Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
I, CHARLES WILLARD HUTCHINS of 30, Winchester Street, Springfield,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 relates to metallic instruments of the class in which cords are
stretched over necks supporting finger boards, and comprising mandolins, guitars,
banjoes, and the violin family, and have for their object in the first part an increase
in resonance in the instrument; and in the second part provision for the adjustment.
of the finger board relative to the strings, and the invention consists in the
combination and construction as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed
out in the claims.
My invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a mandolin with top removed;
Figure 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section of a portion of the mandolin ;
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the dotted lines x, r, of Figure 2 looking
toward the head of the instrument;
Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal central section through part of the
mandolin; and
Figure 5 is a top plan view of the same.
Referring to the drawings of so much of the instrument as is necessary to
illustrate my invention; B is the hollow sound chamber of a mandolin, extended
and prolonged to a point, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, beyond the neck C; said
chamber is formed by the thin metal wall D, forming the bowl of the instrument,
prolonged and given the configuration of the portion of the neck, curved in cross
section, over which the hand slides in stopping the strings, and the thin metal top
of the instrument H, prolonged to supply a cover to the curved sides of the neck,
the resulting auxiliary chamber to the bowl being as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4
longitudinally, and in cross section as seen in Figure 3.
The top being tightly joined to the edges of the metal D, supplies a surface
over the hollow neck for seating the finger board I, and is from the nut C, together
with wall D, produced to cover a block of wood E, seating the plates of a machine
head, not shown. It will be seen that a sound chamber extends under the strings d,
their entire length from the nut C to the tail piece h.
Although a sound chamber extended from the body of the instrument into the
neck to any point inside of the nut C, will greatly increase the volume of tone,
and in proportion as its length brings it nearer the nut, by carrying the sound
chamber to a point beyond the nut, where the end is shown to be formed by the
solid block E, I. am able to seat the nut C over the sound chamber and stretch the
strings over and between what is in effect two bridges seated upon a sound board,
and thus obtain an increased volume of sound from the strings, and the nut C in
this case being equivalent to a second bridge and the top H to a sound board.
In practice I have thus made a mandolin of thin sheet aluminium, the body and
neck being formed of only the two parts D and H, the top seating, the nut, finger
board, and bridge, and the two parts enclosing the block E supplying the head,
and having a tone much larger in volume than those in general use having a solid
neck.
Their principle of construction is applicable to all metallic instruments, dependent
unon cords vibrating over a neck and stretched between a nut and bridge.

page_text: In order to provide for the adjustment of the finger board relative to the strings,
not only to or away from the strings and parallel to them, but with either end
inclined to or away from them, as well, I detach the end of the finger board I
from the nut C, leaving a short space between them as shown, to prevent the tipping
of that end of the finger board and combine two screws c c with the finger board
and top H.
The threaded ends of the screws pass through the top H, tapped to receive
them, and in order to provide a better hold for the screws, when the neck is hollow,
than would be afforded by the thin top H alone, the stock of the top is increased
at the points where the screws pass through it by lugs i i upon the inner surface as
shown, and the screws are provided with hemi-spherical heads received in the
corresponding countersinks in the finger board.
The openings in the finger board through which the shanks of the screws pass,
are elongated in the direction of the length of the finger board, as seen in Figure 4,
so as to admit of a tilting of the finger board relative to the screws.
When it
is desired to raise the finger board parallel with the strings, the screws are loosened
and the finger board is wedged up to the required position before the screws are
tightened to secure it; when either end of the finger board is to be raised or
lowered, the screws permit said adjustment.
By these means the finger board can be adjusted to compensate for the wear of
the frets, or to meet the requirements of performers of varying finger power, or be
entirely removed if necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In metallic stringed instruments, a hollow neck provided with a cavity opening
into and continuous with the bowl or body, and provided with a bottom and side
wall formed of the prolonged bowl or body wall, and a metal sheet joined to the
edges of said neck to provide a top thereto, and adapted to form a top also to the
bowl or body, as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The hollow neck provided with a bottom and side wall formed of the prolonged
wall of the bowl or body, and provided with a cavity opening at one end of the
neck into the main sound body of the instrument, and at the other end of the neck
arranged to extend beneath the nut, and a metal sheet joined to the edges of the
neck to form a top thereto and a seat to the nut, and adapted to form also a top to
the bowl or body.
3. The finger board provided with two adjusting screws having their ends
screwed into the neck beneath the finger board and having hemi-spherical heads
seated in corresponding countersinks in the finger board with an enlarged opening
for the passage of the screw shanks, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 18th day of November 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.