Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-25
2002-09-03
Hsieh, Shih-Yung (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S304000, C084S293000, C084S267000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06444886
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and improved musical instrument and more specifically to a musical instrument of the guitar or banjo type.
Musical instruments of the guitar or banjo type may have a neck portion which extends outward from a body portion to a head portion. Strings have one end connected with the body portion of the instrument. The opposite ends of the strings are connected with tuning devices on the head portion of the instrument. The tuning devices on the head portion of the instrument may have string posts disposed in a linear array. One known musical instrument having this general construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,144. Other known musical devices of the this general construction are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,769,871 and 4,735,124 and in German Patentschrift No. 340,568.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a new and improved musical instrument having a neck portion which extends from a body portion to a head portion. Strings extend along the neck portion to tuning devices on the head portion. The tuning devices on the head portion have string posts disposed in a linear array.
The head portion of the musical instrument may have a linear edge portion and a nonlinear edge portion. Some of the tuning devices have manually rotatable knobs disposed adjacent to the linear edge portion. Other tuning devices have manually rotatable knobs disposed adjacent to the nonlinear edge portion.
The nonlinear edge portion may have recesses through which some of the knobs move to facilitate manual engagement of the knobs. Some of the actuators associated with tuning devices adjacent to the nonlinear edge portion may have a length which is greater than the length of the actuators associated with tuning devices adjacent to the linear edge portion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3443018 (1969-05-01), Koebs
patent: 3769871 (1973-11-01), Cawthorn
patent: 4248127 (1981-02-01), Lieber
patent: 4625614 (1986-12-01), Spercel
patent: 4735124 (1988-04-01), Bernier
patent: 5175387 (1992-12-01), Greory
patent: 5212329 (1993-05-01), Woodworth
patent: 5539144 (1996-07-01), Sherman
patent: 340568 (1921-09-01), None
Spercel Ronald R.
Sperzel Robert J.
Hsieh Shih-Yung
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
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