US3442169A

US3442169A - Guitar pick holder

Info

Publication number: US3442169A
Application number: US674197A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Bowers
Original assignee: CHARLES E BOWERS
Current assignee: CHARLES E BOWERS
Priority date: 1967-10-10
Filing date: 1967-10-10
Publication date: 1969-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 1986-05-06

Description

C. E. BOWERS May 6, 1969 GUITAR PICK HOLDER Filed Oct. 10, 1967 f/GURf f/EU/Ff 3 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,442,169 GUITAR PICK HOLDER Charles E. Bowers, 945 E. Nora St., Spokane, Wash. 99207 Filed Oct. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 674,197 Int. Cl. Gd 3/16 US. Cl. 84322 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of in vention This invention relates generally to guitar picks and holders therefore and more particularly to the combination of a ring holder to releasably maintain a guitar pick of commerce on the finger of a user for proper use in a habitually familiar position.

Description of prior art In the playing of guitars, banjos and similar string instruments it has become common to use a semi-rigid, hand held pick to cause vibration of the strings by appropriate manual manipulation. Picks common for this purpose are relatively small, planar triangular elements held in the hand of the user only with some effort and training.

Various mechanical aids have been devised to assist in the manual manipulation of such picks. These devices may be classified generally into a first class comprising picks and holders of unitary or one-piece construction, and a second class comprising a compound pick formed with a holding member separately constructed from and joined with the pick member.

The first class of picks is distinguishable from the instant invention in the matter of structure as it provides for no interchangeability of parts, and on the basis of function in that the resultant sound and method of playing with this type of pick are different from those habitually familiar with the non-holder associated pick. This first class of pick is particularly adapted for use as a thumb pick especially in the playing of electric guitars.

The instant invention is concerned with the second class of compound picks and holders. It is known in this class to provide a band-like fastening member in the nature of a ring to fit about the forefinger or thumb of a player, with a particularly configured pick pivotably mounted thereon for pivotal motion into a playing position; such device is typified by the US. patent issued to M. S. Di Preta, No. 2,776,592. The instant invention is distinguished from this art in that a communication between ring and pick is of a particular releasable nature, embodying a deadening mechanism and allowing holding position to lessen vibrations in the pick. The pick used with the instant holding device is an ordinary triangular pick of commerce and produces a different tone and playing action than picks of different special configuration. The instant invention also allows a pick to be held in the normal or habitually 3,442,169 Patented May 6, 1969 familiar playing positions and allows playing motion of a freer nature, without the muscular tension associated with the hand held device.

Summary of invention The instant invention was conceived to provide a releasably combined guitar pick and holder to position to guitar pick of commerce in the habitually familiar playing position on a players hand.

This function is accomplished by a ring-like structure adapted to fit on and about a players finger, structurally carrying a threaded stud projecting radially outward therefrom to receive a normal guitar pick of commerce with a particular washer on each side and a nut on the outermost portion to hold the Whole assemblage in releasable adjustable position. The ring preferably is formed from deformable material and with split configuration to allow manual deformation to fit fingers of varying sizes and shapes.

The guitar pick is of the ordinary variety of commerce with a hole provided in its medial portion to allow passage of the fastening stud of the ring. The washers positioned on each side of the guitar pick preferably are of a nonelastic material that damps and does not transmit the mechanical vibrations associated with sound, to provide a clear string tone resulting from use of the pick structure; the washers also serve to maintain the pick in a desired angular position relative the plane of the holding ring.

A specie of my invention provides a guitar pick with the picking apex slightly bent so that in normal playing positions a surface of the pick contacts a guitar string rather than merely the point or lowermost edge. Normal playing motion of this pick will result in somewhat of a sliding motion on the string similar to bowing rather than a distinct picking motion. This form of pick produces a very clear, true tone.

In providing such a structure it is:

A principal object of my invention to provide a ring type holding device releasably attaching to a normal guitar pick of commerce to aid its manual manipulation by a user;

A further object of my invention to provide such a holding device that accepts picks of standard design and shape with no necks or protuberances to cause a differing tone in normally familiar use and play.

A further object of my invention to provide such a device that positions the guitar pick when in playing position in the habitually familiar position of the normal hand held pick.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a holding device that allows a pick to be held on the players hand without muscular tensions that would inhibit the normal free motion of the hand in traditional guitar play.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a holding device that may be deformably shaped to fit various fingers.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a device that is of new and novel design, of sturdy and durable nature, of simple and economic manufacture and one that is otherwise wall adapted to the uses and purposes for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

In carrying out the objects of my invention, however, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible of change in design, and structural arrangement with only one preferred and practical embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as required.

Brief description of drawings In the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout:

FIGURE 1 is an orthographic view of my pick held by the right hand of a player in normal playing position, with the holding ring on the players forefinger.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded isometric view of my invention showing its various parts, their configuration and relationship.

FIGURE 3 is an orthographic illustration, from the rear, of the invention of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an orthographic side illustration of the invention of FIGURE 1, showing the various parts from this aspect.

FIGURE 5 is an isometric illustration, from the rear and above, of the specie of pick having its picking tip bent to provide a sliding string contact.

FIGURE 6 is an orthographic side view of the invention of FIGURE 5 showing particularly the skewed configuration of the pick.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings in more detail, it is seen in FIGURE 2 that my invention comprises ring 10, preferably having split 11, and carrying the radially outwardly projecting threaded stud 12. This stud carries in order, progressively outward, lock washer 13, guitar pick 14 having hole 15 to fit over the stud, outer washer 16 and nut 17 adapted to threadedly engage the end part of stud 12. The whole assemblage is relatively sized and releasably fastened together as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

Ring 10 is preferably formed from some reasonably deformable metal so that it may be deformed sufficiently, especially with the aid of split 11, to fit on various sized fingers of differing players. Obviously, solid rings of differing size might be provided if desired to fulfill the purposes of my invention. The ring, however, should fit reasonably snugly about the finger of a player for a proper operation and this fit must be accomplished in one fashion or another.

Guitar pick 14 is of the ordinary variety of commerce with sheet-like body structure of triangular configuration with apexes rounded. Any of the pick materials such as plastic, celluoid, tortise-shell, or the like that are used in such devices of commerce operate equally well with my invention.

Washers

13, 16 are preferably somewhat cupshaped to allow a deformable friction type contact of their periphery with the guitar pick under pressure from nut 17. With such washers positioned on either side of the pick, they tend to damp any vibrations caused in the pick by its normal playing operation so that the motion imparted by it to the string of an instrument will be quite purely the tone of the stringnot influenced by any secondary vibration of the guitar pick. With picks of differing shape, and especially with one supported on a holding member by an elongate neck, there is a tendency toward a secondary vibration which produces overtones in the instrument string that is being played to result in an impurity of string tone. Purity in tone with the instant invention is quite as great, or slightly greater, than with the same pick held in the normal hand position without the aid of my holding device.

The pick normally will be angularly oriented relative ring 10 in a slightly different fashion by different guitar players. Normal orientation for a right-handed guitar player is shown in FIGURE 1, but individual players and styles of playing often require an angular adjustment of the members. This positioning may be accomplished by loosening nut 17, adjusting the pick to the desired position and retightening the nut. The two lock-

washers

13, 16 cooperate to frictionally maintain the pick in this angular position relative the ring structure.

Nut 17 should be a relatively thin member to allow the thumb of a user to come into the proper communicating with the guitar pick and not be held away therefrom by the nut. Preferably the outer surface of the nut is smooth and the peripheral circular surface is provided with serations 18 to allow for easy manual manipualtion when necessary.

From the foregoing description of the structure of my invention, its operation may be understood.

