US459414A

US459414A - Charles l

Info

Publication number: US459414A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1908-09-15

Description

(No Model.)'

0. L. ROBINSON.

TAIL PIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 459.414. Patented Sept. 15,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. ROBINSON, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

TAIL-PIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,414, dated September 15, 1891.

Application filed February 4, 1891. Serial No. 380,127. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. ROBINSON, of New York city, New York, have invented an Improved Tail-Piece for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tail-piece for banjos and similar musical instruments, by which all the strings may be simultaneously slackened or tightened up, and which is made of such a form as to facilitate the attachment of the strings.

The invention consists in the various features of improvement more fully pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top View of my improved tailpiece; Fig. 2, an end view, and Fig. 3 a rear view, of the same.

The letter (t represents a plate bent into the form of a hook and constituting the body of the tail-piece. This hook opens on top, as shown, and beneath its month there is an inclined section a, that serves to guide the strings toward and out of the mouth.

At the bend the hook is perforated for the reception of the strings I). These strings are knotted at the ends, as usual, the knots I) being received by the groove that is formed between the two shanks of the hook. This groove may be provided with a suitable lining 0.

hen a new string is to be secured to the tail-piece, it is passed through its perforation and run upward out of the groove, so as to be within easy reach, Fig. 2. Then the stringis knotted and tightened up by the turning-pin till the knot is drawn back into the groove. Thus it will be seen that by my tail-piece the string end is guided to a point where it may be easily manipulated.

The shank of the plate a is bent down, as at a and provided with a nut or tapped opening. This opening is engaged bya set-screw (Z passing through the perforation of an end plate 6, that projects upwardly above the rim of the banjo A. This end plate is provided at its lower end with a longitudinal slot 6, through which passes the shank of a screw j, that connects the end plate to the banjo. If the screw f is slackened, the end plate may be moved up or down, so as to project to any desired extent above the rim. The set-screw (Z serves to draw the plate a horizontally toward or away from the bridge to any desired extent. Thus by this screw all the strings may be simultaneously slackened or tightened up. Not only does this screw therefore per mit the pitch of the instrument to be quickly changed, but it also permits the strings to be relieved from strain when the instrument is not used.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The combination of a hook-shaped perforated plate a, having a bent shank, with a set-screw (I engaging said shank, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of hook-shaped perforated plate a, having an upwardly-opening mouth a and a downwardly-bent shank a with a set-screw (Z engaging said shank and with an end plate engaging the set-screw, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of vertically-adj ustable end plate 6 with a horizontally-adjustable string-carrying plate a and with a set-screw d, that connects the plates 6 a, substantially as specified.

CHAS.- L. ROBINSON. \Vitnesses:

A. J ONGHMANS, F. v. BRIEsEN.