Abstract:
A string winding device for winding and unwinding the string on a peg of a stringed instrument has a generally cylindrical body with a slot extending inward from one end thereof. The slot has a plurality of sections, which are configured to engage different size and shape pegs on stringed instruments. The slot has a shallow and wide section, a deep and narrow section and a middle section of medium depth and width. A fourth section is located perpendicular to the other three sections and is configured for specialty tuning pegs. Extending from the top of the string winder body is a hexagonal shaft for engagement with a cordless screwdriver, drill or one of the hubs or cranks disclosed herein. A manual hub or crank with a handle may be used to turn the string winder body. The hub of the crank for the manual hub may utilize a flexible tab within the hub to interlock with a recess in the hexagonal shaft to hold the parts together during use. The crank has a lever arm attached to the hub and a handle attached to the opposite end of the lever arm. A user may hold the handle and rotate the lever arm clockwise or counter-clockwise in order to tighten or loose the string of the instrument. An alternate handle design also has a notch with an angled surface located in the upper perimeter of the handle. The notch is used for removing the string retainer peg or pin on acoustic guitars.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/105,003, filed Oct. 20, 1998. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to devices for winding strings. More particularly, it relates to a device for winding and unwinding strings on tuning pegs of musical instruments. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When replacing the strings on stringed instruments, the pegs that tighten the strings must be rotated many times in one direction to unwind the string to remove it. Then, once a new string is in place, the peg must be rotated many times in the opposite direction to re-wind the string onto the peg to tighten it. The unwinding and re-winding is both time-consuming and potentially injurious to the person replacing the string. The motions associated with the process may be damaging the wrist of the user causing a repetitive strain injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome. 
     There are several devices that have been designed to aid a user when tuning a string or winding a string. However, the designs for tuning a string are complicated devices, which monitor the vibration of the string and automatically provide minor adjustments to the peg to alter the frequency of the string. Both the tuning devices and the winding device also suffer from a limited range of use. Typically, the member for engaging the peg is usable only for a certain type of peg. If other styles of pegs are used, the devices are either clumsy or completely ineffective. 
     Therefore, there is a dear need in the industry for a device that allows a user to quickly and easily wind and unwind a string from any style of peg of a musical instrument. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In keeping with the foregoing discussion, the present invention takes the form of a string winding device having a generally circular body with a slot extending inward from one end. The slot has a plurality of sections, each of which are configured to engage different size and shape pegs on stringed instruments. The slot has a shallow and wide section, a deep and narrow section and a middle section of medium depth and width. A fourth section is located perpendicular to the other three sections and is configured for specialty tuning pegs. Extending from the top of the string winder body is a hexagonal shaft for engagement with a cordless screwdriver, drill or one of the hubs or cranks disclosed herein. 
     A manual hub or crank with a handle may be used to turn the string winder body. The hub of the crank and the manual hub may each utilize a flexible tab within the hub to interlock with a recess in the hexagonal shaft to hold the parts together during use. The crank also has a lever arm attached to the hub and a rotating handle attached to the opposite end of the lever arm. A user may hold the handle and rotate the lever arm clockwise or counter-clockwise in order to tighten or loose the string on the peg of the instrument. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the string winding device in use. 
     FIG. 2 is close-up perspective view of the string winding device descending over a standard guitar tuning peg. 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the string winding device. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the string winding device. 
     FIG. 5 is a side, partial cut-away view of the string winding device. 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the string winding device. 
     FIG. 7 is perspective, cut-away view of the string winding device. 
     FIG. 8 is an end view of the hex shaft of the string winding device. 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the hex shaft of the string winding device. 
     FIGS. 10A-C are side, partial cross-sectional views of the string winder as a hand crank hub is being attached. 
     FIG. 11 is a top view of a crank handle assembly. 
     FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the crank handle assembly. 
     FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the crank handle assembly. 
     FIG. 14 is a side view of a handle. 
     FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the handle. 
     FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the string winder with the handle assembly being installed. 
     FIG. 17 is an alternate handle design. 
