Year: 1899

page_text: I, FRANK BAKER, of 82, Vyse Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufac-
turer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with banjos, and its
object primarily is to provide improvements in the construction of the body:
also improvements in the construction of the necks; also an improved string
pressure bar; also improvements in the tension mechanism; also an improved
leg rest for such instruments.
In carrying out my improvements, I provide within the body of the instru-
ment and about midway in its depth a perforated diaphragmic plate, such perfor-
ations being made of any desirable artistic character. This plate causes a more
uniform and full exposition of the vibrations given off from the instrument.
When the said body is of metal, such diaphragm may be in one therewith, or in
such, or in other cases, it may be attached thereto.
The neck I make of one continuous piece of metal such being broadly of a T
section and having zig zag supporting bracket like ribs running in and out
throughout the whole or nearly the whole of its length. At the bridge end of
the instrument I provide a string pressure bar made from springy sheet or strip
metal, whose ends are firmly secured to the body or to the ring, and whose
middle part rests snringwise unon the wires, and thus automatically adjusts itself
to the said wires.
For the tension mechanism I provide that the tension screw pins shall pass
through brackets formed upon or attached to the body, and further to engage
with D shaped screwthreaded nuts upon the underside of such brackets. The
underside of these brackets are slightly underbevelled and the nuts corre-
spondingly shaped so that in the tightening up of same, the tendency thereby is
to draw them more closely to the body. The side of such nuts next the body
is hollowed to fit against the body. while the opposite or outside is ornamentally
shaped, the whole of which gives a neat and effective appearance to the instru-
ment, and also affords ready replacement in the case of a damaged thread &c.
I further provide a leg rest for such instruments. In using these instru-
ments as is well known they are carried upon the lap or leg, and require some
considerable care to prevent their moving about thereon. In order to prevent
such movement I form a concave plate or frame which shall readily form a
steady rest upon the leg, which said rest is attached to the body of the instru-
ment or removably connected thereto by a clip or other suitable device. If
desired the said plate or frame may be connected to the clip or its equivalent by
means of an universal joint such as a ball joint, to permit of freedom of movement
o the instrument without movement of the plate or frame upon the leg.
Dated this 12th
1000
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Banjos.
I, FRANK BAKER, of 82, Vyse Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufac-
turer, 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 improvements in or connected with banjos, and its
object primarily is to provide improvements in the construction of the body;
also improvements in the construction of the necks; also an improved string
pressure bar; also improvements in the tension mechanism; also an improved
leg rest for such instruments..
:
In order to more clearly explain this my invention, I have appended hereunto
an illustrative drawing upon which are figures and numbers. of reference,
similar numbers referring throughout the several views to the same thing or
part.
Fig. 1, is a rear plan view of an instrument made according to this my
invention.
Fig. 2, is a part sectional side view of the same instrument.
Fig. 3, is a plan view, and Fig. 4, a sectional view on line A-B (Fig. 3)
showing the string pressure bar device.
Fig. 4, also shows leg rest device as seen when not in use.
Fig. 5,. is a part sectional view on line C-D. (Fig. 2) showing the tension
arrangement, and of the leg rest device as seen when in use.
Fig. 6, is a side view, and Fig. 7, an inverted plan view of a modification of
the leg rest device.
Fig. 8, is a transverse sectional view of the neck of the instrument.. on
line E-F (Fig. 1).
....
Fig. 9, is a transverse sectional view of the neck on line G-H (Fig. 1).
In carrying out my improvements, I provide within the body 10, of the
instrument, and about midway in its depth a perforated diaphragmic plate 11,
such perforations 12, being made of any desirable artistic character. This
plate may occupy the whole or nearly the whole of the space within the com-
pass of the vellum. This plate causes a more uniform and full exposition of
the vibrations given off from the instrument. When the said body is of metal,
such diaphragm may be in one therewith, as shown, or in such, or in other cases,
it may be attached thereto.
The neck 13, I make of one continuous piece of metal such being broadly of
Tsection and having zig zag supporting bracket like ribs 14, running in and
out throughout the whole or nearly the whole of its length. By this means I
obtain an exceedingly strong neck, though light and ornamental.
The pressure bar device is constructed as follows, see Figs. 3 and 4. At the
bridge end of the instrument I provide a string pressure bar 15, made from
springy sheet or strip metal, whose ends 16, 16, are firmly secured to the ring,
and whose middle part, 17, rests springwise upon the strings 18, and thus auto-
matically adjusts itself to the said strings.
For the tension mechanism, I provide that the tension screw pins 19, shall
pass through brackets 20, formed upon or attached to the body, and further to
engage with D shaped screwthreaded nuts 21, upon the underside of such
brackets. The underside of these brackets are slightly underbevilled at 22.
and the nuts correspondingly shaped so that in the tightening up of same, the
tendency thereby is to draw them more closely to the body. The inside of

page_text: such nuts next the body is hollowed to fit against the body, while the opposite
or outside is ornamentally shaped, the whole of which gives a neat and effective
appearance to the instrument, and also affords ready replacement in the case of a
damaged thread &c.
.I further provide a leg rest for such instruments, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6
& 7. In using these instruments as is well known they are carried upon the
lap or leg, and requires some considerable care to prevent their moving about
thereon. In order to prevent such movement I form a concave plate or frame 23,
see Fig. 5, which shall readily form a steady rest upon the leg, which said
rest is attached to the body of the instrument. When not in use, the plate 23,
may be turned inside, out of the way, as seen in Fig. 4. In some shapes of
banjos the said plate or frame 23, may be connected to a modified form of clip 24,
or its equivalent by which it may be readily and removably attached to the
instrument as seen in dotted lines in Figs. 6 and 7. Preferably the plate 23,
is carried by means of an universal joint such as a ball joint, or as shown in
the drawings by means of the two hinge joints 25 and 26, to permit of freedom
of movement to the instrument in any direction without movement of the plate
or frame upon the leg.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my
said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is―
1. In banjos, providing in the interior of the body the diaphragmic perforated
plate 11, beneath the stretched vellum substantially as set forth and shown.
2. In the necks of banjos or the like instruments making the same throughout
its length of a metallic T shaped section and having zig zag strengthening ribs,
substantially as set forth and shown.
3. In banjos and the like instruments the spring pressure bar 15, fixedly
secured to the ring with its forward part flexibly pressing on the strings, as
set forth and shown.
4. In connecting and adjusting the vellum tensioning ring, the use and em-
ployment of D shaped ornamental nuts 21, beneath the brackets 20, to accommo-
date the tension pins 19, as set forth and shown.
5. In banjos or the like instruments, the combination therewith of the leg
rest constructed and arranged as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
6. In banjos or the like instruments providing the same with the leg rest,
comprising the clip device 24 carrying the plate 23, with joints 25, 26, as set
forth and shown in Figs. 6 and 7.
Dated this 13th day of March 1900
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent,
158, Edmund Street, Birmingham.