Peg mechanism and peg for stringed instruments

Details Peg mechanism and peg for stringed instruments Peg mechanism and peg for stringed instruments

2001-09-13

2004-03-16

Lockett, Kimberly (Department: 2837)

Music

Instruments

Stringed

C084S305000, C084S306000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06706956

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a peg mechanism and peg for stringed instruments mainly including violins, cellos, violas, samisens and folk instruments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional peg mechanism for use in stringed instruments such as violins, cellos, violas and samisens comprises a pair of support walls
52
A,
52
B and string posts
54
, for example, as shown in FIG.
7
. The support walls
52
A,
52
B have a certain number of pairs of peg insertion holes
51
,
51
in communication with each other, provided through a space
53
for winding strings formed in a head stock A of a stringed instrument, along the extending direction of strings. The string post
54
is inserted into the pair of throughholes
51
,
51
and is rotated in the space
53
to wind a string. The throughhole
51
has an inner circumferential surface that is tapered along the insertion direction of the string post
54
. The string post
54
has an outer circumferential surface that is tapered so as to contact tightly with the inner circumferential surface of the throughhole
51
.
Such the peg mechanism for stringed instruments is configured to drive the string post
54
along the insertion direction and press the outer circumferential surface of the string post
54
to the tapered surface in the throughhole
51
to halt the rotation of the string post
54
. It is further configured to press the string post
54
into the throughhole
51
to secure the string post
54
onto the support wall to some extent so as not to cause reverse rotations, of the string post in a tuned state, due to tension of the string. In case of a tuning operation for such the stringed instrument, the tuned state of the string post
54
that is pressed into the throughhole
51
is maintained. On the other hand, the string post
54
is pulled in the direction opposite to the insertion direction to release the string post
54
that is pressed into the tapered surface of the throughhole
51
. In this stale, the string post
54
can be rotated to wind or unwind the string.
The peg mechanism that secures the string post onto the support wall using such the tapered surfaces, however, can not achieve a sufficient frictional resistance when the tight contact between the tapered surfaces is incomplete. In this case, the string post slips due to the tension of the string and varies the tuned condition of the string. Therefore, it is required to manufacture the tapered surface of the throughhole so that it can lightly contact with the tapered surface of the string post. In addition, skilled techniques and dedicated tools are required at the times of their manufacture and maintenance.
The string post is rotated and halted in the throughhole using the tapered surfaces. Thus, the string post rotates heavily when it is strongly inserted into the throughhole, and rotates lightly when it is weakly inserted into the throughhole. The degree of the insertion of the string post into the throughhole depends on the feeling of a player who employs the stringed instrument. Therefore, when the string post is inserted too strong, rotations of the string post may be inhibited. When the string post is inserted too weak, the string post may rotate inversely due to tension of the string and cause critical troubles such a s a state of out of tune in playing. Therefore, players are required to be skilled in tuning. In addition, the mechanism that employs the tapered surfaces can not avoid abrasions to occur on both tapered portions. In the above mechanism, a string is held with a contact pressure between wooden parts of the string post and the throughhole. Therefore, it is difficult to rotate the string post smoothly and, at the time of tuning, perform a fine-tuning to secure the string post at a desired location in the throughhole.
The string post is usually composed of wood or synthetic resin and is therefore abraded after a long time use. As a result, the tight contact with the throughhole varies and a normal tuning can not be performed. In this case, it is required to buy a new string post and readjust its tapered surface so as to meet with the tapered surface in the throughhole in the instrument. In addition, an operation is required to bore a new throughhole after filling the current throughhole in the instrument that is enlarged by abrasion. If the tapered surface of the string post meets with the taper of the throughhole, frequent tunings cause engagement of the string into the string post and wear the string post at a portion of winding the string, which will not be usable any more in short time. In these cases, in order to request an expert to repair the string post, the player must burden a routine maintenance cost and time.
To the contrary,
FIG. 8
shows another conventional peg mechanism that utilizes tapered surfaces of a string post
54
and a throughhole
51
. An engagement member
55
is provided at the tip end of the string post
54
. The engagement member
55
is engaged in a tip end throughhole
51
A and rotatably supports the string post
54
. A fastener ring
56
is attached to the tapered surface of a base end throughhole
51
B. The fastener ring
56
has a tapered diameter that decreases as the diameter of the base end throughhole
51
B decreases. An adjusting means operative from external may be provided at the tip end of the string post
54
to slide the string post
54
axially about the engagement member
55
(See Japanese patent No. 2,802,742).
According to this peg mechanism, it is not required to make the tapered surface of the string post
54
precisely tight contact with that of the base end throughhole
51
B. The need for providing tapered members such as the engagement member
55
and the fastener ring
56
, however, complicates the structure. In addition, as it is required to taper the outer circumferential surface of the string post
54
and the inner circumferential surfaces of the tip end throughhole
51
A and base end throughhole
51
B, most of the above subjects to be solved in the prior art remain unsolved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has an object to provide a peg mechanism and peg for stringed instruments, which are required to no skilled techniques and dedicated tools, and manufactured and maintained. It is applicable to the existing instruments, easy to perform tuning and fine-tuning, and usable for a long time period instable.
The present invention has been made to achieve the above object. A first aspect of the present invention provides a peg mechanism for stringed instruments, which comprises a certain number of cylindrical throughholes, each having an inner surface with an axially uniform diameter, provided along the extending direction of a string and sequentially on a support wall formed in a head stock of a stringed instrument; a bushing composed of a abrasion quality material sandwiched between a string post for winding a string and a knob for rotating the string post, and secured in the throughhole; and an adjusting means provided between the string post and the knob for relatively moving the string post close to and apart from the knob by external operations.
The bushing may be secured in the throughhole by a securing means which has anti-rotation pieces consisting of engaging projections such as knurls and protrusions formed on a circumferential surface of a portion adjacent to the inside of the throughhole. In this case, the bushing can be secured when it is simply driven into the throughhole. This is preferable to simplify the process steps.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a peg mechanism for stringed instruments, which comprises throughholes provided on a support wall formed in a head stock of a stringed instrument, the throughholes provided sequentially along the extending direction of a string; a string post, pivotally inserted in each of the throughholes, for winding a string, wherein the throughholes are each bored cylindrically to have an inner surface with an axially uniform diameter, the support wall at the throughhole par

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