US951492A - Banjo attachment. - Google Patents

Description

G. M. SPENCER. BANJO ATTACHMENT. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

Patented Mar. 8, 1910.

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GEQRGE MATHIAS SPENCER, Y3 ORGVILLE, WASHINGTON.

BAT-J0 ATTACE-ZEJZENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. T, GEORGE lvIA'rrIIAs Srnrrcnn, a subject of the King of England, residing at Oroville, in the county of Ulranogan and State of Vi ashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banjo Attachments; and lt do 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.

My invention relates to improvements in sound modifying attachments for banjos.

The object of the invention is to provide an attachment of this character by means of which the tone of the banjo is greatly improved and a lighter action provided.

A further object is to provide an attachment of this character which may be readily applied to a banjo to produce the desired results.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of a banjo with the handle broken off showing the application of the invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the head on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. at is a cross sectional view of the same on the line l4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the outer bridge of the attachment; Fig. 6 is a similar view of the inner bridge of the attachment.

In the embodiment of the invention, I provide an outer bridge 1 which is adapted to be engaged with the head of the banjo and with the strings in the usual manner. The bridge 1 comprises a flat plate 2 having at one end a reduced stem 3 and at its opposite end a transverse cleat t provided with notches to receive the strings of the banjo. On the under side of the plate 2 is arranged a head engaging spacing member 5.

In connection with the outer bridge 1, I provide an inner bridge member 6 which is arranged on the inner side of the head between the same and the inner brace bar 7 of the head supporting frame 8. The inner bridge member (3 is here shown and preferably consists of a series of laterally pro- Specifieation of Letters Eatent.

Application filed July 7, 1W3.

Patented Mar. 8, 1910.

Serial No. 506,302.

jecting arms 9 of which there may be any suitable number, four of said arms being shown in the present instance. The arms 9, as here shown, project at right angles to each other and on the outer ends thereof are formed laterally projecting lugs 10 which are engaged with the inner side of the head of the banjo.

The inner bridge member 6 is held in position and operatively connected with the reduced stem ,3 of the outer bridge by a string 11 which is preferably formed of catgut but which may be of any suitable material, and is inserted through apertures 12 foaned in the inner member 6 and through small perforations formed in the head of the banjo and through the apertured ends of a bridge piece 13 arranged over the stem 3 and holding this end of the bridge 1. The string after being thus passed through the inner bridge member 6, the head of the banjo and the bridge piece 13, as described, has its ends tied, thus rigidly securing the inner bridge member in place. The bridge piece 13 serves to hold the stem end of the outer bridge 1 and also prevents the string 11 from cutting through the head of the banjo.

By providing an attachment constructed and arranged as herein shown and described, a counter vibration is produced on the inner side of the head of the banjo and thereby providing a lighter action and improving the tone of the instrument.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a banjo head of an outer bridge, an inner bridge, a bridge piece to hold said outer bridge in position, and a connection between said bridge piece and the instrument.

2. The combination with a banjo head, of an outer bridge arranged on the outer face of said head, said bridge having a reduced stem, an inner bridge engaged with the inner side of the head of the banjo, said the head of the banjo and said inner bridge 1.0 inner bridge comprising a series of laterally to secure the bridges in operative posiiion.

outer ends head engaging lugs adapted to engage the inner side of the head of the 5 banjo, a bridge piece arranged on the outer side of the head to hold the stem end of the enter bridge, and a connection extending through and engaged with said bridge piece,

my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE MATHIAS SPENCER. V Witnesses R. P. HOsKYN,

pro ecting arms or bars having at their i In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I i Mrs. J. A. STEWAR'I.

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