Improvements in Banjos and similar Stringed Musical Instruments,
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 2nd June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Banjos and similar Stringed Musical Instruments,
We, JOHN GELDART WINDER, Banjo Maker, of 40, Kentish Town Road, and
WILLIAM GEORGE TEMPLE, Engineer, of 12, Kentish Town Road, both in the
County of London, 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:-
This invention for improvements in banjos and similar stringed instruments
such as guitars, mandolines and the like has for its object to provide an improved
tail piece combined with an arrangement for increasing at will, the volume of
sound produced by the instrument, and which consists of a pressure bar pivotally
connected with the tail piece and adapted to be readily manipulated to press on
the strings between the bridge and tail piece, thereby augmenting the pressure of
the strings on the bridge which results in the production of a much louder tone.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a plan of part of a banjo fitted with the improved tail piece and
pressure bar,
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same showing the tail piece and pressure bar
partly in section,
Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of a modified form of tail piece and pressure
bar constructed according to this invention, and Fig. 4 is an end elevation of
the same.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the tail piece comprises a cross bar a held in suitable
supports or brackets formed on a plate e secured to the sound box or back
of the instrument. The strings are tied round the bar a in grooves a arranged
preferably the same distance apart as the indents in the bridge m so that the
strings are kept parallel between the bridge and tail piece, side strain being thus
prevented. The pressure bar e forms one end of a rectangular or similar frame,
the sides being pivotted at g on the ends of the cross bar a, and bent round to
form the outer end of the frame at or about the centre of which two outwardly
directed extensions h are pivotted to the upper end of a screw pin that passes
with its lower end through a lug j formed on the plate c. An adjusting nut k
on the screw pin i rests on the lug and is adapted to raise or lower the screw i
and thus operate the frame and pressure bar e. On turning the adjusting nut &
to the right, the nut bears on the lug j and forces the screw i upwards thereby,
forcing the pressure bar down upon the strings 7. On turning the nut to the left
the bar is raised entirely off the strings. It will be seen that the pressure is
applied to the strings about midway between the bridge m and the tail piece.
In the modified form of construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the tail piece
embodies a plate c¹ provided with pins c² to which the strings are attached, and
with grooves or guides for the strings. Mounted on a spindle fixed in
brackets or supports formed on the plate c¹ are a pair of bell crank levers fl
connected by a cross piece or tube n and carrying on one pair of arms the
pressure bar e, the other pair of arms f³ projecting into the body of the instrument
between the drum or vellum ringo and the sound box d. The ends of the arms f³

page_text: support a pivotted cross pin f4 provided at its centre with a nut f5 for receiving
a screw adjusting pin fo with a milled head f7 and having a bearing or support
in the plate c¹.
By turning the screw fe in either direction the levers are rotated about their
pivots forcing the bar e down onto the strings or raising it from off the strings
as will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In banjos and similar stringed musical instruments the combination of a tail
piece with a pressure bar substantially as described.
2. In banjo and similar stringed musical instruments the combination with a
tail piece consisting of a cross bar with annular grooves mounted in brackets or
supports, of an adjustable pressure bar forming one end of a pivotted frame, to
the other end of which is pivotted a screw guided in a lug and an adjusting nut
working on the screw substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2
of the drawings.
3. In banjos and similar stringed musical instruments the combination with a
tail piece consisting of a plate with projecting studs, of a pressure bar carried by
bell crank levers and operated by an adjusting screw substantially as described
with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings..
4. The improved combined tail piece and pressure bar for banjos and similar
instruments substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of April 1899
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.