IMPROVEMENTS IN BANJOS
Year: 1884

page_text: I CHARLES ADOLPHUS WITCHELL of Stroud in the County of Gloucester Law
Student do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BANJOS" to be as follows:-
1. The straining of vellum on both sides of the hoops of Banjos instead of on
the upper side only as heretofore.
2. The straining to be affected by screwing the clips (or wire hooks) to each
other by Nuts or to Brackets placed as at present on the side of the Hoop.
3. The puncturing of holes in the side of the hoop so that the air may pass freely
through them and allow the clearer emission of sound.
:

page_text: .
The
or metal under and over and by means of which respectively the vellum or other
skin shall be strained shall be the same as or similar to those now in use.
other parts of the Banjos shall be the same as those now in use always excepting
those parts mentioned below in "Improvement" 2.
2. The straining of the vellum (E. E) or other skin shall be effected by means of
brass rims (B. B) and wire (D. D) or wood rings as at present used for such
purposes. The vellum shall be strained by means of rims as at present is customary
in Banjos, There shall be clips (A A) or hooks of brass or other metal fitting on
both rims. The hooks or clips may be the same as those now in use for straining
the single vellum head of Banjos as at present made. The hooks or clips (A. A)
shall be screwed towards each other by means of screws or nuts or by means of
the "right and left handed screw (Figure 1) as at present used for fastening the
chin rests of violins, or they may be passed through sockets fastened to the side of
the hoop and screws the same as those at present used in the straining of the single
head of a Banjo, or the straining of the vellum heads by means of drawing the rims
towards each other shall be performed by any complication of screws or fastenings
at present known in Banjos and applied to such purposes.
3. A hole or holes may be punctured or aperture or apertures made in the
hoops (C) of Banjos so that air may freely pass in and out and allow of the emission
of sound.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is
(1). That I am the true and first inventor of the " Double-headed Banjo " that is
to say, of a Banjo made with a head on the opposite side of the hoop to that on
which the head is now placed and used in addition to and used in conjunction
with and strained from and to that head so usually placed as at E, E, figure 2.
(2). The straining of the two heads to each other of from each other as in
Figure 1 thus enabling Manufacturers of Banjos to discard the use of the brackets
now used fastened into the hoops of Banjos.
(3). The puncturing of a hole or holes or aperture or apertures in the hoops of
Banjos to allow of the clearer emission of sound.
(4). That these improvements render the tone of Banjos louder, clearer and
fuller, and increase the sustained resonance of the Instruments.
(5). That they are or of a simple, construction and application and of neat
appearance.
Dated this tenth day of August 1885.