Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-03
2001-06-26
Hsieh, Shih-Yung (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S421000, C084S453000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252150
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an accessory for a musical string instrument and more particularly, but not by way of limitation to a fulcrum for mounting on the side of a guitar, a banjo and like string instruments.
(b) Discussion of the Prior Art
Heretofore, there have been a variety of different types of attachments for musical string instruments. In U.S. Pat. No.491,755to LeValley, an arm rest and support for guitars is described. The support is designed to rest the right arm thereon and allow the left arm to be free to perform fingering without holding a portion of the weight of the guitar. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 914,660 to Hartnett and 1,020,491 to Gough, a hand support and an arm rest for banjo players are described. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,753,006 to Haaf and 3,619,470 to Harris, a wrist support and a hand position device for violinists are described.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,062, an A-frame guitar support is described for holding a guitar above the leg of a musician. The support includes A-frame arms attached to an adjustable leg strap. The support also includes a height adjustment arm for raising and lowering the guitar. This type guitar support, when attached to the guitar, does not allow the player to pivot or rotate the instrument in either a vertical or horizontal plane.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,175, to the subject inventor, a guitar fulcrum is described for use as an elbow rest. The guitar fulcrum includes an ergonomically designed elbow pad adapted for engaging a portion of the musician's elbow. The guitar fulcrum is adjustably mounted on the hip of the body of a guitar and provides for proper placement of a player's fingers on the guitar strings adjacent a sweet spot above the sound hole of the guitar.
None of the above mentioned patents describe the unique features, structure and advantages of the subject guitar fulcrum for holding a guitar and like musical instruments above a leg of a musician and allowing freedom of movement of the guitar when the player is in a seated position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of the subject invention to provide a guitar fulcrum for holding a guitar, banjo and like musical instruments above a leg of a musician when the player is seated and allowing freedom of movement, as in a gimbal, in a 3 dimensional plane when playing the guitar. Also, the guitar fulcrum provides added comfort and helps reduce lower back problems when holding the instrument in a seated position. A leg pad with gripping surface is designed to help prevent the fulcrum from slipping off of the leg of the player.
Another object of the guitar fulcrum is to improve the acoustics of the musical instruments by preventing the body of the guitar from contacting the side of player's leg. The invention can also be used in conjunction with a guitar fulcrum with elbow rest used for proper placement of the player's hand on the sweetspot above the sound hole of the guitar body.
Still another object of the invention is the guitar can be raised or lowered above the player's leg in a vertical plane in front of the player and holding the guitar in various upright positions prior to playing the guitar or when playing the guitar.
Yet another object of the fulcrum is the guitar can be moved away from the player's body or moved toward the player's body in a vertical plane.
A further object of the guitar fulcrum is the guitar can be rotated to the player's left or right in a horizontal plane.
The guitar fulcrum includes a curved leg pad with soft cushion material adapted for receipt on a top portion or side portion of a player's leg. A leg pad tang, mounted on top of a washer, is rotatable 360 degrees on top of the leg pad. The leg pad tang allows the guitar to be rotated to the player's left or right and in a horizontal “XZ” plane.
A yoke, with a yoke pivot pin, is pivotally mounted on the leg pad tang. The yoke allows the guitar to be pivoted toward the player's body or away from the body in a vertical “YZ” plane.
A lower end of a pair of height adjustment struts is pivotally mounted on the yoke using a strut pivot pin. An upper end of the two struts is attached to a suction cup pivot pin. The suction cup pivot pin is attached to at least one or more suction cups.
The suction cups are used for releasable attachment to a portion of the guitar body. The struts allow the guitar to be raised and lowered above the player's leg in a vertical “XY” plane.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those familiar with different types of musical instrument holders, fulcrums and stands used in holding string instruments when reviewing the following detailed description, showing novel construction, combination, and elements as herein described, and more particularly defined by the claims, it being understood that changes in the embodiments to the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included as coming within the scope of the claims, except insofar as they may be precluded by the prior art.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2814229 (1957-11-01), Vaccaro et al.
patent: 3955461 (1976-05-01), Ivie
patent: 4966062 (1990-10-01), Driggers et al.
patent: 5388492 (1995-02-01), Olson
patent: 625636 (1981-09-01), None
Crabtree Edwin H.
Hsieh Shih-yung
Margolis Donald W.
Pizarro Ramon L
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