Patent Publication Number: US-6703547-B2

Title: Tuning peg construction

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of tuning peg constructions in general and in particular to freely rotating tuning plug constructions that must be manipulated in a particular manner to effect the tuning of a musical instrument. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,367,671; 1,443,486; 5,381,715; and, 3,830,132, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse musical instrument tuning devices. 
     While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical tuning peg construction which, once adjusted, will immediately revert to a free-wheeling mode so that the peg setting cannot be accidentally displaced to get the instrument out of tune. 
     As most musicians are all too well aware, one of the most difficult and vexing problems that they encounter in their musical pursuits is the task of keeping their string instruments in tune. 
     Invariably, when using conventional tuning pegs which are tightened or loosened to achieve the proper tuning of the string, the tightening mechanism becomes displaced during transport or handling requiring repeated re-tightenings of the instruments. 
     As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need among musicians for a new and improved tuning peg construction that once properly adjusted assumes a free-wheeling mode that prevents any inadvertent displacement of the tuning peg; and, the provision of such a construction is the stated objective of the present invention. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly stated, the improved tuning peg construction that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a peg unit, a tuning knob unit, an axle unit and a spring biasing unit wherein the spring biasing unit surrounds the axle unit which provides the operative connection between the peg unit and the tuning knob unit so that the knob unit can be free-wheeling or selectively engaged with the tuning peg unit. 
     As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the tuning peg unit includes a tuning peg member having a threaded shaft that engages a toothed gear attached to the conventional tuning peg to vary the tone of the string wherein the other end of the tuning peg member is provided with a contoured post that is selectively engaged by a portion of the knob unit. 
     The knob unit includes an enlarged knob member having an elongated aperture dimensioned to receive the axle unit and allow for reciprocation of the knob member relative to the axle unit; wherein the inboard end of the knob member is provided with a contoured recess dimensioned to frictionally receive the contoured post of the tuning peg member to rotate the tuning peg member relative to the musical instrument. 
     In addition, the spring unit surrounds the axle unit and normally biases the knob member into a free-wheeling disengaged relationship relative to the tuning peg member to maintain the position of the tuning peg member relative to the tuned string on the instrument. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other attributes of the invention will become more clear upon a thorough study of the following description of the best mode for carrying out the invention, particularly when reviewed in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional string instrument equipped with the improved tuning peg construction that forms the basis of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the construction in its free-wheeling mode; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the construction in its tuning adjustment mode; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the construction; 
     FIG. 5 is an end view as seen through line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; and, 
     FIG. 6 is as seen through line  6 — 6  of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As can be seen by reference to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the improved tuning peg construction that forms the basis of the present invention is designated generally by the reference number  10 . As shown in FIG. 4, the construction  10  comprises in general a tuning peg unit  11 , an adjustment knob unit  12 , an axle unit  13 , and a spring bearing unit  14 . These units will now be described in seriatim fashion. 
     Prior to embarking on a detailed description of the invention, it would first be advisable to describe the environment in which it is employed. As shown in FIG. 1, string instruments  100  have a plurality of strings  101  wherein the individual strings  101  are connected to tuning pegs  102  whose lower ends are disposed in toothed gears  103 . As can be seen by reference to FIGS. 2 through 5, the tuning peg unit  11  comprises a tuning peg member  20  having an elongated threaded shaft  21  which engages the toothed gear  103  to rotate the tuning peg  102  in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to modulate the string tone. 
     In addition, the outboard end of the threaded shaft  21  has an enlarged cylindrical collar  23  provided with a centrally disposed outwardly projecting rectangular post  24  having an elongated threaded central aperture  25  that extends at least into the enlarged cylindrical collar  23  for reasons that will be explained presently. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 2 through 6, it can be seen that the knob unit  12  comprises an enlarged bore  31  wherein the inboard end of the central bore  31  is provided with a dual stage stepped shoulder counterbore formed in a cylindrical projection  32  defining an outer enlarged cylindrical recess  33  and a reduced dimension generally rectangular inner recess  34  dimensioned to receive the outwardly projecting rectangular post  24  on the tuning peg member  20  in a well recognized fashion. 
     In addition, the outboard end of the central bore  31  is provided with a tapered counterbore  35  whose purpose and function will be described presently. 
     As can best be seen by reference to FIG. 4, the axle unit  13  comprises an elongated rod member  40  having a threaded inboard end  41  and an enlarged tapered slotted head  42  formed on the outboard end; wherein the threaded inboard end  41  is adapted to engage the threaded aperture  25  in the post  24  on the peg member  20  and the tapered slotted head  42  is dimensioned to be received in the outboard tapered counterbore  35  in the knob member  30 . 
     As can also be seen by reference to FIG. 4, the spring biasing unit  14  comprises a helical spring member  60  that is disposed in a surrounding relationship with the inboard end of the rod member  30  for normally biasing the knob member  30  into a freely rotatable relationship with the tuning peg member  20 . 
     By now, it should be appreciated that as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the normal disposition of the knob member  30  relative to the tuning peg member  20  is in a free-wheeling rotatable relationship due to the influence of the spring member  60 . However, when the musician wishes to change the tuning of a particular string  101 , all that is required is to press the knob member  30  inwardly against the influence of the spring member  60  so that the rectangular recess  34  is placed into registration with the rectangular post  24  on the outboard end of the tuning peg member  20  so that the tuning peg member  20  can be rotated in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to vary the tension on the musical string  101 . 
     Then when the string  101  has been properly tuned, the knob member  30  is released to return to the free-wheeling mode so that any inadvertent contact with the knob member  30  will have no influence whatsoever on the setting of the tuning peg member  20 . 
     It should also be appreciated at this juncture that while the post on the tuning peg member and the inboard counterbore on the knob member have been described as having complementary rectangular configurations, other non-cylindrical complementary geometric configurations would work as well in keeping with the teachings of this invention. 
     Although only an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims. 
     Having thereby described the subject matter of the present invention, it should be apparent that many substitutions, modifications, and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention as taught and described herein is only to be limited to the extent of the breadth and scope of the appended claims.