For normal guitar playing the device is formed according to the foregoing specification and assembled in the form shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The ring then is appropriately sized to fit snugly about the forefinger of a user and the entire device positioned on the forefinger in the habitually familiar playing position illustrated (for the right-hand) in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, with the thumb of the user positioned substantially over the nut of-the device and in communication with the pick. In this position the device is ready for play in the normal fashion.

It is to be particularly noted that my invention makes use of a standard guitar pick of commerce modified only by placement of the fastening hole herein; it is further to be noted that such pick is releasably attached so that a variety of picks may be used interchangeably with one ring device as desired.

It is further to be noted that the form of pick holder illustrated allows the pick to be held in the habitually familiar positions of the guitar player, that is, in the position it would normally be held were it held completely by manual manipulation without the aid of my ring. This is not the case with pick holders having differently shaped picking devices, as with them the pick or entire device must be held in a non-familiar position to accomplish proper holding and picking motion. My invention in this regard admirably fills the purpose of a teaching aid, as it teaches the proper position of guitar pick holding and this faculty may be transferred to a pick without the holding device without changing the habit formed with it.

It is further to be noted that with the use of a pick holding device such as described, muscular tensions in the hand that would be created by manual holding of the pick without the aid of my device are relieved to provide a more free type of hand motion in guitar play.

It is further to be noted that any vibrations in the pick are either non-existent or substantially reduced by reason of the mounting of the pick relative the ring and by reason of the positioning of the thumb in the normal playing position against the pick. With other devices not having this construction the pick body tends to create secondary vibrations during play and these are impressed upon the instrument strings to cause an impure tone therein.

-It is further to be noted that the ring structure of my invention, with appropriate sizing of the individual ring, might be used to position a pick extending substantially perpendicularly to either the forefinger or the thumb or one extending substantially parallel to the thumb, as in the case of the normal thumb pick.

A specie of my invention embodying a particular type of pick is illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6. Here the playing portion 19 of the pick is bent slightly skewedly and outwardly away from the ring so that when the ring be positioned as in FIGURE 1, the bent portion of the pick contacting the string will be some substantial area of the pick surface 20. With use of the planar pick of the type illustrated in FIGURE 1, the picking motion is caused substantially by the lowermost surface or edge of the pick and is of a plucking nature. With the bent specie of pick, when used in normal playing action, the surface 20 apparently contacts the string in somewhat of a sliding motion, in the fashion of bowing; this type of communication tends to produce a truer and clearer tone in the string than the normal straight pick.

The specie form of bent pick may be created from an ordinary planar pick of commerce by making the bend illustrated, if the material be subject to such manipulation. Plastic, of course, is admirably suited to this purpose.

It is to be particularly noted that with my invention, since the pick structure is releasably attached to the holder, a plurality of picks of either bent or straight nature may be used with any particular holding ring to increase the functional utility of an individual ring.

The foregoing description of my invention is necessarily of a detailed nature so that a specific embodiment of it might be set forth as required, but it is to be understood that various modifications of detail, rearrangement and multiplication of parts may be resorted to without departing from its spirit, essence or scope.

Having thusly described my invent-ion, what I desire to protect by Letters Patent, and

What I claim is:

1. A guitar pick holding structure of the nature aforesaid, comprising in combination:

a. deformable ring structurally carrying a radially outwardly projecting threaded stud;

a truncated triangular guitar pick of commerce having a hole in the medial portion thereof adapted to fit over said threaded stud;

paired washers on each side of said guitar pick adapted to friction-ally engage the pick to regulate its angular position relative said ring and damp vibrations in said pick;

a flat nut adapted to fit on the end porton of said threaded stud to releasably maintain said guitar pick thereon with friction between said washers.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the end picking portion of the guitar pick is bent somewhat upwardly towards said ring when in normal operative position so that a substantial portion of the bent surface of said pick communicates with the string operated upon thereby.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 557,293 3/1896 Wahl 84-322 1,547,560 7/1925 Burdwise 84-322 2,776,592 1/1957 Di Preta 84322 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

L. R. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner.