US2188127A - Banjo - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 23, 1940.

|. ANGEL! 2,188,127

BANJO Filed Aug. 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor fiarz'a flfigeZz',

Aifnrneus Jan. 23, 1940. L ANGEU 2,188,127

BANJO Filed Aug. 2, 1938 o I o 63 62 o o o 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Inventor ,4. flzzrz'o in; 622', 7 7

By 2mm Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 2,

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to banjos and similar musical instruments and has for its primary object to provide a detachable neck or handle for the body or box of the instrument in order that the parts may be disassembled and more conveniently carried or stored.

An object of the invention is to provide a unitary detachable neck which forms a mounting for the strings of the instrument to avoid the common practice of securing the strings directly to the box and which weakens the box when the strings are tightened.

A further object is to provide means for quickly detaching and attaching the neck with respect to the body of the instrument, which at the same time embodies simplicity of construction, which does not affect the tone of the instrument or necessitate a readjustment of the strings and which is" otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which Figure l is a top plan view.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially on a line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the body or box of the instrument, and

Figure 4 is an inverted transverse sectional View taken substantially on a line 44 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates the box or body of a banjo or similar stringed instrument and the numeral 6 designates the neck thereof. Integrally formed with the neck is a frame "I having a sound opening 1 therein immediately above the sound ports 5' of the box, said frame also having an opening 8 therein and within which is positioned the bridge member 9 having shoulders I!) on its opposite end edges for bearing against the side portions H of said last named opening, the bridge being adjustable longitudinally in the opening as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 1 of the drawing. The upper edge of the bridge is formed with notches 52 for receiving the strings l3, the inner ends of the strings being anchored to pins M in another opening I4 in the frame. Accordingly, it will be apparent 1938, Serial No. 222,705

from the foregoing that the strings are carried by the frame and the neck portions 1 and 6.

Recessed in the top l5 of the box 5 is a plate l6 having a recess ll formed therein, the upper surface of the box being formed with a keyhole opening it for removably receiving the head of a screw l9 projecting from the under side of the front portion of the frame I.

To the upper surface [5 of the box is also secured a plate 20 having an internally threaded plug 2| countersunk therein for threadedly receiving a screw 22 carried by the frame 1 adjacent its rear end, the outer end of the screw being provided with a manipulating knob 24. The plug is retained in position by means of a nut 23 threaded on the inner end of the plug. The screw is yieldably urged outwardly by an expansible coil spring 25 head 24 as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 2 of the drawings.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the screw 22 may be released and the frame 1 moved forwardly with respect to the box 5 whereby the screw !9 may become disengaged from the keyhole slot 18 and thus permit detaching of the frame and neck from the box.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim is- 1. In a musical instrument including a sound box, a neck having a frame formed at its inner end, means carried by said neck and frame providing a mounting for a plurality of strings and means for detachably securing the frame to the box, said last named means comprising a keyhole slot in the box, a headed member carried by the frame slidably engaging the slot and a bolt carried by the frame and having threaded engagement with the box.

2. In a musical instrument including a sound box, a neck having a frame formed at its inner end, means carried by said neck and frame providing a mounting for a plurality of strings and means for detachably securing the frame to the box, said last named means comprising a block embedded in the front end of the box and having a keyhole slot, a block embedded in the box adjacent its rear end and having an internally threaded plug, a fixed headed member carried by the frame slidably engaging said slot and a bolt threaded through the rear portion of the frame for threaded engagement with said plug.

positioned under the' 3. In a musical instrument, a sound box, a neck having a fiat frame at its inner end, a headed pin carried by the frame, a keyhole slot formed in the box adapted to receive the head of the pin and to secure the same against removal when the pin is positioned in the narrow end of the slot, said pin being slidable into a position at the wide end of the slot for removal therefrom and an anchoring member at the inner end of the frame detachably engaging the box to secure the frame against sliding movement.

4. In a musical instrument, a sound box, a

the frame to the box and securing the frame 10 against sliding movement.

. ILARIO ANGELI.

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