Improvements in Banjos and other Musical Instruments of the same Class.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1888.
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Banjos and other Musical Instruments of the
same Class.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, of 514, Oxford Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Banjos and other similar musical instruments are constructed with a long arm
or handle, fitted with keys to carry or stretch the strings,-rigidly connected to
the rim or drum of the instrument. This rigid arm or handle renders the instrument
awkward to pack or carry.
The object of my invention is to construct a banjo-or other instrument with a
long handle that will be less awkward to pack and carry, that will give greater
facility in playing and will have a better tone than many of those at present
made.
It consists essentially in constructing the instrument with an arm or handle so
jointed that it may close forward without interfering with the tail piece or the tension
of the strings; with the octave key fitted to the rim and with a rim formed of cast
metal with projecting or overhanging base behind which the nuts on the tightening
screws engage.
In carrying out the invention I construct the handle in two parts with a broak
or join within a few inches of the rim. One piece is fitted rigidly into the rim or
drum of the instrument projecting therefrom some two or three inches and the second
piece is hinged or jointed thereto. The joint so formed is without any projection or
depression on the finger board and presents no obstruction to the movements of the
performer. To the side of either of the pieces preferably the rigid one is pivoted a
plate the pivot passing through a slot in the plate which allows the plate to have a
double movement which when the outer part of the arm is moved allows it to clear
the other. The plate is attached to the movable part of the arm by a pin or
pivot. The plate may be made to move on pivots fitted to the arm or may be made
in the form of a hinge with separate plates carrying the pivots to attach one to each
part of the arm. When opened out and in position for playing a steady pin preferably
of U or similar form is passed down through the plate, the legs of the pin entering
holes one in each part of the arm. A hinge or joint may be fitted either to one or
both sides of the arm and a plate or catch be fitted on the under side if found
necessary to increase the rigidity of the arm when being operated upon. The arm can
thus be folded and replaced in position without throwing the instrument out of tune.
The arm I further make without a shoulder for the octave key and fit the key to a
bracket fixed to the rim adjoining the tail piece bracket thus removing the obstruction
which has hitherto been presented to the rapid movements of the player. The rim I
make with the base overhanging or projecting outwards. In the base holes are drilled
through which the tightening screws are passed and the nuts on the ends of these abut
against the shoulder formed on the internal side. It is preferably made of cast metal
but may be otherwise constructed of sheet or wrought metal, entirely or partially or
wholly of wood.
The joint may be made as a separate article for use as a hinge for cabinet making
and other purposes to which it could readily be applied.
Dated this 26th day of October 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Banjos and other Musical Instruments of the
same Class.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, of Oxford Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Watchmaker, 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 that class of stringed musical instrument which are fitted
with a long arm or finger board, to carry or stretch the strings, attached to a rim,
drum, or sounding board, such as banjos, guitars, mandolins, violins, and other similar
instruments.
In such instruments hitherto the arm has usually been made rigid which renders
them awkward to pack or carry, though I am aware that some attempts have been
made to produce an instrument with a jointed arm but such have been unsuccessful
owing to the arm being caused to fold back which necessitates the slackening
or removal of the strings and the consequent loss of time in re-adjusting and
tuning them.
The object of my invention is to construct a banjo, or other similar instrument, that
will be less awkward to pack and carry, that will give greater facility in playing and
will have a better tone than many of those at present made.
It consists essentially in constructing the instrument, with an arm or handle so
jointed that it may close forward without interfering with the tail piece or the tension
of the strings, and that it may be readily removed and replaced by another; and
banjos in particular with the tuning peg of the highest pitch or "octave string
fitted to the rim and with a rim formed with projections or corrugations behind which
the nuts on the tightening screws engage.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the annexed drawings in
which it is shown as applied to a banjo.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of banjo.
Fig. 2, side elevation of arms of different lengths.
Fig. 3, enlarged view of joint and hinge on arm.
Fig. 4, section of rim.
Fig. 5, section of rim showing tail piece bracket.
Fig. 6, part plan of rim.
Fig. 7, section of rim showing tuning or tension device for the "octave string."
Fig. 8, perspective view of steady pin D.
Fig. 9, plan of instrument having short arm and long tail piece attached to a
banjo rim.
Fig. 10, sections of modified forms of rim.
The arm or finger board A, is constructed in two parts with a break or joint within
a few inches of the rim B. One piece is fitted rigidly into the rim or drum of the
instrument in the usual way and projects therefrom some two or three inches and the
second piece is hinged or jointed thereto.
It is necessary to form the joint without either a projection from the hinge or a
depression between the edges of the two parts in order to offer no obstruction on the
finger board to the movements of the performer. To one or both sides of each of the
pieces forming the arm A, of the instrument, is pivoted a plate C, one of the pivots
preferably that attaching the plate to the rigid part of the arm passes through a slot c
while the other pivot passes through a hole of the same diameter as the pivot. This
allows the plate C, to move with the outer part of the arm and causes it in turning to
move clear of the rigid part. The plate may be made to move on pivots fitted to the
arm as shown or may be made in the form of a hinge with separate plates carrying
the pivots to attach one to each part of the arm. When opened out and in position
for playing a steady or catch pin D, preferably of U or similar form is passed down
through the plate, the legs of the pin entering holes one in each part of the arm.
A

page_text: plate or catch E, attached to the bottom of one part of the arm is secured to the other
by a thumb screw F, by which the distance of the strings from the finger board can
be slightly adjusted. The thumb screw F, may also be used for withdrawing the
steady pin D, by screwing it into the hole d, after the plate E, has been unfastened.
The bridge a, and nut or rest a' for the strings may be made with holes for them
to pass through: The arm can thus be folded and replaced in position without
slackening or removing the strings.
«
21
In order to render the instrument more convenient for playing I remove the tuning
pog for tuning the highest pitch string (known as the "octave string") from the side
of the arm and construct the arm without any shoulder or other obstructing piece
down the side. To the rim by the side of the tail pieco bracket I affix a bracket G,
carrying a hollow pin g, with a worm wheel at one end and a tuning peg g¹ at
the other which can be removed when required. The worm wheel gears with a
small worm which is rotated by the thumb piece H. By this arrangement I find
it is much more easy to tune this string with the instrument in position for
performing than hitherto. And I also remove the obstraction which has hitherto been
presented to the rapid movements of the player.
The tail pieco I, is carried by a bracket J, of the form shown and is secured thereto
by a thumb nut i. When the nut i is slackened the tail piece, which is connected
thereto with a slot open at one edge can be removed and if desired replaced by a
longer one to which the strings of any other arm are attached.
"
I make the rim or base B, preferably fluted or corrugated and projecting outwards
from the upper rim B', which secures the vellum K, so as to receive and cover the
lower ends of the tightening screws L, and their nuts 1. The screws L pass in through
holes b, in the shoulder and the nuts bear against against lugs cast or affixed to the
inner side of the rim. The metal part of the rim is preferably lined with a wood
lining M, as I consider that will give the finest tone. The rim may be made of
cast metal or otherwise constructed of wrought or spun" metal as may be desired.
The invention as applied to a banjo is capable of further development than to the
other instruments hereinbefore mentioned as I find that my jointed arm gives facility
for removing an arm of ordinary length for the banjo and replacing it by an arm
equal in length to that of a guitar, mandoline, lute, etcetera, and thus by retaining the
drum of the banjo I can practically get two three or more instruments. Where
the short arm is used in order to get the proper length of strings, without making
the finger board too short or bringing it down over the vellum I increase the length
of the tail piece and set the bridge a, about the middle of the vellum as shewn
in Fig. 9.
•
The jointed arm and hinges may be applied to the various descriptions of stringed
instruments hereinbefore mentioned but the other parts of the invention refer
particularly to banjos.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. A banjo or similar stringed instrument having the arm jointed or hinged to bend
forward substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a banjo, guitar, mandoline, or similar stringed instrument the combination
with an arm formed in two parts of a hinge plate (C) pivoted on two pivots one in
each part of the arm and a steady pin such as D substantially as and for the purpose
described.
3. A banjo having the tuning peg for the high pitch or octave string carried by a
bracket attached to the rim adjoining the tail piece bracket substantially as described
and shown.
4. A banjo having a fluted or corrugated rim or base with internal lugs for the
tightening screws with or without a lining of wood substantially as described and
shown.

page_text: 5. The combination with the rim of a banjo of two, three, or more, interchangeable
jointed arms varying in length and two or more interchangeable tail pieces so that
the pitch and volume of the instrument can be readily changed substantially as
described.
Dated this 26th of T... 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.