Shoulder strap-operated pitch-changing means for spanish guitars

Claim 2

A Spanish guitar incorporating pitch-changing means operated by the shoulder strap, which guitar comprises: a guitar body having a neck extended therefrom, a plurality of guitar strings mounted in tensioned relationship over said neck and over said body, a lever pivotally mounted on said body, stop means to limit the pivotal movement of said lever in such manner that said lever may only pivot between first and second predetermined positions angularly offset from each other, means to connect said lever to at least one of said strings to effect changing of the tension of said one string in response to pivoting of said lever between said predetermined positions, said means to connect said lever to said one string comprising a second-class lever pivotally connected to said body and operated by said first-mentioned lever, said means to connect said first-mentioned lever to said one string further comprising a first-class lever connected to said one string, said means to connect said first-mentioned lever to said one string further comprising a turnbuckle to connect said firstclass lever to said second-class lever, means to adjust said connector means to achieve a predetermined changing of the pitch of said one string in response to said pivoting of said first-mentioned lever between said predetermined positions, said means to adjust said connector means comprising means to shift along said second-class lever the connection thereof to said turnbuckle, a shoulder strap connected at one end to said first-mentioned lever and at the other end to said guitar body, and spring means to bias said first-mentioned lever to said first predetermined position, said spring means being sufficiently strong to prevent the weight of the guitar from shifting said first-mentioned lever away from said first predetermined position whereby the guitarist must intentionally operate said shoulder strap to shift said first-mentioned lever to said second predetermined position and thus achieve said predetermined changing of the pitch of said one string.

Claim 3

The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which said second-class lever is an elongated bolt adapted to be rotated about the longitudinal axis thereof, and in which said means to adjust said connection includes a combination nut and pivot element threadedly associated with said bolt for shifting therealong in response to rotation of said bolt about the longitudinal axis thereof.

Claim 4

A Spanish guitar incorporating pitch-changing means operated by the shoulder strap, which guitar comprises: a guitar body having a neck extended therefrom, a plurality of guitar strings mounted in tensioned relationship over said neck and over said body, an elongated second-class lever disposed transversely of said strings, one end of said second-class lever being pivotally connected to said body, said second-class lever being an elongated bolt, a shoulder strap having one end thereof connected to said body, means to connect the other end of said shoulder strap to the other end of said second-class lever and in such manner that pulling on said shoulder strap effects pivotal movement of said second-class lever generally in a plane parallel to said body, and means to connect an intermediate portion of said second-class lever to at least one of said strings to thus effect changing of the tension in said one string in response to said pivotal movement of said second-class lever, said means to connect said second-class lever to said one string including a combination pivot and nut element threadedly associated with said bolt for shifting therealong in response to rotation of said bolt about the longitudinal axis thereof, said means to connect said second-class lever to said one string further including a first-class lever directly connected to said string, and a link to connect said first-class lever to said combination pivot and nut element.

Claim 5

A Spanish guitar incorporating pitch-changing means operated by the shoulder strap, which guitar comprises: a guitar body having a neck extended therefrom, a plurality of guitar strings mounted in tensioned relationship over said neck and over said body, an elongated second-class lever disposed transversely of said strings, one end of said second-class lever being pivotally connected to said body, said second-class lever being an elongated bolt, a shoulder strap having one end thereof connected to said body, means to connect the other end of said shoulder strap to the other end of said second-class lever and in such manner that pulling on said shoulder strap effects pivotal movement of said second-class lever generally in a plane parallel to said body, and means to connect an intermediate portion of said second-class lever to at least one of said strings to thus effect changing of the tension in said one string in response to said pivotal movement of said second-class lever, said means to connect said second-class lever to said one string including a combination pivot and nut element threadedly associated with said bolt for shifting therealong in response to rotation of said bolt about the longitudinal axis thereof, said means to connect said second-class lever to said one string further including a first-class lever directly connected to said string, and a link to connect said first-class lever to said combination pivot and nut element.

Claim 6

The invention as claimed in claim 3, in which said combination pivot and nut element is a loop of wire looped around said bolt, and in which said link includes a turnbuckle adapted to maintain sufficient tension on said loop of wire to keep the same threadedly associated with said bolt.

Claim 7

The invention as claimed in claim 3, in which the pivot connection between said one end of said second-class lever and said body comprises a pivot element mounted on the back of said guitar body and having an opening therethrough to receive said bolt, said bolt having a head disposed on the side of said pivot element remote from said other end of said second-class lever, said head being adapted to be rotated by the guitarist to thereby shift said combination pivot and nut element along said bolt.

Claim 8

A Spanish guitar incorporating pitch-changing means operated by the shoulder strap, which guitar comprises: a guitar body having a neck extended therefrom, a plurality of guitar strings mounted in tensioned relationship over said neck and over said body, said guitar strings being generally parallel to each other, an elongated externally-threaded element, fulcrum means provided adjacent one end of said externally-threaded element to pivotally mount said externally-threaded element to said body, a shoulder strap having one end connected to said body, means to connect the other end of said strap to the end of said externally-threaded element remote from said one end thereof, whereby pulling on said strap by the guitarist effects pivotal movement of said externally-threaded element about said fulcrum means, combination nut and pivot means provided on said externally-threaded element between said one end thereof and said remote end thereof, said combination nut and pivot means being a loop of wire threadedly associated with said externally-threaded element and adapted to pivot relative thereto, means to rotate said externally-threaded element about the longitudinal axis thereof to thereby shift said combination nut and pivot means along said externally-threaded element, and means to connect said combination nut and pivot means to at least one of said strings.

Claim 9

A Spanish guitar incorporating pitch-changing means operated by the shoulder strap, which guitar comprises: a guitar body having a neck extended therefrom, a plurality of guitar strings mounted in tensioned relationship over said neck and over said body, said guitar strings being generally parallel to each other, an elongated externally-threaded element, fulcrum means provided adjacent one end of said externally-threaded element to pivotally mount said externally-threaded element to said body, a shoulder strap having one end connected to said body, means to connect the other end of said strap to the end of said externally-threaded element remote from said one end thereof, whereby pulling on said strap by the guitarist effects pivotal movement of said externally-threaded element about said fulcrum means, combination nut and pivot means provided on said externally-threaded element between said one end thereof and said remote end thereof, said combination nut and pivot means being a loop of wire threadedly associated with said externally-threaded element and adapted to pivot relative thereto, means to rotate said externally-threaded element about the longitudinal axis thereof to thereby shift said combination nut and pivot means along said externally-threaded element, and means to connect said combination nut and pivot means to at least one of said strings.

Claim 10

The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which said means to connect said combination nut and pivot means to said one string includes turnbuckle means to maintain tension on said loop of wire and thus maintain said loop threadedly associated with said externally-threaded element, and further includes lever means connected to said string.

Claim 11

The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which said means to rotate said externally-threaded element comprises head means at said one end of said externally-threaded element and adapted to rotate the same about the longitudinal axis thereof.

Claim 12

The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which said fulcrum means comprises a fulcrum element fixedly associated with said guitar body, said fulcrum element having an opening therethrough to receive said one end of said externally-threaded element.

Claim 13

The invention as claimed in claim 9, in which said externally-threaded element is mounted in a recess in the back of said guitar body, and in which said fulcrum means is provided on the cover plate for said recess, said cover plate being adapted to prevent ingress of dirt into said recess, said externally-threaded element having a head mounted externally of said cover plate for operation by the guitarist to thereby rotate said externally-threaded element and shift said combination nut and pivot means therealong without removing said cover plate.

Claim 14

A guitar incorporating shoulder strap-operated pitch-changing means, which comprises: a guitar body having a neck extended therefrom, a plurality of strings mounted over said neck and said body in tensioned condition, a pivot element fixedly mounted on said body, a lever pivotally connected to said pivot element, a shoulder strap having one end thereof connected to one part of said lever, the other end of said strap being connected to said body, means to connect another part of said lever to at least one of said strings, whereby to change the tension of said one string in response to pivoting of said lever by said strap, and a torsion spring mounted around said pivot element, one end of said spring being engaged with said lever to bias the same to a predetermined position, the other end of said spring being fixed in position relative to said body, said spring being sufficiently strong that the weight of the guitar will not shift said lever away from said predetermined position.

Claim 15

A guitar incorporating shoulder strap-operated pitch-changing means, which comprises: a guitar body having a neck extended therefrom, a plurality of strings mounted over said neck and said body in tensioned condition, a pivot element fixedly mounted on said body, a lever pivotally connected to said pivot element, a shoulder strap having one end thereof connected to one part of said lever, the other end of said strap being connected to said body, means to connect another part of said lever to at least one of said strings, whereby to change the tension of said one string in response to pivoting of said lever by said strap, and a torsion spring mounted around said pivot element, one end of said spring being engaged with said lever to bias the same to a predetermined position, the other end of said spring being fixed in position relative to said body, said spring being sufficiently strong that the weight of the guitar will not shift said lever away from said predetermined position.

Claim 16

The invention as claimed in claim 11, in which said means to connect said lever to said one string includes a second lever operated by said first-mentioned lever, a link connected to said second lever, and a third lever connected to said link and also to said one string, said second and third levers being pivotally associated with said guitar body.

Claim 17

The invention as claimed in claim 11, in which stop means are provided to limit the pivotal movement of said lever, said stop means permitting said lever to pivot between said predetermined position and another predetermined position angularly offset therefrom.

Claim 18

A Spanish guitar having pitch-changing means operated by the shoulder strap, which guitar comprises: a solid body having a generally planar face and a generally planar back disposed in spaced and generally parallel relationship to each other, a neck extended from one end of said body and generally parallel to the planes of said face and said back, a bridge mounted on said face of said body, a plurality of generally parallel strings mounted in tensioned relationship over said neck, over said face, and over said bridge, a recess provided in said back of said body, an elongated second-class lever mounted in said recess at a region between said bridge and said neck, said second-class lever being disposed generally parallel to the planes of said face and said back and also being disposed transverse to said strings, means to pivotally connect one end of said second-class lever to said body to permit pivotal movement of said lever in a plane generally parallel to the planes of said face and said back, said one end of said second-class lever being relatively adjacent the edge of said body that is held lowermost by the guitarist when the guitar is in playing position, a fixed pivot axis provided relatively adjacent the edge of said body that is held uppermost by the guitarist when the guitar is in playing position, a bell crank pivotally connected to said fixed pivot axis, one arm of said bell crank lever being generally aligned with said second-class lever and being connected thereto, a shoulder strap connected at one end thereof to the other end of said bell crank, the other end of said shoulder strap being connected to said body, spring means to bias said bell crank to a predetermined pivoted position at which said other end of said bell crank is shifted toward said lowermost edge of said body, said spring means being sufficiently strong to prevent the weight of the guitar from effecting pivoting of said bell crank to shift said other end toward said upper-most edge of said body, a lever extended through said body from said recess to the vicinity of said bridge, said last-mentioned lever being connected to at least one of said strings, and a link disposed in said recess and connected between said last-mentioned lever and an intermediate region of said second-class lever between said one end thereof and said other end thereof.

Claim 19

A Spanish guitar having pitch-changing means operated by the shoulder strap, which guitar comprises: a solid body having a generally planar face and a generally planar back disposed in spaced and generally parallel relationship to each other, a neck extended from one end of said body and generally parallel to the planes of said face and said back, a bridge mounted on said face of said body, a plurality of generally parallel strings mounted in tensioned relationship over said neck, over said face, and over said bridge, a recess provided in said back of said body, an elongated second-class lever mounted in said recess at a region between said bridge and said neck, said second-class lever being disposed generally parallel to the planes of said face and said back and also being disposed transverse to said strings, means to pivotally connect one end of said second-class lever to said body to permit pivotal movement of said lever in a plane generally parallel to the planes of said face and said back, said one end of said second-class lever being relatively adjacent the edge of said body that is held lowermost by the guitarist when the guitar is in playing position, a fixed pivot axis provided relatively adjacent the edge of said body that is held uppermost by the guitarist when the guitar is in playing position, a bell crank pivotally connected to said fixed pivot axis, one arm of said bell crank lever being generally aligned with said second-class lever and being connected thereto, a shoulder strap connected at one end thereof to the other end of said bell crank, the other end of said shoulder strap being connected to said body, spring means to bias said bell crank to a predetermined pivoted position at which said other end of said bell crank is shifted toward said lowermost edge of said body, said spring means being sufficiently strong to prevent the weight of the guitar from effecting pivoting of said bell crank to shift said other end toward said upper-most edge of said body, a lever extended through said body from said recess to the vicinity of said bridge, said last-mentioned lever being connected to at least one of said strings, and a link disposed in said recess and connected between said last-mentioned lever and an intermediate region of said second-class lever between said one end thereof and said other end thereof.

Claim 20

The invention as claimed in claim 14, in which said second-class lever is an elongated threaded element, in which said means to pivotally connect said one end of said second-class lever to said body is adapted to permit rotation of said threaded element about the longitudinal axis thereof, in which means are provided to permit the guitarist to rotate said threaded element about said longitudinal axis thereof, and in which said link is connected to said second-class lever by a combination threaded element and pivot means whereby said connection between said link and said threaded element shifts along said threaded element in response tO rotation thereof, and whereby said threaded element may pivot relative to said link upon shifting of said second-class lever by said bell crank.

