US624309A

US624309A - Tailpiece for banjos

Info

Publication number: US624309A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1899-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 1916-05-02

Description

Patented May 2, |899.

C. S. DE LAND.

TAILPIECE FOR BANJOS.

v (Application filed Jan. 20, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

CHARLES s. DE LANo, on VLos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TA|LP|ECE FOR BANJOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,309, dated May 2, 1899.

Application led January 20, 1899. Serial No. 702,814. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. DE LANo, 'a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new l and useful Improvements in Tailpieces for Banjos and other Stringed Instruments, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved tailpiece for banjos and other stringed instruments; and myinvention consists in certain features of novelty hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure I is a perspective view of a fragment of a banjo, showing my improved tailpiece attached thereto. Fig. II is a vertical section taken on line II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a top view of the tailpiece. Fig. IV is a bottom view. Fig. V is a side elevation of one of the knobs for holding the end of the string. Fig. VI is a transverse section taken on line VI VI, Fig. VII. Fig. VII is a vertical-section taken on line VII VII, Fig. VI. Fig. VIII is a side elevation of the bolt for holding the tailpiece. Fig. IX is a top view of said bolt.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the body of the banjo, 2 the parchment covering, and 3 the removable band or ring for holding the covering in place.

4 represents the usual bolts, which have their outer ends hooked over the ring 3 for holding said ring in position, the lower end of the bolts being secured to brackets 5 on the body 1.

6 represents the body of the tailpiece, said body having a vertically-extending plate 7, curved, as shown at 8, to lit the ring 3 of the instrument.

8 represents a horizontally-extending flange on the upper end of the plate 7, said flange fitting over the top of the ring 3 and resting thereon. 9 represents a series of knobs or posts secured to said flange 8 by being riveted thereto or by other suitable means, said knobs serving to partially hold the strings 10, said strings being wound around the knobs.

11 represents a shelf extending horizontally at the lower end of the plate 7, the outer face 12 of said shelf being convex in contour. The

shelf 11 is provided with an aperture 13, through which the retaining-bolt 14 is inserted, said bolt 14 having one side of its head 15 flattened, as shown at 16, the opposite side of the head being curved or convex in contour, as shown at 17, in order to harmonize with the convex face 12 of the shelf 11. The lower end of the bolt 14 is secured to a stud 1S on the body of the banjo.

19 represents a vertically-extending flange connected with the outer face of the shelf 1l,

said flange being also convex on its outer face.

2O represents a series of knobs secured to the ange 19 either by riveting or other suitable means, said knobs being circular in transA verse section and having heads 2l at their outer ends and shoulders 22, forming a bearing against the outer face of the iiange 19, said shoulders and heads being of greater di ameter in transverse section than the center of the knobs, theknobs between the shoulders and heads curving inwardly, as shown at 23.

24 represents orifices through the centers of the knobs, through which the ends 25 of the strings are placed in placing the strings upon the instrument. After the end of the string has beeninserted in the orifices 24E the body of the string is passed around the knob, as shown in Fig. VI. The end of the string is securely held by the friction or the binding of the same in the orifices when the body of the string has been lapped around the knob. The curved body of the knob being of less diameter than the head and shoulder ofthe same, the tendency of the lapped portion of the string is to move to the center of the knob, thus avoiding any danger of the string passing over the outer ends of the knobs and the shoulder preventing it from coming in too close a contact with the face of the flange,

IOC

point of strain on the plate being close to the rim of the instrument. The outer face of the shelf l1 being convex in contour permits of a greater space between the outer ends of the knobs, thus affording ready access thereto in securing the ends of the strings.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a tailpiece the combination, of a vertically-extending curved plate, a horizontallyextending fiange at the upper end of the plate, knobs secured to said flange, a horizontallyextending shelf at the lower end of the plate, said shelf having its outer face convex in contour and a vertically-extending flange depending from the outer face of the shelf, and curved to correspond therewith, and knobs secured to said flanges, substantially as set forth.

2. In a tailpiece the combination, of a Vertical plate, a horizontally-extending flange connected with the upper end of the plate by a curved bend, a shelf at the lower end of the plate having an orifice, a bolt for securing the tailpiece to an instrument, a flange on the outer face of the shelf, knobs having orifices extending therethrough and secured to said flange,- the point of securing the tailpiece to the instrument lying inside of the lower set of knobs, substantially as set forth.

3. In a tailpece for banjos, thecombination of a vertically-extending plate, a flange at the upper end thereof, knobs secured to said flange, a shelf at the lower end of the plate having a convex outer surface, a flange connected with the outer face of the shelf, knobs secured to said flange and radiating outwardly, and a bolt for securing the tail-- piece to an instrument, the head of said bolt being fiattened on one side and its opposite side convex, substantially as set forth.

. CHARLES S. DE LANO.

llitnesses:

J. W. KEMP,

J. E. KNIGHT.