GB2299128A - Device for attaching a strap and microphone or pick-up lead to a musical instrument - Google Patents
Device for attaching a strap and microphone or pick-up lead to a musical instrument Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2299128A GB2299128A GB9505517A GB9505517A GB2299128A GB 2299128 A GB2299128 A GB 2299128A GB 9505517 A GB9505517 A GB 9505517A GB 9505517 A GB9505517 A GB 9505517A GB 2299128 A GB2299128 A GB 2299128A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- lead
- slot
- strap
- head portion
- retaining
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10G—REPRESENTATION OF MUSIC; RECORDING MUSIC IN NOTATION FORM; ACCESSORIES FOR MUSIC OR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. SUPPORTS
- G10G5/00—Supports for musical instruments
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
- Multimedia (AREA)
- Bolts, Nuts, And Washers (AREA)
Abstract
A hook shaped attachment for an electric guitar or another similar musical instrument retains a supporting strap on a neck portion 40 of a head portion 10 and an electrical lead in a slot portion 20. The lead acts as a locking pin to inhibit the removal of the strap from the head portion 10. The cross section of the slot portion 20 may either increase as it deepens, to allow the lead to move freely through the attachment at its deepest point, or decrease to wedge the lead in the slot. The attachment may be connected to the guitar body by a screw receiving plate member 30. In a further embodiment an aperture (50, figure 3) passes through the attachment to allow a screw (60, figure 3) to be passed through to connect the attachment to the guitar body.
Description
DEVICE FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING A STRAP AND A LEAD
The present invention relates to a device for releasably retaining a strap and a lead; and in particular, but not exclusively, to such a device for use with a musical instrument.
Many portable apparatus and instruments are carried by means of a strap. Also, many musical instruments, in particular stringed instruments such as guitars, banjos and mandolins, are supported in use by a strap. Generally, the strap is secured at either end to the musical instrument and passes in use over one shoulder and across the back of a player.
A commonly used system for retaining a strap to, for example, a musical instrument comprises a button stud provided on the instrument. The button stud passes through a corresponding button hole or button slit in one end of the strap. However, the strap may sometimes slip off the button stud, in particular as the strap softens with use.
Many musical instruments are provided with a microphone attachment or pick-up. The microphone or pick-up is usually connected to an amplifier or other equipment using a lead. Most leads comprise a conducting core surrounded by a resilient insulating material. It is desirable to retain the lead in use in such a way that the lead does not impede playing of the instrument. Further, the lead should be securely retained so that the lead is not accidentally disconnected from the microphone or pick-up, e.g. due to the lead becoming snagged or the player moving beyond the range of the lead.
A common way of retaining the lead is to tuck the lead between the strap and the instrument, near to the point where the strap is retained on a button stud.
However, this simple solution suffers a disadvantage in that if the lead is pulled tight, e.g. by being snagged or stood on, the lead has a tendency to push the strap off of the button stud. This is not desirable, especially if the strap becomes prematurely removed from the instrument while the instrument is being played.
It may also lead to the instrument being dropped and possibly damaged.
According to the present invention there is provided a device for releasably retaining a strap and a lead, comprising:
a head portion for retaining a strap; and
retaining means for retaining a lead.
An advantage of this device is that both a strap and a lead may be retained; there is no longer any need for the lead to be tucked behind the strap. The device may be used with any kind of instrument or apparatus which is carried by means of a strap and is connected to a lead, e.g. a tape recorder apparatus with a lead for an external microphone.
In a preferred embodiment, the retaining means is a slot portion of the device. The slot portion may be provided in the head portion such that a lead retained in the slot portion acts to inhibit a strap from being removed from the head portion.
The head portion may be of any suitable shape but is preferably of substantially rectangular cross section along a first axis and of substantially circular cross section along a second axis perpendicular to the first. This preferred shape ensures that the head portion may be easily inserted through a button hole or slit offered in a orientation perpendicular to both the first axis and the second axis.
The slot is preferably provided along said first axis. The slot may reduce in cross section as it deepens so that the lead may be wedged in the slot.
Additionally or alternatively, the slot may increase in width at its deepest point to allow a lead located at the deepest point to move freely through the device.
The device may be built integral to the instrument. Preferably, the device is provided with means for attaching the device to an instrument. The attachment means may be of any suitable type. One preferred arrangement is a plate member connected to or integral with the head portion, the plate member having apertures for receiving screws to attach the plate member to an instrument. Alternatively, an aperture may be provided along said first axis of the device, the aperture for receiving a screw thread inserted into the device, or for retaining screw threaded means protruding from the device. The aperture may pass all the way through the device along said first axis and be countersunk to allow a screw to be fitted through the device.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figs. lA-lD are views of a first embodiment;
Fig. 2 is a side view of a second embodiment; and
Figs. 3A and 3B are views of a third embodiment.
The device shown in Figs. lA-iD comprises a head portion 10, a slot portion 20, and a plate member 30.
The head portion is substantially circular in side view as shown in Fig. 1B and is rectangular with rounded edges in end view as shown in Fig. 1A. Between the head portion 10 and the plate member 30 is a neck portion 40 of substantially circular cross section. A strap, also called a harness, having a suitable aperture such as a button hole or slit may fit over the head portion 10 and rest in use on neck portion 40. The device may be used in this manner, i.e. without a lead, if desired.
