Improvements in Banjos.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 6th Feb.,
1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Banjos.
I, CHARLES MEADOWS WOOD of Cury Chambers, Cambridge, Banjo Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention consists in providing a banjo head with two vellums at opposite
sides of the same ring and distended by the usual flanges and the same screw bolts
or other tension devices so as to be in unison or have the same pitch, the ring
over which the vellums are stretched being perforated to permit the emission of
sound and provided with a damper in the form of a similarly perforated band or of
independent valves operated by means within reach of the performer's hand
whereby the volume of tone may be brought under the immediate control of the
performer.
The ring on which the vellums are distended is mounted within an outer ring
surrounding the inner ring and the tension devices at a distance and connected
thereto by radial bolts, the inner ring having no other fixed connection with any
part of the instrument, the neck or handle of the banjo being fixed to the said
outer ring by screw-bolts.
Dated this 25th day of March 1891.
C. M. WOOD,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Banjos.
I, CHARLES MEADOWS WOOD of Cury Chambers, Cambridge, Banjo Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention consists in providing a banjo with two vellums distended at opposite
sides of the same drum or band preferably by the same tension devices so that the
two vellums will be tuned to the same pitch, the drum or band on which the
vellums are distended being mounted within an outer ring or frame surrounding
the inner band at a distance and connected thereto by radial studs, the inner band
having no other fixed connection with any part of the instrument and the neck or
handle of the banjo being fixed to the outer ring. The inner drum or band is
perforated to permit the emission of sound and may or may not be provided with
a damper in the form of a similarly perforated band (or of independent valves)
operated by means within reach of the performer's hand whereby the volume of
tone may be brought under the immediate control of the performer.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a central section, and
Figure 2 a face view, of the improved banjo.
Figure 3 shews two quarter sections of the banjo frame provided with a ring
valve, shewn closed at the left and open at the right hand section.
A is the usual front vellum and B an additional back vellum, both stretched
over a sheet metal drum or band C by flanged rings D, these two rings being pre-
ferably connected by tension bolts E so that the two vellums will be equally
distended. It will however be obvious that the tension bolts might be fixed to
877

page_text: lugs on the band C and the two vellums be separately tuned by nuts on the ends
of the bolts. F is an outer ring or frame of stout sheet metal with inwardly-flanged
edges (or it may be of wood) within which the drum C is rigidly fixed by equidistant
radial stay-bolts & alternating with the tension bolts E. H is the neck or handle
fixed to the outer frame F by screws h. The outer frame I surrounds the inner
band C at such a distance as to leave ample room for the tension devices and for
the emission of the sound. For the latter purpose the band C has sound
apertures c, which may either be permanently open or provided as in Figure 3
with a valve formed of a similarly perforated band I fitted to slide within the
band C so that its perforations may be made to coincide or not with those C, the
valve being shifted by a knob either rising between the bands C and F or passing
through both to a point within convenient reach of the performer's hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The herein described improved banjo having two vellums stretched respectively
on the front and back of an inner drum or band surrounded at a distance by and
fixed by radial stays to an outer band or frame to which the neck or handle is
attached, all substantially as specified.
2. The combination with the herein described banjo having two vellums
stretched on front and back of an inner frame having perforated sides and
surrounded by an outer frame, of the perforated ring valve for regulating the
emission of sound, as specified.
Dated this 98th dow of Decembar 1901
C. M. WOOD,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.