US3823247A - Capotasto - Google Patents

Abstract

A capotasto or capo for clamping to the finger board of a stringed musical instrument to alter its basic pitch, in which the pressure bar of the capo has a comb with close spaced teeth to press on the strings.

Description

United States Patent [1 Bauerieind July 9, 1974 [54] CAPOTASTO FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [76] lnventol'i Bauelfemd, 3521 1,048,545 11/1966 Great Britain 84/318 Braunlngshof, Germany 1 [22] Filed: 1973 Primary Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin [21] Appl. No.1 352,326 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Emory L. Gorff; Emory L.

' Gorff, Jr. t [30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 30, 1972 Germany 2232031 [57] ABS CT (511. A capotasto or p for p g to the finger board 0f a Stringed musical instrument to alter its basic [58] F1Ie1d1 01 Search 84/318, 317, 315, 316 pitch in which the pressure bar of the p has a [56] References Cited comb with close spaced teeth to press on the strings.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 CAPOTASTO BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is for a capotasto or capo which is an attachment for stringed instruments particularly guitars, which is secured to the stem so as to clamp all of the strings on to the finger or fret board at a desired fret or transverse location, so that the unfingered pitch of all of the strings is raised, e.g., by one or more semitones. The object of this invention is to provide a capo which ensures that all of the strings are firmly pressed on to the finger board. The capo according to the in vention is primarily for use with an instrument in which the thickness of the strings does not change progressively from one side of the board to the other. For example, in the usual twelve stringed guitar each bass string has a closely adjacent thinner string pitched one octave higher, in contradistinction to most other stringed instruments, in which the string thickness increases progressively across the board from the lowest pitched string.

With known constructions there is a possibility that all of the strings are not firmly clamped and this is particularly so in the case of a twelve stringed guitar. It must be borne in mind that the total clamping pressure necessary is much greater than is required for a six stringed instrument.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingto the invention there is provided a capo comprising-a pressure bar with a bowed clamp member hinged to its one end with means at the unhinged ends of the bar and member to interengage for securing the capo to the stem of a stringed instrument, said pressure bar having a comb-like part, the teeth of which are close spaced and adapted to press on the instrument string.

The capo is preferably made of a synthetic plastics and the comb teeth have a degree of resilience such that the strings are firmly held to the finger board.

Preferably the teeth carry pads to press on the strings. In this way, the deformation of the pads on clamping ensures that the octave strings of a twelve stringed guitar are not trapped between adjacent teeth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment and a modification are illustrated in perspective in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. ll shows the capo partly open,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view to an enlarged scale of the pressure bar, and

FIG. 3 a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the modification.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown, the capo is made from synthetic plastic and comprises a pressure bar I having a top and bottom surface and a curved or bowed clamp 2 pivoted thereto at its one end 4, the other end of the bar having an extension 6 which is curved and extends towards the free end of the clamp 2. The outer surface of the extension is formed with ratchet teeth 7 and the clamp has a tooth 5 for selective engagement therewith. A resilient pad 3 engages by a tongue in a slot through the clamp, so that when the capo is clamped to an instrument the pad bears on the stem.

The pressure bar I has a comb-like string engaging part 8 including a base and a plurality of parallel teeth 9 cantilevered therefrom to define a space between the teeth and the bottom surface of the pressure bar. Each tooth is provided with a thickened or paid like end 10 preferably tapering or wedge shaped. The part 8 can be formed separately from the bar and secured thereto or moulded integrally.

When the capo is secured to an instrument, the pads 10 press firmly on the strings, the teeth being somewhat resilient. The pressure also will deform the pads so that their adjacent base surface edges are almost in contact. This arrangement ensures that adjacent thick and thin octave strings are firmly clamped to the finger board.

As shown in FIG. 3, a shroud 11 is engaged over the pads 10, said shroud comprising a longitudinally opened length of thin plastic tube. This ensures positively that thin steel strings cannot be caught between adjacent teeth.

The width of the teeth is small, some 2 3 mm so that an octave steel wire string adjacent a bass string will be clamped reliably.

The capo according to the invention can be used with six stringed instruments as well as twelve stringed instruments and adapts itself to finger boards which have a degree of convexity.

I claim:

l. A capo comprising;

a pressure bar having a length adapted to extend across the fret board of a stringed musical instrument, said bar including a top and a bottom surface;

a string engaging member comprising a base joined to a portion of said bottom surface along said length, a plurality of parallel teeth cantilevered from said base, said teeth extending transversely with and substantially parallel to said bottom surface and defining a space therebetween, each of said teeth having a pressure pad depending from the free end thereof;

a bowed clamp member hinged at one end to one end of said pressure bar;

and releasable inter-engaging means at the unhinged ends of said bar and said clamp member.

2. A capo as claimed in claim ll wherein said pressure bar, said teeth and said pressure pads are integrally formed of a synthetic plastic material.

3. A capo as claimed in claim ll, wherein the pressure pads are of tapering shape.

4. A capo as claimed in claim 11, wherein said interengaging means includes an extension on the bar at its unhinged end and directed towards the clamp member, ratchet teeth formed on a surface of said extension, said clamp member having a tooth for selective engagement with said ratchet teeth.

5. A capo as claimed in claim 1, wherein a shroud is provided for engagement over the teeth ends.

l l =I l= =l=

Claims (5)

1. A capo comprising; a pressure bar having a length adapted to extend across the fret board of a stringed musical instrument, said bar including a top and a bottom surface; a string engaging member comprising a base joined to a portion of said bottom surface along said length, a plurality of parallel teeth cantilevered from said base, said teeth extending transversely with and substantially parallel to said bottom surface and defining a space therebetween, each of said teeth having a pressure pad depending from the free end thereof; a bowed clamp member hinged at one end to one end of said pressure bar; and releasable inter-engaging means at the unhinged ends of said bar and said clamp member.

2. A capo as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pressure bar, said teeth and said pressure pads are integrally formed of a synthetic plastic material.

3. A capo as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure pads are of tapering shape.

4. A capo as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inter-engaging means includes an extension on the bar at its unhinged end and directed towards the clamp member, ratchet teeth formed on a surface of said extension, said clamp member having a tooth for selective engagement with said ratchet teeth.

5. A capo as claimed in claim 1, wherein a shroud is provided for engagement over the teeth ends.

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