CA1286528C - Neck rod member for stringed instruments - Google Patents

Abstract

A neck rod member for stringed instruments, particularly for bass guitars. The rod member includes two oblong rod portions which extend parallel relative to each other and essentially contact one another. At one end of the rod member, the portions are fixedly connected to each other, for example, by rivets. At the other free ends of the rod portions, a mechanism for effectively shortening the length of one of the rod portions relative to the effective length of the other rod portion is provided. The neck of the instrument defines an oblong blind-end hole which is open at the free end of the neck. The rod member can be inserted into the blind-end hole in such a way that the mechanism for shortening the effective length of the first rod portion is accessible from the open end of the blind-end bore. The neck rod member includes another mechanism for shortening the effective length of the second rod portion relative to the effective length of the first rod portion. This second mechanism is also accessible from the open end of the blind-end hole.

Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIO~

l. F_eld of the Invention The present invention relates to a neck rod member ~or strincJed instruments, particularly for bass ~uitars. The rod member includes two oblong rod por-tions which extend parallel relative to each other and essentially contact one another.
At one end of the rocl member, the rod portions are fixedly connected to each other, Eor example, by riveting. At the other free ends of the rod portions, a means for effectively ! :
shortening the length of one of the rod portions relative to the eEfective lenyth oE the other rod portion is providecl.
The neck of the instrumen~t defines an oblong blind-end hole which is open at the free end of the neck. The rod member can be inserted into the blind-end hole in such a way that the means for shortening the effective length of the first rod portion is accessible from the open end of the blind-end hole.

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2. Description of the Prior Art .'' ~' ;' .
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A neck rod member of the above-described type is known from U.S. patent 4,308,780 and German Utility ~1Odel 78 2~ 673.
Such a nec]c rod member is inserted into -the oblon~3 blind-end hole in the neck of the instrument. The rod member is secured in this hole once one of the rod portions is braced within the : '. : ' ' .. j I ~' . . ~ : : . .

.: . . . , ' . ! . ~ ~. , 3652~3 hole, as clescribed in detail below. Consequently, a separate means for f~stening the rod member in the hole of the neck of the instrument is not necessary. The effective length of one of the rocl portions is shortened relative to the other rod por-tion by rotating a cap nu~. As a result, the rod member which previously was straight becomes curved into an IrC allCI, thus, the neck oE the instrument also ~ssumes the shape of an arc, wherein the convex slde of the arc faces the s-trings resting on the fingerboard of the neck. The above-described bracing ac-tion counteracts the relatively stron~ tension exerted on the neclc of the instrument by the strinys. Without the braci.ng action, the danger exists that the tension of the strings will bend or even break the neck of ~ -~the instrument.
~ ' -However, in some strin~ed instruments, particularly in : .
special types of bass guitars, it may be required, for example, due to the grain of the wood of the neck or for other ~ I
reasons, that the neck rod member should exert a force on the neck of the instrument which is directed in the same direction ~-as tne tension force of the strings. The neck rod member of the type described above is not suitable for this purpose.

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U.S. patent 4,557,174 describes a neck rod member which~
consists oE a single piece. This rod member is inserted i.~to the nec]c of the instrument and is approximately in the middle thereoE Eixedly connected to the neck of the instrument by an ~3~ ; ;

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~8~52~3 anchorlng means. The rod member must be bent Into the deslred dlrectlon before belng Inserted. Because of thls and partlcu-larly due to the flxed anchorlng of the rod member In the neck of the Instrument, an Instrument equl~ped wlth the neck rod member accordlng to U.S. patent 4,557,174 Is complIcated and expenslve to manufacture. In addltlon, thls neck rod member cannot be replaced once It becomes useless or damaged. Accordlngty, the neck rod member accordlng to U.S. patent 4,557,174 Is of a con-slderably dlfferent type from the one descrlbed Inltlally hereln-above.

