Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-02
2003-09-23
Lockett, Kimberly (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S304000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06624347
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a string tightening device for a string instrument with at least one string which can be tightened by a tuning screw operable from one side of the string instrument, which is freely accessible at least during play and a moving nut for the purpose of tightening the string that is guided in a torsion-resistant manner on the tuning screw and may be shifted by rotating the tuning screw. The string is connected to the moving nut, and the connecting point of the string to the moving nut and the tuning screw is staggered, as viewed in the shifting direction of the moving nut.
2. Discussion of Background Information
A string tightening device for a string instrument of the type mentioned at the outset is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,813,448. The present application is intended for string instruments, such as, in particular, guitars and guitar-like musical instruments. In the string tightening device according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,813,448, two plates are fastened to the body of the string instrument, parallel to the level of the tightened strings. The tuning screws, fixed to be immobile in the longitudinal direction, and the moving nut, shiftable on the tuning screws during rotation of the tuning screw are provided and, between these plates, the tuning screws can be activated from the side of the string instrument facing the tightened strings. The ends of the strings are staggered next to the tuning screws at the corresponding moving nuts. With their two end regions, the tuning screws are positioned on the plates to be immobile in the longitudinal direction. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that, in order to avoid the plates bending during tightening of the strings, the parallel plates must be embodied in a comparatively voluminous manner. In the longitudinal direction of the tuning screw, the moving nuts are guided only by guiding rods in this arrangement. The guiding rods must be fastened to the parallel plates during a special process and must be embodied as being comparatively strong and voluminous, because they are subjected to a considerable amount of stress. This arrangement requires a relatively large amount of space affecting, the overall dimensions of the string instrument and resulting in economical disadvantages. In summary, it can be stated that this arrangement requires an expensive installation, a relatively large amount of space, and is economically disadvantageous.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,132 shows another string tightening device having a tuning screw positioned concentrically to it, operating the moving nut that supports the end of the string. This tuning screw can only be operated from the side of the musical instrument next to the body and facing away from the tightened strings, which is troublesome for the musician, in particular when simultaneously plucking the strings. Additionally, this string tightening device is comparatively long in relation to the string tightening lift causing the space required for the guitar body to be correspondingly large.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a string tightening device of the type mentioned at the outset that has comparatively small dimensions, in particular with a short assembly length in relation to the string tightening lift, a simple and inexpensively produced guidance of the moving nut, and can be easy to incorporate into the body of the string instrument without any considerable weakening of the body and without any particular reinforcements, and allowing a compact construction of the string instrument.
Accordingly, the present invention provides two guide surfaces facing one another for guiding the moving nut in the direction of the tuning screw, which guide surfaces are connected to the body of the string instrument in a form-fitting manner and which compensate the stress caused by the tightened strings on the moving nut mounted for that purpose in two opposing directions. This string tightening device formed by a tuning screw and by a moving nut guided thereon in a displaceable manner is provided with comparatively small dimensions. The simple guidance of the moving nut in two parallel guide surfaces fixed to the body of the string instrument is space-saving and avoids bulky guidance devices that can be installed only with difficulty. The tightening screw is freely accessible during the tightening of the string. A reinforcement of the body of the string instrument positioned around the string tightening device is not necessary. A compact design of the string instrument is possible. Therefore, this string tightening device can be used for so-called travel guitars as well.
Advantageously, the guiding surfaces are separately positioned in a tubular case for each separate moving nut, with the tuning screw having a symmetrical axis outside of the bisecting line of the case and the moving nut being shiftable thereon in order to tighten the assigned string provided in each tubular case. This arrangement can be assembled independently of the distance between the separate strings in various string instruments. Due to the separate string tightening devices being assembled separately from one another in the body of the musical instrument, a possible interaction of the separate strings and the string tightening devices is avoided.
The case is advantageously provided with a circular cross section with the moving nut being guided in a torsion-free manner. If the cross section of the case is circular, it can be fastened in a single bore in the body of the musical instrument.
The tubular case can be provided with a cross section other than a circular one as well, with the moving nut being guided in a torsion-free manner. Such a cross section of the tubular case ensures the torsion-free guidance of the moving nut.
The tubular case can be fastened in the body of the string instrument by means of a rod that can penetrate the case and the adjacent body of the string instrument as well. The rod locks the tubular case in the body of the string instrument in an easy fashion.
Advantageously, the tapered end of the tuning screw inserts through the base cover of the case and contacts from the inside with a shoulder and is fixed therein to be immobile in the longitudinal direction by a fixing element mounted to the part of the tuning screw penetrating the base cover. It is simplest for the tuning screw to be fixed to the base cover of the case, preventing a longitudinal shifting.
Advantageously for all moving nuts positioned parallel next to one another, the guide surfaces are positioned on the inner sides of the two parallel side walls facing one another on the U-shaped profiled bar fastened on the body of the string instrument. The entire string tightening device provided with the guide surfaces can be prefabricated and built into the body of the string instrument in a simple fashion.
The guide surfaces for all moving nuts positioned next to one another can be positioned on the inner sides of two parallel and opposing side walls of a support arrangement that is provided on the body of a string instrument and that has a closed cross sectional form. A predominantly polygonal support arrangement provided with a closed shape grants the body of the string instrument a particularly good stability and supports the guide surfaces for the moving nuts as well. The support of the tuning screw in the support arrangement can easily be accomplished as well. Here, the support arrangement can be embodied in one piece or can be of several partial elements mounted on the body of the string instrument. The guide surfaces for all moving nuts positioned next to one another can also be provided on two parallel guidance plates, positioned opposite one another in the body of the string instrument, separately mounted directly to the body. These guide surfaces are integrated into the body of the musical instrument, thus facilitating the production of the musical instrument.
The moving nut can also be provided with a bore for fastening the end of the string
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