The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 20, 1994
Filed:
Nov. 12, 1993
John F Geiger, Atlanta, GA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A mute for stringed instruments such as banjos, guitars, and the like which allows the volume of the sound generated by plucking the strings to be varied without changing the pitch of the instrument. This device comprises a small, elongated cloth bag filled with tiny metallic balls. The bag is sufficiently long that when it is properly mounted on the bridge of the instrument, the bag extends past the points where the two outermost strings cross the bridge, the two outermost strings being disposed proximate opposite ends of the bridge. In use, the beg is mounted partially on the upper edge of the bridge and partially on the strings. The degree of muting, as well as the duration of individual notes once played, varies with the position of the bag on the bridge. The pitch of the strings, however, does not vary. The mute works by absorbing some of the energy of the vibrating strings as first those balls in the bag which are closest to the strings are displaced by the strings and then transmit momentum to adjacent balls.