US3712167A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Chord slide rule for musical instruments
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1972-02-24
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Granted: 1973-01-23
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Expires: 1992-02-24
Abstract
Abstract A slide rule for determining and displaying finger positions for various chords on the finger board of a stringed instrument, consisting of a primary transparent cursor on which is displayed the finger board grill of a stringed instrument and a tonality scale, and a plurality of secondary transparent cursors arranged to slide adjacent to and independent of each other and of the primary cursor with marks and scales displayed upon said plurality of secondary transparent cursors so that all possible finger positions on the stringed instrument can be displayed on the slide rule for any predetermined chord.
Inventors
- 👤 J Renault
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:49
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B15/00; G09B15/001; G09B15/004; G09B15/005; G09B15/006
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A slide rule for determining and displaying finger positions for various chords on the finger board of a stringed instrument, the combination comprising: a primary transparent cursor on which is displayed the finger board grill of a stringed instrument and a tonality scale; a plurality of secondary transparent cursors arranged one beneath the other and beneath said primary transparent cursor slideable beneath said primary cursor and relative to each other; marks and scales displayed upon said plurality of secondary cursors; whereby said secondary cursors may be manipulated relative to each other and relative to said primary cursor in a predetermined manner to display the finger positions on a stringed instrument for a particular desired chord.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
A slide rule for determining and displaying finger positions for various chords on the finger board of a stringed instrument, the combination comprising: a primary transparent cursor on which is displayed the finger board grill of a stringed instrument and a tonality scale; a plurality of secondary transparent cursors arranged one beneath the other and beneath said primary transparent cursor slideable beneath said primary cursor and relative to each other; marks and scales displayed upon said plurality of secondary cursors; whereby said secondary cursors may be manipulated relative to each other and relative to said primary cursor in a predetermined manner to display the finger positions on a stringed instrument for a particular desired chord.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
114 words
The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein: the finger board grill displayed on said primary transparent cursor consists of a plurality of parallel lines affixed to the face of said primary cursor extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the surface plane of said primary cursor representing the strings of an instrument and a plurality of transverse lines intersecting said plurality of longitudinal lines, said transverse lines being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the surface plane of said primary transparent cursor, said transverse lines representing the fretts of an instrument; whereby the combination of said longitudinal lines and said transverse lines form a grill representing the finger board of a stringed instrument.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein: the marks displayed upon each of said plurality of secondary cursors are different for each cursor so that when said cursors are arranged in operative manner the marks on each cursor can be differentiated from thE marks on each other cursor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
The invention as defined in claim 3, wherein: the plurality of marks on each secondary cursor are regularly spaced to correspond with the transverse lines on the primary cursor and to fall beneath one of the longitudinal lines on said primary cursor when the device is assembled in its operative position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention as defined in claim 4, wherein: the scale displayed upon said primary cursor is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the surface plane of said primary cursor and is a musical tonality scale with the twelve semi-tones displayed thereon corresponding to an octave of the musical scale.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
125 words
The invention as defined in claim 5, wherein: said plurality of secondary cursors consists of five secondary cursors, four of which have semi-tone scales affixed thereto parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plane of the face of said scale arranged in a predetermined manner to correspond to the marks on said secondary cursor; and the fifth of which secondary cursor has a single interval affixed thereto corresponding to the tonic of any chord with the marks on this secondary cursor being previously arranged to display on the grill of said primary cursor the fingering position for the tonic of a particular semi-tone when the single interval on said secondary cursor is aligned with a particular note on the semi-tone scale of said primary cursor.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-23 | 1976-07-24 | 1977-01-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-23 | 1980-07-24 | 1981-01-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-23 | 1984-07-24 | 1985-01-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |