Abstract:
One embodiment of a support for a musical instrument, specifically a guitar. The Amplifier Mounted Guitar Stand is a device designed to hold a guitar while it is not being played and to attach to a wooden-side of an amplifier so that it is kept secure when not in use. The guitar and amplification device can be simultaneously moved around the stage as one unit. The device is made of molded plastic with foam covering on the arm and neck of the device to cushion the guitar. When not in use, pivoting supports, which enable the guitar to be stood upright against the attached plastic frame, are structured to be folded flat against the frame.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/188,263 filed 2008 Aug. 8 by the present inventor. 
    
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not applicable 
     SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM 
     Not applicable 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to support for a musical instrument, specifically an electric guitar, when the guitar is not in use during live performances. The stand is designed to attach to an amplification device. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Patent documents considered relevant to the present invention (search conducted by Litman Law). 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Patent Document No. 
                 Inventor 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 270,120 
                 McPherson, Sr. 
               
               
                   
                 US 2008/0028913 Al 
                 Driscoll 
               
               
                   
                 3,765,633 
                 Caudill 
               
               
                   
                 3,958,786 
                 Mann 
               
               
                   
                 4,345,732 
                 Gallegos 
               
               
                   
                 4,546,688 
                 Cuccio 
               
               
                   
                 4,991,809 
                 Harkey 
               
               
                   
                 5,313,866 
                 Smith 
               
               
                   
                 5,346,073 
                 Broersma et al. 
               
               
                   
                 5,350,143  
                 Hoshino 
               
               
                   
                 Foreign Patent Document No. 
                 Country &amp; Date 
               
               
                   
                 609843 (attached) 
                 France, August 1926 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Internet Documents 
     Wallacher Amplifier Mount guitar stand, http//www.music123.com/Wallacher-Amplifier-Mount-Guitar Stand-451514-i1142188.Music123, 2 pages printed from the Internet (attached) 
     Many musicians who play guitars and perform live require a way of supporting their guitars when they are not playing it. They often place their guitars against their amplification device where it often falls or is knocked—possibly harming the instrument. Some musicians carry a stand for their guitar to be used during live performances when they are not playing the guitar. However, the standard guitar stand is unstable, awkward to set up and transport. Often, there is not enough room on the stage to set up guitar stands. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,633 to Caudill (1973) allows the guitar and amplification to be rolled simultaneously. However, when the guitar is attached to the amplifier, the bottom of the guitar is on the floor or ground and the finish on the guitar could possibly be harmed. Additionally, the guitar cannot be locked up to prevent someone from taking it off the stand and playing with it. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,732 to Gallegos (1982) while allowing for the slight uplifting of the guitar off the floor, has no way to lift differently shaped guitars and no way to lock the instrument to the amplification device. 
     U.S. Patent DES 270,120 to McPherson, Sr. (1983) attached the guitar to the stand in a way that it could only be used to hold the guitar while not being played. It could not be used to carry the guitar and amplification device simultaneously. 
     U.S. Patent 2008/0028913A-1 to Driscoll (2008) provides support for the guitar on the amplification device but it is not a permanent support as it is either slid under the supporting handle of the amplification device or slid between two stacked amplification devises by a finger hole at one end. The musician must carry the part as a separate piece of equipment and it could be easily lost. Further, if the stand is slid between two amplification devises, all three pieces could be knocked over and the guitar harmed. Additionally, this device leaves the guitar unlocked and sitting on the floor. 
     General types of stands have been proposed—for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,688 to Cuccio (1985), U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,809 to Harkey (1991), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,866 to Smith (1994). All of these devices are detachable devices that are not secure and suffer from a number of disadvantages: 
     a) They provide no way for the musician to lock their valuable equipment on to the amplification unit. 
     b) They are detachable devices and not as sturdy as the current invention. 
     c) The instruments have to sit on the floor or ground when placed in the device. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with one embodiment the Amplifier Mounted Guitar Stand comprises a foam-cushioned molded plastic permanent guitar stand that when affixed to the wood side of an amplification device allows the musician to place and lock the guitar in the guitar stand and also allows the musician to move the amplification device and guitar simultaneously on stage. 
     This invention is designed to address two uses for the guitar player—1) a way of keeping the guitar locked in place and secure while not being played in a way that is space saving; and 2) a way to roll the guitar and amplification device as one piece (if the musicians desires to do so). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a guitar stand on the side of an amplifier with the stand attached to the side of the amplifier. The stand is a guitar instrument support constructed in accordance with the invention. The stand unit will attach to either wood side of the amplifier. The stand is mounted with wood screws to hold the stand in place. This depiction shows the unit when it is open and ready to hold a guitar. The stand is composed of hard tubular plastic. 
         FIG. 2  is an angular view of the stand. This view shows the stand in the open position where the base of the guitar fits into the two lower swinging supports. On the top of the stand is where the neck of the guitar fits and is held into place by a swinging vertical arm that is able to be locked with a lock being run through eyelet screws. 
         FIG. 3  is an angular view of the stand. This view depicts the eyelet screws and their attachment to the guitar neck support arms that are connected to the upper neck support brace to allow for the placement of a security lock to keep the guitar in place and discourage tampering with the guitar. The dotted line shows the alternate positions of one of the guitar neck support arms that either holds the guitar neck up or that pivots out of the way release the guitar. 
         FIG. 4  is an angular view of the stand. This view shows how the guitar neck support arms at the top of the stand and a pair of guitar base support arms at the base of the stand will fold flat against the amplifier unit to will allow for a cover to be placed over the amplifier for transportation and compactness of the amplifier with the stand attached. 
         FIG. 5  is an angular assembled view of the stand with the component pieces and their relative assembly and interrelation illustrated. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a side member of the stand showing the exemplary dimensions of this particular embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  shows the guitar body support arms. (See  FIG. 5  for how it is attached) 
         FIG. 8  shows the guitar neck support arms. (See  FIG. 5  for how it is attached) 
         FIG. 9  shows a spacer of the stand used to connect the side members and space apart the guitar neck support arms and the guitar body support arms. (See  FIG. 5  for how it is attached) 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The embodiment of the stand  20  is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The stand is approximately 18 inches long and 7⅜ inches wide. It is made of molded plastic, which is approximately ⅝ inches round. The body has eight moving parts. The stand  20  has four moving parts that swivel provided by support arms for the lower part of the guitar in the form of guitar body support arms  38 ,  40  and the support arms for the neck in the form of guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34 . The guitar body support arms  38 ,  40 ; (see also  FIG. 7 ) are 3.5 inches in length and the guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34  (see also  FIG. 8 ) are 3.875 inches in length and fold down for storage. 
     With respect to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, the stand  20  is shown attached to the amplifier unit  12  on the wooden side thereof. There are eight holes drilled into the amplifier to attach the stand  20 . The holes are drilled with a 7/64″ drill bit into the wood side of the amplifier unit  12  and then 8×1 inch wood screws are used to attach the stand  20  ( FIG. 2 ) to the amplifier unit  12 . 