Claim 21

The invention as claimed in claim 14, in which a cover plate is mounted over said recess, in which said means to pivotally connect said one end of said second-class lever to said body comprises a recessed portion of said cover plate, and in which said second-class lever is a bolt which extends through an oversize opening in said recessed portion of said cover plate, said bolt having a head disposed exteriorly of said cover plate for access by the guitarist.

Claim 22

The invention as claimed in claim 14, in which said means to connect said one end of said bell crank to the other end of said second-class lever comprises a flange on said bell crank and having an opening therein through which said second-class lever extends, said second-class lever being externally threaded, and in which a nut is provided on said second-class lever adjacent said flange.

Claim 23

The invention as claimed in claim 14, in which said link includes a turnbuckle, in which said second-class lever is an externally threaded element, and in which said link further includes a loop of wire extended from said turnbuckle around said externally threaded element and forming a combination nut and pivot means permitting shifting of said wire along said second-class lever in response to rotation of said lever about the longitudinal axis thereof.

Claim 24

The invention as claimed in claim 14, in which an additional link is provided and is connected to a lever connected with another of said strings, in which an additional second-class lever is provided and connected to said bell crank, and in which said additional link is pivotally associated with said additional second-class lever.

Claim 25

The invention as claimed in claim 14, in which a cover is provided for said recess, said cover having a slot therein, in which said bell crank has an exterior portion disposed beneath said cover and connected to said shoulder strap, said exterior portion of said bell crank being pivotally connected to said fixed pivot axis, in which said bell crank has an interior angular portion disposed in said recess and above said cover, and in which an element is extended between said exterior and interior portions of said bell crank and through said slot, said last-named element cooperating with the ends of said slot to limit the pivotal movement of said bell crank, said bell crank being in said predetermined position when said element is at one end of said slot and being in an other predetermined position when said bell crank is at the other end of said slot.

Claim 26

The invention as claimed in claim 20, in which said fixed pivot axis is a bolt extended through said exterior portion of said bell crank, through said cover plate and through said interior portion of said bell crank, and in which an enlarged nut is provided in said recess around said bolt and on the opposite side of said interior portion from said cover plate.

Claim 27

The invention as claimed in claim 21, in which a helical torsion spring is provided around said enlarged nut, in which said element which extends through said slot is a second bolt, in which a second enlarged nut is threadedly associated with said second bolt on the side of said interior portion remote from said cover plate, in which said torsion spring has an arm which extends into bearing engagement with said second nut, in which a third nut is mounted on said cover plate and in said recess, and in which a second arm of said torsion spring engages said third nut.

Claim 28

The invention as claimed in claim 14, in which said lever extended through said body has a passage therethrough to receive said one string, in which said bridge is adjustably mounted on a plate disposed on the face of said body, said plate having an opening therethrough to receive said lever and said string therethrough, and in which said lever is adapted to pivot on one edge of said opening.

Claim 29

A SPanish guitar incorporating pitch-changing means operated by the shoulder strap, which guitar comprises: a guitar body having a neck extended therefrom, a plurality of guitar strings mounted in tensioned relationship over said neck and over said body, an elongated second-class lever disposed transversely of said strings, one end of said second-class lever being pivotally connected to said body, a shoulder strap having one end thereof connected to said body, means to connect the other end of said shoulder strap to the other end of said second-class lever and in such manner that pulling on said shoulder strap effects pivotal movement of said second-class lever generally in a plane parallel to said body, said means to connect said other end of said shoulder strap to said other end of said second-class lever comprising a bell crank lever pivotally connected to said body, one arm of said bell crank lever being generally aligned with said second-class lever and being connected thereto, and means to connect an intermediate portion of said second-class lever to at least one of said strings to thus effect changing of the tension in said one string in response to said pivotal movement of said second-class lever.

Claim 30

A SPanish guitar incorporating pitch-changing means operated by the shoulder strap, which guitar comprises: a guitar body having a neck extended therefrom, a plurality of guitar strings mounted in tensioned relationship over said neck and over said body, an elongated second-class lever disposed transversely of said strings, one end of said second-class lever being pivotally connected to said body, a shoulder strap having one end thereof connected to said body, means to connect the other end of said shoulder strap to the other end of said second-class lever and in such manner that pulling on said shoulder strap effects pivotal movement of said second-class lever generally in a plane parallel to said body, said means to connect said other end of said shoulder strap to said other end of said second-class lever comprising a bell crank lever pivotally connected to said body, one arm of said bell crank lever being generally aligned with said second-class lever and being connected thereto, and means to connect an intermediate portion of said second-class lever to at least one of said strings to thus effect changing of the tension in said one string in response to said pivotal movement of said second-class lever.