US576606A

US576606A - Tailpiece for banjos or violins

Info

Publication number: US576606A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1914-02-09

Description

(No Model.)

H. O. NICHOLS. TAILPIEOE FOR BANJOS OR VIOLINs.

No. 676,606. Patented Feb. 9,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEicE.

HENRY O. NICHOLS, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

TAILPIECE FOR BANJOS OR VIOLINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,606, dated February 9, 1897.

Serial No. 593,015. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, HENRY O. NIcHoLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, New London county, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tailpieces for Banjos, Violins, &c., which improvements are fully set forth and described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings.

My immediate object is to produce a tailpiece for banjos, guitars, and the like instruments for use in securing the strings of gut or gimp of such instruments, which tailpiece shall be of simple construction, easily struck up from sheet metal, and which, by reason of its peculiar construction, may be more easily used than tailpieces of this class now in common use.

To explain my invention clearly, I have pro vided the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a banjo-head having my improved tailpiece in use therewith, and Fig. 2 shows in elevation the various elements of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 1 on line co m. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate progressive steps in the process of securing a string end to one of the pins of the tailpiece.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a denotes a banjo-head, of sheepskin or like material, secured at its edge to a ring I), which latter, when forced downward by a band 0, serves to stretch the head a across a hoop d, the band 0 being controlled by the ordinary screw adjustment. The construction of the adjusting devices and the manner of operating the same are well known and need no detailed description.

My improved tailpiece is formed, preferably, of a piece of sheet metal doubled upon itself, forming two substantially parallel portions 6 6 the former of which is of somewhat greater length than the latter. Near its free end the part c is bent downward and then again parallel with the head a, as at 6 The free end of portion 6 is enlarged somewhat, forming a flaring plate 6, upon which are mounted pins f, to which the strings g are secured.

My tailpiece e is secured to the banjo by means of the usual rod h, adjustably mounted in a boss 70, projecting from the banjo. Verportion e firmly on the shouldered end of rod h. The free end of the short arm 6 is of such length that it abuts the band 0 when the strings are drawn taut, thus preventing the undue springing of the rod h. By suitably adjusting the nut h, the rod h and the con nected tailpiece may be raised or lowered to bring the plate 6 into proper relation to the banjo-head, it being desirable, ordinarily, to carry the string ends down as near the head as possible. Secured to the plate 6 near its front edge, are posts or studs f, one for each string, and each of said studs is drilled or otherwise perforated, as at f, to receive the string.

In the act of stringing up the banjo the end of the string is inserted in hole f at the side nearest the bridge, and as said string end passes through the post it engages the inclined surface e of plate e and said end is thereby guided upward, as seen in Fig. at. Vhile in this position the string is wrapped around the post and carried under the upwardly-projecting end, as seen in Fig. 5. It should now be noted that post f .is reduced in diameter just below the point where it is perforated, so that when the coiled spring is drawn tightly around the post it rides upward and binds the projecting end portion of the string firmly against the upper wall of the openingf, and it will thus be seen that the binding-grip of the coil upon the string end will be proportionate to the tension on the string, rendering it impossible for the string end to be drawn through the post, no matter how great the tension may be.

In some instances, as, for example, when gimp strings are used, the string may be coiled a second time around the post and across the initial coil, as in Fig. 6, but usually this is not necessary.

My described device is found to be of do cided advantage whenever it becomes necesszn'y to nttneh u string hurriedly, as it is 0111;, necessary to push the string end through the hole f and then eoil. it one or more times LlOlUHl the post. 3 {eanuhile the i 1101 in ed pa rt 0; of plate 0 mitonnttieelly guides the string end upward, so that the coil may he passed under said end Without having to adjust or even touch said end.

My device is also economical in that only a small part of the string is required to insure the positive clamping ol. snid string.

Having described my invention, I elnim- 5 in a tailpiece lor banjos it plate doubled upon itself to form parallel members that are mounted upon {L rod secured to the l zu1johead, the free end of said plate being provided with perforated posts all being combined substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Witnesses:

FRANK 1L ALLEN, lllAY F. Rrienin.