It Is, therefore, the prlmary obJect of the present Inventlon to provlde a rod member of the type Inltlally descrlbed whlch can be deformed optlonally Into a convex or concave arc shape relatlve to the neck of the Instrument. However, the advantages of loosely Insertlng the rod member Into the blInd-end hole of the Instrument neck and the loose removal therefrom are to be malntalned.

In accordance wlth the present Inventlon, another means ; for shortenlng the effectlve length of the second rod portlon relatlve to the effectlve length of the flrst rod portlon Is pro-vlded. Thls other second means Is ~ocated at the second end of the second rod. Therefor thls second means Is also accesslble from the open end of the blInd-end hole.

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' The neck rod member according to the present invention can be used for both types of applications described above, i.e., the bracing of the rod member into a conve.Y arc, as well as for providlng -tne neck member inserted into the neck with an arc whose concave side faces the fingerboard or the s-trings of the instrument. Thus, a single neck rod member can be used for both situations. This not only ~educes the manufacturing costs, but substantially reduces the quantities which have to be kept in stock at the manufacturer and the instrument builder. Fina:Lly, the user of -the instrumen-t can use the kind of adjustment or arc of the neck rod member which he considers suitable.

The neck rod member of the type described above is insertable in-to the blind-end hole oE the instrument neck.
The neck rod member can be securely braced within the blind-.
~ end hole of the neck by bendlny the rod member in the desired .
direction, so that the rod member cannot inadvertently slideout oE tlle blind-end hole. soth rod portions can be ad~usted in the desired manner by reaching into the open end of the blind-end hole. The rod portions preferably do not project out of the open end of the blind-end hole, so that the rod i members are not visible from the outside. The rod member can : 1 ~ be easily pulled out oE the blind-end hole.
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In accordance w.ith another feature of tlle present i invention, the additional means for shortening the effec-tive length of the second rod portion includes a screw or nut which ~. :

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is accessible Erom the open end of the blind-end hole. ~hus, both rod portions can be adjusted easily from the open end of the blind-end hole.

In accordance with a third embodiment of the invention which starts from the above-mentioned German Utility Model 78 2~ 673, the first rod portion is provided with an external thread and is shorter than the second rod por-tion. In addition, a cap nut meshing wi-th the external thread is provided. The cap nut forms a stop for the end face oE the free end of the second rod portion which is lon~er than the first rod portion. The free end oE the second rod portion has an internal thread. A set screw whose thread meshes with the internal thread of the second rod portion provides a stop, preferably in the form of a screw head for contactlng the end of the first rod portion or the cap screw screwed onto the first rod portion. -' Accordingly, the external thread on -the shorter rod portion and the corresponding cap screw which are known from the prior art can s-till be used, while merely the internal thread on the second longer rod portion and the set screw must be provided. Thus, st~rting from the known rod members, a ., 'I conversion to manufacturin~ the rod member according to the , present invention is relatively inexpensive. In ~ddition, a , readjustment in the use oE the rod member is not required.

'I Rather, it is only necessary to learn to use the ~dditional adjusting means in the form of the above-described set screw.

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The rod m~mber accordi.ng ~o the present lnv~ntion has the adclitional advantaqe that the thiclcness of the end portion of th~-~ rod m~mber is the same as the thickn~ss oE the prior art rod members. Only the length of the rod member is slightly increased by the thickness of the set screw head, however, this has virtually no prac-tical consequences.

In order to prevent an uninten-tional turning of the cap screw when the set screw is adjusted, it is possible to provide the internal thread at the end of the second rod ~ -portion as a left-handed thread and the external thread of the -firs-t rod portion as a right-handed thread, or vice-versa, or to provide the internal -thread of the end of the second rod portion with a pitch which differs from the pi-tch of~the external thread of the first rod portion.

