Tension-releasing bridge for use with stringed musical instruments
OwnerCharles A. Rattner, Michael J. Rattnerinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bridge is releasably mountable on a stringed musical instrument and used in conjunction with a release mechanism such that when the release mechanism is activated, the distance between one end of a string being held by the bridge and a second end of the string secured elsewhere on the musical instrument is decreased, thereby decreasing the tension on the instrument caused by the tuning of the string.
Claims20
A bridge system mountable on a stringed musical instrument having a body, a head and a neck, the bridge system comprising:
- a bridge mountable on an upper face of a body of a musical instrument, the bridge including a string holder for holding at least one string disposed between the bridge and a head of the musical instrument;
- a hinge operatively connected between the bridge and the upper face of the body, wherein the hinge is disposed toward a first end of the bridge closest to the head for securing the first end of the body;
- and
- a release mechanism disposed toward a second end of the bridge opposite the first end for holding the second end of the bridge in a secure position on the body, wherein upon actuation of the release mechanism, a tension of the at least one string causes the second end of the bridge to move rotatably about the hinge from the secure position to a second position in which the tension of the at least one string is substantially decreased, and the bridge must be manually depressed to the secure position to restore the tension.
A bridge system mountable on a stringed musical instrument having a neck and a body, comprising:
- a bridge;
- a holder disposed on the bridge for securing at least one string disposed between a neck and a body of a musical instrument;
- a guide disposed on the bridge for mating with at least one rail attached to the musical instrument;
- and
- a release mechanism in operative connection with the bridge, wherein upon actuation of the release mechanism, a tension of the at least one string causes the bridge to move from a first position on the rail to a second position in which a tension of the at least one string is substantially decreased, and the bridge must be manually depressed to the first position to restore the tension.
A bridge system mountable on a musical instrument having a body and a neck, the bridge system comprising:
- a bridge operatively connected to at least one spring mountable on the body, the at least one spring for positioning between a bottom of the bridge and an upper face of the body;
- and
- a release mechanism disposed to secure the bridge to the body, wherein upon actuation of the release mechanism, a tension of the at least one string and a decompressing force of the spring cause the bridge to move from a secure position on the body to a second position in which a tension of the at least one string is substantially decreased, and the bridge must be manually depressed to the secure position to restore the tension.
A method for decreasing string tension of a string mounted between a head and a bridge mounted on a body of a musical instrument, the method comprising:
- securing an end of a bridge in a first position relative to a face of a musical instrument;
- and
- activating a release mechanism in communication with the end, wherein a tension of the string causes the end of the bridge to move from the first position on the body to a second position in which the tension of the string is substantially decreased.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.