US1626094A

US1626094A - Top adjustable banjo tailpiece

Info

Publication number: US1626094A
Application number: US636600A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert R Page
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1923-05-04
Filing date: 1923-05-04
Publication date: 1927-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 1944-04-26

Description

April 26, 1927. 6,094"

R. R. PAGE TOP ADJUSTABLE B ANJO TAILPIECE Filed May 4. 1923 W 1 van/Z01 Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT R. PAGE, OF NEW YORK, N. '2'.

TOP ADJUSTABLE BANJO TAILPIECE.

1;..- Application filed May 4,

The present invention relates to an improvement in tail pieces for banjos and has for its object amongst others the accomplishment of greater economy in construction, 5 lighter weight and above all greater ease of adjustment for increasing or decreasing the total pitch of the banjo at will.

Another very important object is the simplicity of the means whereby the aggregate tensioning of all of the strings on the musical instrument simultaneously is accomplished in a better manner than has heretofore been done.

The most important advantage of my construction however, relates to the modifica tion of the tail piece structure whereby upon release of the string tensioning means, which also acts as a cover for the tail piece, is the manner in which the spring tensioned cover raises itself to uncovering position, thereby exposing the tail piece portion, which is so constructed as to enable the player to readily remove or replace strings upon the string posts thereof with the greatest of ease.

I attain these objects and such other objects as may appear during the subjoined description by way of example, of one of the possible embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification in which Figure 1, is a fragmentary top or plan view of the head of a musical instrument and a top or plan view of the tail piece operatively attached to the head.

Figure 2, is a fragmentary side view of the head of a musical instrument and a side view of the tail piece operatively attached thereto, the tail piece being in partially open or uncovering position whereby the pressure of the tensioning portion thereof is re lieved from the strings of the instrument.

Figure 3, is a View similar to Fig. 2, except that the tail piece is shown in closed or covering position, the tensioning portion '15 thereof exerting pressure on the strings of the instrument for tensioning the strings.

Figure 4;, is a side elevation of the tail piece, in artially open or uncovering position, and ust prior to movement of the cover portion to completely open position.

Figure 5, is a top or plan view of the tail piece in the partially open or uncovering position shown in Fig. 4, and

Figure 6, is a top or plan view of the tail piece, the cover portion having been moved to completely open posit-inn,

1923. Serial No. 636,600.

Similar reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views.

The tail piece comprises in its main parts the base generally denoted by 10, and the tensioning cover generally denoted by 11, and is made of any suitable metal or material.

The base 10 comprises the rectangular mid portion 12 having the

side portions

13 and 14 provided withthe extended apertured ends 15 and 16. The mid portion 12 has on its inner edge the rigidly upstanding rearwardly turned hook 17, and has suitably located on its upper surface the string pins 18.

The mid portion 12 has on its outer edge the angular bracket 19, having the outwardly bent reduced end 20, the bracket 19 as shown being part of the mid portion 12 between the extended ends 15 and 16 bent downwardly at a right angle to the plane of the mid portion. The end'20 has an aperture therein which receives the screw threaded bolt 21 retained in this aperture by engagement of the head of the bolt with the end 20, the free end of the bolt passing through the lug 22 on the shell or side of the musical instrument and held by the upper stop nut 23 and the lock nut 24, whereby the tail piece is retained in operative position on the instrument.

The cover 11 comprises the covering portion 25 and the tensioning end 26, the tensioning end 26 being that portion of the cover extending inwardly from the covering portion 25 from about the line of the inner edge of the base 10 when the cover is in closed or covering position, the term inwardly here and elsewhere herein meaning towards the musical instrument when the tail piece is in operative closed position thereon. a

The covering portion '25 has therethrough the rectangular slot 27 with which the hook 17 engages or passes through. The covering portion 25 has at its sides adjacent to its outer edge the

apertured cars

28 and 29, overlapping the extended ends 15 and 16 of the base member, the aperture of the ear 28 as shown being threaded for receiving the threaded end of the bolt or shaft 30, the bolt or shaft 30 passing through the

ears

28 and 29 and extended ends 15 and 16, and the cover 11 bein ivotably movable thereon. The bolt or slia't 30 has arranged thereon the helix. and 31, one end 32 of which bears against .hc upper suirface of the mid portion of the base 10 and the other end 33 of which bears against the under surface of the covering portion 25, the tendency of this spring being to throw or move the cover 11 from closed to open position. The covering portion 25 has thereon the cam member Set which consists of a substantially semi-circular wall portion having a cam face 36, and a manipulating arm 37, the cam member being secured for pivotal movement by the rivet pin 38 to the covering portion 25 of tl e cover 11, and being restricted in this movement in either direction by contact of the arm 37 with the stop lug 39 on the upper surface of the covering portion 25.

