US2148589A

US2148589A - Neck construction of stringed musical instruments

Info

Publication number: US2148589A
Application number: US156929A
Authority: US
Inventors: Epi A Stathopoulo
Original assignee: EPIPHONE Inc
Current assignee: EPIPHONE Inc
Priority date: 1937-08-02
Filing date: 1937-08-02
Publication date: 1939-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 1956-02-28

Description

Feb. 28, 1939. E. A. STATHOPOULO NECK CONSTRUCTION OF STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Aug. 2, 1937 \NVENTOR 6} 1% Siailm aula ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 28, 1939 PATENT OFFICE NECK CONSTRUCTION OF STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS -E pi A. Stathopoulo, New York, N. Y., assignor to Epiphone, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation .of New York Application August 2, 1937, Serial No. 156,929

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to stringed muslcal instruments such as guitars, banjos, violins and the like, and more particularly to the neck construction of such instruments.

The principal object of the present invention'is to provide an improved neck construction of stringed musical instruments which will eifectively resist the severe strain to which it is subjected by the strings, and thus avoid the liability of the neck, which is generally constructed of wood, to

bend and twist out of its proper shape and alignment due to such strain. Another object of the present invention is to provide such improved neck construction, which will also resist the tendl5 ency of the neck to warp as a result of changing climatic and atmospheric conditions. A further object of the invention is to provide means for the purposes aforesaid which is simple in structure, inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part bepointed out hereinafter and will in part be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates. With the above and other objects in view, the

present invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement-of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein there is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing which forms an integral part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a neck portion of a guitar, the fingerboard being partly broken away to show the underlying construction which is in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the neck portion of said guitar; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 0f 1.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, I 0 represents the body of the instrument and I I represents the neck thereof whichis connected to the body in the conventional manner. The neck ll terminates at its outer end in a head portion I2 which carries the pegs [3 for tensioning of the strings 14.

In my improved neck construction the neck ll is provided with alongitudinal channel I5 formed along the fingerboard side thereof, which channel extends substantially parallel to and near the fingerboard side of the neck and is arranged centrally of the neck and extends from a point near the outer end of the neck, preferably slightly removed from the head portion, [2, to the opposite or inner end of the neck. At the outer end of the channel ii there is provided a transverse recess l6 which is adapted to receive therein an apertured bearing block l1 and a similar transverse recess I8 is provided intermediate the ends of the channel l5, preferably near the inner end thereof, which recess is adapted to receive therein another bearing block l9 which has a threaded aperture therein. The channel I5 is designed to re- '10 ceive therein a rigid metal rod 20 which is threaded through the threaded aperture in the block l9 and is provided at one end with a reduced portion 2| which is journaled in the block I! and at the other end with a wrench-faced portion 22 which l:

is adapted to be engaged by a suitable key for rotating the rod 20. At the lower end of the channel is a recess 23 to permit access of the key to the rod.

The channel l5 and the transverse recesses I6 ,90 and 18 are preferably of suchdepth that the rod 20 and the blocks l1 and I!) which are arranged therein lie substantially flush with the fingerboard side of the neck. The channel and said recesses may however be further depressed if desired, and in that event a suitable filler-piece may 'be set over the rod and blocks but it is essential to the proper operation of the device that the rod ZO-besubstantially parallel to the fingerboard side of the neck and that the blocks I! and I9 and rod :30 20 be disposed near said fingerboard side. Covering the upper side of the neck is the fingerboard 24.

The metal rod 20 and the blocks l1 and I8 serve to resist bending and twisting of the neck from its normal position and to counteract the strains to which the neck is subjected by the strings. Should the neck have a tendency to bow due to the constant strain of the strings, the condition may be conveniently corrected by applying the 1 key to the end portion 22 of therod 20 and rotating the rod. In so doing the blocks will be forced apart and the rod 20 will exert a tensioning or stretching force along the fingerboard side of the neck which force will restore the neck to its de sired straight condition. The blocks l1 and I9 being transversely disposed relative to the neck and imbedded therein will also tend to resist .twisting and warning of the neck which may result from either strain or climatic and atmospheric conditions.

