Improvements in Banjos.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Banjos.
1, WILLIAM TITUS, of North Hempstead, in the County of Queens, in the State
of New York, one of the United States of North America, Farmer, do hereby
leclare 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 this invention is to provide a new resonant quality to banjos
whereby the clearness, loudness and distinctness of the tone of the instrument are
materially increased, and whereby the musical range of the instrument is greatly
increased. Said invention comprises certain novel combinations of parts hereinafter
fully set forth and described.
Fig. 1 is a plan or top view of a banjo provided with my improvements but with
portions of the parchment head removed the better to show the internal arrange-
inent of the parts.
Fig. 2 is a central transverse sectional view further illustrating my said
invention.
Fig. 3 is a detail transverse sectional view on a larger scale.
A, is the external shell of the banjo provided with the usual staff or finger
board, B, which latter may be of the usual length and character, and therefore not
represented in full in the drawings. C, is a ring, over which, as herein presently
described, the parchment is strained and which for convenience I designate as the
parchment-bearing ring. D, is the parchment head, having at its periphery a
ring, a, against which bears the tightening ring, E, which is brought downward with
reference to the ring, C, by means of screws, , thereby straining the parchment or
head to the requisite tension. The banjo is provided with the usual strings, F,
extended across and in due relation to the parchment head, D, in the usual or in
any suitable manner. The parts, A, to, F, and, a, to, b, inclusive may be, in
themselves and in their relation to each other, those of a common banjo, as for
example, those of the well known Dobson banjo. The ring, C, is attached to the
external shell, A, by metallic strips or brackets, g, in a manner well understood in
the art.
Placed around that portion of the ring, C, adjacent to the parchment, D, are a
series of fixed pins, c, which are preferably of steel, and inserted in the flange, a¹,
of said ring, C. The upper ends of these pins, c, are so shaped as to receive and
support a resonant ring, G, which may be formed of a suitable steel wire bent to
the requisite circular form. Above and at some little distance from this ring, G, is
another ring, H, separated therefrom by interposed metallic studs, /, the lower ends
of which are fitted upon the ring, G, while the upper ends, for greater security in
retaining said studs in place, may be formed with small tongues, b', which fit into
corresponding holes formed in the ring, H. The ring, G, has its outer circum-
ference at an appreciable distance from the inner wall or circumference of the
ring, C. This is also true of the ring, H. The ring, H, moreover has its
upper circumference extended above the line or level of the upper edge of
the ring, C, so that when the parchment, D, is strained to the requisite tension,
the said parchment will be strained upon the upper side of the ring, H, as
illustrated more fully in Figs. 2 and 3, the result of which is that the vibrations of
the parchment, when the instrument is in use, are substantially circumscribed by its
line of contact with the ring H, and to that extent to the circumference of the
ring, C, where the circumference of the parchment is attached thereto. By this
arrangement of a metallic ring, H, within the ring, C, at an appreciable distance
from the inner circumference of the wall thereof and with its upper edge above or

page_text: beyond the line or level of the upper edge of the ring, C, the vibrations of the
parchment in the use and operation of the instrument are rendered much more
effective for the purposes for which the parchment is employed in this class of
instruments.
Inasmuch as the ring, G, is of resonant metal and is supported in such a manner
that its resonance is practically uninterfered with when subjected to vibratory
action, the resonance of the parchment bearing ring, C, is added to the audible
results produced by the action of the springs, F, and of the head or parchment, D,
either or both as the case may be, and the sound of the instrument and its musical
range and tone are greatly enhanced.
The studs, c, inserted in the flange, a¹, afford a convenient and effective means of
supporting the ring, G, and the studs, f, arranged as described, enable the rings, G,
and, H, and the studs, c, to co-operate in such manner that the rings are mutually
sustained and held in position.
It is of course to be understood that the banjo proper apart from the feature-
which constitute my invention may be of any suitable kind or character and that
the details of carrying out the several features of my said invention may be modified
within wide limits so long as the essential character thereof is retained.
When desired, more than one resonant ring, G, may be employed. In such case
the resonant rings are separated from each other by the requisite number of
additional series of studs corresponding to the studs, f; of course in such case there
is secured a greater volume of resonance due to the increase in quantity of the
resonant material so applied in connection with the parchment head and the strings
as to vibrate in response thereto.
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. The combination, with the strings, parchment head, and parchment-bearing
ring of a banjo, of a resonant ring, G, and studs, c, carried by the inner flange, a,
of the parchment bearing-ring, C, substantially as and for the purpose herein
set forth.
2. The combination, with the strings, parchment head, and parchment bearing-
ring of a banjo, of the resonant ring, G, the ring, H, having its upper edge extended
beyond the adjacent upper edge of the parchment bearing ring, the studs, f
interposed between the resonant ring, G, and the ring, H, and the studs, c, carried
by the bearing-ing, C, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
3. The combination, with the strings, parchment head, and parchment bearing-
ring of a banjo, of the resonant ring, G, the ring, H, having its upper edge extended
beyond the adjacent upper edge of the parchment bearing-ring, the studs, f,
interposed between the resonant ring, G, and the ring, H, and the studs, inserted
in the flange, a', of the said parchment bearing-ring, substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 10th day of March 1891.
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicant.