Improvements in Banjos.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 7th June. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Banjos.
I, CHARLES CHAMBERS BOILEAU of 28 Collegiate Crescent, Broomhall Park,
Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to improve and strengthen the sound of banjos. I
accomplish this object by the means hereinafter described.
I bend the rim throughout its entire periphery of that part of the band of the
instrument through which the heads of the bolts pass, so that said rim forms a
concave flange. Outside this flange and bearing against the heads of said bolts I
place a disc of metal or other suitable material which is formed with an almost similar
flange round its entire periphery to the first mentioned flange. The inner side of
this disc is convex at its centre, the other side is concave and in said centre is a hole
through which the head of a nut or screw fixed in the centre of the continuation of
the arm of the instrument (made of metal or wood) passes. The head of the screw is
held by a catch or hook pivoted on the outside of the aforesaid disc. By these means
the said disc can be easily removed, when it is desired to reduce or moderate the
sound of the instrument.
Dated thin 7th in Դ
1000
CHAS. W. J. NOLTE,
17, Coleman Street, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Banjos.
I CHARLES CHAMBERS BOILEAU of 28 Collegiate Crescent Broomball Park Sheffield
in the County of York, Engineer 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:
The object of my invention is to improve and strengthen the sound of banjos,
giving such instruments at the same time a more artistic finish.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 shews a plan of my improved banjo and Fig. 2 a side view of same, with a
part of the side of the instrument removed."
Like letters refer to like parts.
The drawings are made to scale.
a is a metal band with its outward bent flange b. c is a concave metal disc. d is:
the continuation of arm o; E is the tailpiece made of any suitable metal. f are the
tension bolts. g is the bridge. h is a metal band destined to hold the parchment. ia.
brass ring round which the outside or end of the parchment is passed. K, K, are
keys. K the key on which the outside string, passing through screw / is wound. o is
the arm.
p the strings. q is a screw, which engages in a hole in the centre of
,, are worm wheels. s, s, are brackets holding keys K, K. u, u, are raised
the parchment. W the top part of arm o, and y the 6th string of the
banjo (where such is employed).
disc c.
frets.
In carrying out my invention I spin a band a of any suitable metal and in spinning..
it, turn the top part slightly inward, so that the parchment is stretched over, a
rounded edge. The lower part I bend outwards, so that I have a rim" wide enough.
.

page_text: to allow the tension bolts to be passed through. In this rim I drill, at strictly
regulated distances, as many holes as 1 employ tension bolts. The smaller metal
band and the metal ring (which are both passed over band a) serve to hold the
parchment tightly in position whilst by means of bolts (which have a hook on one
end and a screw nut at the other) the necessary tension is obtained. By forming a
flange b to the band a I dispense with the brackets, or similar arrangements heretofore
used for holding the tension bolts.
E is a tailpiece made of any suitable metal and of the shape and form shewn in the
accompanying drawings and carrying on its underside 5 or 6 pins (according to the
number of strings employed, on which the strings p (and y if used) are fastened. (I
prefer using wire strings on my banjos but the ordinary strings may also be employed
if desired.)
is an ordinary bridge over which the wire strings p (and y) pass.
The arm o made of any suitable wood may be of any desired shape or form, suited
for the purpose, but the continuation d and the top part W of the arm I preferably
construct in the shape and form shewn in figs. 1 & 2. The arm of my instrument is
in proportion to the diameter of the band a much longer than in ordinary banjos. One
of the advantages of having the arm so long is that I can get my top note "C" on the
arm, instead of on the parchment, as is the case in the ordinary banjos.
Instead of the inlaid frets commonly used, I employ raised frets u, as shown in
fig. 2, which arrangement facilitates the playing. The first of these frets I place
about 1 inches from the outer rim of the band h. I wish to have it understood that
I do not claim any novelty in that arrangement.
Instead of having an ordinary key at the side of the arm, for the outside string, I
substitute the arrangement shewn in figs. 1 & 2. That is to say, I let the string pass
through screw along a groove in the arm o and through a hole in the top part W of
the arm, finally winding the string over key K¹. This arrangement facilitates the
tuning and playing of rapid passages, as all the keys are together. In former
arrangements the key at the side used to get in the way.
Instead of the ordinary keys, I employ the worm wheel and screw arrangement
shewn in figs. 1 & 2. The brackets s are fixed by means of solder, or otherwise, to a
metal plate, which is let in and screwed to the side of part W.
To strengthen and improve the sound of my banjo, I employ a concave metal
disc c of the shape and form shewn in figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
That is to say, I construct a disc of any suitable metal, which in circumference is
somewhat larger than the outside of rim b. The inner side of this disc is convex at
its centre, the other side is concave and in said centre I drill a hole through which
the head of the screw q. (which is fixed in part d) passes. The head of the screw is
held by a suitably shaped catch or hook pivoted on the outside (or concave side) of
the aforesaid disc. The top of the nuts of the tension bolts engage in a suitably
shaped groove which runs round the inner side of the disc, so that by means of these
arrangements the disc c is firmly held in position.
It will be seen in fig. 2 that there is a considerable opening left between the
flange b and the disc c for the sound to escape and spread.
By disengaging the catch or hook from the neck of the screw, the disc c can
be easily removed when it is desired to reduce or moderate the sound of the
instrument.
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 the construction of banjos the use of the metal band a with an outward bent
flange b provided with suitable holes in the rim, through which latter the tension
bolts pass, substantially as herein before described with reference to the annexed
illustrative drawings.

page_text: 2. In the construction of banjos, the use of a specially constructed metal disc c
whereby the sound of the instrument is greatly improved and strengthened
substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to the annexed illustrative
drawings.
3. In the construction of banjos the combination and arrangements of parts,
whereby the sound of the instrument is greatly improved and strengthened and a
more artistic finish of the instrument is obtained.
Dated this 7th day of March 1800
CHAS. W. J. NOLTE,
Agent for the Applicant.