US90350A - Improvement in banjos - Google Patents

Description

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waited ,States @anni @hijita GEORGE C. DOBSON AND WILLTAM MCDONNELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AS SIGNORS TO G. O. DOBSON.

Lette'rsPatent No. 90,350, dated May 25, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT 1N BANJos.

The Schedule referredito in these y.'lZustters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern l Be it known that we, GEORGE C. DoBsoN and WIL- LIAM MCDONNELL, both of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain Improvements in Banjos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of that portion of a banjo to which the head is attached.

Figure 2 is aplan of the under side of the same.

Figure 3 is a section on the line :t x of Iig. 2.

Figure 4, detail .t-be referred to.

This invention consists in an improved `method of securing and stretching the head of a banjo upon the outer rim, or hoop, whereby the tone of the instrument is softened, and rendered more harmonious than heretofore. i

vTo enable othersskilled in the art to understand and use our invention, we will proceed to describe the manner in which we have carried it out.

In the said drawings- A represents the outer hoop, or rim of a bahjo, at the top of the interior of which is a stationary rim, or flesh-hoop, b, which forms a shoulder, 5, against which rests the wire ring, or skin-hoop, d, t0 which the head B is attached.

Thisv head B is confined securely in place, and stretched, as required, by means of a wooden banjohoop, C, the-exterior diameter of which is a little less than that of the interior of the flesh-hoop b, so as to allow it to come into contact with the head B, against which it is forced bya series of screws, e, which pass through blocks, or brackets f, and bear against small metallic blocks, or plates g, let into the under side of the hoop C, for the purpose of preventing it from being ,marred or injured by the points of the screws, which fit into recesses 6 in the blocks', as seen in fig. 3.

It will be seen, that by means of the construction and arrangement of parts above described, no metal is allowed to come' into contact with the head B, above the skin-hoop d, and consequently the tone of the instrument is softened and rendered more harmonious than Where the head is confined in place by means of a metallic hoop, placed over the wire ring, or skinhoop, as heretofore, while the hoop C, which is forced against the head B, being composed of wood, there is no liability of the skin being cut or injured, when a great strain is put upon it.

Each of the blocks, or brackets f, which support the screws e, is of the form shown in fig. 4, the portion h being slightly wedge-shaped, and having its edges bevelled, so as to lit into a correspondingly-shaped groove, k, in a socket-plate, t', which is secured to the interior ofthe hoop A, by screws l, which pass through the apertures m,'and when the points of the screws c are in contact with the blocks g, the downward pressure exerted upon the blocks f serves to wedge them tightly in place within the socket-platest' but when the screws c are turned, sc as to withdraw their points a short from the blocks, and the removal of the head B is thus greatly facilitated.

In the above-described banjo, the flesh-hoop l b, and skin-hoop d, are both stationary,.the head being tightened by forcing the wooden banjo-hoop C up against it, while in the ordinary banjo the skin-hoop is movable,.and is drawn down to tighten the head by a movable metallic hoop, operated by screws.

' This latter method is, however, objectionable, as the edge of the metallic hoop is liable to cut, or injure the head, where a great strain is pnt upon it, while the contact of the metal with the head above the skinhoop, is liable to injure the tone of the instrument, and produce a metallic sound.

O laims.

screws e, in combination with the socket-plates i, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GEO. O. DOBSON. WM. AMODON N ELL.

lVitnesses:

P. E. TESCHEMAGHER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE.

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