US4387621A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Manual control lever for stringed instruments
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1980-09-03
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Granted: 1983-06-14
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Expires: 2000-09-03
Abstract
Abstract A manual control lever for plucked instruments supplied with electric sound amplification has a rest plate for the player's plucking hand. This rest plate is located above the strings and held by a lever arm which has rotary bearings, allowing a motion parallel to the top and further an up-and-down motion vertical to the top of the instrument. The parallel-to-the-top-motion provides the necessary movability when plucking the different strings of the instrument. The vertical-to-the-top-motion provides a continuous control of sound elements, preferably volume and timbre, through the fact that the mechanical means drive electronic members converting the mechanical movement or pressure into a continuous variation of voltage or current. The volume is controllable in two ranges: Firstly from zero to the normal level, and secondly from normal level to a maximum peak.
Inventors
- 👤 Ranier Franzmann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:14
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H3/00; G10H3/12; G10H3/14; G10H3/18
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
256 words
A stringed musical instrument having a body, strings extending over a portion of said body and arranged to be engaged by fingers on a hand of a person to vibrate the strings to produce sound, a control lever mounted on said instrument body, (a) said control lever having a hand rest portion on which a player's hand may rest while the fingers of such hand engage said strings, (b) said lever being swingably mounted on said instrument body for swinging movement of said hand rest portion both in a direction across said strings at an elevation above them and in a direction upwardly farther above and downwardly closer to said strings, (c) the upward and downward swinging movement of said lever being through a first range from an uppermost unoperated position to an intermediate normal position and a second range from said normal position farther downwardly to a lowermost maximum position, (d) means tending to raise said lever to said unoperated position and resisting downward motion from such position, (e) motion-resisting stop means determining said normal position and providing additional resistance to downward motion when said lever reaches said normal position, so that greater downward pressure on said hand rest portion is required to move said lever downwardly through its second range than the pressure required to move it downwardly through its first range, and (f) electronic sound converter means responsive to said upward and downward swinging movement of said lever for controlling an element of the sound heard as a result of playing said strings.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
256 words
A stringed musical instrument having a body, strings extending over a portion of said body and arranged to be engaged by fingers on a hand of a person to vibrate the strings to produce sound, a control lever mounted on said instrument body, (a) said control lever having a hand rest portion on which a player's hand may rest while the fingers of such hand engage said strings, (b) said lever being swingably mounted on said instrument body for swinging movement of said hand rest portion both in a direction across said strings at an elevation above them and in a direction upwardly farther above and downwardly closer to said strings, (c) the upward and downward swinging movement of said lever being through a first range from an uppermost unoperated position to an intermediate normal position and a second range from said normal position farther downwardly to a lowermost maximum position, (d) means tending to raise said lever to said unoperated position and resisting downward motion from such position, (e) motion-resisting stop means determining said normal position and providing additional resistance to downward motion when said lever reaches said normal position, so that greater downward pressure on said hand rest portion is required to move said lever downwardly through its second range than the pressure required to move it downwardly through its first range, and (f) electronic sound converter means responsive to said upward and downward swinging movement of said lever for controlling an element of the sound heard as a result of playing said strings.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said element is the loudness of the sound.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said element is the timbre of the sound.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The invention defined in claim 4, wherein the length of said lever is adjustable.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said stop means includes a circular member guided along a straight portion of a track to a curved portion of the track which cooperates with the circular member to stop the movement of said lever at said normal position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The invention defined in claim 5, wherein said track is displaceable to allow additional movement of said lever from its normal position to its maximum position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The invention defined in claim 1, further comprising oppositely acting springs operatively connected to said lever to tend to hold it in its unoperated position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said lever is mounted for swinging movement across the strings about a rotary bearing located close to a usual position of elbow articulation of the plucking arm of a person playing the instrument.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said lever is mounted for swinging movement across the strings about a rotary bearing having sufficient friction to prevent movement of said lever across the strings as a result of gravity alone.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
70 words
The invention defined in claim 1, further comprising electric circuit means with action converters for controlling a level of sound loudness responsive to the position of said control lever, continuously from a level of substantially zero when said lever is in its unoperated position to a medium level when said lever is in its normal position and to a maximum peak value when said lever is in its maximum position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
69 words
The invention defined in claim 1, further comprising electric circuit means responsive to the position of said control lever for continuously controlling the timbre of sound signals produced by playing the instrument, from soft and dark when said lever is in its unoperated position to medium and clear when said lever is in its normal position and to treble and hard when said lever is in its maximum position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said second range of movement of said lever is of relatively small extent, and said first range is of much greater extent than said second range.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
69 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said means tending to raise said lever, and said stop means, are of such dimensions that the weight of a player's hand resting on said hand rest portion of said lever, without purposeful downward force exerted thereon, will move said lever downwardly no farther than its said normal position, purposeful additional force being required to move said lever into its second range.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said hand rest portion is in the form of an approximately circular plate portion on a free end of said lever.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
69 words
The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said electronic sound converter means includes sound amplifier means controlled by a variable voltage, and includes means responsive to movement of said lever through its said first range for varying such voltage between substantially zero and a predetermined intermediate value and responsive to movement through its said second range for varying such voltage between said predetermined intermediate value and a maximum value.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3742114A
Cited
US4281573A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-06-13 | 1986-12-13 | 1987-06-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-06-13 | 1990-12-13 | 1991-06-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-06-13 | 1994-12-13 | 1995-06-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |