Patent ID: 7557285

Claim:
A capo device comprising: a clamp assembly having a yoke and a strut, the strut having a first end hingedly coupled to a first side of the yoke, a second end securable to a second side of the yoke, and a slide channel arranged to traverse a longitudinal axis of a length of strings on a stringed instrument; a plurality of pad assemblies, each of the pad assemblies being mounted for undergoing slidable movement in the slide channel of the strut in the direction traversing the longitudinal axis of the instrument strings to a position over an underlying string and for being selectively vertically lowered to compress the underlying string, and each of the pad assemblies comprising (a) a traveler plate having a threaded hole and two wings, the two wings radiating from front and back edges of the traveler plate and being arranged to mate with and slide in the slide channel of the strut, (b) a toggle rod having a threaded portion coupled in the threaded hole of the traveler plate and a turn knob, and (c) a toggle pad coupled to a bottom end of the threaded portion so that turning of the toggle rod via the turn knob in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction vertically lowers or vertically lifts the toggle pad; and an elastomeric member received in the yoke, the elastomeric member having an inner concave recess portion that provides a cradle for a fretboard of the stringed instrument and a generally V-shaped outer portion that contacts inner surfaces of the yoke.