     With respect to  FIG. 2  of the drawings, the stand  20  is illustrated assembled together and unattached to the amplification unit. The four clamps  60  for the wood screws are clearly discernable in  FIG. 2 . 
     The stand  20  includes a pair of generally vertical side members  22 ,  24  that are identical. Three support braces  26 ,  28   36  extend between the vertical side members  22 ,  24  such that the stand  20  is essentially a rigid frame. The support braces  26 ,  28 ,  36  are shown in  FIGS. 1-4  as a single continuous, and are shown at  FIGS. 5 and 6 . as multi-piece structures. As will be understood from inspection of these various figures, the support braces  26 ,  28 ,  36  are formed by a portion of each side member  22 ,  24  as well as a collar  26   c ,  28   c ,  36   c  as explained below (see  FIG. 5 ). 
     With respect to  FIG. 3  of the drawings, the guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34  that hold the neck of the guitar are illustrated (see also dotted lines of  FIG. 1 ). The guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34  are molded to the body ( FIG. 2 ) on a piece that swivels to allow the guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34  to fold down to lock the guitar in place. The guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34  fold up to allow the guitar to be removed. 
     The left-most guitar neck support arm  34  is generally L-shaped with a first member  52  extending away from a collar of the guitar neck support arm  34 ; and which is mounted to the left-most side member  24  to achieve the aforementioned swivel functionality. A second member  54  of the L-shaped guitar neck support arm  32  extends generally at a right angle to and away from the first member  52 . The second member  54  is rotatably mounted with the remainder of the guitar neck support arm  32  to rotate about a first axis  50  extending through the center of the first member  52 . 
     The dashed lines of  FIG. 3  illustrate the position of the left-most guitar neck support arm when it has been rotated about the first axis  50  to lock a guitar in place via the close reception of a neck of the guitar. An eyelet screw  56  is formed at an end of the second member  54 . The right-most guitar neck support arm  32  also includes an eyelet screw  58  formed at an end thereof. As illustrated, the eyelet screws  56 ,  58  are alignable to receive a lock to prevent rotation of the left-most guitar neck support arm  32  relative to the right-most guitar neck support arm  34  and vice versa. 
     With respect to  FIG. 4 , this illustration shows the folding of the stand  20  for transport when on the amp ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ). Each of the guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34 , by way of their swivel mounted collars, mount on the upper brace  36  and are rotatable about the second axis  70  that is generally perpendicular to the first axis  50  (see  FIG. 3 ). As illustrated, the guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34  rotate downward such that they are positioned within the plane of the side members  22 ,  24 . 
     Similarly, the guitar body support arms  38 ,  40  rotate inwardly about their respective side members  22 ,  24  such that they are positioned within the plane of the side members  22 ,  24 . More specifically, the right-most guitar body support arm  38  rotates about a third axis  72  that is perpendicular to each of the first and second axes  50 ,  70  (see also  FIG. 3 ). In a like manner, the left most guitar body support arm  40  rotates about a fourth axis  74  that is perpendicular to each of the first and second axes  50 ,  70  (see also  FIG. 3 ). As a result, the stand  20  has generally non-planar presentation in a guitar carrying position, and a planar presentation in a stored position. At a terminal end of each of the side members  22 ,  24 , an end cap  42 ,  44  is fastened thereto to retain the guitar body support arms  38 ,  40  in either positions along the side members  22 ,  24 . 
     With respect to  FIG. 5 , this shows the component pieces of each support brace  26 ,  28 ,  36  and how they are used ( FIG. 9 ). The lower-support brace  26  (see also  FIG. 2 ) is formed by a portion of each support member  22 ,  24 . More specifically, portion  26   a  is formed by the left-most support member  22 . Portion  26   b  is formed by the right-most support member  24 . These portions are connected by a spacer  26   c  that slidably receives portions  26   a  and  26   b  within an internal bore  180  (see  FIG. 9 ). From inspection of  FIG. 5 , it will be recognized that the same configuration described above is present with respect to support brace  28  formed by portions  28   a - 28   c , as well as support brace  36  formed by portions  36   a - 36   c . The guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34  are shown in a schematic illustration for clarity in this view. 
     With respect to  FIG. 6 , this shows one of the side members  22 ,  24  and the dimensions thereof. The other side member  24 , is identical to the illustrated side member  22 . 
     With respect to  FIG. 7 , this shows one of the two guitar body support arms  38 ,  40  for supporting the body of the guitar. These arms hold the guitar to keep it from sitting on the floor. Each of the guitar body support arms  38 ,  40  includes a first member  62  and a second member  64  generally perpendicular to the first member  62 . A collar  66  is formed at an end of the second member  64  which includes a bore  168  for receipt of the side members  22 ,  24  to permit the swivel functionality described above. 
     With respect to  FIG. 8 , this shows a portion of one of the guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34  for the neck of the guitar to hold the guitar in place to keep it from falling. Each guitar neck support arms  32 ,  34  includes a collar with a bore  178  formed therein for receipt of the side members  22 ,  24  to permit the swivel functionality described above. 
     With respect to  FIG. 9 , this shows the spacer  36   c  that receives the portions of the side members  22 ,  24  described above. Although only spacer  36   c , is illustrated, it will be recognized that spacers  26   c ,  28   c  are identical to the illustrated spacer  36   c.    
     Operation: 
     Utilization of the stand  20  allows the musician to use the guitar during playing engagement or at home without having to unpack their instrument. The unit is mounted on a base which will provide a secure and stable environment for the guitar, which will reduce guitars being knocked down from being leaned against walls or amplifiers. The stand  20  makes the guitar more accessible to the musician as they will not have to re-case the guitar between music sets or when at home. A major improvement of this invention is that it keeps the guitar off of the floor. Constantly leaving guitars on the various floor surfaces has the potential to damage the ascetics of the guitar and reduce it value. Additionally, most other units of this type are stand along by attaching the stand to the amplifier it reduces a common complaint that musicians have of leaving their stands at various musical engagements.