Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-03
2004-03-16
Lockett, Kimberly (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S31400N
Reexamination Certificate
active
06706957
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to intonation systems for fretted instruments and, more particularly, is concerned with a custom compensated nut and a custom compensated saddle or bridge for fretted instruments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Intonation systems have been described in the prior art. However, none of the prior art devices disclose the unique features of the present.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,962 dated Dec. 5, 2000, Poort disclosed a stringed instrument having a body and a neck with a fingerboard extending from the body. The body has a bridge for supporting first end portions of a plurality of strings arranged in a series of decreasing thickness, and a nut at an end of the fingerboard is placed so as to provide support for a second end portion of the plurality of strings. The fingerboard has a plurality of frets located between the bridge and the nut, where the first fret is defined as the fret closest to the nut. The distance between the nut and the first fret for each of the plurality of strings is inversely proportional to the thickness of the corresponding string so that a thin, high pitched string has a greater distance between the nut and the first fret than does a thicker, lower pitched string.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,956, dated Jan. 9, 1996, LoJacono, et al., described an apparatus and method of tuning a string instrument such as electric guitars which is commonly provided with a solid body structure and a fretboard, wherein the tuning apparatus includes an adjustable bridge in which there is provided a plurality of adjustable saddle bridge members secured to the body of the guitar, and a nut having a plurality of adjustable nut saddle members mounted at the distal end of the fretboard adjacent the tension mechanism to which the strings are attached. The adjustment of the bridge saddle members establishes a true intonation of each string with respect to the twelfth fret and all of the intervals between the twelfth fret and the bridge. The nut saddle members are adjusted to establish a true intonation of each string with respect to the first fret and the intervening intervals between the first fret and the twelfth fret. The adjustment of both the bridge and the nut determines the length of each string and the longitudinal position of each string over the twelfth and first fret, whereby each string throughout its length is arranges so as to have a substantially “zero” cent condition.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,279, dated Oct. 19, 1999, Dickson, II disclosed an improved saddle for stringed musical instruments comprised of a single unitary member configured in a somewhat comblike structure, the backbone portion of which is curved and forms a string-engaging and supporting surface. The teeth-forming portions form a plurality of sound-coupling and supporting pedestals, each of which lie directly beneath a string and terminate in a distal end that is adapted to bear against a bridge plate the soundboard of the instrument.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,094, dated Jul. 1, 1997, Dickson, II disclosed an improved bridge for stringed musical instruments having a single unitary member configured in a somewhat comblike structure, the backbone portion of which forms a string-engaging and supporting surface. The teeth-forming portions form a plurality of sound-coupling and supporting pedestals, each of which lie directly beneath a string and terminate in a distal end which is flared to form an enlarged base that is adapted to bear against the soundboard of the instrument.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,910, dated May 12, 1998, LoJacono disclosed an apparatus and method of tuning a string instrument such as an electric guitar which is commonly provided with a solid body structure and a fretboard, wherein the tuning apparatus includes an adjustable bridge provided with a plurality of adjustable saddle bridge members secured to the body of the guitar, and a nut having a plurality of adjustable nut saddle members mounted at the distal end of the fretboard adjacent the tension mechanism to which the strings are attached. The adjustment of the bridge saddle members establishes a true intonation of each string with respect to the twelfth fret and all of the intervals between the twelfth fret and the bridge. The nut saddle members are adjusted to establish a true intonation of each string with respect to the first fret and the intervening intervals between the first fret and the twelfth fret. The adjustment of both the bridge and the nut determines the length of each string and the longitudinal position of each string over the first and twelfth fret, whereby each string throughout its length is arranged so as to have a substantially “zero” cent condition.
In U .S. Pat. No. 5,052,260, dated Oct. 1, 1991, Cipriani disclosed a bridge assembly for a stringed musical instrument having a block-like platform member secured to a bridge member which is fixed with respect to a sound board cover of the instrument the bridge member has an upper surface with a groove therein seating of the platform member. The platform member has a lower portion fixedly inserted in the groove and an integral upper portion extending out of the groove and above said upper surface of the bridge member. A string of the instrument passes on a saddle under tension, the contact of the string with the saddle establishing the vibration length of the string. The saddle is connected to the platform member for longitudinal adjustment thereon to effect string length fine tuning. The saddle is movable between end positions at which the saddle remains positioned above the lower portion of the platform member so that vertical force applied to the saddle by the string will always be transmitted to the lower portion of the platform member therebelow and then to the bridge member and the sound board cover.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,905, dated Sep. 20, 1994, Cipriani disclosed a bridge assembly for a guitar mounted on a soundboard over of a resonating box, the bridge assembly comprising a bridge fixed on the soundboard cover, a block-like platform secured to the bridge and transversely spaced saddles on which the guitar strings pass under tension. The strings contact the saddles at points of support and establish vibration lengths of the strings. The strings undergo change of angle at their points of support to apply force along a line of action passing through the platform to the soundboard cover and the resonating box. The saddles are connected to the platform for adjustment longitudinally of the strings to vary the vibration length of the strings and thereby affect string length fine tuning. At the end positions of adjustment of the saddles, and for all positions therebetween, forces applied by the strings will be directed to pass to the soundboard cover either directly through the platform or through a thin portion of the bridge on which the platform rests. The force acts in a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the thin portion of the bridge. A transducer can be interposed between each saddle and the platform and resiliently clamped therebetween.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,543, dated Aug. 28, 1990, Cipriani disclosed a bridge for improving volume, power and sustaining quality in a stringed musical instrument of the type having a hollow body over which are stretched substantially parallel strings, each string being stretched. The string height is raised over the sound board. One end of the string may be anchored to a crossbrace on the underside of the sound board so as to directly vibrate this sound board. It also incorporates a means for string length fine tuning. The result is increased sound, volume and resonance persistence which is without distortion that may result in increased amplification when applied to guitars or other stringed instruments.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,202 B1, dated Mar. 19, 2002, Feiten, et al., disclosed a method and apparatus for fully adjusting and providing tempered intonation for stringed fretted musical instruments and making adjustment
Lockett Kimberly
Williamson George L.
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