Abstract: A mobile music-producing ornament which mainly includes a hollow housing to accommodate a base board, a music-producing device, a swing mechanism and a reciprocation mechanism therein. With gear sets provided among the music-producing device, the swing mechanism, and the reciprocation mechanism, the rotating music-producing device shall bring the other two mechanisms to swing leftward and rightward and to reciprocate back and forth, respectively, permitting small decorative figures and the like on the ornament to laterally swing or to move back and forth along with the rhythm of pleasant music, giving the ornament more funs.

Abstract: For an electric guitar equipped with a tremolo device, a stabilizer is provided to hold the horizontally extending portion of the actuating arm of the tremolo device in a fixed, but selectively adjustable, vertical position when the device is not being used by the player. The stabilizer is comprised of a retainer component adapted to be semi-permanently or permanently fixed to the top surface of the guitar body and a main component releasably connected with the retainer component to allow the main component to be removed from the retainer component to avoid interference between the stabilizer and a case when the guitar is placed into the case for storage or transport.

Abstract: A harness that positions and stablizes a guitar or like instrument on a wearer. The harness utilizes three length-adjustable segments connected together at one end of each of the segments. The connection of the three segments is located behind the back of the wearer and the opposite end of each segment is structured for attachment to the anchor points on the guitar or like instrument. One segment goes up over the right shoulder and down across the torso and attaches to one of the instrument anchor points. A second segment wraps under the left arm and attaches to the same instrument anchor point. A third segment wraps under the right arm, diagonally downward and attaches to the second instrument anchor point. The length of each segment is adjusted to vary the position and stability of the instrument.

Abstract: A drumstick having a grip disposed around its handle portion. The grip comprises a layer of adhesive applied to the handle portion with sand being applied to the adhesive layer and a rubberlike coating coating the sand such that the surface of the coating is rough thereby preventing the drumstick from slipping from the hand of a user.

Abstract: A foot-pedal device of a high-hat cymbal comprises a sleeve provided therein with a compression spring capable of forcing the upper cymbal of the high-hat cymbal to join intimately with the lower cymbal at such time when the foot-pedal mechanism of the high-hat cymbal is disengaged so as to permit a musician to strike the high-hat cymbal with a stick for producing a variety of rhythmic accents.

Abstract: A table including a top wall having a foam cushion insert extending from a first end of the table to a second end of the table in a spaced relationship, such that a handle is directed through the table, with a foam cushion block mounted between the handle extending onto the insert to position a string instrument neck thereon. Securement strap structure is provided to secure the instrument onto the table during use.

Abstract: The replacement of the bass-bar which is traditionally installed on the underside of the top-plate of a cello or double-bass and substituting a more elastic suspension system of radiating bars. In one arrangement, the bass-bar is replaced by a short support-bar located under the bass-foot of the bridge and has an arch cut at its midpoint in alignment with the bridge and a set of four fan-braces radiate outward at an angle to the alignment axis of the support-bar and are firmly glued to the sides of the support-bar with the fan-braces distributing the static load borne by the support-bar over the whole area of the top-plate. In another arrangement, the traditional bass-bar is replaced by a pair of tapered vibration-bars which cross in an integrally glued cross-lap joint with the region of crossing being provided with a slight arch-cut profile with the load from the X-brace region thus being spread over the entire top-plate of the instrument.

Abstract: A banjo has a resonator (24) mounted about the pot (11) and acoustical links (25) that acoustically couple the resonator with the banjo head (14). When the instrument is played acoustical waves pass from the head through the acoustical links to the resonator which amplifies the sound produced by the banjo. An adoption of this invention is also disclosed for a guitar.

Abstract: A drumstick of improved durability for use with musical instruments such as drums and cymbals includes an elongated wooden core having an elongated, generally cylindrically shaped shaft section, a shorter frusto-conically shaped front section which tapers to a smaller diameter neck, and a short tip section joined to the neck. Formed in the outer cylindrical wall of a central longitudinal portion of the shaft is an elongated, shallow annular groove. A polymer sleeve having greater resistance to rimshot damage than wood is positioned coaxially over the shaft, within the groove. In the preferred method of fabrication, the wooden core is placed in a cavity of an injection mold, and molten fiberglass-filled nylon injected into a first enclosed region surrounding the grooved portion of the shaft, to form the sleeve. Optionally, the cavity may have a second enlarged region surrounding the tip section of the core, the second enlarged region communicating with the first enlarged region.

Abstract: A shoulder rest for a stringed musical instrument has a carrier for a shoulder-engaging cushion and for two clamping devices which can engage opposite sides of the body of an instrument. One of the clamping devices is adjustably coupled to the carrier for movement toward and away from the other clamping device. The coupling comprises an elongated arm which is provided on the one clamping device and extends longitudinally of the carrier, two annular stops on the carrier, an elastically deformable sleeve-like self-locking bearing between the stops, and an affixing element adjacent the bearing and also located between the stops. The arm extends through the stops, through the bearing and through the affixing element, and the arm can be shifted longitudinally of the carrier by overcoming the resistance of the bearing. Once the arm assumes a desired position, a screw of the affixing element is caused to engage the arm and to fixedly retain it in the selected position.

