US1739006A

US1739006A - Banjo head

Info

Publication number: US1739006A
Application number: US106669A
Authority: US
Inventors: William L Lange
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-05-04
Filing date: 1926-05-04
Publication date: 1929-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 1946-12-10

Description

Dec. 10, 1929.

w. Ll LANGE BANJO 'HEAD Filed May .4, 1926 Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES' inarnla'r loFrIcE WILLInivI` L. LANGE, orl NEW YORK, N. Y;

BANJO HEAD Application inea May 4, 192e. serial No. 106,669.

My present invention relates to an improvement 1n musical instruments, and more especially relates to banjos,` and has for its principal object an-improvement in the structural features of the banjo bodyprper.k

One of the featuresof the present invention is themaking of the body of thebanjo consisting of the rim, the head and a resonator attached to the rim all of wood andpermanently jointed together.-

A uother feature of the inventiony relates to the manner in which the resonator is constructed and the means whereby the musical resonance of the instrument is conducted from the interior of theinstrument to the atmosphere and is controlled in the direction of its emission. i

Another feature is the: utilizationV of a wooden head, constituting a sounding board,l

. as a substitute for the vellum heretofore used,

and the means for supportingthe wooden head and sustaining the strain or vstress of the strings. 1

An important advantage of my construction is the use of an all'wood body whereby the musical qualities of the banjo are increased and the characteristic tone of the familiar type of banjo is obviated.

Other objects ofthe invention will appear as the description proceeds, and while herein details of the invent-ion are described they invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes, be made withoutH departing from the spiritV of the invention or` exceeding the scope of the appended claims.. Referring to the accompanying drawingsp Fig. 1 is a side elevationof my'device in fragmentary section a portion of which.

is taken on the line 2-2 of Fig..2

Fig. 2 is a plan view, j Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modified form, y j l Fig. 4 is asectionon the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, andVv Fig. 5vis a fragmentary sectional view of' the resonator shown in Fig. v1.

Similar reference characters denote simivlar parts throughouttheseveral views.

The present banjo is of allwood construction `as relates to the instrumental( orr4 body portion and comprises the rim 1 having thereon the outwardly convexed head 2 which on its under side at its circumferential 1nargin bears on t-he top of the rim 1 and is permanently secured thereto as by gluing. The head 2 has on its under side the supporting cross-pieces 3 curved on their top edges to conform to the concavity of the under side of the head 2and which'are cutaway at their ends 4 for engagement with insets 5 at the top of the rim, the cross-pieces 3 being reduced in thickness towards their bottom edges as shown in Fig. 4 for conducing toy the resonant quality.

The resonator R is arranged at the bottom of the rim 1 and consists ofthe outer annular wall 65the outwardly convened back 7 and the inner annular `wall 8, all of wood and` permanently secured together as by gluing. The outer wall 6 is spaced away laterally from the bottom end of the rim land is secured theretoby the top piece or facing 9 whichv engages at its inner marginal portion the rabbetflO ofthe rim. The top piece 9 is providedwith the series of sound emitting ing formed between the outer and inner

annular walls

6 and 8. The inner wall 8 is provided with the series of openings 13 communicating between the interior of the banjo and the resonating chamber 12. lThe strings 14 are ,stretched'over the head 2 in the usual manner, being supported by the bridge 15 which preferably is placed over or near one ofthe cross-pieces 3, the cross piece 3 thus supporting the head against the pressure of the strings on the bridge and head when the strings are under tension.

Referring to Fig. 3, the inner annular wall of the modified form of resonator consists of a series of spaced legs 16 formed on the bottom of the rim 1 and bearing attheir bottom ends on the back 7 and having between the legs the openings 17 which provide communication between the interior of the banjo and the resonating chamber 12.

In use of the banjo the sound waves from the interior of the instrument pass through the openings 13 vor 127 as the case may be into the resonating chamber l2 and are emitted through the openings ll to the atmosphere in direction away from the player and away from his body and towards the hearers, the rim, head and resonator all being ot wood and joined together to provide a banjo body of permanently oined parts having the resonance peculiar to instruments of all wood parts and free. from the tone characteristics ofthe familiar type ol' banjos.

l/Vhat l claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. ln a stringed musical instrument, in comoination, a rim, a head on one end of said rim, and a resonator on the opposite end of the rim, said resonator including an outer side wall disposed in a plane parallel to and outwardly ot the plane ot the rim and an inner side wall parallel to the outer side wall and spaced away inwardly from the outer side wall and providing a resonating chamber between said walls, and a sounding board, said sounding board providing bottom closure for said chamber and bottom closure for the space enclosed by said inner side wall, said space communicating with the interior space of the rim, said inner side wall having means for passage of sound into the resonating chamber from said interior space of the rim and from said space enclosed by said inner side wall.

2. In a stringed musical instrument, in con'ibination, rim, a head on one end of said rim, and a resonator on the opposite end of the. rim, said resonator including an outer side wall disposed in 'a plane parallel to and outwardlv ot' the plane of the rim and an inn er side wall parallel to the outer side wall and spaced away inwardly from the outer side wall and providing a resonating chamber between d walls, and a sounding board, said soun@ ng board providing bottom clo- .ire for said chamber and bottom closure for the space enclosed by said inner side wall, said space con'imunieating with. the interior space oi the rim, said inner side wall having means lor passage olr sound into the resonating chamber from said interior space of the rim and from said space enclosed by said inner side wall, said rim, head, outer and inner side walls and sounding board being of t-he same resonating material.

In a stringed musical instrument, in con'ibination, a rim, a head on one end of said rim, and a resonator on the opposite end oi the rim, said resonator including an outer side wall disposed in a plane parallel to and outwardly of the plane of the rim and an inner side wall parallel to the outer side wall and spaced away inwardly from the outer side wall and providing a resonating chamber between said walls, a top closure with openings therefor for passage of sound from said chamber, and a sounding board, said sounding board providing bottom closure for said chamber and bottom closure for the space enclosed by said inner side wall, said space communicating with the interior space of the rim, said inner side wall having openings therein for passage of sound into the resonating chamber from said interior space ot the rim and from said space enclosed by said inner side wall.

4. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination, a rim, a head on one end of said rim, and a resonator on the opposite end et the rim, said resonator including an outer side wall 4disposed in a plane parallel to and outwardly ot the plane of the rim and an inner side wall parallel to the outer side wall and spaced away inwardly from the outer sine wall and providing a resonating chamber between said walls, and a sounding board, said sounding` board providing bottom closure for said chamber and bottom closure for the space enclosed by said inner side wall, said space communicating with the interior space of the rim, said inner side wall having openings therein lor passage of sound into the resonating chamber from said interior space of the rim and from said space enclosed by the inner side wall, said head being outwardly convened and said sounding board being outwardly conveXed in direction opposite to the convexity of the head.

5. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination, an annular rim, a circular head on one end of said rim, and a resonator on the opposite end oit the rim, said resonator including an annular outer side wall disposed in a plane parallel to and outwardly of the plane of the rim and an annular inner side wall parallel to the outer side wall and spaced away inwardly from the outer side wall and providing an annular resonatiug chamber between said walls, and a circular sounding board, said sounding board provi ding bottom clos re for said chamber and bottom closure for the space enclosed by said inner side wall, said space con'iaiunicating with the interior space'o'i" the rim` said inner side wall having openings therein for passage ot sound into the resonating chamber from said interior space of the rim and from said space enclosed by the inner side wall, said head having a convexity which is the same arc of a circle from the center of the head to all points on the circnm'ferei'ice of the head, said sounding board having a conveXity in direction opposite to the conveiiity of the head and which is the same arc of a circle from the centerof the sounding board to all points on the circumference thereof.

6. In a stringed musical instrument,y in combination, a rim, a head secured at vits margin to one endof said rim, an outer side wall disposed in a plane parallel to and outwardly of thev outer side of the rim and supported by the end of the rim opposite to the irst mentioned end, an inner side wall disposed parallel to the plane of the outer side wall inwardly ofk the outer side wall and supported by the same end of the rim that supports the outer side wall and forming with the outer side wall a resonating chamber, said inner side wall having openings therethrough for passage of sound from the interior chamber space of the instrument into the resonating chamber, and a sounding board providing bottom-closure for the resonating chamber and `back closure for the interior chamber space of the instrument.

7. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination, a rim, a head secured at its margin to one end of said rim, an outer side wall disposed in a pla-ne parallel to and outwardly of the outer side of the rim, an inner side wall disposed parallel to the plane of the outer side wall inwardly of the outer side wall and forming with the outer side wall a resonating chamber, closure means for the top ofthe lresonating chamber and serving to support said outer and inner side walls on the endvof the rim opposite the first mentioned end, said top closure means having openings therethrough for passage of sound from the resonating chamber, said inner side wall having openings therethrough for passage of sound from the interior chamber space of the instrument into the resonating chamber, anda sounding board providing bottom closure for the resonating chamber and back closure for the interior chamber space of the instrument.

8. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination, a rim, a pair of supports spaced apart and disposed transversely of the rim relative to the line of the strings of the instrument and secured at their ends on the rim, and a head secured at its margin on the rim and bearing at its under surface on said supports and supported thereby inwardly of its margin in the longitudinal line of the supports, said rim, head and supports being composed of the same resonating material.

9. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination, a rim, a'pair of supports spaced apart and disposed transversely of the rim relative to the line of the strings of the instrument and `secured at their ends on the rim, a head secured at its margin on the rim yand bearing at its under surface on said supports and supported thereby inwardl; of its margin in the longitudinal line of t e supports, and a bridge disposed on the outer surface of said head in the longitudinal line of one of said su ports whereby said support reinforces the iiead for sustaining the pressure of the strings on the bridge, said rim,

head and supports being composed of the same resonating material.

10. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination, a rim, a pair of supports spaced apart and disposed transversely of the rim relative to the line of the strings of the instrument and secured at their ends on the rim, and a head secured at its margin on the rim and bearing at its under surface on said supports and supported thereby inwardlyy of its margin in the longitudinal line of the supports, said head being outwardly convexed and said supports being curved on their head supporting edges for conforming to the concavity of the` head on its side opposite said conve'Xity.

11. In a stringed musical instrument, in combination, a rim, having a rabbetv on the inner side of one of its ends, a pair of supports spaced apart and disposed transversely of the rim relative to the line fof the strings of the instrument and secured at their ends on said rabbet, a head secured at its margin on the rim and bearing at its under surface on and secured to said supports and supported thereby inwardly of its margin in the longitudinal line of the supports, said head being outwardly convexed and said supports being curved on their head supporting edges for conforming to the concavity of the head on its side opposite said conveXity, and a bridge exposed on the outer surface of said head in the longitudinal line of one of said supports whereby said support reinforces the lhead from sustaining the pressure of the strings on the bridge.

12. In a stringed musical instrument, in

combination, a rim, a head on one end of said rim, an annular wall concentric with said rim, an annular member provided with openings in contact with said rim and wall, a second annular wall provided with apertures concentric with said first wall, and a back member in contact with said first and second walls.

13.' In a stringed musical instrument, as defined in claim 12, said head and back member being outwardly convexed in opposite directions.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 3rd day of May n.1). 1926.

y WILLIAM L. LANGE.