Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
  • G10D—STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDIONS OR CONCERTINAS; PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; AEOLIAN HARPS; SINGING-FLAME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G10D3/00—Details of, or accessories for, stringed musical instruments, e.g. slide-bars
  • G10D3/14—Tuning devices, e.g. pegs, pins, friction discs or worm gears
  • G10D3/147—Devices for altering the string tension during playing
  • G10D3/153—Tremolo devices

Definitions

• the object of the invention is a tremolo spring mechanism according to the introduction in claim 1.
• US-patent 2,972,923 presents a traditional tremolo developed by Leo Fender and US-patent 4,171 ,661 a tremolo developed by Floyd Rose, (the term 'traditional tremolo' will from here on be used to refer to the aforementioned tremolos and any other structurally equivalent tremolos) where the pull exerted by the strings is countered with extension springs situated under the microphones on the backside of the guitar.
• This solution poses several problems.
• the third problem relates to tremolos set in a floating position.
• Tremolos set in a floating position allow increasing and decreasing the string tension, which is the most common way of using a tremolo.
• This has the disadvantage, that the string vibrations are transmitted to the tremolo. This is caused by the fact, that in the spring mechanism of a traditional tremolo, the string tension is entirely directed at the extension springs.
• the vibration of the tremolo caused by the vibration of the strings changes quickly the tension of the strings up and down, producing an unwanted vibrato and shortening the sustain of the strings when the strings transfer their vibration energy to the tremolo and extension springs.
• the fourth problem also pertains to tremolos set in a floating position.
• the tension of the other strings decreases.
• the decrease in the tension of the other strings is caused by the fact, that the total tension of the strings increases, which causes the extension springs to give altering the position of the tremolo in a way, that allows the tension of the other strings to decrease.
• the strings are no longer in tune with each other.
• the fifth problem is the cumbersome adjustability of the spring mechanism of a traditional tremolo.
• the spring tension of a traditional spring mechanism is adjusted by tightening or loosening two cross-head screws. Since these are located lengthwise in comparison to the body of the instrument at the other end of the spring cavity, they have to be screwed from an oblique angle, whereby the screw slots get easily stripped rendering the screws unusable.
• a traditional tremolo can be set by different methods in four different ways. First of all it can be set to only allow decreasing the string tension. Secondly it can be set in a floating position, which allows both increasing and decreasing the string tension. Thirdly it can be set in a floating position, where the repose position has been set to be more rigid. Fourthly it can be set to be stationary so that the string tension can neither be increased nor decreased.
• the traditional spring mechanism can only be set in the first two of the aforementioned ways.
• There are separate mechanisms for setting a tremolo in the third and fourth ways which are installed in addition to the extension springs or which are installed in place of one or several springs. They can however only be used from the backside of the instrument and none of them enables the use of the third and fourth ways of setting the tremolo and therefore don't enable easy switching between the different ways.
• the aim of the present invention is to produce a device, which will help to solve or at least to substantially lessen the aforementioned problems.
• the aim of the invention is to produce a tremolo spring mechanism, which decreases the transmission of the string vibrations to the tremolo and its springs thus improving the tone of the musical instrument.
• the aim is to enable easily usable adjustment possibilities.
• the tremolo spring mechanism is tremolo armless.
• the object of the invention is a tremolo spring mechanism, which comprises a spring element loaded lever.
• the invention is characterized in that the movements of the sustain block are transmitted via said lever to said spring element.
• the lever according to the invention can also comprise a contacting member in order to push the sustain block with the help of the spring element loading the lever.
• said contacting member can be for example a wheel, a wheel with bearings, a bearing, a lever, a cogwheel system or a combination of the aforementioned solutions for transmitting the movements of the sustain block via the lever to the spring element.
• Said spring element can comprise one or several compression springs, extension springs and/or torsional springs.
• said lever comprises a design in connection with a rod, by twisting of which said lever can be locked in place.
• the design can be for example a longitudinal hole in the lever, thru which the rod is set.
• the locking in place of the lever is based on the shape of the cross-section of said rod, where the cross radiuses have different lengths, like for example an oval shape.
• the other end of the lever in the device can be mounted in ball or sliding bearings.
• Said lever can be a separate part from the sustain block, which are not attached and is not attachable permanently to the sustain block.
• the movements of the sustain block are transmitted solely thru the lever to the spring element.
• the movements of the sustain block are essentially transmitted via the lever to the spring element.
• the lever is part of an actuator chain, thru which the movements of the sustain block are transmitted to the spring element.
• the device comprises an adjustment screw, by the screwing of which the stopping point of the other extremity of the lever can be set.
• the device may also comprise an adjustment bushing, by the screwing of which the load exerted by the spring element on the lever can be set.
• the device may comprise means to affix it to a musical instrument. Furthermore the device may be located so that it does not lie under the strings.
• an embodiment comprises a musical instrument, for example an electric guitar, to which a device according to the invention is affixed.
