Abstract: There is disclosed a fallboard arrangement for a keyboard instrument, which has a construction facilitating operations of mounting and dismounting a fallboard as well as an operation of adjusting the length of a rotary shaft of the fallboard, and makes it possible to enhance the degree of freedom in designing the fallboard. A fallboard mounted to a body of an electronic piano opens and closes a performance section of the electronic piano. A rotary shaft extending in a left-right direction is rotatably mounted to the fallboard such that the rotary shaft can be axially lengthened and shortened. A pair of left and right pinions are arranged at left and right ends of the rotary shaft, respectively, such that the pair of left and right pinions and the rotary shaft form a one-piece assembly. The pair of left and right pinions are engaged with a pair of racks formed on arms of the piano body and extending in the front-rear direction at locations outward of respective left and right ends of the fallboard.

Abstract: A stringed instrument has an instrument body, a neck pivotally attached to the body so as to allow rotation of neck from an operative position to a folded position and a string mount rotatably secured to the instrument body. At least one string has a first and a second end, the first end is attached to neck portion and the second end is attached to the string mount. A drive mechanism is also included for rotating the string mount in direct response to pivotal movement of the neck towards said body so as to wind the at least one string onto the string mount when the neck is pivotally moved between the operative position to the folded position. In a preferred embodiment rotation of the string mount preserves tension in the at least one string when the neck is pivotally moved from the operative to the folded position. When the neck is in the folded position the at least one string is stowed substantially wound on the string mount.

Abstract: A string instrument including a body; a headstock; a neck extending between the body and the headstock; and a plurality of tuning mechanisms retained by the headstock and each having a stem with a tuning end and a connection end. Also included are a plurality of strings each having one end connected to the body and an opposite end connected to a different connection end; and a cover covering each connection end and shaped and arranged to prevent physical access to the opposite end connected thereto.

Abstract: There is disclosed a damper for a grand piano, which is simple in construction and can be manufactured at reduced costs by reducing the number of components, the number of assembling steps, and the number of adjustment operations. A damper for a grand piano moves out of contact with strings in a manner interlocked with operation of a damper pedal, to thereby create a damper pedal effect. A plurality of damper levers each have a rear end portion thereof pivotally mounted to the damper rail and each extend forward. Each damper head is connected to the upper side of a corresponding one of the plurality of damper levers and brought out of contact with a corresponding one of the strings as the corresponding damper lever moves upward. A lifting rail is arranged below the plurality of damper levers, for pivotally moving the plurality of damper levers upward simultaneously by being pushed upward when the damper pedal is operated.

Abstract: In a fipple flute, an instrument body includes an outer surface defining an interior resonating cavity. An airway extends from the outer surface into the resonating cavity and includes a nozzle section as well as a throat section. The instrument body defines an upper surface having a plurality of toneholes extending therethrough into the resonating cavity such that when the toneholes are covered or uncovered by a user while blowing into the airway, different notes are played by the fipple flute. At least one fipple window extends through the upper surface of the instrument body adjacent to and aligned with the throat section of the airway to allow a portion of the air blown into the flute to enter the resonating cavity and a portion of the air to exit the fipple window.

Abstract: A method for treating the natural cane reed used in woodwind musical instruments. The method includes contacting at least the proximal portion of said reed with a polymer treatment liquid, in which the liquid delivers at least 1% by weight of polymer into the reed, based upon the percentage increase in dry weight of that portion of said reed contacted by the liquid. The reed remains substantially water-permeable, yet is rendered resistant to degradation by saliva. An impregnated reed is also described, in which at least the proximal portion of the reed has been impregnated by a liquid that includes a non-toxic polymeric material that is water-insoluble upon drying or curing within the reed. The impregnated portion of the reed is at least 25% as permeable to water as an identical portion of an equivalent untreated reed, yet is resistant to degradation by saliva.

Abstract: Embodiments of an ergonomic stringed instrument pick are shown and described. The pick includes curved or depressed surfaces generally conforming to the shape of the thumb and index finger that grasp the pick. Preferably, the pick includes a depressed area on one side of the pick near the front tip of the pick for receiving the tip of the index finger, and includes a hump rearward of that depressed area for contacting the first joint area of the index finger. Preferably, the opposite surface of the pick includes a depressed area near the rear end of the pick for receiving the pad of the thumb, and includes a hump nearer the tip or the pick against which the thumb, in effect, pushes or braces. These features preferably take the form of a generally S-curved pick, with both the bottom surface and the top surface making two curves to form the desired shape, which reduces hand and wrist strain due to the increased comfort, and provides a more sure grip of the ergonomic shape.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a noise suppressor capable of reducing the noise of a fluid vented at high pressure and high mass flow rate from an industrial source, to the environmentally acceptable noise level. The invention combines two principles of dissipation of fluid stream energy: first, stream pressure is reduced by passing the stream through a swirler to split the stream into a number of smaller tangential streams which dissipate their energy along the spiral flow path due to friction; and next, the resulting streams pass through a tightly packed granular bed to reduce further the pressure and velocity of the exiting jet to atmospheric pressure and subsonic velocity, respectively. Such jet will generate much lower noise level, as compared to high pressure jet with cellular structure and supersonic velocity.

Abstract: A multi-orientation adjustable clamp device comprises a stationary and a movable clamp, wherein a stationary connector disposed on a top end of the stationary clamp is pivotally jointed with a locking block by a linking stud, and a fixing hole is formed at one end of the linking stud for fixing a linking lever. The structure of the clamp device is characterized in: disposing a crank between the stationary clamp and the locking block; and, a first and a second connector arranged at two ends of the crank respectively for coupling with the stationary connector and the locking block individually to form two pivot-joint devices to offer a multi-orientation adjustable function to this invention.

Abstract: A muffler with catalytic converter (1) in which at least one catalytic converter element (2) is located in the muffler so that an essential part of all exhaust gases (3) from the engine are forced to pass through the element (2) and be converted there into cleaned exhaust gases (4). The element is designed as an essentially self-supporting body of catalytic material, which is hollow or partly concave and has inner and outer surfaces (6, 7), e.g. the body is shaped as a circular or non-circular sleeve, or possibly even as a narrowing sleeve (8), a dome-shaped or angular bowl-shaped body (5), and the element is, either directly or via intermediary elements, mounted to a dividing part inside the muffler, such as a partition wall (10), an outlet duct (11) or an inlet duct (12), and the mounting is so arranged that at least one end surface (13, 14) is kept fixed at the same time as the element is supported at the outer surface (7) by at least one part (10, 18, 23, 24), while the inner surface is essentially free.

Abstract: A sound generating or emitting machine having a component comprising a material with a high internal damping and tensile strength, the material comprising (1) a metallic base material, and (2) a metallic second phase with an at least partially martensitic structure. The material may also be an alloy comprising a base material in which additional alloy elements have a very low solubility.

Abstract: Securable instrument picks for uses as thumbpicks (10) and/or fingerpicks (10) providing a string-actuating tip (20) to the side of a distal phalange (14) for a conjoined engagement of the string-actuating tip and the distal phalange against a string (42). The actuating tips may be off-set cantilevered in the character of their securement to the distal phalange, whereby a pressure resulting from an up- or downstroke upon the string is carried through the pick and delivered against the upper or lower pads, respectively, of the distal phalange. The provided picks facilitate a novel method of use in which the fingertip-flesh of the distal phalange and the string-actuating tip may be conjoined together in a stroke against the string. The provided picks also facilitate a method of producing flatpicking-type musical effects by up- and downstrokes of a single finger, tilted sideward toward the strings.

Abstract: A muffler for use with heavy duty trucks includes an outer wall defining an internal volume; an inlet tube oriented at least partially within the internal volume; an outlet tube construction oriented at least partially within the internal volume and including a diverging section and a choke extension; and a first baffle structure securing the outlet tube construction within the internal volume. A ratio of the diverging section axial length to the choke extension axial length is preferably less than 3:1. The first baffle structure defines an aperture arrangement therein to permit gas flow communication therethrough. A ratio of the total open area of the aperture arrangement to the perimeter, cross-sectional area of the first baffle structure is between 1:50 and 1:500. The mufflers are particularly useful for attenuating low frequency noise associated with the internal volume of cabs or sleepers in heavy duty trucks.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument including a soundbox. The soundbox has a back, a side adjoining the back to define a hollow interior, a soundboard covering the hollow interior, and a soundboard support structure including a plurality of kerfing members for securing the soundboard on the side opposite the back to cover the hollow interior and a plurality of bracing members for reinforcing the soundboard. The soundboard support structure includes a plurality of adjoining members selected from the group consisting of the plurality of kerfing members and the plurality of bracing members. The plurality of adjoining members are integrally formed as a single piece of polyurethane containing a plurality of half inch glass fibres.

Abstract: A silencer assembly having a cylindrical chamber having a closed cylindrical outer wall, a first end wall and a second end wall, the first end wall having an inlet therein, and the second end wall having an outlet therein, an internal annular chamber proximate the cylindrical outer wall, the internal annular chamber bounded by the cylindrical outer wall and by a perforated cylindrical inner wall, the internal annular chamber containing single strand fiberglass acoustic fill material, the internal annular chamber having no internal barriers therein, and, a perforated generally cylindrically shaped core located inside of the cylindrical chamber positioned in spaced relation to the internal annular chamber and also in spaced relation to the inlet and outlet, creating a generally annular shaped passageway for exhaust gas, the core containing single strand fiberglass acoustic fill material.

Abstract: A stringed instrument neck having finger slots for facilitating fingering chords when playing a guitar includes a main body portion having a bridge. A neck extends from the main body portion and includes a front face, a first end, a head portion and a medical portion extending between the first end and the head portion. The first end is coupled to the main body portion. A plurality of strings are coupled between the bridge and the head portion. The strings are positioned to extend substantially parallel to each other along the neck. The neck includes a plurality of finger slots extending substantially parallel to the strings. Each of the finger slots is positioned between an associated adjacent pair of the strings such that the neck is designed for permitting insertion of fingers of a user through the finger slots for facilitating selective clamping of the strings against the neck by the fingers of the user.

Abstract: An action mechanism 1 inside a keyboard musical instrument of the present invention is the jumping-up style, and has a configuration in which a beak-like projecting piece 19 is protrudingly provided in a base end portion of a hammer body 9, an engaging stepped portion 31 is formed in an escapement member 11 that is always biased toward the beak-like projecting piece 19 of the hammer body 9, a pivotally attached portion of the hammer body 9 pivots in the striking direction in accordance with a striking operation, and at the same time, the beak-like projecting piece 19 and the engaging stepped portion 31 engage, and the hammer body 9 performs a striking pivotal operation against a sound source body 7.

Abstract: An improved drumstick of the type having a drumstick body having a butt end and a tipped end; an undercoating applied to the wall of at least a portion of the stick body to greatly enhance the foil layer adhering to the drumstick, a hot stamp foil layer applied against the undercoating so at least the tip end and the butt end of the drumstick remaining uncovered by the foil layer, the improved drumstick made from the process of providing the wooden drumstick; coating at least a portion of the wooden drumstick with a dye stain; the dye stained portion of the drumstick is treated with a lacquer undercoat; the dye stained portion of the drumstick is covered with a hot stamp foil, including the tapered portion of the drumsticks; and providing a clear protective topcoat to the entire drumstick. The butt end and tip ends of the drumstick are maintained natural. Further there is provided a compressed portion of the drumstick for providing greater striking strength.

Abstract: A system for supporting an instrument, such as a guitar in an accessible position. The system includes a stand for supporting and presenting the musical instrument while the musical instrument is held in a case adapted for carrying the musical instrument. The stand includes a base portion and a grasping portion. The grasping portion having a pair of opposing arms that extending above the base and is supported by the base. The arms are biased towards one another to allow the disclosed invention to grasp and support the case over the base portion.

Abstract: A method of alleviating the sound masking effects of wind noise on a cyclist wearing a safety helmet comprising the following steps: designing an ear cover shield having a generally smooth exterior side; positioning the cover shield adjacent to but generally spaced from an ear of the cyclist so that wind is generally deflected from the ear so that the noise of air rushing over the ear is substantially reduced, and the cyclist is better able to hear proximate sound especially that sound generated from directions which he cannot readily see; and, positioning and holding the cover shield adjacent to the ear most preferably by adjustably attaching it to a strap on the helmet. When wearing a cover shield, even in a strong wind, a cyclist is able to hear a vehicle approaching from the rear so that he can accordingly move close to the side of a roadway and ensure that his cycle moves in a straight, unswerving path.