     FIG. 18 is an alternate string winder body design. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the string winding device  20  used with a cordless screwdriver  140  to engage a tuning peg  142  to wind a string. FIG. 2 is close-up perspective view of the string winding device  20  descending over a standard tuning peg  142 . The body  20  of the string winder is generally cylindrical and may be slightly tapered toward the bottom end  30 . The ends  22 ,  30  of the string winder  20  are generally flat with optional bevels  26 ,  48  between the sidewall and the top surface  22  and bottom surface  30 . Depending on the configuration of the pegs  142  of musical instrument, the size of the body  20  may vary. However, the body  20  is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 3.0 inches long, more preferably in the range of 0.75 to 2.5 inches and most preferably in the range of 1.25 to 2.0 inches. In the embodiment shown, the length of the body  20  is approximately 1.6 inches. The diameter of the body  20  is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 inches, more preferably in the range of 0.75 to 1.5 inches, most preferably in the range of 0.8 to 1.25 inches. In the embodiment shown, the body  20  is approximately 1.05 inches in diameter. Overall, the diameter of the body  20  should be chosen such that the string winder body  20  may freely rotated when located over a peg  142  on an instrument. For some instruments this can be very important, such as for the 12-string guitar, which has very little clearance between the pegs. 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the string winding device  20 . The top end  22  of the body  20  may be integrally formed with a hexagonal shaft  60  partially embedded in the body  20  and extending therefrom. Optionally, the top end  22  has a recess  28  for placement of a graphic label. The recess  28  may be adjusted depending on the desire of the user as well as the depth of the label applied. The recess  28  is preferably between 0.01 and 0.10 inches, more preferably between 0.01 and 0.07, most preferably between 0.02 and 0.05. In the embodiment shown, the recess  28  is approximately 0.03. The recess  28  also provides a nesting place for the bottom end of a hand crank accessory discussed later. Another optional feature is a set of holes  24  extending down from the top end  22  and from the recess  28 , if present. These optional holes  24  are sized and configured to provide approximately equal wall thickness throughout the body  20 , thereby creating a design that is easily and effectively injection molded. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view and FIG. 5 a side, partial cut-away view of the string winding device  20 . FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the string winding device  20 , and FIG. 7 is perspective, cut-away view. The bottom end  30  of the body  20  has a slot  32  having a plurality of differently configured sections for engagement with different tuning pegs  142 . In the embodiment shown, the slot  20  has two steps forming three different sections  34 ,  36 ,  38  each having a different width. A fourth section  40  is located approximately perpendicular to the other sections  34 ,  36 ,  38 . Each section  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40  of the slot  32  is specially contoured to fit one, or a variety of styles of tuning pegs  142 , for example pegs on a 6-string style or bass style guitar. The fourth section  40  is designed to fit a specific vintage tuning peg. The first three contiguous sections  34 ,  36 ,  38  of the slot  20  extend the full width of the body  20  and create a stepped opening extending upward on opposite sides of the sidewall of the body  20 . 
     The lower section  34  of the slot  32  has a width of approximately 0.25 inches, but may be anywhere in the range of 0.10 to 0.50 inches, preferably in the range of 0.15 to 0.35 inches. The lower section  34  of the slot  32  extends upward from the bottom end  30  of the body  20  approximately 0.30 inches, but may extend anywhere from 0.10 to 0.50 inches from the bottom end  30 , preferably between 0.20 and 0.40 inches. The center portion of the lower section  34  of the slot  32  has a radius of curvature of approximately 0.625 inches creating a depression  42  with a depth of approximately 0.15 inches at the center, however the radius of curvature may range from 0.40 to 0.80 inches, thereby altering the depth of the depression  42 . 
     The middle section  36  of the slot  32  has a width of approximately 0.15 inches, but may be anywhere in the range of 0.08 to 0.25 inches, preferably in the range of 0.10 to 0.20 inches. At the perimeter of the body  20 , the middle section  36  extends from the top end of the lower section  34  of the slot  32  to approximately 0.60 inches from the bottom end  30  of the body  20 , but may extend anywhere from 0.20 to 1.00 inches from the bottom end  30 , preferably between 0.50 and 0.70 inches. 
     The upper section  38  of the slot  32  has a width of approximately 0.09 inches, but may be anywhere from 0.07 to 0.12, more preferably between 0.08 and 0.10 inches. At the perimeter of the body  20 , the upper section  38  of the slot  32  extends from the top of the middle section  36  of the slot  32  to approximately 0.9 inches from the bottom end  30  of the body  20 , but may extend anywhere from 0.3 to 1.5 inches from the bottom end  30 , more preferably between 0.8 to 1.0 inches. The center portion of the top surface of the upper section  38  of the slot  32  has a curvature of approximately 0.4 inches creating a depression  44  with a depth of approximately 0.2 inches at the center, however, the radius of curvature may range from 0.2 to 0.6 inches, thereby altering the depth of the depression  44 . 
