Abstract:
A removable inline signal interrupter having a male/female combination plug, the male portion of the plug insertable into an electric guitar output receptacle, the female portion of the male/female plug having an internal negative-negative connection and an internal positive-positive connection, the positive-positive connection extending externally from the female portion of the male/female plug, and having a spring loaded on/off switch incorporated into the circuitry, the female portion of the male/female plug serving as a receptacle for the insertion of a male plug from the amplifier, the spring-loaded on/off lever switch allowing the guitarist to selectively interrupt the signal from the guitar to the amplifier.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Applicant claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/632,273, filed Jan. 23, 2012. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to sound modifications for electric guitars, and more particularly, to a removable inline signal interrupter, which allows the user to effectuate special effects while playing the guitar. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    Electric guitars are very popular and a variety of electric apparatus have been developed which allow for the sound modification of electric guitars. This allows musicians to create sounds that were previously obtainable only in recording studios or through the use of very expensive sound equipment. Examples of these electronic apparatus can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,711; U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,462; U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,508; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,854. All of the aforesaid patents disclose an electronic add-on feature which provides for special effects and sound modification when playing the electric guitar. See also Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 8,183,455. This application represents an improvement and simplification of the &#39;455 patent by eliminating an additional volume control. 
         [0006]    Applicant&#39;s invention relates to a removable inline signal interrupter which is adaptable to any electric guitar and allows the user/player to selectively interrupt the signal from the guitar to the amplifier. 
         [0007]    Signal interruption as a special effect in playing the guitar is an effect that has been around for some time and has been utilized by many great guitar artists. However, the effect could only be achieved on a specific guitar which had undergone electronic manufacturing modification at the factory so as to allow the player/user to selectively interrupt the signal utilizing a factory installed switch peculiar to that particular guitar. 
         [0008]    The removable inline signal interrupter of the present invention is adaptable to any electric guitar. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel electrical apparatus which allows a guitar artist to selectively provide special sound effects from his guitar. 
         [0010]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel electrical apparatus which serves as a removable inline signal interrupter which allows the guitarist to selectively interrupt the signal generated by the guitar when played. 
         [0011]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel removable inline signal interrupter which is adaptable to any guitar. 
         [0012]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel removable inline signal interrupter for the performing of special sound effects from a guitar, which novel removable inline signal interrupter can easily be mounted on any guitar. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    A removable inline signal interrupter having a male/female combination plug, the male portion of the plug insertable into an electric guitar output receptacle, the female portion of the male/female plug having an internal negative-negative connection and an internal positive-positive connection, the positive-positive connection extending externally from the female portion of the male/female plug, and having a spring loaded on/off switch incorporated into the circuitry, the female portion of the male/female plug serving as a receptacle for the insertion of a male plug from the amplifier, the spring-loaded on/off lever switch allowing the guitarist to selectively interrupt the signal from the guitar to the amplifier. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a planar front illustration of a guitar of the prior art, which is internally wired to allow for signal interruption. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a close up view of the control for allowing the interruption of the signal from the guitar illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a planar view of a standardized electric guitar which is not internally wired for signal interruption; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the signal interrupter of the present invention in an inactivated position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a planar view of the signal interrupter in an activated position; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a planar view of the signal interrupter of the present invention illustrating a second embodiment of a connection to an amplifier. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a front planar view of a guitar of the prior art which is capable of providing signal interruption in that it is hard wired to perform this acoustic effect in the manufacturing process. The guitar depicted in  FIG. 1  comprises a body  10  with attached neck  12  with a head stock  14 . The guitar strings or wires are stretched between the body  10  and the head stock  14  where adjustable tensioners  16  are positioned. This particular style of guitar has two pick up points, a rhythm or neck pick up  18  and a bridge or lead pick up.  20 . The rhythm or neck pick up  18  has its own volume control  22  and its own tone control  24  and the bridge or lead pick up  20  has its own tone control  26  and volume control  28 . 
         [0022]    This particular type of guitar also contains a selector switch  30  shown in close up on  FIG. 2 . Selector switch  30  has three positions. When the switch is in the up or rhythm position  32 , only the rhythm or neck pick up  18  signal will be heard through the guitar amplifier. Similarly, when the switch  30  is in the down or lead position  34 , only the bridge/lead pick up signal  20  will be transmitted to and heard from the amplifier. When the switch  30  is in the center position  36 , both the rhythm/neck pick up  18  and the bridge/lead pick up  20  will be heard through the amplifier. In this particular style of guitar, the amplifier connection  31  is on the underside of the guitar. 
         [0023]    To obtain the effect sought by Applicant with his invention, the guitar of  FIG. 1  would be operated in the following manner. To obtain the effect using the bridge or lead pick up  20 , the volume control  22  for the rhythm pick up  18  would be turned to zero and the selector switch  30  would be in the down or lead position  34  and the volume control  28  for lead pick up  20  would be turned up. The guitarist would then commence a solo. At the appropriate time the guitarist would hold a note or chord and let it sustain or feed back, and then while using his strumming hand he would take and operate the selector switch  30  up and down creating an on and off effect for the sustaining or feedback note which he has selected. This provides the desired interruption sought by Applicant. 
         [0024]    As previously stated, a guitar of the type depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2  with the selector switch  30  has different wiring in the manufacturing process in order to achieve the desired sound effect. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of an electric guitar more commonly found in use by guitarists. It is similar in design to the guitar depicted in  FIG. 1  in that it consists of a body  10 , neck  12 , head stock  14 , tensioners  16  and a plurality of guitar strings or wires extending along the neck from the body of the guitar. The guitar of  FIG. 3  contains three pickups  40 ,  42 , and  44 , with a selector switch  46 , volume dial  48 , tone dials  50  and  52 , and a signal output receptacle  54  into which the electrical conduit from the amplifier is plugged in. There is no selector switch  30  or equivalent thereof on the guitar as depicted in  FIG. 3 . Therefore the guitar as depicted in  FIG. 3  is incapable of performing the on/off effect of the sustaining or feedback notes selected by the guitarist as described in relationship to the guitar of  FIG. 1 . The selector switch  46  found on the guitar depicted in  FIG. 3  allows the guitarist to control which pickups or combination of pickups,  40 ,  42 , and  44 , will be transmitted to the amplifier. This selector switch does not function or perform the effect of the selector switch  30  found on the guitar depicted in  FIG. 1  so that the guitar depicted in  FIG. 3  with only one volume dial is incapable of providing signal interruption to the guitarist. Applicant&#39;s removable inline signal interrupter allows for a guitarist to obtain that effect with the guitar of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is an exploded diagram of Applicant&#39;s removable inline signal interrupter  60 . Signal interrupter  60  is a male/female combination plug  62  having an extended male tip  64  and female plug housing  66 . The tip  68  of the male portion  64  of the combination male/female plug  62  is a positive contact while the outer circumferential ring  70  of the male tip  64  is a negative contact. Within the female plug housing  66 , the negative contact  70  is in communication with a negative contact connector  72  at the bottom of female plug housing  66  and the positive connection  68  is in contact with a positive connector  74  at the bottom of female plug housing  66 . The female plug housing  66  is designed for receipt of the male plug  78  from the amplifier. The combination male/female plug  62  would be inserted into the signal output  54  on the guitar depicted in  FIG. 3 . The male amplifier plug  78  would then be inserted into the female plug housing  66  of male/female combination plug  62 . The modification to female plug housing  66  is that the path of the positive connection within the female plug housing  66  is connected exteriorly through an aperture  80  in the female plug housing  66  to a spring loaded lever control switch  84 . The device is then mounted on the body  10  of the guitar depicted in  FIG. 3  in a convenient location, preferably on the tremolo bar  86  for ease of access by the guitarist. 
         [0027]    In  FIG. 4 , the spring loaded lever control switch is not activated and thus the signal from the guitar passes through the spring loaded lever control switch  84  by means of conduit  81  and  83 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  illustrates the removable inline signal interrupter  60  in an activated position. All of the elements are identical except that the spring loaded lever control switch  84  is activated in that its control arm  85  has been depressed, breaking contact with conduit  81 , and interrupting the signal. 
         [0029]    In operation the guitarist adjusts volume dial  48  and selector switch  46  on the guitar depicted in  FIG. 3  to a desired setting, and when the guitarist desires to use the on and off effect of the sustaining or feedback note selected, the guitarist utilizes a finger to depress the spring loaded switch  84  which breaks the connection between the guitar and the amplifier. Release of the switch closes the circuit and the desired sounds from the guitar are transported to the amplifier. 
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is an exploded diagrammatic view of a second embodiment of Applicant&#39;s removable inline signal interrupter  60 . The signal interrupter  60  wiring diagram remains the same and is unchanged. The second embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6  avoids the encumbrance of having a female plug housing  66  extending from the body  10  of the guitar, and having an additional male plug  78  in communication with the amplifier further extending from the female plug housing  66 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the male/female combination plug  62  is considerably shortened and the female receptacle eliminated. The former female housing end  66  of the male/female combination plug  62  is replaced with a threaded connector  90  which would be cooperable with a threaded connector  92  on the conduit in connection with the amplifier. This arrangement considerably shortens the male/female combination plug  62  and eliminates the additional male plug  78  which would have been inserted into the female plus housing  66  and it would have caused a further extension of the female plug housing  66 . The connection with the spring loaded lever control switch  84  and their operation remains the same as described with respect to  FIG. 5 . 
         [0031]    Therefore, while the present invention has been disclosed with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof.