US1743007A - Tuning peg for stringed musical instruments - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1930. SPARKES 1,743,007

TUNING PEG FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed June 6, 1927 muemtoz der and the key head or button.

Patented Jan. 7, 1930 units-n STATES" PATENT oFFIcE JOHN G. 'SPARKES, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOE TOWAVERLY MUSI CAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, INCL, ()Fl LONG LQLAND CITY, NEW YURK, A CORPORATION, 1

OF NLEHN- 'YORIK- TUNING PEG FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Application fil ed June 6, 1927.. Serial No. 196,808.

Thisinvention relates to a tuning peg for stringed instriunents, and particularly applicablefto ukuleles.

The. primary object of the invention is to provide a tuning peg for stringed musical instruments that-has a frictional association withft-he head oi? the neck, and is operable fromtheupper-or string extremity rather than the lower thumb piece or button.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide an unique string clamping device of an advantageous construction and arran ement, and comprising opposing conical surIaces' to bear against and friction-ally engage with certainty of. placement, after adjustment, against the upper and lower sides of the head of theneckot a stringed instrument or ukulele whereby the peg will be prevented from slipping or loosening, so that the tension on the adjusted string will remain constant.

Heretofore it has been general practice in manufacturing frictional pegs for stringed instruments to form a stem having as an integral part thereof a string winding drum, an upset shoulder below the drum, and an eX- tended shank which passes through the head of the neck of the instrument. Such stem or shank. in this is slabhed or otherwise formed so as to act a spline key in the thumb piece or button, the stem or shank terminal being tapped to receive a machine screw which engz V the'head or button and extends axially into the stem. or shank to clamp the head of the neck of the-instrument between a shoul- The screw is tightened or released to adjust the friction at the peg relatively to the instrument head. This. typeoi construction has several disadvantages, among which is that it is'almost impossible to. produce large quantities of these pegs with assurance of practical interchangeability of parts, the key head or buttons being molded from various materials, such elluloid. shellac, hakelite, and other compositions, and as a consequence the cores tween the stem and theheads or buttons. the shank tits too snugly the'parts are difficult" to assemhle,and it the partsfit loosely the peg of themolds used in forming the key heads or buttons anc the holes in the latter'must have a limited draft. "Where'there is a liID- ited drai t,the molds will never close to'eX- actly the same degree forthe reason that the mixtures or compositions of which the key heads or buttons are formed arenever'exactly alike, and furthermore the parts shrink after they are molded. standing care exercised in the manufacture Therefore, notwithof key heads or buttons under thewell known practice as ust specified, the ultimate user or consumer is annoyed by poor fittings ,be-

is unsatisfactory because the lost motion in tuning is deceiving and inaccurate. The

present construction of tuning .peg avoids'all 1 irregular iits and adjustments between metal parts and llllQlildtQlltLlS of which the .key heads or buttons are formed.

A furtherobe jection to the ordinary type of friction 'tuning peg is that the shank or stem. of the peg" is necessarily so small that the adjusting" screw threads must be of small diameter and tine pitch. screw threads causes many serious manufacturing troubles, such as variation in accuracy of small screws, poor threading and constant stripping, and also diiiicult tapping in a deep hole.

This minimized formation of the s The present invention consists essentially" showingthe improvedtuning peg applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical 'angement of the" 1 section through a portion of the tuning head:

and showing .parts of the improved peg 'in section.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the winding drum member shown by Figure 2.

Figure 1 is an enlarged transverse vertical section through a portion of the neck head and a slightly modified form of the tuning peg.

Figure 5 is a detail side elevation of the winding drum member shown by Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a top plan View of the winding drum member shown by Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail plan view of the lower conical friction member and the key head or button common to all forms shown, the stem being shown in horizontal section.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2, with a portion of the neck head shown in dotted lines, and illustrating a further modification of the winding drum.

Figure 9 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the winding drum as shown by Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a bottom view of the lower terminal of the stem showing the manner of firmly securing the latter within the key head or button also common to all forms shown.