Abstract: A titanium reed is formed by cutting a hardened sheet of high-grade titanium into a strip where length and width are determined by the standard sizes and lays of mouthpieces of various musical instruments in the woodwind family. The titanium sheet stock from which the strip is cut may be hardened prior to cutting, or hardening processes may be preformed on the cut strips after shaping has occurred. Where the sheet stock is prehardened, the techniques involve heating to a high temperature and thinning out a portion of the sheet to form a taper. Where hardening is required after the strip is cut and formed, heat treatment is applied to achieve a strength in the titanium corresponding to the desired tone of the reed. In all processes, material is removed from the bottom of the reed from the approximate center toward the tongue end to relieve stress in the metal at the tongue end.

Abstract: An automatic focusing camera comprises a measuring device formed integrally with a camera housing, defining a distance measuring zone selectively extended in different directions, and adapted for producing information employed for focusing to an object contained in the extended distance measuring zone. A position detecting device for detecting the position of the camera housing, and a device for varying the extending direction of the distance measuring zone, in response to the position of the camera housing detected by the position detecting device.

Abstract: A camera has a rear door which is opened to reveal a cartridge receiving chamber, a pair of substantially parallel film rails located adjacent opposite sides of an exposure opening to support successive lengths of a filmstrip over the exposure opening, and a film take-up chamber. A rigid film pressure plate is connected to the inside of the door to rest against the rails over the exposure opening when the door is closed, to support successive lengths of the filmstrip flat at the exposure opening. According to the invention, a single-piece of resilient compressible opaque material is secured to the inside of the door to form a unitary deformable surface for sealing the cartridge receiving chamber, the exposure opening, and the film take-up chamber against ambient light and dust and urging the pressure plate against the film rails when the door is closed.

Abstract: An autofocus apparatus for use with a light projection device which projects light to an object, and a storage sensor which alternately receives light reflected from the object when the light is projected onto the object and when the light is not projected onto the object includes an extraction circuit for extracting from the storage sensor (1) a first sensor output corresponding to when the light is projected onto the object, and (2) a second sensor output corresponding to when the light is not projected onto the object. A setting circuit is provided for setting the sensor in an initial state every time the extraction circuit extracts an output signal from the storage sensor. A control circuit is provided for calculating a difference between the first and second sensor signals and providing an output signal corresponding to the difference.

Abstract: A camera or other device having a rechargeable battery is intended to be stored normally in a cavity of a charging-stand cradle in order to restore an electrical charge to the battery. The cradle includes a plug module that may be electrically connected to a standard alternating current (AC) outlet when the plug module is affixed to the cradle. Conversely, the plug module may be separated from the cradle to connect it to a remote AC outlet.

Abstract: In recording an image on a recording medium such as photographic film, position information used for the detection of a principal image is recorded on the recording medium. The position information is read when a hard copy of the image is produced. A characteristic value is derived from within the area of the principal image detected in accordance with the position information. A print exposure amount used for producing a hard copy is determined in accordance with the characteristic value. The position information may be the information directly or indirectly representing the position of the primary image. The indirect representation may be a combination of a subject distance and a focal length of a taking lens. This combination determines a reference size of a face or figure image on a frame. By detecting an image having the same size as the reference size, the principle image such as a facial image or a figure image can be identified.

Abstract: A camera grip which is removably mounted to the bottom portion of a camera. The camera grip includes a base block removably mounted to the camera bottom portion, an arm block rotatably mounted to the base block by means of a first shaft, a grip block rotatably mounted to the arm block by means of a second shaft spaced apart from the first shaft, and lock means for locking the arm and grip blocks at their predetermined rotational positions respectively. By changing the rotational positions to be locked by means of the lock means, the grip can be thinly or compactly stored in the camera bottom portion as well as the shape of the grip can be changed in such a manner that it can be used as an under grip, a carrying handle and a tripod.

Abstract: A camera system, having a plurality of light measuring regions respectively corresponding to focus detecting regions, which includes a device for calculating luminance of an object based on measured light values of the light measuring regions and a device for altering the focus detecting regions.

Abstract: A camera includes a photo-taking optical system having a focusing lens movable in the direction of the optic axis for focus adjustment, a drive device for moving the focusing lens in the direction of the optic axis, a pulse generator means generating a pulse signal for each predetermined amount of movement of the focusing lens in the direction of the optic axis, a counter for counting the pulse signal, a memory, an electric power supply means for supplying electric power to the counter and a switch operated to stop and start the supply of electric power from the electric power supply to the counter. The counter is responsive to the operation of the switch for stopping the supply of electric power to write the content of the counter into the memory, and responsive to the operation of the switch for starting the supply of electric power to read the content of the memory. The counter counts the pulse signal on the basis of the read content of the memory.

Abstract: An apparatus including a plurality of legs pivotally mounted to a base for support of photographic equipment thereon. The legs each include three telescoping members, wherein a cylindrical sleeve receives a lower terminal end of each of the legs, wherein the sleeve includes a bore to receive the leg therein, and further includes a plurality of support feet mounted to a lower terminal end of each cylindrical sleeve in a pivotal relationship and arranged to provide support for the sleeve and each of the tripod legs, wherein each of the feet are interfolded to provide a convenient compact organization for storage and transport.