Slot portion 20 of Fig. 1 has an entrance 22 of a first width and a central aperture 24 of slightly larger width. A lead may be inserted through entrance 22 and retained in larger aperture 24. Entrance 22 is dimensioned to fit closely to a lead. The body portion 10, at least in the area of entrance 22, may be made of resilient material so that a lead may only just pass through entrance 22 and, once inserted, is securely retained. Aperture 24 is of larger dimension than entrance 22 so that the lead may pass freely through the device. Allowing the lead to pass through the device is preferable in some circumstances, e.g. so that the lead may be placed in a desired position with respect to the instrument.
A lead retained by the device acts to inhibit removal of a strap retained on neck portion 40 by head portion 10. A lead retained by slot portion 20 acts as a locking pin to inhibit removal of a strap. The device retains first a strap and then a lead, so that the lead must first be removed before the strap can be easily removed from the device.
Plate member 30 is provided with holes 32 for receiving screws so that the device may be screwed to an instrument. Where the device is used to replace an existing button stud, a guide member 34 is provided which is insertable in the hole previously used to retain the button stud.
The device may be made of any suitable material, such as wood, metal or plastics material. The device should be strong enough to withstand the weight of the instrument as the device will often be positioned so as to act as a base stud when the instrument is rested on the ground.
Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the device.
The slot portion 20 of Fig. 2 is of substantially constant dimension. The head portion 10 is made from resilient material such that an arm portion 12 is able to bend to enlarge the dimensions of slot 20. The device of Fig. 2 is capable of receiving leads of various dimensions within a predetermined range, e.g.
5-7 mm. The arm portion 12 is provided with a bulbous end 14 which narrows the entrance 22 of slot portion 20.
The bulbous end 14 inhibits a lead from being accidentally removed from the slot 20.
A third embodiment of the invention is shown in
Figs. 3A and 3D which, similar to Fig. 1, has a slot 20 with a narrow entrance 22 and a lead retaining portion 24. The device of Fig. 3 is different from the devices of Figs. 1 and 2 in that a plate member 30 is not required. Instead, an aperture 50 is provided along the longitudinal axis of the device to allow a securing screw 60 to pass through. The aperture 50 reduces in diameter part way through and is in effect countersunk to retain a head 62 of screw 60.
When the screw 60 is partially inserted through the device and into an instrument, the device may be rotated to the desired orientation. Screw 60 may then be fully tightened to secure the device to an instrument.
Claims (16)
1. A device for releasably retaining a strap and a lead, comprising:
a head portion for retaining a strap; and
a slot portion for retaining a lead.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slot portion is provided in the head portion.
3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slot portion is arranged such that in use a lead retained in the slot portion acts to inhibit a strap from being removed from the head portion.
4. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said head portion is substantially cylindrical.
5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the slot portion is arranged parallel to an axis of said head portion.
6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the slot portion is a slot which reduces in cross section as it deepens so that a lead is operatively wedged in the slot.
7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the slot is keyhole shaped so as to increase in width at its deepest point and operatively allow a lead located at the deepest point to move freely through the device.
8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising means for attaching the device to an apparatus or an instrument.
9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said attachment means comprises a plate member connected to or integral with the head portion.
10. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the attachment means comprises an aperture wholly or partially through the device, the aperture for receiving a screw thread inserted into the device, or for retaining screw threaded means protruding from the device.
11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the aperture passes wholly through the device and is countersunk to allow a screw to be fitted through the device.
12. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a neck portion arranged such that the head portion and the neck portion together act as a button stud.
13. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the head portion is made from resilient material such that an arm portion is able to bend to enlarge the dimensions of the slot portion.
14. A device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the arm portion has a bulbous end to narrow an entrance of the slot portion.
15. An instrument or apparatus having a strap and a lead, comprising a device as claimed in any preceding claim.
16. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9505517A GB2299128A (en) | 1995-03-18 | 1995-03-18 | Device for attaching a strap and microphone or pick-up lead to a musical instrument |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9505517A GB2299128A (en) | 1995-03-18 | 1995-03-18 | Device for attaching a strap and microphone or pick-up lead to a musical instrument |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9505517D0 GB9505517D0 (en) | 1995-05-03 |
| GB2299128A true GB2299128A (en) | 1996-09-25 |
Family
ID=10771450
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9505517A Withdrawn GB2299128A (en) | 1995-03-18 | 1995-03-18 | Device for attaching a strap and microphone or pick-up lead to a musical instrument |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2299128A (en) |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3935782A (en) * | 1974-12-09 | 1976-02-03 | Barcus-Berry, Inc. | End plug adapter |
| US4592266A (en) * | 1984-09-13 | 1986-06-03 | Dayton Band, Inc. | Guitar strap hook |
| GB2182092A (en) * | 1985-09-28 | 1987-05-07 | Peter Stuart Higgins | Guitar strap lock |
| GB2211648A (en) * | 1987-10-23 | 1989-07-05 | Peter Stuart Higgins | Guitar strap attachment |
-
1995
- 1995-03-18 GB GB9505517A patent/GB2299128A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3935782A (en) * | 1974-12-09 | 1976-02-03 | Barcus-Berry, Inc. | End plug adapter |
| US4592266A (en) * | 1984-09-13 | 1986-06-03 | Dayton Band, Inc. | Guitar strap hook |
| GB2182092A (en) * | 1985-09-28 | 1987-05-07 | Peter Stuart Higgins | Guitar strap lock |
| GB2211648A (en) * | 1987-10-23 | 1989-07-05 | Peter Stuart Higgins | Guitar strap attachment |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB9505517D0 (en) | 1995-05-03 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |