Neck truss structure for stringed musical instruments

Claim 2

A stringed musical instrument comprising a neck having a finger board thereon and strings adjacent said finger board and neck truss means within said neck, said neck truss means including a plurality of link elements serially positioned along the length of said neck and within said neck, a truss rod extending through said serially positioned links away from said finger board, and adjusting means on said rod for determining the curvature of said serially positioned links in said neck.

Claim 3

A stringed musical instrument in accordance with claim 1 wherein said link elements have a pivot element at one side adjacent said finger board and a mating fulcrum recess at the other side adjacent said finger board.

Claim 4

A stringed musical instrument in accordance with claim 2 wherein said pivot element comprises a knife edge.

Claim 5

A stringed musical instrument in accordance with claim 2 wherein said adjusting means causes the curvature of said links to be away from said finger board.

Claim 6

A stringed musical instrument in accordance with claim 2 wherein said links are positioned in a slot within said neck, said slot having an inverted T-shape, and each of said links having side projections at their base away from said finger board.

Claim 7

A stringed musical instrument including a neck having a finger board thereon and strings adjacent said finger board, said neck having an inverted T-shaped slot extending along its length, and neck truss means positioned in said slot to prevent warping of said neck, said neck truss means comprising a vertebrae of adjacent links, each of said links having side projections thereon fitting into the bottom of said T-shaped slot and an aperture between said projections, a truss rod extending the length of said slot and through said apertures of adjacent links, and adjustment means including an adjusting nut at one end of said rod for causing said vertebrae to bend away from said finger board.

Claim 8

A stringed musical instrument including a neck having a finger board thereon and strings adjacent said finger board, said neck having an inverted T-shaped slot extending along its length, and neck truss means positioned in said slot to prevent warping of said neck, said neck truss means comprising a vertebrae of adjacent links, each of said links having side projections thereon fitting into the bottom of said T-shaped slot and an aperture between said projections, a truss rod extending the length of said slot and through said apertures of adjacent links, and adjustment means including an adjusting nut at one end of said rod for causing said vertebrae to bend away from said finger board.

Claim 9

A stringed musical instrument in accordance with claim 6 wherein said link elements have a pivot element at one side thereof adjacent said finger board and a mating fulcrum recess at the other side adjacent said finger board.

Claim 10

A stringed musical instrument in accordance with claim 7 wherein said adjusting means further includes an inclined surface on the first of said links and against which surface said adjusting nut bears, said aperture in said first link being inclined from said side projections to said surface.

Claim 11

A stringed musical instrument in accordance with claim 7 wherein said pivot element is a knife edge.