Pitch changing means for pedal steel guitars

Claim 1

A STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT INCLUDING A PANEL HAVING A GIVEN NUMBER OF PLAYING STRINGS THEREON, TURNING KEYS AT THE FRONT END OF THE PANEL ANCHORING THE FRONT ENDS OF SAID STRINGS THERETO AND MAINTAINING THE STRINGS TENSED IN NORMALLY TUNED CONDITION, SAID PANEL HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH AT THE REAR END THEREOF, A FIRST TRANSVERSE SHAFT EXTENDING ACROSS SAID OPENING, A NUMBER OF ROCKERS EQUAL TO SAID GIVEN NUMBER MOUNTED SIDE BY SIDE ON SAID FIRST SHAFT AND HAVING ROUNDED HEADS PROTRUDING ABOVE THE PANEL, THE REAR ENDS OF SAID STRINGS BEING ANCHORED ON SAID HEADS, A SECOND TRANSVERSE SHAFT POSITIONED BELOW AND REARWARD OF SAID FIRST SHAFT, SUPPORTS SECURING SAID SECOND SHAFT TO THE PANEL, A NUMBER OF CAM MEMBERS EQUAL TO TWICE SAID GIVEN NUMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SHAFT, SAID CAM MEMBERS HAVING APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF THE THICKNESS OF SAID ROCKERS AND BEING PROVIDED IN PAIRS, EACH PAIR OF SAID PAIRS LYING IN A COMMON PLANE WITH ONE OF SAID ROCKERS, EACH OF SAID ROCKERS INCLUDING A DOWNWARD EXTENSION HAVING A ROUNDED EXTREMITY, THE CAM MEMBERS OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS HAVING CAM SURFACES IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROUNDED EXTREMITY ON THE ROCKER CO-PLANAR THEREWITH, LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE FIRST MEANS FOR TILTING SAID CAM MEMBERS IN ONE ROTATIONAL DIRECTION FROM A NORMAL NEUTRAL POSITION, ONE CAM MEMBER OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS HAVING THE CAM SURFACE THEREOF SHAPED TO TILT ITS CO-PLANAR ROCKER IN SAID ROTATIONAL DIRECTION TO TIGHTEN THE STRING ANCHORED THERETO UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST MEANS IN ONE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION FROM A NORMAL NEUTRAL POSITION AND THE OTHER CAM MEMBER OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS HAVING THE CAM SURFACE THEREOF SHAPED TO TILT SAID CO-PLANAR ROCKER IN THE OPPOSITE ROTATIONAL DIRECTION TO LOOSEN SAID STRING UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST MEANS IN SAID ONE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, SAID FIRST MEANS INCLUDING ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID FIRST MEANS WITH EITHER ONE OF EACH PAIR OF CAM MEMBERS, SPRING-BIASED PEDAL-OPERATED MEANS FOR MOVING SAID FIRST MEANS IN SAID ONE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, AND MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY TILTING SAID ROCKERS IN THE OPPOSITE ROTATIONAL DIRECTION TO RESTORE THE SAME AND HENCE ALSO SAID CAM MEMBERS TO NEUTRAL INACTIVE POSITION UPON RELEASE OF SAID PEDAL-OPERATED MEANS.