Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-10
2001-10-02
Hsieh, Shih-Yung (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S299000, C084S307000, C084S290000, C084S31200P
Reexamination Certificate
active
06297434
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an adjustment mechanism for the bridge of a stringed instrument. The adjustment mechanism comprises a wedge adjustable bridge that is particularly adapted for use on archtop guitars, mandolins and other stringed instruments where adjustment to the height of the bridge is advantageous to improve the sound or feel of the instrument.
Adjustment mechanisms for raising and lowering the height of the bridge of stringed instruments have been available. A common device utilizes a pair of thumbwheel posts at each end of a bridge that interconnect a displaceable string saddle from a base. On turning the thumbwheel posts, the saddle is raised or lowered relative to the base which seats on the face of the instrument,. The quality of the tone of the instrument can be affected by the use of metal thumbwheel posts. It is an object of this invention to provide an improved adjustable bridge that has the characteristics of a solid one-piece bridge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The adjustable bridge of this invention is both structurally sound and visually attractive. The invented bridge appears and performs like a solid bridge. The adjustable bridge utilizes a dual wedge mechanism to raise and lower a string saddle member seated on the wedge mechanism while the wedge mechanism seats on a base. The force of the strings are not focussed at spaced posts as in the conventional thumbwheel post system but are distributed across two elongated wedge members that support the saddle on the base.
The two elongated wedge members are slidably supported on the base and support a triangular-shaped saddle member in the cradle formed by the oppositely positioned wedge members. The two oppositely positioned wedge members are interconnected by an elongated machine screw that inserts through the wedge members and through a locator pin projecting from the base. A pair of spring elements on each side of the locator pin maintain the separation of the wedge members until drawn together by the elongated machine screw. The triangular-shaped saddle member is seated on the wedge members on a projecting portion of the locator pin to maintain its central position relative to the base.
On turning the elongated machine screw at one end of one of the wedge members the interconnected wedge members are drawn together or spread apart depending on the angular direction that the screw is turned. The seated saddle member has an incline, v-shaped underside complimentary to the incline of the wedge members. On the separation or the drawing together of the two wedge members, the saddle is correspondingly lowered or raised.
In an alternate embodiment, the interconnection element comprises a double ended adjustment screw with a left handed thread at one end segment and a right handed thread at the opposite end segment. Each wedge member has an internal thread preferably a threaded metal insert, with a thread direction matching the engaged threaded end segments of the adjustment screw.
The wedge adjustable bridge of this invention can be adapted to a variety of acoustic or electric stringed instruments. It is particularly adapted for use on an archtop guitar and the preferred embodiment described herein is for an archtop acoustic guitar.
REFERENCES:
patent: 536846 (1895-04-01), Bates
patent: 3910152 (1975-10-01), Kusakawa
patent: 4311078 (1982-01-01), Falgares
patent: 5750910 (1998-05-01), LoJacono
patent: 6031165 (2000-02-01), Brekke
Catalog—Stewart & McDonald, Summer 1999, p. 68, discloses a series of adjustable bridges in column 3.
Hsieh Shih-yung
Peterson Patent Attorney Richard Esty
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