US310906A - Banjo - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

1". J. MILLER.

BANJO.

No. 310,906. Patented Jan. 20, 1885.

Hyman J WITNESSES Malia/6 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

FREDERICK J. MILLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,906, dated January 20, 1885.

Application iilrd January 22, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDEEroK J. MILLER, a citizen of the United States of North America, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Banjos, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of this invention are to improve the tone, quality, and finish of a banjo, and the invention consequently embraces several improvements, that are hereinafter fully set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan of my improved banjo, with parts broken away to exhibit other parts. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the handle with hollow metal nut affixed. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line or 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line 1 7 Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line .2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, and showing my improved stretching-clamp. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the banjo-rim, showing the tail-pieceiu elevation. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional elevation on line a m, Fig. 4., showing a modified tubular metallic outlet in section. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing my in1 proved metallic outlet in section. Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the banjorim, showing my improved clamp for stretching the banjo-head. Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-section on line so 00, Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a plan of the turn-buckle used on a modification of the improved clamp shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a portion of a banjo-rim, showing a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved stretching clamp in place, on line 00 as, Fig. 1. Fig. 13 is a partly-sectional side elevation of a portion of the banjo, showing vibratory helices attached. Fig. 14 is a plan of the same. Fig. 15 is an enlarged side elevation of my improved stretching-clamp.

The rim A of my improved banjo is constructed of wood, cork, or other non-metallic substance, as shown at a, and is covered on both sides and top with sheet metal, I), to giveit stilt ness and keep it in shape. Said sheet-metal covering I) may be applied in asingle piece, as indicated in Fig. 7, or in sections that may be soldered together, as indicated at c, Fig. 8, and, being raised above the upper edge of the wood a, i'orms entirely around the banjo-rim a tubular chamber, (1, by which the resonant power of the instrument is increased. The volume of sound is increased by means of a sounding-board, 13, consisting of a disk of sheet metal having, preferably, a central aperture, f, and a downwardly-projecting edge flange, g, by which it is secured, in a horizontal plane, by means of bolts or other devices, within the lower part of the banjo-rim, beneath the head G. Apertures h are commonly made in a baujo-rim for sound-outlets; but about such apertures the wood is apt to check or split, and therebyimpair the instrument. To avoid this I lit in each aperture ii a metallic eyelet or thimble, i, as shown in Fig. 7, or, preferably, I use for this purpose a trumpet-shaped thimble or tube, as shown in Fig. 8 at i, the flaring mouth of which projects beyond the banjo-rim, and because of its shape increases thevolume of sound. The arm G is for the most of itslength made hollow, as shown at i", to increase the resonance of the instrument, and is preferably provided with sunken i'rets 7., that may extend all the way r only partly across, as may be deemed best, and that connect with the eavity i". These sunken frets 7- enable the operator to run the hand more freely down the arm, and to feel with more accuracy the points at which to press the strings. The nut or post Z, over which the banjo-strings are drawn, is made hollow and of metal in order to increase the vibrations of said strings. That prolongation, O, of the arm 0 which passes through the banjo-rim is tubular, and preferably made of metal, and may be perforated, as shown at Z, to increase the volume of sound, and on the sides of this prolongation 0, within the banjo-rim, may be secured helices m, for increasing the musical vibrations when the iiistruinent is played. The clamps E are attached to the metal strainingring D by so]- der or rivets, as indicated in Fig. 9, instead of, as is customary, by hooks, that are liable to catch in the garments of the operator. The

clamps or tightening-screws ordinarily used for drawing down the strainin grin g, and thereby stretching the banjo-head, are so constructed that they also catch in the clothes of the operator and cause much inconvenience. To avoid this objection I construct my improved clamps E, each of which consists of a rod, or, flattened at the upper end, and having a right or left screw-threaded shank or prolongation, and of a lug, 11/, whose reduced end is screwthreaded in the opposite direction from that of the rod-shank, and whose head is perforated at right angles to its length. These two parts have their screw ends connected by a turnbuckle, n". hen in place, with the upper end of the rod n riveted to the ring D, and the lug a secured to the banjo-rim by screws a, the turning of the turn-buckle will stretch or loosen the head, as the case may be. A modification of this clamp is shown in Figs. 9 and 12, wherein a hook, 0, is substituted for the lug a, and is designed to be engaged about the lower edge of the banjo-rim, as shown. The tail-piece H is an angle-plate of metal, bolted, riveted, or otherwise suitably secured to the ring D, as shown.

I am aware that violins have been provided with a metallic sounding-board, and also that it is common to provide banjos with wooden sound-boards, and do not claim such, broadly, as in all such cases the construction and arrangement are essentially different from mine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a banjo, a rim constructed, substantially as herein shown and described, of a nonmetallic material, covered and strengthened by a metallic sheathing in intimate contact with both sides of and extending over the top of said rim, substantially as set forth.

2. In a banjo, a rim composed of a non-metallic material inclosed within and filling the space between the sides of a sheet-metal case, leaving a tubular chamber around the upper edge of said rim, as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with a banjo head and rim, of a centrally-apertured metallic sounding-board having a downwardly-projeeting flange, 9, substantially as herein shown and M described, and means for securing said sounding-board horizontally to the rim beneath the head, as set forth.

4. A banjo-rim provided with a metallic sheathing, in combination with metallic tubes passing through said rim and sheathing, and performing the double function of uniting said rim and sheathing and of serving as soundoutlets, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a banjo, the combination, with an arm, 0, and hollow metallic arm prolongation C, of vibratory helices m, attached to said prolongation O, substantially as herein shown, and for the purposes described.

6. In a banjo, a hollow arm provided with transverse slots 7;, to serve the double function of guides and sound-outlets, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence oftwo witnesses, this 15th day ofJanuary, 1884.

FRED. J. MILLER. lVitnesses:

P. H. FLEMING, JACOB J. S'roRnR.

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