US269178A

US269178A - Banjo

Info

Publication number: US269178A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1882-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1899-12-19

Description

(No Model.) v

O. R. CHASE.

BANJO.

Patented Dec. 19, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER R. CHASE, (IFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,178, dated December 19, 1882.

Application filed August 9, 1882.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLivER 1t. CHASE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banjos and other Similar Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the. accompanying drawings, and to the let ters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of a banjo embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the head or body of a banjo, showing my improvement. Figs. 3, 4:, and 5 are sectional views, in detail, of the metal rim or ring, showing modifications thereof.

The present invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in that class of banjos and other like musical instruments having the body or head thereof formed of metal.

Previous to my invention the entire body or head of the instrument, or, in other words, the face, back, and rim, were composed of sheet metal; or a wooden rim was provided, to which a metal stretcher-hoop was attached for securing thereto the parchment head. It is also common to construct the rim of banjos from both wood and metal combined, the interior of the rim consisting of a wooden hoop having upon its outside a metal band, to the upper edge of which is secured a metal ring for the attachment of the parchment head, the ring having two (lownwardly-projecting flanges, the outer one serving as a means of attachment to the metal band, while the inner flange extends down inside the rim free from all parts of the instrument, so as to be capableof unrestrained vibration.

It is the object of my invention to improve the construction of the above class of musical instrument, whereby its strength, brilliancy, and resonance of tone are greatly increased, which objects I attain by the construction substantially as shown in the drawings and here inafter described and claimed.

(X0 model.)

In the accompanyingdrawings, Arepresents the metal ring or rim of a banjo, of any suitable thickness, width, and diameter, and has one or both of its edges curved inwardly and preferably in a downward direction, as shown.

Over the curved edge of the ring or rim A is secured the parchment head B in any suitable manner, the parchment being preferably held in place by a metal band or stretcherhoop, (J, and any usual clamps, D, in the ordinary manner.

The handle E of the banjo or the fingerboard is secured in any suitable manner to the outer side or periphery of the ring or rim A, and does not extend through the ring or rim from one side thereof to the other, as has been usually the practice. The handle or fingerboard E has stretched over it the usual strings, F,supported from contact with the parchment head B by the bridge G in the ordinary man ner.

I have shown the metal ring or rim A with either one or both edges curved; but I prefer to construct it substantially as shown in Fig. l of the drawings; but the same effect in a less degree can be obtained by having one only of the edges curved and theopposite edge straight, or nearly so, as in Figs. 3 and 5,in which case the iiarclnnent head can be placed on either the curved or uncurved edges.

The ring or rim is formed from a single piece of metal, with its curved edge or edges, there being no separate pieces or flanged ring to attach to the edge of the rim over which the parchment head is secured, or no wood comes in contact with the metal rim, such as the usual wooden hoop employed to form a part of the It will be seen that nothing whatever, either of wood or metal, comes in contact with the ring or rim that would be considered a disturbing element in the harmony of the instrument, and the rim, with its curved edge or edges, being constructed from a single piece of metal, not only increases the sonorousness and resonance of tone, but gives greater strength to the body of the banjo, as well as adding to the durability of the instrument.

The rim or ring may be either plain or ornamental, and, if desired, have perforations through it, thus decreasing the weight of the having the rim or ring thereof formed from a instrument and enabling the sound to escape single piece of metal, with one or both edges through the perforations. curved inwardly, substantially as shown, and

Having now fully described my invention, for the purpose specified. r5 5 what I claim as new, and desire to secure by In testimony whereof I affix my signature in Letters Patent, ispresence of two witnesses.

1. A banjo or other musical instrument having its rim formed wholly of metal, with its edge or edges curved inwardly, substantially Witnesses: 4 10 as and for the purpose set forth. WM. B. H. DowsE,

S. A banjo or other analogous instrument HERBERT OQOLIDGE.

()LI VER 1t. CHASE.