Abstract:
A musical instrument accessory with a capo carrying an adjustable connector in turn carrying a screen receiving fixture. When the capo is clamped to the neck of a guitar at a first position, the screen receiving fixture may be arranged and oriented for convenient viewing of a screen carried therein by the guitar musician. When moved to second position, viewing the screen necessitates re-orientation of the screen receiving fixture to accommodate geometry of the second position, which re-orientation is conveniently carried out by re-orientation of the adjustable connector.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/179,129, filed Apr. 28, 2015. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an accessory for a musical instrument. More particularly, the present invention is an accessory for a stringed instrument, especially a stringed instrument having a neck, such as a guitar, banjo, or ukulele. 
     Music in sheet form (i.e. sheet music) has for centuries been used to memorialize songs and prompt musicians to perform a predesignated composition. A problem for a musician with sheet music is encountered when moving about. Numerous approaches to holding sheet music for a mobile musician include music holders separately carried by the musician (see U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,855 Cashman (sheet music holder carried about neck)) or carried upon their instrument (see U.S. Pat. No. 7,531,732 Dunlop (sheet music holder carried by a suction cup attachment to body of a guitar.)) In modern times, sheet music may also be displayed upon a screen, for example, the screen of a smart phone or tablet or similar device. The L′MS “Guitar Sidekick” device takes an approach similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,531,732 Dunlop to use a suction attachment to a guitar body to support a handheld computer or smart phone instead of sheet music. 
     A capo is an accessory for a stringed instrument such as a guitar, which alters the length and tension of vibrating string sections, upon a plurality of strings, by clamping to the neck of a guitar and engaging and clamping the strings. Examples of capos may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,566,824 Small and U.S. Pat. No. 8,779,292 Steinberger. It is common for musicians to alter the placement of the capo along the neck of the guitar to achieve different tuning effects. Although it is known to provide for carrying a capo, when not in use upon a guitar (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,957 Hatfield), it is not known to carry a smart phone screen, displaying music, upon an engaged capo. 
     Each of the above mentioned patents (U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,855; U.S. Pat. No. 7,531,732; U.S. Pat. No. 7,566,824; U.S. Pat. No. 8,779,292 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,957) are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     When considered relative to a guitar used with both a capo on the neck and also used with a separate sheet music holder, for example, the above-mentioned L′MS “Guitar Sidekick” type device attached to the guitar body, a potential new combination of utilizing a capo to carry a display screen would have the heretofore unrecognized advantage of reducing the number of accessory items a musician must deal with while performing. However, one significant drawback and issue with such a new combined arrangement is that when the capo is deployed at different positions along the neck of a guitar, the viewing orientation or angle of the screen should be geometrically altered to accommodate its modified position relative to the musician. An elegant approach to accommodating the need for adapting to the demands of a changing viewing angle associated with different capo positions is needed and is provided by the present invention disclosed herein. 
     The present invention is a musical instrument accessory with a screen receiving and displaying fixture, for example, for receiving and displaying the screen of a handheld computer or smartphone or tablet. The accessory is used with and attached to a stringed instrument, such as a guitar, and most preferably clamped to and thereby engaging the neck of the stringed instrument. An adjustable connector is present between the clamp attachment for the neck of the stringed instrument and the screen receiving fixture. The adjustable connector allows the screen receiving fixture to be oriented or re-oriented such that a screen carried by the screen receiving fixture may be viewed by a musician. In a preferred embodiment, the clamp attachment for the neck is a capo. As is well known, a capo may be applied or clamped upon the neck of a stringed instrument and alter the tension and length of the strings active vibrating segments, thereby resetting the nature of the musical cords produced when strumming or otherwise perturbing the strings. This resetting is primarily a function of placement of the capo along the neck, whether distal or proximate. However, each change in positioning of the capo along the neck of the guitar results in a change of its position relative to the musician playing the guitar and thus, a profound desirability to re-orient the screen receiving fixture. 
     In another embodiment, the present invention is a method of performing with a guitar, the guitar having a neck. The method includes the steps of providing a handheld screen, the handheld screen displaying music to be performed; providing an accessory including a clamp attachment, an adjustable connector attached to the clamp attachment and a screen receiving fixture attached to the adjustable connector; placing the handheld screen in the screen receiving fixture; clamping the clamp attachment to the neck of the guitar; and, manipulating the adjustable connector such that the handheld screen is conveniently viewable and the music thereon displayed for performance on the guitar. Preferably, the method further includes the steps of unclamping the clamp attachment and clamping at a new position on the guitar; re-manipulating the adjustable connector such that the handheld screen is conveniently viewable from the new position on the guitar. Most preferably, in the method, the clamp attachment is a capo. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  schematically depicts the main assemblies of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  depicts the preferred embodiment in a first substantially distal attachment situation upon the neck of a guitar (shown as a distal fragment of the guitar neck) with screen display oriented in a first orientation (carrying a handheld screen device shown in outline); 
         FIG. 3  depicts the preferred embodiment in a second substantially proximal attachment situation upon the neck of the guitar (shown as a proximal fragment of the guitar neck attached to a fragment of the guitar body) with screen display re-oriented to a second orientation (carrying a handheld screen device shown in outline); and; 
         FIG. 4  depicts the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 1  folded into a compact condition for storage or for transport and unattached from a guitar neck and not carrying a handheld screen device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a musical instrument accessory  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the accessory  10  has three major sub-assemblies: a capo  20 , an adjustable connector  30 , and a screen receiving fixture  50 . 
     The capo  20  has a first arm  22  with a top string engaging bumper  22   a  and a lever of the first arm  22   b  with an aperture  22   c  therein. The capo  20  also has a second arm  24  with a guitar neck bottom abutting or engaging arm  24   a . The first arm  22  and the second arm  24  are connected at pivot  26  and biased by spring  28  such that the neck of a guitar and the associated guitar strings may be clamped between the top string engaging bumper  22   a  and the guitar neck bottom engaging arm  24   b  of the second arm  24  at a range of desirable positions along the neck of the guitar. 
     The desirable positions along the neck of a guitar may range between a proximal position, adjacent the body of a guitar, to a distal position adjacent the tuning pegs of the guitar. As is well known, distal positioning of a capo, such as capo  20  has a modest effect, modestly raising the frequency of all of the guitar string vibrations, whereas progressively positioning the capo  20  toward the proximal end, adjacent the guitar body has a progressively more pronounced effect of even further raising the frequency of all of the guitar string vibrations. 
     The adjustable connector  30  has first end  32  with a threaded interior  32   a  within. A threaded fastener  33 , with a fastener head  33   a  and threaded fastener shaft  33   b  passes aperture  22   c  of lever of the first arm  22   b  of capo  20 , and engages the threaded interior  32   a . The shaft  33   b , threaded interior  32   a , and aperture  22   c  define a first axis  36  whereby rotation may occur within the adjustable connector  30 . Preferably, a friction element  38 , such as a washer, is present between the fastener head  33   a  and the lever of the first arm  22   b . When the threaded fastener  33  is tightened into the threaded interior of the first end  32   a  of the adjustable connector  30 , rotation is reduced or prevented about first axis  36 . Most preferably, the threaded fastener  33  is tightened into the threaded interior  32   a  such that rotation about first axis  36  is achievable with manipulative effort, but does not occur without a conscious application of a manipulative effort: 
     The adjustable connector  30  also has a second end  34 , a second axis  42  of rotation is present in the second end  34 , The second axis  42  is distinct from and preferably perpendicular to the first axis  36 . The second axis  42  is defined by a threaded bolt  46  with a manually manipulable head  46   a , a threaded shaft  46   b  and a nut  47 . The threaded bolt  46  passes through fork  48  with a first tine  48   a  with an aperture  48   b  and a second tine  48   c  with an aperture  48   d , which apertures  48   b  and  48   d  are aligned. A central insert  49  with aperture  49   a , having bolt  46  passing therethrough, is also situated between tines  48   a  and  48   c . When the threaded bolt  46  is tightened against nut  47 , the frictional element  38  for controlling and squeezing central insert  49  between tines  48   a  and  48   c  to control and limit and potentially prevent rotation about second axis  42 . Preferably, the bolt  46  is tightened into the nut  47 , preferably captive in the second tine  48   c , such that rotation may be achieved by manually moving the central insert  49  relative to the fork  48  but undesired further rotation about second axis  42  is prevented. Alternatively, the threaded bolt  46  may be loosened, that desired orientation set, then the threaded bolt  46  re-tightened into nut  47  such that further rotation is prevented. 
     The screen receiving fixture  50  has a first screen bracket  52  which is connected to the fork  48  and tines  48   a  and  48   b . The screen receiving fixture  50  also has a second screen engaging bracket  54 . An internal spring arrangement  56  urges the second bracket  54  toward the first bracket  52 , such that a handheld computer or cellphone or tablet is held therebetween with a screen potentially visible to a musician. To insert a handheld screen such as a cell phone or tablet or Ipod or Palm device or other like displays, the second bracket  54  is pulled against the internal spring arrangement  56  such that the handheld screen is place between the first screen engaging bracket  52  and the second screen engaging bracket  54 , then the brackets  52  and  54  are allowed to re-approach each other, thereby capturing the handheld screen. Removal is a reversal of this procedure. This arrangement also allows a variety of handheld devices of differing dimensions to be carried, thereby increasing the versatility of the accessory. Orientation or re-orientation of the screen is achieved by rotation about the first axis  36  and second axis  42 , such that the screen carried in the screen receiving fixture  50  is viewable by the musician and may be easily coordinated with the capo  20  position along the neck of the guitar. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 4 , the accessory  10  also has a second surprising capability, that of folding into a compact shape when not in use upon a guitar and not carrying a handheld screen. It is believed that musicians employing the accessory  10  will appreciate the ability to fold the accessory  10  down into a position for compact easy storage. This is particularly convenient since many if not most musicians will want to take their relatively fragile handheld screen and use it as a phone or computer when not in operation displaying music to be played during a performance. In particular, the presence of two rotational axis, first rotational axis  36  and second rotational axis  42  allow the accessory  10 , when not carrying a handheld computer or similar screened device, to fold such that the space between the first screen engaging bracket  52  and second screen engaging bracket  54 , which typically would accommodate and carry a handheld computer, instead accommodates a portion of lever of first arm  22   b  therebetween. In this compact configuration, the internal spring assemblies  56  are arranged with the same portion of the lever of the first arm  22   b  therebetween and generally are arranged nearly parallel to but spaced apart from the first arm  22  and the top string engaging bumper  22   a  thereon of capo  20 . This transformation is accomplished by rotation at one or more typically two of the available axis  36  and  42 . 
     One of ordinary skill will recognize that there are numerous ways to carry a handheld screen other than the spring loaded clamping arrangement described as the screen receiving fixture  50 . For example, suction cup devices, rubber or elastic bands, plastic clips, mtl clips, adhesive tape, velcro (hook and pile) arrangements, or magnetic arrangements might be substituted to carry a handheld screen device. Similarly, one of ordinary skill will recognize there are alternative adjustable connectors which might be substituted for the adjustable connector  30  described herein. For example, bendable metals or a plurality of pipe cleaners might be substituted. Similarly, one of ordinary skill will recognize that there are other capo designs than the capo  20  described herein. Those of ordinary skill will further recognize that various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.