Practical solution to the problem of tension equalization in wire tensioned around drums and objects, wire end securing knots and devices, and the protracted time in wire replacement and tensioning.

A tuner for stringed musical instruments possessing a practical solution to the problem of tension equalization and the protracted time of string replacement and tuning comprising:

• a generally stub capstan adapted to be fixedly disposed in an opening in a peg head of a stringed musical instrument by a first nut cooperating with an external threaded shoulder on said capstan of predetermined position and thread form, and having an axial opening extending therethrough of predetermined size comprising an axially aligned first keyway in the sidewall, and having a first string clearance slot of predetermined size projecting outwardly from axis of said axial opening, and having a first means to guide a string into said axial opening, and said capstan is secured to a said cylinder by a second means,
• a slidably disposed, generally cylindrical release actuator, having an axial string hole extending therethrough of predetermined size, and said release actuator cooperates with said axial opening and having a first key that cooperates with said first keyway, and rearward end of said release actuator having a first surface of predetermined angle, and having a second string clearance slot of predetermined size, situated forward of said first surface, projecting outwardly from said axis of said axial hole, which cooperates with said first and second string clearance slots, thereby creating clearance for said string and said first means to guide a string into said axial opening, and said release actuator having a third means to be translated,
• and a selector knob, having a forth means to station at a home position and a pull position, and having said third means to translate said release actuator, and having a fifth means to be affixed to said capstan,
• a generally tube cylinder is adapted to be fixedly disposed in said opening in said peg head of said stringed musical instrument, and said cylinder having threads cooperating with a second nut, wherein various thicknesses of said peg head are accommodated, and having at least one axially aligned second keyway in the internal wall of said cylinder, and having a sixth means to secure a generally cylindrical piston to said cylinder,
• and the forward end of said cylinder having a chamber with openings forward and rearward therethrough of a predetermined size, and said chamber having two, first offset inclined surfaces relative to the axis, whereof said first offset inclined surfaces of said chamber commences at the forward opening, and ends at an inside wall of said cylinder,
• a slidably disposed cylinder plunger cooperates inside said cylinder, and having an axial string hole therethrough of a predetermined size to permit passage of said string, and forward end of said cylinder plunger having a forth surface of a predetermined angle that cooperates with said third surface of said jaws, and said cylinder plunger having a seventh means to be urged forward, urges said jaws of said cylinder forward and together, thereby placing said jaws in said closed position, and rearward end of said cylinder plunger having a fifth surface of a predetermined angle,
• and a jaw having an axially aligned string gripping surface, and having a second offset inclined surface to be slidably disposed and cooperate with said first offset inclined surface of said chamber, and forward end of said jaw having a second surface of a predetermined angle which cooperate with said first surface and said fifth surface, and rearward end of said jaw having a third surface of a predetermined angle, and said chamber having two said jaws,
• and said piston is slidably disposed in said cylinder, and having a second key projecting into said second keyway of said cylinder, and said piston can translate in said cylinder and is held against rotation, and said piston having an external thread of predetermined thread form, and the forward end of said piston having said chamber, and said chamber of said piston having two said jaws,
• a slidably disposed piston plunger, having an axial string hole therethrough of a predetermined size to permit passage of said string and cooperates with inside of said piston, and forward end of said piston plunger having a sixth surface of predetermined angle that cooperates with said second surface of said jaws, and said piston plunger, having an eighth means to be held forward, urges said jaws of said piston chamber forward and together, thereby placing said jaws in said closed position,
• a button having a threaded hole axially therethrough, threadedly engages with external threads of said piston, and said button being supported for rotation by a drive surface relative to a driven surface of said cylinder, but being held against forward longitudinal movement relative thereto, and having a ninth means to be affixed to said piston,
• and with said selector knob stationed in said pull position by said forth means, said jaws of said cylinder chamber are urged forward and together by said first offset inclined surfaces of said cylinder chamber and by said cylinder plunger by said seventh means to said closed position, and said jaws of said cylinder chamber urge said release actuator forward, and said button is rotated to rearward end of said piston and then rotated forward with predetermined revolutions, and then said piston is translated forward until said drive surface of said button contacts said driven surface of said cylinder to a retracted position, and said jaws of said piston are urged forward and together by said piston chamber and by said piston plunger, having said eighth means, to said closed position,
• and with said selector knob stationed in said home position by said forth means, said release actuator is urged rearward by said third means and in turn urges said jaws of said cylinder chamber rearward and apart, and said jaws of said cylinder chamber urge said cylinder plunger rearward, while said cylinder plunger urges said jaws of said cylinder chamber apart, thereby positioning said jaws of said cylinder chamber in said open position,
• and having said piston in said retracted position, said jaws of said piston chamber are urged forward and together by said first offset inclined surfaces of said piston chamber and by said piston plunger by said eighth means to said closed position,
• and with said selector knob stationed in said home position by said forth means, said jaws of said cylinder chamber are in said open position, then said button is rotated and/or spun to rearward end of said piston, and then said piston is translated forward until said drive surface of said button contacts said driven surface of said cylinder to said release position, whereby said cylinder plunger by said seventh means urges said jaws of said piston apart, and said piston plunger, urged by said eighth means, also urges said jaws of said piston apart to said open position, and said string is inserted into said string hole of said selector knob and therethrough with said string exiting the rearward end of said button, whereby said string replacement and removal is facilitated by said jaws of said cylinder chamber and said piston chamber being in said open position,
• utilizing course tuning method 1, having said selector knob stationed in said home position and having said piston in said release position, said string is inserted into said string hole of said selector knob and extended therethrough and having said string exiting said button, then said piston is translated to said retracted position and said selector knob is stationed in said pull position, wherein said jaws of said cylinder chamber are in said closed position and said jaws of said piston chamber are in said closed position,
• then said button is pulled rearward, urging said jaws of said piston chamber to grip said string, and said jaws of said cylinder chamber in said closed position, do not grip as said string slides along surface of said jaws of said cylinder chamber, and when pulling tension is released, said jaws of said cylinder chamber grip said string, thereby maintaining increased string tension, and when said button is pushed forward, said jaws of said piston chamber do not grip said string, as said jaws of said piston chamber slide along surface of said string, whereby one or more course tunings may be repeated,
• and to commence fine tuning, rotate said button with predetermined revolutions to transfer string tension from said jaws of said cylinder chamber to said jaws of said piston chamber, and then rotate said selector knob to said home position, and then rotate said button to fine tune,
• utilizing course tuning method 2, having said selector knob stationed in said home position and having said piston in said release position, said string is inserted in said string hole of said selector knob and extended therethrough and having said string exiting said button, then said piston is translated to said retracted position and said selector knob is stationed in said pull position, wherein said jaws of said cylinder chamber and said piston chamber are in closed position,
• then said button is rotated, urging said piston rearward, and thereby urging said jaws of said piston chamber to grip said string, and said jaws of said cylinder chamber in said closed position, do not grip as said string slides along the surface of said jaws of said cylinder chamber, and when pulling tension is released, said jaws of said cylinder chamber grip said string, thereby maintaining increased string tension, then said piston is translated to said retracted position, whereby said jaws of said piston do not grip said string as said jaws of said piston chamber slides along surface of said string, whereby one or more course tuning may be repeated if desired,
• to commence fine tuning, rotate said button forward with predetermined revolutions to transfer string tension from jaws of said cylinder chamber to jaws of said piston chamber, and then rotate selector knob to home position, and then rotate said button to fine tune,
• utilizing fine and course tuning method 3, having said selector knob stationed in said home position and having said piston in said release position, said string is inserted in said string hole of said selector knob and extended therethrough and having said string exiting said button, rotate said selector knob to said pull position wherein said jaws of said cylinder chamber are in said closed position,
• then said string exiting said button is pulled manually or by a tensioning device rearward, to increase string tension, wherein said jaws of said cylinder chamber do not grip as they slide along surface of said string, and when pulling tension is released, said jaws of said cylinder chamber grip said string, thereby maintaining increased string tension, and one or more course tunings may be repeated,
• to commence fine tuning, translate said piston to said retracted position and rotate said button forward with predetermined revolutions to transfer string tension from said jaws of said cylinder chamber to jaws of said piston, and then rotate selector knob to home position, then rotate said button to fine tune,
• utilizing fine tuning method 4, having said selector knob stationed in said home position and having said piston in said release position, said string is inserted in said string hole of said selector knob and extended therethrough and having said string exiting said button, then rotate said button to urge said piston rearward, thereby urging said jaws of said piston to grip and fine tune said string, and said cylinder jaws in said open position do not grip said string, thereby permitting said string to be tensioned conventionally by rotating the button,
• whereby said string can be rapidly inserted and automatically affixed, course tuned manually, course tuned by said tensioning device, and fine-tuned conventionally by rotating said button, while eliminating tension equalization derived from securing knots and drums, and having traditional dimension, mounting and appearance.

A tuner for stringed musical instruments possessing a practical solution to the problem of tension equalization and the protracted time of string replacement and tuning comprising:

• a driveshaft having an integral ratchet with a plurality of teeth of predetermined position and size, and terminates rearward with a driven end comprising a first means to be rotated, and terminates forward with a drum end having a second means to drive a string drum, and said drum end having an axial threaded hole of predetermined size and thread form and having a mortar at its base of predetermined shape and size, and a transverse first string hole therethrough at the base of said threaded hole, which cooperates with said mortar,
• a worm gear with a plurality of teeth and an axial integral pawl driver drum, cooperating with said ratchet, having at least one pawl pocket cooperating with at least one pawl having at least one tooth, and having an axial driveshaft hole therethrough, is slidably and rotatably disposed on said driven end, and is sandwiched between said ratchet and retained by a third means, and an enclosure, to be fixedly disposed on a stringed musical instrument, is slidably and rotatably disposed on said drum end, and is sandwiched between said ratchet and is retained by a forth means, and said enclosure having a cover with an opening of predetermined size to cooperate with the diameter of said driven end of said drive shaft,
• a string drum of predetermined size and shape cooperates with said second means, and having fifth means to alter tension equalization of a length of a string which is wrapped around said drum, and having a second string hole extending therethrough of predetermined position and size, to align with said first string hole of said drum end of said drive shaft,
• and having a string clamp which threadedly engages with said threaded hole of said drum end, and forward end said string clamp having said first means to be rotated, and the other end having a pestle of predetermined shape, size and texture, cooperates with said mortar,
• a worm is rotatably mounted and affixed in said enclosure and cooperates with said worm gear, and one end of said worm having said first means to be rotated, and a button-driver of predetermined shape and size having means to rotate said second means to be rotated,
• rotating said worm urges said worm gear to rotate, but said worm gear cannot urge said worm to rotate, and when torque is applied directly in one direction to said driveshaft, a pawl tooth rides up a tooth run of said tooth of said ratchet and then drops off a tooth rise of said tooth of said ratchet to said tooth run of another said tooth of said ratchet, thereby permitting rotation of said driveshaft, and conversely, when torque is applied in the other direction directly to said driveshaft, said pawl tooth urges said tooth rise of said tooth of said ratchet to move, thereby rotating said driveshaft and said string drum,
• and said string is inserted into said string holes, and said first means of said string clamp is rotated by said button-driver, whereby said pestle and said mortar clamp said string, and then said button-driver or a torque device is engaged in said first means of said driveshaft, and a predetermined tension is applied, then said button-driver or said torque device is disengaged from said first means of said driveshaft, and then said button-driver is engaged in first means of said worm, and rotated for conventional fine tuning,
• whereby said string can be rapidly clamped, course tuned and fine-tuned conventionally by said button-driver, and course tuned by said torque device, thereby eliminating tension equalization derived from securing knots, reducing tension equalization derived from said drums, reducing the protracted time in replacement of said strings, and being housed in said enclosure of traditional dimension, mounting and appearance.

A tuner for stringed musical instruments possessing a practical solution to the problem of tension equalization and the protracted time of string replacement and tuning comprising:

• a driveshaft having an integral ratchet drum having a plurality of internal teeth of predetermined position and size, and terminates rearward with a driven end comprising a first means to be rotated, and terminates forward with a drum end having a second means to rotate a string drum, and having a third means to secure said string drum to said drum end, and said drum end having a transverse first string hole at a predetermined position and size, and said driven end having an axial threaded hole terminating at said first string hole of predetermined size and thread form, and having a mortar at its base of predetermined shape and size which cooperates with said first string hole,
• and a string clamp comprising at the rearward end, a threaded screw having a head with forth means to be driven, which threadedly engages with said axial threaded hole in said driven end, and the forward end of said threaded screw having a pestle which cooperates with said mortar,
• a string drum of predetermined size and shape cooperates with said second means, and having fifth means to alter tension equalization of a length of a string which is wrapped around said drum, and having a second string hole extending therethrough of predetermined position and size, to align with said first string hole of said drum end of said drive shaft,
• a worm gear having a plurality of teeth with sixth means to slidably engage and rotate a pawl drive having at least one pawl, and said worm gear and said pawl drive rotatably sandwiches a mounting plate, to be fixedly disposed on a stringed musical instrument, and said worm gear and said pawl drive having an axial hole extending therethrough, is slidably and rotatably disposed on said driven end of said driveshaft, and is affixed by a seventh means,
• a worm is rotatably affixed on said mounting plate and cooperates with said worm gear, and one end having a eighth means to be rotated, and a collar with said first means to be rotated at both ends, is affixed to said eighth means to be rotated of said worm, and thereby secures said worm to said mounting plate,
• and having a button-driver of predetermined shape and size which cooperates with said first means of said driveshaft and said collar, and having a tool which cooperates with said forth means of said head of said string clamp,
• and when torque is applied in one direction on said driveshaft, a pawl tooth rides up a tooth run of said tooth of said ratchet and then drops off a tooth rise of said tooth of said ratchet to said tooth run of another said tooth of said ratchet, thereby permitting rotation, and conversely, when torque is applied in the other direction on said driveshaft, said pawl tooth urges said tooth rise of said tooth of said ratchet to move, thereby rotating said driveshaft, and said string wraps around said string drum, and when torque is applied to said button-driver which cooperates with said worm, said worm urges said worm gear to rotate,
• and said string is inserted into said string holes and said forth means of said head of said string clamp is rotated by said tool of said button-driver, whereby said pestle and said mortar clap said string, and then said button or a torque device is engaged in said first means of said driveshaft and a predetermined tension is applied, then said button-driver or said torque device is disengaged from said first means of said driveshaft, and then said button-driver is engaged in first means of said worm, and rotated for conventional fine tuning,
• whereby said string can be clamped, course tuned and fine-tuned conventionally by said button-driver, and course tuned by said torque device, while eliminating tension equalization derived from securing knots, reducing the problem of tension equalization derived from said drums, reducing the protracted time in replacement of said strings, and being housed in said enclosure of traditional dimension, mounting and appearance.

A bridge and a headless end-stock for stringed musical instruments possessing a practical solution to the problem of tension equalization, reduced saddle down force, and the protracted time in string replacement and tuning comprising:

• a one piece housing to be fixedly disposed on a stringed musical instrument bridge, an instrument tailpiece, an instrument body, or a headless end stock, and said housing having an axial opening therethrough for a string to enter and exit, and the forward end of said housing having a chamber with connected openings forward and rearward of a predetermined size, and having two offset inclined surfaces relative to axis of said housing, whereof the said offset inclined surfaces commence at the forward end of said housing and at the farthest extent from the axis, ends at an interior wall of said housing,
• and a jaw having an axially aligned string gripping surface and an offset inclined surface to be slidably disposed and cooperate with said surface of said chamber, and forward end of said jaw having a surface of a predetermined angle, and said jaw retained by a means, and said chamber having two said jaws,
• utilizing installation method 1, end of a string is inserted into said forward end of said housing and flushed with end of said jaws by a human finger, and human finger urges said string gripping surfaces of said jaws towards the axis of said chamber, thereby gripping said string,
• utilizing installation and course tuning method 2, end of said string is inserted into said forward end of said housing and therethrough exiting the rearward end of said jaws, whereby said end is pulled rearward, manually or by utilizing a torque device, to course tune, wherein said jaws of said housing do not grip as said string slides along surface of said jaws, and when pulling tension is released, said jaws of said housing grip said string, thereby maintaining string tension,
• whereby a string can be rapidly inserted and affixed, course tuned manually and automatically by utilizing a torque device, all without the problem of tension equalization derived from said string affixing knots, no reduction of downforce on said saddle, having said bridge of near traditional appearance, construction and dimension, and said headless end-stock without need for metal attachment configurations.

A bridge for stringed musical instruments possessing a practical solution to the problem of tension equalization, reduced saddle down force, and the protracted time in string replacement comprising:

• a traditional bridge having a saddle, a string hole, and a tie block, wherein said tie block having a string reversal member of a predetermined size and position, a string stop of predetermined position and size, a front surface having a string clearance slot of predetermined position and size, a clamping surface of predetermined position and size, and curves to transition a string around corners of said front surface and into said string hole,
• a string lays over said saddle, and is fed through said string hole, and continues to wrap around said front surface to said string reversal member, whereby tension of a predetermined amount is applied by hand, and then said string direction is reversed, and tension of said string is held by a human finger, and said string having an end of predetermined length, is fed into said string clearance slot and under said string previously wrapped around said front surface, and said end of said string is pulled by a human hand in a direction parallel to said string clearance slot so that it urges said end of said string to contact said string stop, thereby urging said end of said string out of said string clearance slot and under said string and on to said clamping surface, thereby being clamped,
• whereby a string can be quickly replaced and pre-tensioned to a predetermined amount without reducing downforce on said saddle, having reduced length of said string behind said saddle, and said curves increase tension equalization, and all with said bridge of traditional appearance, construction and dimension.