back 1d, the other end of the screw projecting beyond the tube and being longitudinally ribbed asatZS.

A hand knob 3b is formed with a socket the wall of which is complementary to the longitudinal ribs of the screw, whereby the knob may be applied to the projecting portion of the screw, to provide a convenient means for rotating the screw when it is desired to adjust the frog longitudinally of the bow back. The knob 30 abuts against the end wall of the tube 16, and thus, when the knob is rotated, it will effect movement of the tube 16 longitudinally of the bow back.

Rigid with an intermediate portion of the tube 16, and projecting laterally from the tube, is a prong 32, that is disposed obliquely to the axis of the tube. The prong is removably positioned within an angular bore 34 formed in a frog body 36, thus to connect the frog body detachably to the tube and cause movement of the frog body jointly with the tube when the tube is adjusted longitudinally of the back It The top surface of the frog body, that is, that surface thereof that engages the tube 16, is longitudinally recessed complementarily to the surface of the tube (see Figure 3), thus to interfit the frog body and tube and greases W prevent lateral deviation of the frog body relative to the tube.

Formed upon the inner end of the frog body 36 is a reduced tongue 40 of D-shaped cross sectional configuration. In the flat underside of the tongue 4% there is formed a shallow recess 42 the side walls of which converge toward the frog end of the bow (see Figure 4). The hair 12 is extended through said recess 42, for positioning of the hair within an indentation 44 formed in the bottom surface of the frog body, said indentation 44 having an angularly disposed inner or bottom wall, as may be readily noted from Figure 2. The indentation 44 is in communication with one end of an opening 46, said opening being formed at its other end with a counterbore 48 opening upon the outer end surface of the frog body.

A knot 50 is formed on the end of the hair 12 and is seated in the counterbore 48, to hold the strands of the hair 12 in said frog, thus to connect the hair to the frog body.

'Formed in the bottom surface of the frog body 36, and communicating with the indentation 44, is a shallow longitudinal recess 52, said recess being in communication with a dovetailed recess 54 formed. in the outer end surface of the frog body. A bottom plate 56 is shaped to fit snugly within the bottom longitudinal recess 52 of the frog body, and is formed at one end with a wedging lip 58 underlying the hair 12. A D-shaped ferrule 60 is then positioned removably over the wedging lip and tongue 44 so as to extend thereabout, said ferrule being so proportioned as to force the wedging tongue and lip toward one another, thus to clamp the hair 12 securely therebetween.

An end plate 62 is provided, said end plate being slidable into and out of the recess 54 of the end surface of the frog, and covering the knot 50 under normal conditions. The end plate 62 has an angularly extended lower end portion (see Figure 2), that laps the contiguous end of the bottom plate 56.

It will be readily appreciated that in re-hairing the bow, it is necessary merely that the knot 5d be formed at the ends of the strands of hair, after the hair is extended through the opening 46 and counterbore 4%, the knot then being seated within the counterbore 48. The hair is tightened and the bottom plate 56 is applied, so as to cover the indentation 44 and cause the wedging lip 58 to be positioned under the hair 12. The ferrule 60 is then positioned as illustrated in the drawings, and the end plate 62, which will have been previously applied to the frog body, will then be held securely in place.

In adjusting the frog body longitudinally of the back of the bow, the user rotates the hand knob 3%, as a re sult of which the tube 16 is adjusted longitudinally of the back of the bow. The axial movement of the tube body is effective to shift the frog body longitudinally of the bow, thus to place the hair 12 under a selected tension.

It is believed worthy of note that the construction illustrated and described is one which prevents warpage of the bow back, since said back need only be bored to a slight extent to receive the shank 26, and can be left nearly solid at the frog end thereof. Further, the construction is one which prevents lateral deviation of the frog body relative to the bow during use of the bow, this being prevented by reason of the interfitting of the body and tube illustrated in Figure 3, and being prevented further by reason of the complementary cross sectional shape of the tube 16 and back 10. Of course, when it is desired to remove the body 36 for any reason, as for example, when it is desired to re-hair the bow, it is merely necessary to rotate the knob 30 to an extent sufficient to place slack in the hair 12, after which the body 36 can be readily slipped off the prong 32.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof debody carried by scribed above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it

eing considered that the invention comprehends any minor changes in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a violin bow frog the combination, with the hair and back of a violin bow, of a tube slidably mounted upon the back; a frog body carried by the tube; means connecting the hair to the body; a nut seated against one end of the back; a screw threadedly engaged with the nut; and abutment means on the screw bearing against the tube, said screw being effective to shift the body longitudinally of the back responsive to the threading of the screw within the nut, thereby to tension the hair selectively.

2. In a violin bow frog the combination, with the hair and back of a violin bow, said back being of non-circular cross section at one end, of a tube of complementary cross section slidably mounted upon the back; a frog the tube; means connecting the hair to the body; a nut seated against said end of the back; a screw threadedly engaged with the nut; and abutment means on the screw bearing against the tube, said screw being effective to shift the body longitudinally of the back responsive to threading of the screw within the nut, thereby to place the hair under a selective tension.

3. In a violin bow frog the combination, with the hair and back of a violin bow, said back being of non-circular cross section at one end, of a tube of complementary cross section slidably mounted upon the back; a frog body detachably connected to the tube; means connecting the hair to the body; a nut seated against said end of the back, the back having a socket formed in said end thereof; a screw threadedly engaged with the nut and extending into said socket; and abutment means on the screw bearing against the tube, said screw being effective to shift the body longitudinally of the back responsive to threading of the screw within the nut, thereby to place the hair under a selective tension.

4. In a violin bow frog the combination, with the hair and back of a violin bow, said back being of non-circular cross section at one end, of a tube of complementary cross section slidably mounted upon the back; a prong projecting laterally from the tube; a frog body having a bore receiving said prong for detachable connection of the body to the tube; means connecting the hair to the body; a nut seated against said end of the back; a screw threadedly engaged with the nut, the back having a socket formed in said end thereof receiving the screw; and abutment means 011 the screw bearing against the tube, said screw being effective to shift the body longitudinally of the back responsive to threading of the screw within the nut, thereby to place the hair under a selected tension.

5. In a. violin bow frog the combination, with the hair and back of a violin bow, said back being of non-circular cross section at one end, of a tube of complementary cross section slidably mounted upon and having one end projecting beyond said end of the back; a prong projecting laterally from the tube; a frog body having a bore receiving said prong for detachable connection of the body to the tube; means connecting the hair to the body; a nut seated against said end of the back and held against rotation by the tube; a screw extending into the projecting portion of the tube and threadedly engaged with the nut, said end of the back having a socket receiving said screw; and abutment means on the screw bearing against the tube, said screw being effective to shift the tube and the body longitudinally of the back responsive to threading of the screw Within the nut, thereby to place the hair under a selected tension.

greases 6. 'In a violin bow frog the combination, with the hair and back of a violin bow, said back being of non-circular cross section at one end, of a tube of complementary cross section slidably mounted upon and having one end projecting beyond said end of the back; a prong projecting laterally from the tube and arranged obliquely to the axis of the tube; a frog body having a bore arranged to receive said prong for detachable connection of the body to the tube; means connecting the hair to the body; a nut seated against said end of the back and held against rotation by the tube; a screw coaxial with the tube and extending into the projecting portion thereof, said end of the back having a socket and the screw extending into the socket; and abutment means on the screw bearing against said one end of the tube, said screw being threadedly engaged with the nut to impart axial movement to the tube and body longitudinally of the back responsive to threading of the screw within the nut, thereby to place the hair under a selected tension.

7. In a violin bow frog the combination, with the hair and back of a violin bow, said back being of noncircular cross section at one end, of a tube of complementary cross section open at one end to receive said end of the back, said tube being slidably mounted upon the back and having its other end projecting therebeyond; a prong projecting laterally from the tube and arranged obliquely to the axis of the tube; a frog body having a bore arranged to receive said prong for detachable connection of the body to the tube; means connecting the hair to the body; a nut seated against and held against rotation by said end of the back; a screw coaxial with the tube and threadedly engaged in said nut, said end of the back having a socket and the screw extending within the tube and having one end disposed in said socket, said screw having a hand knob on its other end abutting against the projecting end of the tube; and abutment means on the screw bearing against said projecting end of the tube, said screw being threadedly engaged with the nut to impart axial movement to the tube and body longitudinally of the back responsive to rotation of the knob to thread the screw within the nut, thereby to place the hair under a selected tension.

8. In a violin bow frog the combination, with the hair and back of a violin bow, of a frog body slidably mounted upon said back, said body having communicating recesses formed in its outer end surface and in its bottom surface respectively, the body being additionally formed with an angular indentation communicating with the recess of the bottom surface and with an opening communicating at opposite ends with said indentation and with the recess of the outer end surface, said indentation and opening being adapted to receive the hair of the how; a knot formed on the hair at one end and seated in said opening, said knot being accessible through the recess of the outer end surface; a reduced wedging tongue formed upon the inner end of the body; a bottom plate removably seated in the recess of the bottom surface of the body to cover said indentation and formed at one end with a wedging lip underlying said tongue, the hair extending between the tongue and said wedging lip; a ferrule adapted to extend about the tongue and wedging lip, said ferrule being proportioned to force the tongue and wedging lip toward one another to wedge the hair therebetween; and an end plate positioned in the recess of the outer end surface and having one end angularly extended, to extend into the recess of the bottom surface of the body, said end of the end plate and the other end of the bottom plate lapping one another within the recess of the bottom surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,784,038 Augustine Dec. 9, 1930 2,479,505 Nathan Aug. 16, 1949 2,483,486 Brown Oct. 4, 1949 2,592,715 Lesinsky Apr. 15, 1952 2,624,225 Nebel Jan. 6, 1953

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