Improvements in Gongs, and in the Manufacture of the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gongs, and in the Manufacture of the same.
I, EDMUND TOWNSHEND of Townshend & Company, Ernest Street, Holloway
Head, Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object improvements in gongs and in the manufacture
of the same by which I obtain a better result as regards quality and volume of
sound besides effecting a considerable saving in workmanship. Besides these
advantages I am able by my invention to make my gongs of more convenient
shape for mounting in their frames and for striking with the gong stick.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
upon which I have illustrated sufficient examples of my invention to enable others
to apply the invention to any cases occuring in practice.
Figure 1 is a back elevation of a gong A made according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a bottom end view or section of the gong A.
Figure 3 is a back elevation of one of my gongs B.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the same gong B looking from the bottom or
large end.
Figure 5 is a back elevation of one of my gongs D having a curved flange on
each of the four sides.
Figure 6 is a cross section on the line 1-2 of my gong D, Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a back elevation of another gong E and Figure 7 is a section on
the line 3-4 through this gong.
Figure 8 is a back elevation of an octagon gong K which may be flanged on
several sides.
Figure 9 is a back elevation of a gong M and Figure 10 is an end elevation of
the same.
It has been the custom to make gongs round and to raise a flange all around
the edge thereof which present difficulties in the bending especially in the larger
sizes and there is a want of freedom and volume in the sound besides which the
liability to fracture and consequent waste in the hending is considerable as any
fracture developed is fatal.
Now by my invention I avoid the above difficulties. I take a sheet of metal of
oblong square or other shape such for instance as in the case of a gong A, Figure 1
and I notch the corners a and a and then bend up the flanges a' a² and a³ and curl
them round as seen at a and a7, Figure 2. Or I may make the gong broader
at the bottom than at the top as B seen at Figures 3 and 4 and without a top
flange the side flanges b and b being turned and curled as seen by the end
elevation Figure 4. By this means the lower portion of metal is free to vibrate
and the sound is deeper and superior besides the advantage of being easier to
manufacture and more suitable to mount in a frame. Even in the case of a square
flange gong as seen at Figure 9 there are advantages in its favour. The gong D
shown by Figure 5 with all the four flanges d', d, d³ and d curled with great ease
because the flanges are easily turned as the flanges die away at the corners but in
this shape the sound is sharper with less volume and approaches nearer to the old

page_text: round gong. Though I prefer the oblong shape the effect of my invention may be
carried to other shapes such for instance as the square gong E Figures 7 and 74
where only two curled flanges e¹ and e² are used. Or the octagon gong K Figure 8
where five flanges k', ka, k³ k and k are used though there may be a less number
of flanged sides or a greater number. It will be obvious that other polygonal
gongs may be produced as well as other shapes with similar effect. My gongs
would be made from similar hard sheet brass to that now used for the old round
gong.
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 :-
1st. The improvements in gongs and in the manufacture of the same of such like
shapes as A, B, D, E, K, M and having a flange or flanges round or partly round
the same, substantially as herein set forth and as shown upon the drawings.
2nd. In gongs a flange formed on the edge or edges with a curl such as b¹, b²,
a, a' as applied generally thereto substantially as set forth and shown.
Dated this 6th day of March 1896.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.