Improvements in or Additions to a Part of Certain kinds of Stringed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1896-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Additions to a Part of Certain kinds of
Stringed Musical Instruments.
I, GEORGE HOUGHTON of Heaton Street, Hockley Hill, in the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to certain kinds of stringed musical instruments, such as
banjos, guitars, mandoliues, violins, cellos, double-basses and the like, and consists
in providing or, inserting within the wood of the neck, arm or part carrying the
finger-board of the said instruments, a rib or strip of metal, the object of which is
both to give strength to the neck and thereby admit of the same being made less
bulky, and also to prevent the same from warping and thereby rendering the frets
or stop positions marked along the finger-board incorrect as frequently occurs in
instruments of the ordinary construction and whereby false notes are sounded.
In carrying out one form of my invention in connection with a banjo, I form
along or cut within the top face of the neck, a groove or channel of a suitable size,
in depth about equal to half that of the said neck and running either through the
whole or a portion of the full length of the same and also extending partly into the
head carrying the pegs or mechanism for tightening the strings. Within this
longitudinal groove 1 fit a strip, rib or length of steel or other hard metal or alloy,
of any section and size as may be found most efficient (but preferably of an upright
section) and secure the same therein by cementing, or by pins or screws passing
laterally through the neck and through holes in the rib, or by other means.
Where pins are employed the head made be covered by the pearl discs or "dots"
inserted along the side of the neck.
After the strengthening rib has been let into the neck, the face of the said neck
is covered by the usual ebony or other finger-board carrying the frets or positions,
which board completely conceals the strip from view, whilst the part of the rib
extending into the head is shamfered off flush with the inclination or rake of the
same and is likewise concealed by the glued-on veneering usually employed for
embellishing that part of the instrument.
When a very strong strengthening strip is required, the same may be made of
a Tor similar section.
In mandolines, guitars and like instruments where the finger-board extends right
onto the face of the body, the strengthening strip preferably extends throughout
the full length of neck and finger-board.
The application of my invention to the necks of violins, violincellos, double
basses and other instruments differs in no essential respect from its application to
a banjo neck as herein described.
Dated this 12th day of December 1895.
GEORGE HOUGHTON,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: '
Improvements in or Additions to a Part of Certain Kinds of
Stringed Musical Instruments.
I, GEORGE HOUGHTON, of Heaton Street, Hockley Hill, in the City of
Birmingham, 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:
This invention relates to certain kinds of stringed musical instruments, such as
banjos, guitars, mandolines, violins, cellos, double-basses and the like, and cousists
in providing or inserting within the wood of the neck, arm or part carrying the
finger-board of the said instruments, a rib or strip of metal, the object of which is
both to give strength to the neck and thereby admit the same being made less
bulky, and also to prevent the same from warping and thereby rendering the frets
or stop positions marked along the finger-board incorrect as frequently occurs in
instruments of the ordinary construction and whereby false notes are sounded.
In carrying out one form of my invention in connection with a banjo, I form
along or cut within the top face of the neck, a groove or channel of a suitable size,
in depth about equal to half that of the said neck and running either through the
whole or a portion of the full length of the same and also extending partly into the
head carrying the pegs or mechanism for tighteuing the strings. Within this longi-
tudinal groove I fit a strip, rib or length of steel or other hard metal or alloy, of
any section and size as may be found most efficient (but preferably of an upright
section) and secure the same therein by cementing, or by pins or screws passing
laterally through the neck and through holes in the rib, or by other means.
Where pins are employed the head may be covered by the pearl discs or "dots"
inserted along the side of the neck.
"
"After the strengthening rib has been let into the neck, the face of the said neck
is covered by the usual ebony or other finger-board carrying the frets or positions,
which board completely conceals the strip from view, whilst the part of the rib
extending into the head 'is, shamfered off flush with the inclination or rake of the
same and is likewise concealed by the glued-on veneering usually employed for
embellishing that part of the instrument.
When a very strong strengthening strip is required, the same may be made of
a T or similar section.
In mandolines, guitars and like instruments where the fingerboard extends right
onto the face of the body, the strengthening strip preferably extends throughout
the full length of neck and fingerboard.
The application of my invention to the necks of violins, violincellos, double
basses and other instruments differs in no essential respect from its application to
a banjo neck as herein described.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a plan of a banjo, and
Figure 2 is an elevation of the neck which is fitted with a reinforcing metal strip
let or embedded within the material of it.
Figure 3 shows the said metallic reinforcing strip separately.
Figure 4. is a plan of the neck with the ebony fingerboard removed.
Figure 5 is a cross section, upon an enlarged scale, of the neck upon the dotted
lines Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a section of a modification of my invention, in which the metal
reinforcing rib is made of a T cross section.
a is a neck of a banjo, 6 the rim and c the vellum head. d is the metallic
reinforcing rib let within the material of the neck or both the neck and the head
or end part a', of it.

page_text: 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 :-
In banjos, guitars and like stringed musical instruments, reinforcing the necks
and adjacent parts of the same, and preventing the same from warping by an
insertioned metallic strip of any cross section, substantially as described and set.
forth.
Dated this 6th day of July 1896.
GEORGE HOUGHTON,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.