     The perpendicular section  40  of the slot  32  has a width of approximately 0.25 inches, but may range anywhere from 0.1 to 0.35 inches or other dimensions to fit specially designed pegs  142 , more preferably the width is between 0.2 and 0.3 inches. The perpendicular section  40  of the slot  32  extends in from the bottom end  30  of the body  20  to approximately 0.4 inches, but may range anywhere from 0.1 to 1.0 inches, more preferably from 0.3 to 0.5 inches from bottom end  30  of the body  20 . The center portion of the upper surface  46  of the perpendicular section  40  has a slope of about ten percent, thereby increasing the depth of the perpendicular section  40  of the slot  32  nearing the center of the body  20 . The perpendicular portion  40  of the slot  32  extends across approximately 0.75 inches centered therein, but may extend anywhere from 0.5 inches to the full diameter of the body  20 , more preferably between 0.6 and 0.9 inches. 
     The upper section  38  and middle section  36  of the slot  32  are generally configured to engage bass pegs. The lower section  34  of the slot  32  is generally configured to engage guitar pegs. The perpendicular section  40  of the slot  32  is generally configured to engage specialty guitar pegs. The particular contours of the sections  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40  of the slot  32  not only provide engagement with virtually any peg  142  configuration, but also assist in retaining the peg  142  centered within the slot  32  as the peg  142  is being rotated. 
     The bottom end  30  of the string winder body  20  is also configured to provide a surface on which the body  20  may be rested when the string winder  20  is not in use. In the embodiment shown, the two semi-circular sidewalls provide the resting surface. 
     FIG. 8 and 9 are end and side views of the hex shaft  60  of the string winding device  20 . The hexagonally-shaped shaft  60  preferably has a width in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 inches, more preferably in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 inches, most preferably in the range of 0.2 to 0.3 inches. The embodiment shown has a hex shaft  60  with a width of approximately 0.25. The 0.25 inch width shaft  60  is particularly useful for use with a cordless screwdriver  140 , as seen in FIG.  1 . The length of the hex shaft  60  is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 3.0 inches, more preferably in the range of 0.75 to 2.5 inches, most preferably in the range of 1.25 to 2.0 inches. In the embodiment shown, the hex shaft  60  is approximately 1.5 inches long. If the shaft  60  is integrally molded with the body  20 , the extending length  62  of the shaft is preferably in the range of 0.2 to 2.0 inches, more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 1.8 inches, most preferably in the range of 0.7 to 1.3 inches. In the embodiment shown, the extending length  62  of the hex shaft is approximately 1.0 inch. The embedded portion  64  of the shaft  60  is the remaining portion of the length. The shaft  60  has two recesses  66 ,  68  to promote engagement with the body  20  of the string winder on one end and with the rotation impelling means on the other end. The recesses  66 ,  68  may be located at almost any distance from the end. However, the distance between the recess  66 ,  68  and the respective end is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 1.5 inches, more preferably in the range of 0.1 and 1.25 inches, most preferably between 0.2 and 0.5 inches. The recesses  66 ,  68  in the embodiment shown are both approximately 0.25 inches from each end, however the recesses  66 ,  68  are not necessarily at the same distance from each end. The recesses  66 ,  68  may also vary in length depending on the design. The length of the recesses  66 ,  68  are preferably in the range of 0.05 to 0.5 inches, more preferably in the range of 0.08 to 0.3 inches, most preferably in the range of 0.1 to 0.25 inches. In the embodiment shown, the lower recess  66  is approximately 0.125 inches and the upper recess  68  is approximately 0.2 inches. The upper recess  68  shown is particularly useful for attachment with a cordless screwdriver, drill or the specially designed manual hand crank described later. 
     FIGS. 10A-C are side, partial cross-sectional views of the string winder  20  as a hand crank hub  80  is being attached. The hub  80  has a central hexagonal opening  92  sized to receive the hexagonal shaft  60  extending from the string winder body  20 . Similar to the string winder body  20 , the hand crank hub  80  has a plurality of holes  82  extending into the hub  80  to create a generally even wall thickness. The holes  82  may extend from the top of the hub  80  or from the bottom of the hub  80  or the holes  82  may alternate from the top and bottom. Alternating holes  82  are especially useful in cases where the holes  82  are tapered for ease of mold release. A flexible tab  84  may extend from within one of the holes  82  into the hexagonal opening  92 . A projection  86  on the side of the tab  84  is sized and located to engage the upper recess  68  in the hexagonal shaft  60 . As the hub  80  is moved downward over the hexagonal shaft  60  and the end of the shaft  80  reaches the projection  86  on the tab  84 , the shaft  60  deforms the tab  84 , as seen in FIG.  10 B. When the hub  80  has moved into place, the projection  86  on the tab  84  aligns with the upper recess  68  in the hexagonal shaft  60  and extends therein. The bottom edge of the hub  80  has a slight projection or boss  90 , which rests within the recess  28  in the string winder body  20 . 
     When the shaft  60  of the string winder  20  is inserted into the hex-shaped opening  92  on the hub  80 , the hex shapes  60 ,  92  index with one another to keep the string winder  20  from rotating within. The boss  90  on the hub  80  engages the recess  28  in the top end  22  of the string winder body  20 , and the projection  86  on the internal tab  84  snaps into the upper shaft recess  68  thus securing the string winder  20  and hub  80  together for use. 
     FIGS. 11,  12  and  13  are top, cross-sectional and bottom views of a handle assembly  98 . FIGS. 14 and 15 are side and cross-sectional views of the handle  106 . FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the string winder  20  with the handle assembly  98  being installed. The handle assembly  98  has three main parts: the hub  100 , the lever arm  102  and the handle attachment  105 . The hub  100  has a similar configuration to the hub  80  described above, including the flexible tab  84 , which interlocks the string winder body  20  and the hub  100 . The top of the hub  100  may have a label recess  117  similar to the recess  28  described on the string winder body  20 . The lever arm  102  extends any convenient length from the hub  100 , such as approximately 1.5 inches, and extends generally perpendicular to the sidewall of the hub  100 . At the end of the lever arm  102 , a handle attachment  104  extends upward. Although the attachment  104  may take other forms, the embodiment shown uses a mounting boss  104 , which fits into an opening  110  in the lower end of a rotating handle  106 . The rotating handle  106  is secured to the lever arm  102  with a large screw, which is recessed into a deep opening  108  extending down from the top of the handle  106 . The screw attaches the handle  106  to the lever arm  102 , but not tight enough to prevent it from rotating. 
     FIG. 17 is an alternate handle  120  design with a notch  122  located in the upper perimeter of the handle  120 . The notch  122  is used for removing the string retainer peg or pin on acoustic guitars. The embodiment shown is especially useful for removing the retainer pin since the flattened surface  223  below the notch  122  is angled for easier engagement with the pin. 
     FIG. 18 is an alternate string winder body  130  design with recesses  132  in the outside of the sidewall of the body  130 . The recesses  132  improve the consistency of the wall thickness to improve the design for ease of molding. 
     The string winder  20  is operated by snapping it into a cordless screwdriver  140 , drill or the accompanying manual hub  80  or hand crank  98 . The bottom end  30  of the body  20  is then fit over the desired tuning peg  142  and rotated either clockwise or counter clockwise to tighten or loosen the strings. The correct section of the slot  32  automatically seeks, finds and indexes on the peg  142  thus enabling the task of changing the strings to be accomplished, if using a cordless screw driver  140 , in approximately half the time of hand winding. 
     The string winder body  80 , hub  20 , handle  106 , etc. may be made of virtually any material, such as metal, plastic, wood, fiberglass, etc. Preferably the parts are injection molded using any one of a variety of plastic polymer compounds. For injection molding, it may be advantageous to provide a slight taper to all of the walls, for example approximately ½ percent slope to encourage easy mold release. The hexagonal shaft  60  is preferably made of a relatively durable material, such as high-strength plastic, steel or other material. 
     Many features have been listed with particular configurations, options, and embodiments. Any one or more of the features described may be added to or combined with any of the other embodiments or other standard devices to create alternate combinations and embodiments. 
     Although the examples given include many specificities, they are intended as illustrative of only a few possible embodiments of the invention. For example, the shaft in the embodiments described is hexagonal, however, other shapes of shafts, such as square or keyed circular shafts, may also be used. The only requirement is that rotational motion between the string winder body and the object engaging the shaft be inhibited. Other embodiments and modifications will, no doubt, occur to those skilled in the art. Thus, the examples given should only be interpreted as illustrations of some of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and the full scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.