# US 2019/0172429 A1 · Adjustable Capo with Dual Pivot Mechanism > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0172429 A1 - Document ID: US20190172429A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/204,071 - Filed: 2018-11-29 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04 - Assignees: D'Addario & Company, Inc. - Applicants: D'Addario & Company, Inc. - Inventors: Richard Ned Steinberger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190172429A1 ## CPC - G10D 3/053: Capos, i.e. capo tastos - 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 (organs, harmoniums or similar wind musical instruments with associated blowing apparatus G10B; pianos, harpsichords, spinets or similar stringed musical instruments with one or more keyboards G10C; automatic musical instruments G10F; electrophonic musical instruments in which tones are generated by electromechanical means G10H) ## Abstract An adjustable capo for a stringed musical instrument includes a front jaw with a top arm and a rear jaw with a bottom arm. The rear jaw is pivotally attached to the front jaw about a first axis with the top arm biased rotationally in a direction toward the bottom arm about the first axis. The bottom arm is attached to a rear handle in a pivotal relationship about a second axis that is independent from the first axis. An adjuster is configured to adjust the pressure applied by the top arm on the strings of a musical instrument when the instrument neck is clamped between the top arm and bottom arm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A capo for use with a stringed musical instrument, comprising: a front jaw comprising a top arm; a rear jaw pivotally attached to the front jaw about a first axis A1, the rear jaw including a bottom arm pivotally engaged with a rear handle and pivotable about a second axis; a first bias member biasing the front jaw in a first rotational direction about the first axis A1, thereby causing the top arm to be biased toward the bottom arm; and an adjustment member, wherein the adjustment member is configured to adjust the rotational position of the bottom arm relative to the rear handle about the second axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The capo of claim 1, wherein adjustment of the rotational position of the bottom arm relative to the rear handle via the adjustment member does not substantially alter the positioning of the bottom arm relative to the top arm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The capo of claim 1, wherein adjustment of the rotational position of the bottom arm relative to the rear handle via the adjustment member alters the distance between the bottom arm and the top arm. ### Claim 4 A capo for use with a stringed musical instrument, comprising: a front jaw comprising a top arm for contacting the strings of the musical instrument; a rear jaw pivotally attached to the front jaw and comprising a bottom arm spaced from the top arm in an opposing relationship; a first bias member biasing the front jaw and rear jaw rotationally relative to one another such that the top arm and bottom arm are biased toward one another about a first axis A1 and such that a pressure P is applied on the strings of the instrument by the top arm when the capo is attached with the instrument neck trapped between the top arm and bottom arm; and an adjustment member for adjusting the amount of pressure P applied by the top arm on the strings when attached with the instrument neck trapped between the top arm and bottom arm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The capo of claim 4, wherein the first bias member is a torsion spring with one leg abutting the front jaw and another leg abutting the rear jaw to bias the top arm toward the bottom arm, the torsion spring including a helix through which the first axis A1 passes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The capo of claim 4, wherein the adjustment member comprises a knob with a threaded shank mated within a threaded bore in the rear jaw, and wherein threading of the shank in a first direction increases the amount of pressure P applied by the top arm on the strings when attached with the instrument neck trapped between the top arm and bottom arm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The capo of claim 6, wherein threading of the shank in the first direction forces the rear jaw to pivot about the first axis A1 against the first bias member, thereby increasing tension in the first bias member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The capo of claim 6, wherein threading of the shank in a second direction opposite of the first direction decreases the amount of pressure P applied by the top arm on the strings when attached with the instrument neck trapped between the top arm and bottom arm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The capo of claim 8, wherein threading of the shank in the second direction opposite of the first direction allows the rear jaw to pivot about the first axis A1 under bias from the first bias member, thereby decreasing tension in the first bias member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The capo of claim 9, wherein threading of the shank in a second direction allows the rear jaw to pivot about the first axis A1 under bias from the first bias member, thereby decreasing tension in the first bias member and decreasing the amount of pressure P applied by the top arm on the strings when attached with the instrument neck trapped between the top arm and bottom arm. ### Claim 11 A capo for use with a stringed musical instrument, comprising: a front jaw comprising a top arm; a rear jaw comprising a bottom arm movably attached to the front jaw; a first bias member biasing one or both of the front jaw and the bottom jaw such that the top arm is biased in a first direction toward the bottom arm; and an adjuster for adjusting the distance between the front jaw and rear jaw independent of the first bias member and independent of the first direction of movement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The capo of claim 11, wherein the rear jaw is pivotally attached to the front jaw about a first axis A1, the first bias member biases the rear jaw and front jaw rotationally about the first axis A1 in a first rotational direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The capo of claim 12, wherein the first bias member is a torsion spring that includes a helix through which the first axis A1 of rotation of the rear jaw relative to the front jaw passes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The capo of claim 12, wherein the rear jaw comprises a rear handle pivotally attached to the bottom arm about a second axis A2, comprising a second bias member that biases the bottom arm in a second rotational direction about the second axis A2. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The capo of claim 11, wherein the rear jaw comprises a rear handle and the bottom arm is pivotably attached to the rear handle about a second axis A2. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The capo of claim 11, comprising a second bias member for biasing the bottom arm in a second direction from the rear handle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The capo of claim 11, wherein the rear jaw comprises a rear handle pivotally attached to the bottom arm about a second axis A2 independent from the first axis A1, the bottom arm extends from a terminal front end to an obliquely extending rear leg, and the second axis A2 is positioned between the front end and the rear leg. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The capo of claim 17, wherein the adjuster comprises a knob with a threaded shank threadedly received by a threaded bore in the rear leg. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The capo of claim 18, comprising a second bias member biasing the bottom arm away from the top arm, wherein threading of the shank into the bore causes the bottom arm to rotate about the second axis A2 in a third direction against the bias of the second bias member, and threading of the shank out from the bore causes the bottom arm to rotate about the axis A2 in the second direction under bias from the second bias member. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The capo of claim 19, wherein threading the shank into the bore tightens the distance between the bottom arm and the top arm, and unthreading the shank from the bore expands the distance between the bottom arm and the top arm.