# US 5,704,473 A · Music strings and packaging

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- Number: US 5,704,473 A
- Document ID: US5704473A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/645,415
- Filed: 1996-05-13
- Granted: 1998-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 1996-05-13
- Assignees: Sabine, Inc.
- Inventors: Doran M. Oster
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704473A

## CPC

- B65D 81/2084: {in a flexible container}
- G10D 3/10: Strings
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- 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

A metal musical string having a plastic or polymer material covering an end of the string opposite to a ball end of the string is contained in a flexible enclosure or pouch. In a coiled configuration, the ends of the string are twisted around convolutions of the coil to maintain the coil configuration. Different colors of polymer material cover ends of respective different music strings to identify the strings contained in the single pouch. The polymer material is either thin to allow insertion through holes or slots of musical instruments or removable. The flexible enclosure is a sealed gas impervious pouch filled with a non-corrosive gas such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, helium, etc.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A musical string and package comprising:
a metal string adapted to fit on a musical instrument;
a ball secured to one end of the string for aiding in attachment of the string to the musical instrument;
a flexible polymer material with a smooth surface covering the other end of the metal string; and
a flexible enclosure containing the metal string.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A musical string and package as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal string is coiled to form a plurality of convolutions and has an end twisted around the coil convolutions to maintain the coil configuration.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A musical string and package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible enclosure is a sealed gas impervious pouch containing a non-corrosive gas.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

A musical string and package as claimed in claim 2 wherein the flexible enclosure is a sealed gas impervious pouch containing a non-corrosive gas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A musical string and package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the covering of the polymer material has a thickness in the range from 0.02 to 2.5 millimeters.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A musical string and package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the covering of the polymer material is sufficiently thin to permit the other end of the metal string to be inserted through normal string receiving openings in the musical instrument.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A musical string and package as claimed in claim 6 wherein the covering of the polymer material has a thickness in the range from 0.1 to 0.5 millimeters.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A musical string and package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the covering of the polymer material is removable from the other end of the string.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A musical string and package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polymer material is colored to identify the musical string.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A musical string and package as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of musical strings with balls secured to one ends of the strings and with different color polymer material covering the other ends of the respective strings to identify the strings, each of said metal strings being coiled to form a plurality of convolutions and having an end twisted around the coil convolutions to maintain the coil configuration; and wherein said flexible enclosure is a sealed gas impervious pouch filled with nitrogen and containing the coiled metal strings.

### Claim 11

A musical string and package as claimed in claim wherein the polymer material is a coating applied by dipping the other end of the musical string in a liquid material and curing the coating.