Locking mechanism for floating vibrato bridge
OwnerTrevor A. Wilkinsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vibrato arm mounted on a floating bridge of a string instrument is adapted to engage an anchor seat attached to the body of the instrument, in order to lock the bridge in its centered position when the vibrato arm is parked. When the arm is moved to the play position, a cam arrangement raises the arm out of the anchor seat and frees the bridge for vibrato movement. A single adjustment of the riser on the vibrato arm selects both the desired park position and the vertical engagement position of the arm. The seat-engaging arm end and the seat itself are tapered to guide the arm into centered position. The anchor seat is eccentrically and linearly adjustable for precise centering of the bridge.
Claims7
A lockable floating vibrato bridge mechanism, comprising:
- a) a string instrument having a body;
- b) a vibrato bridge mounted on said body for pivotal movement with respect thereto about a horizontal fulcrum;
- and
- c) a locking mechanism for selectively locking said bridge in a predetermined position with respect to said body, said mechanism including:
- i) a vibrato arm having a substantially vertical portion mounted on said bridge for rotational movement with respect thereto between a play position and a park position;
- ii) a cam assembly interposed between said bridge and said vibrato arm, said cam assembly being arranged to raise said arm with respect to said bridge when said arm is rotated toward the play position, and to allow said arm to be lowered with respect to said bridge when said arm is rotated toward the park position.
- iii) an anchor mounted on said body and having a seat positioned so as to engage said vibrato arm when said vibrato arm is lowered into the park position;
- and
- iv) a spring interposed between said bridge and vibrato arm, said spring being arranged to so bias said arm as to lower it toward engagement with said anchor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.