From the above it will be apparent that my improved neck construction of stringed musical instruments as described and illustrated is simple in structure and effective for the purposes afore- 55 mentioned. It is however to be understood that I do not desire to limit myself to the specific embodiment of my invention hereinabove described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, for I am aware that variation may be made in the details of construction which will nevertheless fall within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus illustrated and described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a stringed musical instrument, an elongated neck having a fingerboard side; a first bearing block secured to said side near one end thereof and held against outward axial movement with respect to said neck, said block being disposed near said fingerboard side; a second bearing block secured to said side near the opposite end thereof and held against outward axial movement with respect to said neck, said block being disposed near said fingerboard side and having a threaded aperture therein; a rigid rod of a length greater than the distance between the first and second bearing blocks, disposed near and substantially parallel to the fingerboard side of said neck, one end of said rod being journaled for rotation in the first bearing block and held against axial movement with respect to said block, and the opposite end of said rod being threaded for a substantial portion of its length and threadedly engaging the threaded aperture in the second hearing block; and means for rotating said rod in the event that the outer end of the neck should bow upwardly, rotation of said rod forcing the bearing blocks apart to thus exert an outward axial ten sion along the fingerboard side of the neck, which tension will restore the neck to its desired straight condition.

2. In a stringed musical instrument, an elon gated neck having an elongated axially extending channel along the fingerboard side thereof; a first bearing block secured in said neck near one end of said channel and held againstcoutward axial movement with respect to said channel, said block being disposed near said fingerboard side; a second bearing block secured in said neck near the opposite end of said channel and held against outward axial movement with respect to said channel, said block being disposed near said fingerboard side and having a threaded aperture therein; a rigid rod of a length greater than the distance between the first and second bearing blocks, disposed within said channel and positioned near and substantially parallel to the fingerboard side of said neck, one end of said rod being journaled for rotation in the first bearing block and held against axial movement with respect to said block, and the opposite end of said rod being threaded for a substantial portion of its length and threadedly engaging the threaded aperture in the second bearing block; and means for rotating said rod within said channel in the event that the outer end of the neck should bow upwardly, rotation of said rod forcing the bearing blocksapart to thus exert an axial outward tension along the fingerboard side of the neck, which tension will restore the neck to its desired straight condition.

3. In a stringed musical instrument, an elongated neck having an elongated axially extending channel along the fingerboard side thereof, said channel being closed at one end and open at its opposite end, said neck having a recess near the open end of the channel extending transversely across and communicating with said channel; a

first bearing block having its outer face disposed against the wall defining the closed end of said channel, said block being disposed near said fingerboard side; a second bearing block rigidly retained within said recess and having its outer face disposed against the wall defining the outer end of said recess, said block being disposed near said fingerboard side and having a threaded aperture in alignment with said channel; a rigid rod of a length greater than the distance between the first and second bearing blocks, disposed within said channel and positioned near and substantially parallel to the fingerboard side of said neck, one end of said rod being journaled for rotation in the first bearing block and held against axial movement with respect to said block, and the opposite end of said rod being threaded for a substantial portion of its length and threadedly engaging the threaded aperture in the second bearing block; and means for rotating said rod within 7 said channel in the event that the outer end of the neck should bow upwardly, rotation of said rod forcing the bearing blocks apart to thus exert an outward axial tension along the fingerboard side of the neck, which tension will restore the neck to its desired straight condition.

4. In a stringed musical instrument an elongated neck having an elongated axially extending channel formed along the fingerboard side thereof, said neck having a first recess near one end thereof extending transversely across and communicating with said channeLand having a second recess near the opposite end thereof extending transversely across and communicating with said channel; a first bearing block rigidly retained within the first recess and held therein against outward axial movement with respect to the length of said neck by engagement with the wall defining the outer end of said recess, said block being disposed near the fingerboard side of the neck and having an aperture in alignment with said channel; a second bearing block rigidly retained within the second recess and held therein against outward axial movement with respect to the length of said neck by engagement with the wall defining the outer end of said recess, said block being disposed near the fingerboard side of I the neck and having a threaded aperture in alignment with said channel; a rigid rod of a length greater than the distance between the first and second bearing blocks, disposed within said channel and positioned near andsubstantially parallel to the fingerboard side of said neck, one end of said rod having a reduced portion journaled for rotation in the aperture in the first bearing block and held against outward axial movement with respect to said block, and the opposite end of said rod being threaded for a substantial portion of its length and threadedly engaging the threaded aperture in the second bearing block; and means for rotating said rod within said channel in the event that the outer end of said neck should bow upwardly, rotation of said rod forcing the bearing blocks apart to thus exert an outward axial tension along the fingerboard side of the neck, which tension will restore the neck to its desired straight condition.

EPI A. STATI-IOPOULO.