Sliding capo

Details Sliding capo Sliding capo

2000-07-19

2001-08-07

Nappi, Robert E. (Department: 2837)

Music

Instruments

Stringed

C984S113000, C984S114000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06271448

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to musical instruments of the lute family (both electric and acoustic). In particular, the invention is a Capo which may be moved from place to place on the neck of a lute family instrument by merely sliding the Capo along the neck.
A Capo is a device for clamping the strings of a guitar or other stringed lute family instrument against the neck of the instrument in order to change the pitch of notes played. In the past, most Capos have involved screws, cams, and spring loaded clamps for attaching the device to the instrument neck. Spring loaded clamps have become popular because they can be opened and moved to a new position with one hand. However, one problem with prior art spring loaded Capos is that they require the musician to release and manipulate the Capo in order to change its location, and are hence relatively inconvenient to use, particularly during a performance.
Sliding type Capos also have been known in the prior art, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,621,558 and 5,033,349, however these Capos have alignment as well as other problems. In the '558 and '349 Capos, for example, the Capo can easily turn with respect to the instrument neck and/or jam. During a performance, artists should not be distracted by the necessity of using care when moving a Capo. Additionally, prior art Capos intended to be used with curved fingerboards, e.g., the '558 patent, have a roller which is of non-uniform diameter, giving an unsightly appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invented Capo slides along the neck of the instrument, guided by a track, preferably comprised of a channel or shoulder on either side of the neck. A substantially rigid cross beam spans the fingerboard laterally, carrying a pair of elongated flanges which ride in the track. By elongated is meant relatively long in the lengthwise direction of the neck. I have found that a flange length of about one half of the width of the root of the track is adequate to prevent jamming of the Capo, and to keep the Capo aligned substantially parallel to the frets.
A shaft carrying a cylindrical rubber roller also spans the fingerboard, running in a pair of bearings in the cross beam. The position of the bearings normal to the fingerboard is adjustable, enabling the roller pressure against the strings to be set. When used in connection with a curved fingerboard, the shaft is flexible so that it can bend, permitting a cylindrical roller to be used. Hourglass shaped rollers used in the prior art are more difficult to fabricate than are cylindrical rollers, and are less cosmetically pleasing.


REFERENCES:
patent: 339513 (1886-04-01), Allen
patent: 4165670 (1979-08-01), Cahn
patent: 4503747 (1985-03-01), Labbe
patent: 4621558 (1986-11-01), Cornette
patent: 5033349 (1991-07-01), Nechville
patent: 5275079 (1994-01-01), Castillo
patent: 6008441 (1999-12-01), Steinberger

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