Tne various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had -to the drawings and descrip-tive matter :in which there is illustrated and described a preferred e~bodiment of the invention.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In -the drawincJ:

Fig. 1 is a schematic side v;ew of a neck ~od member according to the present invention without cap nuti Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the neck rod member of Fig. 1 including a cap nut, the rod member being shown in the unbraced state;
~' , Fig. 3 is ~ sch~matic side view of neck rod member of Fig. 1 including cap nut, wherein the rod member is braced in a conve.Y shape, Fig. 3 further showi.ng the outline of an instrument neck;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along sectional line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of -the left end I ~ , of the unbraced neck rod member illustrated in Fig. 2;
" ` "' .~ i Fig. 6`is a side view corresponding to Fig. 5, wherein the neck rod member is concavely braced, the outline of the instrument neck being shown in dash-dotted lines; and ,1 ' i .
Il Fig. 7 is a side view, partly in section, oE a stringed instrument with the rod neck member accorcling to the present invention incorporated in the neck o~ the instrument.
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1~3652~3 DET~ILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As illustratecl in the drawing, a rod neck member generally denoted by reference numeral 1 is composed of two rod portions, i.e., a first short rod portion 2 and a second lon~er rod portion 3. ~t their ends on the right-hand side as seen in Figs. 1-3 of the drawing, the rod portions are fixedly connected with each other, for example, by means of rivets schematically illustrated by dash-dotted lines.

On the free end of the neck rod member 1 as illustrated in Flgs. 1-3, an end 5 oE the shorter rod portion 2 has an e~ternal thread 6 which is capable of meshing with an internal thread 7 of a cap nut 8. End 9 of the longer rod portion 3 has an internal thread 10 which lS capable of meshing wlth an external thread 11 of a set screw 12 which shall be described in more de-tail with the aid of Figs. 5 and 6.

The threads 6 and 7 are preferably directed in the opposite direction from threads 10 and 11. Threads 6 and 7 are preferably right-handed threads and the threads 10 and 11 ~ are left-handed threads. Thus, it is ensured that the cap nut i is not inadvertently turned when the set screw is actuated.

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, On the other hand, the pi-tch of threads 10 and 11 may also diEer Erom the pitch of threads 6 and 7. Thus, when the pitch o~ threads 10 and 11 is yreater or 5maller than the pitch of threads 6 and 7, an unintentional turning of the cap .
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nut is prevented. Different pitches can also be used if the transmission of the bracing force from the adjus~ing means to the rod portions is to be changed.

As illustra-ted in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, rod portions 2 and 3 are placed closely next to each o-ther and are separated from each o-ther only by a thin gap 13. After the cap nut 8 has been screwed onto the free end of rod member 1, the inner surface 14 of cap nut 8 comes into contac-t with the end ace 15 of rod portion 3. When cap nut 8 is turned further, it moves in the direction oE arrow 16 shown in Fig. 2 and the shorter rod portion 2 is pulled against the direction of arrow 16 into the cap nu-t 8. This effective shortening of the length of the rod portion 2 results in a corresponding lengthening of the relative length of the rod portion 3, so that rod por~ion 3 is bent upwardly into an arc shape, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The convex side of this arc is directed toward the fingerboard 26 and, thus, toward the strings 27 of the neck 17 of instrument 31, the neck 17 being shown in Fig. 3 only in dash-dotted lines. Further details o the structure of the rod member and the instrument neck can be found in Fig. 7. Strings 27 and fingerboard 26 are located on the side of the neck denoted by reference numeral 17'. For !
clarity's sake, the arc of the rod portion 3 is shown exagcJerated in Fi~. 3 of the drawincJ.

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52~3 -The above-described internal thread 10 in connection with the se-t screw 12 serves as the additional adjusting means for shortening the effective lenc3th of the second rod portion 3 relati.ve -to the efEec-tive length of the first rod portion 2. ~ :
The external thread 11 of set screw 12 meshes with internal thread 10. Set screw 12 has a head 18 which forms an end face 19 on the right-hand side of head 1~ as seen in Figs. 5 and 6.
End face lg forms a stop which comes into contact with the end ..-face 20 of cap nut 8.

In the initial position of the adjustment procedure accordiny to Fig. 5, the surfaces 19 and 20 are in contact with each other and the cap nut is screwed onto thread 6 to such an extent that cap nut 8 surrounds both rod portions 2 :
and 3, while a distance a remalns between the end face 15 of rod portion 3 and the inner end Eace 14 of bot-tom 22 of cap .
nut 8. In ac,cordance with a preferred embodiment, the .
: distance a may be, for example, 4 When set screw 12 is turned such that the rod portion 3 is moved toward the leEt along shat 23 of set screw 12 in the direction of arrow 2~ shown in Fig. S whereby the distance a becomes smaller, this results in an effective shortening of the upper rod portion 3 and, thus, an effective relative lengtheninc3 o.E the lower rod portion 2. Set screw 12 can be turned until distance a becomes practlcally zero as shown in FicJ. 6. As illustrated i.n FicJ. 6, the rod portion ~,is now ., l .

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~Z865~3 bent into a downwardly dlrected arc whose concave side 2' faces the neck side 17' which includes fingerboard 26 and strings 27.

'-Accordingly, in the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1-3 whicll lncludes cap nut but not a se~ scrcw, a ConVe.Y arching of the rod member results in forces acting on neck 17 in the direction of arrows A. In the arrangement which includes the use of set screw 12 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, forces are acting on neck 176 whlch are directed in the opposite direction ~o arrow A. In Fiy. 6, these forces are illustra-ted by the arrow B on the left-hand side.
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Head 18 of set screw 12 may have a he~agonal recess 21 for inserting a wrench. Such a heYagonal recess can also be provlded at the bore 25 of cap nut 8. Thus, set screw 12 and cap nut 8 can be adjusted independently from the free end 28 .
of blind-end hole 29 by inserting appropriate wrenches in the dlrection of arrow 30, as shown in Fig. 7.

, While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail -to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the i.nvention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

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Claims (11)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. In a neck rod member for stringed instruments having a neck with a free end, the neck defining a blind-end bore open at the free and of the neck, the neck rod member including first and second oblong rod portions which extend parallel relative to each other and essentially contact one another, the first and second rod portions each having first and second ends, the first ends of the first and second rod portions being fixedly connected to each other, the second ends of the first and second rod portions at the free end of the neck including first means for effectively shortening the length of the first rod portion relative to the effective length of the second rod portion, the neck rod member being inserted into the blind-end bore such that the means for shortening the effective length of the first rod portion is accessible from the opening of the blind-end bore at the free end of the neck, the improvement comprising second means for shortening the effective length of the second rod portion relative to the effective length of the first rod portion, the second means also being accessible from the opening of the blind-end bore at the free end of the neck, wherein the first rod portion is shorter than the second rod portion, the first rod portion having an external thread at the second end thereof, a cap nut being mounted on the external thread, the second end of the second rod defining an end face, the cap nut forming a stop means for the end face of the second rod portion, the second end of the second rod portion having an internal thread, a set screw having an external thread being mounted in the internal thread, the set screw defining a stop means for contacting the cap nut.

2. The neck rod member according to claim 1, wherein the stringed instrument is a bass guitar.

3. The neck rod member according to claim 1, wherein the first ends of the rod portions are riveted to each other.

4. The neck rod member according to claim 1, wherein the cap screw includes a bottom, the bottom defining a polygonal recess for the insertion of a wrench.

5. The neck rod member according to claim 4, wherein the recess is hexagonal.

6. The neck rod member according to claim 1, wherein the set screw includes a screw head, the screw head defining the stop means of the set screw.

7. The neck rod member according to claim 1, wherein the internal thread at the second end of the second rod portion is a left-handed thread and the external thread of the second end of the first rod portion is a right-handed thread, or vice-versa.

8. The neck rod member according to claim 1, wherein the internal thread of the second end of the second rod portion has a pitch which differs from the pitch of the external thread of the second end of the first rod portion.

9. The neck rod member according to claim 1, wherein the second ends of the rod portions each have the cross-sectional shape of an annular cylinder half, the annular cylinder defining the external thread of the first rod portion and the internal thread of the second rod portion.

10. The neck red member according to claim 1, wherein the head of the set screw defines a polygonal recess for the insertion of a wrench.

11. The neck rod member according to claim 10, wherein the recess is hexagonal.