The tensioning portion 26 for a portion of its length is in the same planeasthe covering portion 25, and is thenbent downwardly as at e0, Fig. i, and then curved'upwardly, as at 41, at its inneredge ,for the purpose later stated. The combined lfihgth of the covering portion 25 and tensioning portion 26 is such as to bring the curved end 41 substantially midway of the distance on the strings of the instrument from the bridge is to the string posts 18 of the tail piece, when the tail piece is in operative position on the instrument.

lVhen the tail piece is in operative position on the instrument, the strain of the strings on the string posts causes the curved end 41 to bear down upon the strings transversely thereof with a tensioning effect upon the strings for changing the pitch; and it will be noted that the arrangement of the string pins 18 on the base portion 10 is such that the strings when secured thereto are in the same equally spaced parallelism that they are at the bridge 42 of the instrument, thereby providing a straight line tension or pull on the strings from the string pegs, not shown, to the string pins 18, and that the cover 11 at its end e1 is of suilicient width to engage transversely and exert pressure on all the strings while they arein this equally spaced parallel relation. the cover 11, when in this position covering the string pins 18 and rendering them inaccessible for securing the strings thereto, until the cover is released from covering position and is moved by the spring 31 to uncovering position.

Z a operation r-The tail piece being attached to the instrument as described, the cover being in open or uncovering position, the strings are secured to the string posts and properly tuned; the cover 11 ismoved into covering position, the end of the hook 17 of the base 10 passing through the slot 27 of the cover, the relative positions of cover and base being as shown in Fig. 5; by turning the manipulating arm of the cover the cam member 35 is caused to pass under the end of the hook 17 and by continuing to turn the manipulating arm 37 towards a position at right angles to its former position the hook 17 rides up on the cam face of the ca nmember 35 and holds the cover firmly down in closed or covering position, Fig. 1, the strain of the strings on the string posts 18 conducing to this, and the end 451 of the cover bearing down transversely on the strings and tensioning them.

In the event ofhreaking a string, the ma nipulating arm 37 is moved to the position shown in Fig. I and the cover llallowcd to move or fly upto open position, thus ex posing the ends of the str ngs on the str ng posts. and the new str ng can be attached and the cover returnedito its former tensioning position without disturbing the other strings, the pitch ,of the strings being the same as it was before movement ot the cover.

, Having thus-described my invention, it should be understood that there may bemodifications thereof and variations therein without departing from the spirit of theinvention or exceeding the scopeof the appended claims.

lVhat I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In atail piece for musical instruments having strings, in combination, a base pormovement of the covering member to uncovering position.

2 Ina tail piece for musical instruments having strings, in combination, a base portion secured to the instrument, a covering member yieldably supported in uncovering position and movable from uncovering position to covering position and when in covering positionextending over said base porlion and having an end portion adapted for engaginglhe strings of the instrument for tensioning the strings, and rotatably movable means on the covering member engageable with means on said base portion for retaining the covering member in covering position and disengageable from said means on the base portion forv permitting movementof the covering member to uncovering position.

3. In a tail piece for musical instruments having strings, in combination, a base portion secured to the instrument, a covering member pivotally secured at an endthereof to an end of the base portion and, spring maintained in uncovering position and movable to covering position and when so moved llltl extending over the base portion and engaging the strings of the instrument for tensioning the strings, and means including rotatably movable means cooperating between the covering member and base portion for retaining the covering member in covering position and releasable for permitting spring actuated movement of the covering member to uncovering position.

4;. In a tail piece for musical instruments having strings, in combination, a base member secured to the musical instrument and having a portion thereof extending over the face 01 the instrument provided with an upstanding hook, and a covering member secured to said extending portion and movable from uncovering position to covering position and when in covering position disposed over said extending portion, said covering member being spring maintained in uncovering position and having an opening therethrough and a rotatable cam member adjacent to said opening and having an end portion for transversely engaging the strings of the instrument when the covering member is in covering position, said hook when the covering member is moved to covering position passing through said opening and being engageable With said cam member by rotation of the cam member in one direction for retaining the coverin member in covering position and being disengageable from the cam member by rotation of the cam member in reverse direction for permitting spring actuated movement of the covering member to uncovering position. a

5. In a tail piece for musical instruments having strings and a bridge adapted for supporting the strings in spaced parallelism thereon, in combination, a base portion secured to the instrument and including a plate extending inwardly over the face of the instrument and having on the upper face of said plate means for attaching said strings thereto in the same spaced parallelism as the parallelism oi' sald strings on said'bridge, a

covering member spring maintained in uncovering position and movable from uncovering position to covering position and when so moved extending over said plate and covering said string attaching means and having an end portion adapted for engaging the equally spaced parallel strings for tensioning the strings, and means on the covering member engageable with means on said plate for retaining the covering member in covering position and disengageable from the means on said plate for permitting spring'actuated movement of the covering member to uncovering position.

6. In a tail piece for musical instruments havin strin s and a brid 'e ada )ted for a s a l supporting the strings in spaced parallelism thereon, in combination, a bracket secured on the exterior side of the rim of the instrument and having a plate arranged substantially at right angles to the bracket and extending in- \vardly over the face of the instrument, said plate having on the upper face pins for at taching said strings thereto in the same spaced parallelism as the parallelism of said strings on said bridge and having a hook ROBERT R. PAGE.