US713310A - Capo tasto. - Google Patents

Description

No. 7|3,3|0. Patented Nov. Il, |902.

` E. R. KAPPELEB.

CAPO TASTO.

(ApplicltAion filed Apr. 14, 1902.\

(lo Model.)

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fnx/sses d #di UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST ROBERT KAPPELER, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAPO TASTO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 713,310, dated November 11, 1902.

Application filed April 14, 1902. Serial No. 102,824. (No model.)

T0 all woon t may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST ROBERT KAP- PELER, of Allegheny, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Capo Tastos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which* Figure 1 is a top plan View showing a neck portion of a guitar with my improved attachment, partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the attachment; on the side opposite to that of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a perspective View, on a larger scale, of the attachment.

My invention relates to capo tasto used upon guitars or other stringed instruments, and is designed to provideasimple, smoothlyoperating, and effective device of this class which may be adjusted along the neck and clamped or unclamped while the operator is playing the instrument.

In the drawings, 2 represents the neck of a guitar having a vertical longitudinal slot the bottom of which is partially closed by parallel plates or strips 3 3, secured along the under face of the neck. The frame of the capo tasto, which slides in this slot, consists of a vertical plate 4, having at each end lower sidewiseprojecting lugs 5, which contact with the under faces of the strips 3. The lugs have curved central extensions or stems 6, which extend up through the slot and are provided with lateral lugs 7, which bear on the upper faces of the strips.

The bar S of the capo tasto is secured to a swinging lever 9, pivoted to the frame 4 at 10 and having at its rear a cam-recess 11, with notches at each end. The upper curved arm 12 of a bell-crank lever 13, pivoted to the frame at 14, engages the cam-recess and actuates the mufiier-bar. This bell-crank lever projects down through the slot and is bent laterally and provided with a removable thumb-loop 15.

A spring 16 surrounds the pivot 10 of the lever 9, and the upper arm of this spring exerts a lifting tendency on the muffler-bar.

The lower portion of the spring is reversely bent and bears upon one of the strips 3. This spring affords sufficient friction to prevent accidental displacement of the capo tasto when not clamped in place.

In using the attachment the player-inserts the thumb of his left hand in the loop 15 and uses his fingers in the ordinary manner for fingering the frets. Vhen it is desired to apply the capo tasto, the operator slides it along within the slot to the desired fret and then presses upwardly, thus moving the end of the bell-crank lever from the upper notch of the cam-recess to the notch at the other end, the parts then assuming the position shown in Fig. 3. The strings are thus clamped at the desired fret by the muiier-bar, and the parts will remain in their locked position until the operator draws down on the bell-crank, thus moving its end within the cam-recesses and releasing the upper lever, which is lifted by the spring.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to users of stringed instruments-such as guitars, banjos, izo-since the capo tasto may be moved while playing a piece to change the key and give dierent chords or chords in dilfereut positions, the fingers remaining in the proper position for fingering the frets. The device is simple, may be cheaply made and applied, and is found to work efliciently in practice.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the device without departing from my invention, since I consider myself the rst to provide a capo tasto which can be moved along and clamped 0r unclamped by the thumb, leaving the fingers in proper position for playing.

I claim- 1. A musical instrument having a sliding capo tasto on its neck, a movable lockinglever for the capo tasto, and a thumb-loop on said lever arranged to receive the thumb of the player; substantially as described.

2. A musical instrument having a longitudinally slotted neck, a capo tasto sliding within the slot and having a stem projecting upwardly through the slot, a clamping-bar carried by said stem, and a lever projecting below the slot and arranged to lock the capo tasto in any desired position; substantially as described.

3. A musical instrument having a longitudinally slotted neck, a sliding capo tasto Within the slot, and a locking device provided withalever projecting below the slot and having a thumb-loop to receive the thumb of the operator; substantially as described.

4. A musical instrument having a neck provided with a longitudinal slot, a frame movable in the slot, a movable element carrying the muiiler-bar and mounted in the frame, a lever connected to the frame and arranged to slide the frame and clamp the muflier-bar, and a lock for the bar; substantially as described.

"5. A musical instrument having a sliding capo tasto attached thereto, a muftlerbar forming a part ot' the capo tasto, a spring arranged to normally lift the muffler-bar, and a lever device arranged to slide the capo tasto and clamp or unelamp the muffler-bar; substantially as described.

6. A musical instrument having a longitudinally-slotted neck, longitudinal metal strips extending along the slot and partially closing it, a capo tasto having operating mechanism moving within the slot, and a lockinglever having a thumb-piece projecting from said mechanism below the slot and serving as a handle to move the capo tasto along the neck; substantially as described.

7. Amusicalinstrumenthavinganeckwith a longitudinal slot, a frame arranged to slide within the slot, a tilting lever mounted in the frame, a muffler-bar on the tilting lever, and another lever engaging the bar-lever and arranged to swing and hold it in its difterent adjusted positions; substantially as described.

8. A capo-tasto attachment having a frame consisting lot a plate, said plate having bent/ holding-strips arranged to engage the neck of the instrument, a spring-actuated lever carrying a muiiier-bar pivoted to the plate, and another lever pivoted to the plate and bearing upon the bar-lever, the latter lever having a thumb-loop; substantially as described.

9. A stringed instrument having a neck with a longitudinal slot, a frame movable in the slot, a muer-bar lever pivoted ou the frame, and another lever pivoted on the frame and having cam connection with the barlever arranged to swing the same andhold it in dierent positions, the actuating -lever having a thumb-loop; substantially as described.

10. A stringed instrument having` arneck with a longitudinal slot, a plate movable within the slot and having bent clip portions arranged to hold and guide the plate-frame, a spring-pressed muffler-bar lever on the frame, having a cam-recess anda bell-crank lever pivoted on the frame and having an` end 'portion operating in the cam-recessinvthe'barlever, the bell-crank lever projecting below the slot and being providedwith a thumbloop; substantially as described.y n

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST ROBERT KAPPELER. Witnesses:

H. M. CORWIN, G. B. BLEMING.

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