Improvements in Banjoes.
Year: 1898

page_text: JOHN EDWARD SYKES (Musician), 2, Egbert Street, Newton Heath, Manchester,
Lancashire, and GEORGE HOLDEN DARLOW (Estate Agent), 15, Queen Street,
Oldham, Lancashire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our improvement consists of placing a diaphragm of vellum or parchment at
the back of the body; hoop; or shell, of a zither banjo, or an ordinary banjo, by
fastening one or two rims or flesh-hoops, made of metal or wood, to the said
body; hoop, or shell of a zither banjo, or an ordinary banjo; the said rims or flesh-
hoops being for the purpose of tightening or slackening the diaphragm. of vellum
or parchment as required; the said rims or flesh-hoops being fastened to the
body; rim or shell, of a zither banjo or an ordinary banjo, by brazing or soldering;
& tightened or slackened by means of bolts or screws as we may desire.
We
thus have a diaphragm of vellum or parchment, exposed to view at the back of
the body; hoop, or shell, of a zither banjo or an ordinary banjo; in lieu of wood or
metal.
DL: 0711
1000
JOHN EDWARD SYKES.
G. H. DARLOW.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Banjoes.
We, JOHN EDWARD SYKES, of 2, Egbert Street, Newton Heath, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Musician, and GEORGE HOLDEN DARLOW, of 15, Queen
Street, Oldham, in the aforesaid County, Estate Agent, 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 and
accompanying drawings:-
-
Our said invention relates to improvements in banjoes and consists essentially
in the provision of an additional diaphragm of vellum or parchment or the like
arranged preferably at the back of such instruments.
Such an additional vellum back may be applied to any of the usual and well
known forms of banjo such for instance as the zither banjo or to the ordinary
banjo, and when so applied not only is a far superior volume of tone obtained
but the appearance of the instrument is enhanced.
To render our invention perfectly clear we will refer throughout the following
description to the annexed sheet of drawings in which:
-

page_text: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a zither banjo to which our invention is supposed
to be applied.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1 and clearly shows our invention in con-
nection with this type of banjo.
Fig 3 shows a vertical section of the body of an ordinary banjo with our
invention applied.
:
Fig. 4 is a plan view of a rim or flanged ring employed to regulate the tension
of the additional vellum.
Fig. 5 shows a slight modification in the application of the secondary vellum to
the back of an ordinary banjo.
In carrying our invention into effect, in addition to the usual or ordinary
vellum or parchment we provide a secondary vellum diaphragm A secured at
the back of the circular body b of the banjo. This secondary vellum A is secured
to the back of the instrument by means of a flanged ring c carrying studs or
bolts which engage a flange e formed on or attached to the body b, as clearly
shown in Fig. 2. By adjusting the screws & the tension on the vellum A may
be readily regulated. If thought desirable we may provide the edge of the
vellum A with a wire or cord to stiffen the same. As before stated Figs. 1 and 2
show the application of our invention to a zither banjo.
In applying our invention to the ordinary banjo, we may secure the vellum A
by means of a flanged ring c, the bolts d of which engage a flange or ring e
attached to or forming part of the banjo body b as clearly shown in Fig. 3.
As a modification of this method the bolts of the flanged ring c may engage
a ring secured to the wooden portion of the body of the banjo. This construction
is clearly shown in the enlarged view Fig. 5.
Instead of making the flanged ring c whole and continuous we may apply the
same in sections as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 4.
By the provision of the additional vellum A we obtain a vastly improved
volume of tone from the banjo and render its appearance more attractive at a
very slightly increased cost.
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 :-
Providing banjoes with an additional vellum or parchment diaphragm arranged
at the back of the instrument substantially as described.
Dato H. 1
day of July 1899.
For the Applicants,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 5, John Dalton Street, Manchester.