• the tremolo spring mechanism comprises a spring element loaded tremolo sustain block. The embodiment is characterized in that the movements of said sustain block are transmitted via a lever to said spring element.
• the amount of tremolo vibration caused by the vibration of the strings is significantly decreased thus improving the tone, the tune and the string sustain of the instrument.
• the spring pressing the lever can be chosen to be for example a stiff compression spring, the string vibrations or the handling of the instrument does not cause any audible resonations in the spring or springs and thus it does not cause any noise that would affect the tone of the instrument negatively.
• An embodiment of the invention has also the advantage of combining all four ways of setting a tremolo into one mechanism, so that changing settings is both fast and easy.
• An embodiment of the invention allows fast and easy setting of the tremolo repose position and the rigidity with which it stays there. This makes it possible to solve the aforementioned fourth problem.
• an embodiment of the invention allows fast locking of the tremolo in the desired position from where it can as quickly be released. This is done by twisting a thumbscrew located between the tremolo and the rear of the instrument body either clockwise or counterclockwise a quarter of a turn.
• the embodiment presented here has the advantage, that it can be used with existing traditional tremolos without necessitating any structural modifications to them.
• these aims can be accomplished by replacing the extension springs with a wheel affixed to the end of a lever which presses the sustain block with the help of a spring from the backside of the sustain block and the sharpened other end of which acts as the turning point for the lever.
• most of the tension exerted by the strings is transmitted directly to the body of the instrument instead of the spring or springs.
• the stopping point of the other extremity of the lever can be set with an adjustment screw, the end of which stops the movement of the lever.
• the lever can also be locked in place by twisting a rod running thru a design, which could for example be a longitudinal hole, the rod being characterized in that it has a cross- section with cross radiuses of different lengths. The largest radius of the rod is bigger than the width of the hole, whereby it will get wedged against the sides of the longitudinal hole thus preventing any movements of the lever. Since the smallest radius of the rod is correspondingly narrower than the width of the longitudinal hole, the lever can move freely when the narrowest part of the cross-section of the rod is turned in line with the longitudinal hole.
• Figure 1 depicts an example of a tremolo in accordance with an embodiment, affixed to a guitar viewed in sectional view from the side.
• Figure 2 depicts an example of an embodiment of the tremolo spring mechanism viewed in sectional view from above.
• Figure 1 depicts an example of a tremolo in accordance with an embodiment affixed to a guitar viewed in sectional view from the side.
• the embodiment of the tremolo spring mechanism is installed in direct connection with the tremolo sustain block 11 on a guitar.
• the contacting member 1 which in this example is a wheel, at the end of the lever 2, rests against the tremolo sustain block 11 with the help of a loaded compression spring 3 pressing against the lever 2.
• the contacting member 1 is covered with for example plastic.
• the bottom end of the compression spring 3 sits at the bottom of an adjustable bushing 5 and the top end sits in a recess in the U-profile 16, which is affixed to the body 8.
• the tension of the compression spring 3 can be adjusted by screwing the adjustment bushing 5 clockwise or counterclockwise.
• the tremolo By loosening the compression spring 3 the tremolo can be set in a floating position and by tightening the compression spring 3 the tremolo can either be set to allow only a downward movement or to a rigidified floating position depending on the setting of the adjustment screw 6.
• FIG. 2 depicts an example of a tremolo spring mechanism in accordance with an embodiment viewed in sectional view from above.
• the sharpened other end 7 of the lever 2 rests against a support member 9 affixed to the body.
• the support member 9 has a rectangular projection in the center and the lever 2 has a inward widening score 15 at the respective position, which when fitted together prevent sideways movements of the lever 2.
• the lever 2 has a design 13, which in this example is a hole, thru which runs a rod 4 covering the movement pitch of the lever 2, which has a cross-section characterized in that it has cross radiuses of different lengths.
• the rod 4 is tightened between the body 8 and a U-profile 16 affixed to the body 8, so that the rod can be twisted but it can't move lengthwise.
• the rod 4 has a thumbscrew 10 attached to its other end, which can be turned a quarter of a turn clockwise or counterclockwise to wedge the lever 2 so as to lock it in place or to release it.
• the body 8 of the tremolo spring mechanism is comprised of a plate with attachment holes to which all the other parts are attached. This makes it easy to install the tremolo spring mechanism as a single unit to a musical instrument.
• the other end 7 of the lever 2 which in the solution described above has been shaped to a sharp edge that rests against a stationary support member 9, could instead be mounted in ball or sliding bearings.
• the compression spring 3 one could use one or several extension or torsion springs to produce the force needed in the tremolo spring mechanism.
• the contacting member 1 pressing against the sustain block 11 described above could also be for example a wheel, a bearing mounted wheel, a bearing, a lever system, a cogwheel system or some other mechanical method for transferring the movements of the sustain block 11 via the lever 2 to the spring element 3.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Stringed Musical Instruments (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=40510243

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (2)

Citations (4)

• 2009
  • 2009-03-11 FI FI20095245A patent/FI20095245A0/fi not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2010
  • 2010-03-10 WO PCT/FI2010/050179 patent/WO2010103183A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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