The present improved form of tuning peg comprises as the essential elements thereof, a stem 5, a forward combined clamping and winding drum member 6, a. rear clamping member 7, a key head or button 8 and a milled cap or clamping nut 9. The foregoing elements are common to all of the forms of the peg shown, and the modified structure in both instances is confined to the combined clamping member and winding drum. The stem 5 is preferably square in cross section, and has screw-threads 10 formed at its forward extremity, the said screw-threads extending fully from the forward terminal of the stem longitudinally over the latter a predetermined distance. The rear end of the stem is longitudinally split a suitable distance and the split portions bent in reverse directions to provide diverged retension stem terminals 11 around which the key head or button 8 is cast, as clearly indicated in section in Figure 4 and by dotted lines in Figure 2. The combined clamping and winding drum member 6 which, as shown in Figure 2, is mounted on the forward end of the stem 5, comprises a drum constituent 12 having at its forward end a winding surface 13 which is of gradually decreasing diameter toward its rear end and carrying at its rear end a clamping constituent 14 of inverted frusto-conical contour and which is of larger diameter than said drum. A bore 15 extends longitudinally through the combined clamping and winding member (3 from the forward end thereof to a point where it converges, as at 16, into a reduced portion 1?, the latter portion of the bore being approximately of the same dimensions and coutour as the stem 5.. As shown by Figure 3, the forward portion of the bore 15 is circular in contour and the rear reduced portion 17 thereof is square, the forward portion of the bore 15 being of greater diameter than the stem and free of engagement or binding contact with relation to the said stem. The cap or clamping nut 9 is exteriorly milled for convenience in grasping and operating the same, and is removably applied to the threaded forward end of the stem 5 and has a flat surface at its rear end to tightly engage or bear against the corresponding forward flat surface of the combined clamping and winding drum member 6. The rear clamping member 7 is larger than the forward inverted frusto-eonical constituent 1 1 of the combined clamping and winding drum member 6, and is also of frusto-conical form, as at 18, and has a pcripheral flange 19 at its rear end which is closely engaged by the forward end of the key head or button 8.

In the slightly modified form shown by Figure 41:, the combined clamping member and winding drum member (3 has a straight recess or cavity 20 extending transversely of its forward end to receive the end of a string, as clearly shown by Figure 6, otherwise the form of the peg as shown by Figure 1- is practically the same as that heretofore described.

In the modified form shown by Figure 8 a recess or cavity 21 to receive the end of a string extends longitudinally of a portion of the bore 15 and is in effect an arcuate enlargement or extension of a part of the'wall of the said bore. The forward end of the cavity or recess 21 terminates at the forward end of the combined clamping and winding drum member 6. In other words, Figure 1 shows the cavity or recess for the string extremity disposed at a right angle to the bore 15, whereas Figure 8 shows the cavity or recess 21 as extending iongitudinally of said bore.

As shown, the rear clamping member 7 is struck up from sheet metal of suitable thickness and strength as one preferred form of construction, and has an angular opening 22 in the apex thereof and corresponding in dimensions and contour to the angular portion 1"? of the bore 15 through the rear extremity of the combined clamping and winding drum member 6. In preparing the head 28 of the neck 2i of the instrun'ient for application of each improved peg, an opening 25 of larger diameter than the stem 5 is formed transversely through the head at the proper location, the forward end of the opening being reamed out, as at 26, and the rear end of said opening being also reamed out, as at 27, to provide forward and rear seats to respectively receive the rear end of the inverted frusto-conical constituent 1 1- of the combined clamping and winding drum 6 and the forward end of the frusto-conical clamping member 7, as shown particularly by Figures 2 and i, and when the peg is applied the stem 5 will be clear of the wall of the opening 25.

In applying each improved peg in the head 23 of a stringed musical instrument the peg head or button 8 with'the stem 5 projecting therefrom and the clamping member 7 loosely mounted on the stem, is inserted forwardly or upwardly through the opening 25 in said head and the combined clamping and winding drum member 6 is then fitted over the forward or upwardly projecting extremity of the said stem and the nut 9 applied to the screw heads and rotated until closely fitted against the forward or upper end of the said combined clamping and winding drum member 6. It will be understood that the string, when attached either to the form of the device shown by Figure i or that shown in Figure 8, is wound on the drum constituent 12, the surface 13 of the latter being milled or otherwise roughened, as at 28, to prevent slipping of the string, and after the string has been put under tension the nut 9 is screwed down on the stem 5 to clamp 1 the frusto-conical constituent 14c of the combined clamping and winding drum member 6 and the lower clamping member 7 in the seats 26 and 27, the rotation of the stem and remaining parts'including the member 6 being'accomplished by turning the button 8. In the embodiment of the invention shown by Figure i, the string extremity is inserted in the cavity before the nut 9 is firmly screwed down, and the said nut is then brought to bear on the string extremity to hold the latter against displacement, and the winding of the string on the drum member is pursued in the same manner. In the embodiment shown by Figure 8, the string extremity is inserted downwardly into the longitudinal cavity 21 before the nut 9 is screwed downwardly to secure the string.

When the peg is applied and the string wound on the drum member 6, the peg is tightly held against displacement or loose movement in the head 23, and at any time desired the combined clamping and winding drum 6 may be turned to an extent to tune the string as required without difficulty or the disadvantages usually present in the operation of the ordinary forms of tuning pegs. Moreover, in the event of wear of the seats 26 and 27, such wear may be readily overcome or compensated for by screwing the nut 9 down on the stem 5 to cause the frusto- conical parts 14 and 7 to approach one another and thus more closely engage the seats 26 and 27 around the opening23.

As heretofore indicated the advantages incident to the improved form of peg are mani fold, both as to the manufacture of the several parts, and in the use of the peg when ap plied to the head 23 of the instrument. Though it is preferred that the improved peg be used in connection with the head 23 of the ukulele, the said peg maybe used in connection with the head of any type of similar stringed musical instrument withequal efficiency and advantage in operation.

WVhat is claimed as new is 1. A tuning peg of the class specified, comprising a stem of polygonal cross section having a screw-threaded extremity and" a thumpiece rigidly attached to its other extremity, a combined peg head clamping member and string winding drum axially movable on the stem, a second peg head clamping member mounted on the stem and having its base hearing against the thumb piece, and a nut operating on the screw-threaded extremity of ing its bore free of contact with said screwthreaded extremity, and a nut mounted on the screw-threaded extremity of the stem adjacent sa1d drum-carrying clamping member to bear against the outer end of the latter and force both clamping members into tight engagement with opposite sides of the head of the neck of a stringed musical instrument.

3. The combination with the head of a stringed musical instrument having a bore therethrough with upper and lower seats of reverse conical contour of a tuning peg comprising a stem extending through the bore of said head and free of contact with the wall of said bore and having a screw-threaded extremity, a pair of reversely-positioned frustoconical members to engage said seats and through which said stem also passes, one of said frusto-conical members forming a string-winding drum, and a nut mounted on the screw-threaded extremity of said stem to cooperate with the last-named clamping member to draw both clamping members into frictionally tight engagement with the opposite sides of the instrument head and clamp the terminal of a string to said drum.

4. A tuning peg having a stem with means cooperating therewith for compensatingly clamping the same in frictional engagement with the opposite sides of the head of the neck of a stringed musical instrument, said stem having divergent members at one of its ends and a screw-threaded portion adjacent its other end, a key head in which the former end of the stem and the divergent members carried thereby are embedded, and a nut its extremity of the stem, a second clamping member having a bore to fit loosely on the stem, both clamping members being slidable longitudinally of the stem and said second clamping member being engaged by the thumb-piece, and a holding nut mounted on the threaded extremity of the stem and bearing against the first-named clamping member to move said clamping members toward one another.

6. A tuning peg of the class specified, com prising a stem having a screw-threaded extremity, a thumb-piece secured to the other extremity of said stem, a combined clamping member and string-Winding drum having a bore therethrough which for the greater portion of its length is out of contact with the stem and also has a cavity to receive the end of a string, a second clamping member surrounding the st'em and movable toward and away from said combined clamping member and drum, and a nut mounted on the screwthreaded extremity of said stem and engaging the combined clamping member and drum to move said clamping members into clamping position and hold the terminal of a string in the cavity of the first-named clamping member.

7. A tuning peg of the class specified, comprising a stem of angular cross-section and having screw-threads adjacent one of its extremities, a thumb-piece secured to the other extremity of said stem, a clamping member slidably but non-rotatably mounted on said stem, a combined clamping member and string-Winding drum also mounted on said stem, the Winding surface of said drum in creasing in diameter toward the adjacent end of the stem, and a nut mounted on the screw threaded portion of said stem and acting to hold said clamping members in damp ing relation with the head of the neck of a stringed musical instrument and to secure a string to said drum.

8. A tuning peg for a stringed musical instrument, comprising a stem having a screwthreaded portion adjacent one of its ends, a thumb-piece secured to the other end of said stem, clamping elements slidably mounted on said stem in opposed relation to clamp the head of the instrument therebetween, one of said clamping elements having a string-Wind ing drum formed as a part thereof, and a clamping nut mounted on the screw-threaded my hand.

JOHN G. SPARKES.

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