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US 9,542,915 B2Granted
Keyless locking tremolo systems and methods
OwnerMark E. Hackettinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments disclosed herein describe keyless locking tremolo systems and methods for musical instruments that are configured to tune and restrain strings for a musical instrument without an external tool. Embodiments are configured to adjust the vertical positioning of a tightening post and string clamp without an external tool.
Claims20
A keyless tremolo locking system for a musical instrument comprising:
- a first locking system including at least one tightening post and at least one lever,
- the at least one tightening post including a threaded portion being configured to be inserted into a string clamp, a smooth shaft, and a lever engagement mechanism configured to interface with the at least one lever, and
- the at least one lever having a hollow bottom surface that is configured to engage and disengage with the lever engagement mechanism, the hollow bottom surface being positioned on a first end of the lever, wherein when the hollow bottom surface of the at least one lever is engaged with the lever engagement mechanism and the first lever is rotated in a first direction then the tightening post is rotated further into the string clamp, and when the lever is disengaged from the lever engagement mechanism the hollow bottom surface of the at least one lever encompasses the smooth shaft and can rotate in the first direction or a second direction without rotating the tightening post,
- a second locking system including a hollow passageway that is configured to encompass a string, the second locking system including a clamping member and a closing member;
- the clamping member a circumference that increases and decreases in size;
- the closing member being configured to be removably coupled to a threaded section of the second locking system to increase or decrease the size of the circumference of the clamping member.
3 more elements
A method of using a keyless locking tremolo system for a musical instrument comprising:
- positioning a first locking system on the musical instrument, the first locking system including at least one tightening post and at least one lever,
- inserting the at least one tightening post including a threaded portion into a string clamp,
- interfacing a lever engagement mechanism with the at least one lever;
- engaging and disengaging a hollow bottom surface of a lever with the lever engagement mechanism, wherein the hollow bottom surface being positioned on a first end of the lever,
- rotating the lever in a first direction when the hollow bottom surface of the at least one lever is engaged with the lever engagement mechanism to rotate tightening post further into the string clamp, and
- rotating the lever in the first direction or the second direction when the hollow chamber of the lever is disengaged from the lever engagement mechanism without rotating the tightening post, wherein when the lever is disengaged from the lever engagement mechanism the hollow bottom surface of the at least one lever encompasses the smooth shaft,
- positioning a second locking system on the musical instrument, the second locking system including a hollow passageway that is configured to encompass a string, the second locking system including a clamping member and a closing member;
- coupling the closing member with a first threaded section on the second locking system to decrease a circumference of the clamping member;
- and
- decoupling the closing member with the first threaded section on the second locking system to increase the circumference of the clamping member.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.