Abstract: A tubular bracing assembly for a string instrument and the resulting string instrument. Resin reinforced fibers are shaped into the form of a tubular structure. The tubular structure decreases the weight and increases the stiffness of the structure. The result is a bracing system that has very light weight and varied stiffness properties to achieve desirable acoustic performance from the hollow body of an acoustic instrument.

Abstract: A neck assembly for a string instrument and the resulting string instrument. Resin reinforced fibers are shaped into the form of an instrument neck around a tubular structure. The tubular structure creates conduits within the neck. The conduits interconnect, thereby forming a single resonance chamber. The presence of the conduits decreases the weight of the neck. The result is a synthetic instrument neck that has a weight and acoustical properties comparable to a traditional wooden neck. The synthetic neck may also contains at least one mounting plate that enables the synthetic neck to be connected to many preexisting instrument bodies and tuning key heads. The synthetic instrument neck can therefore be retroactively added to existing instruments without the need for alterations.

Abstract: A body for a stringed instrument comprising a front face and a back face and a continuous side face there around; and an exterior laminate, the exterior laminate being formed of a plurality of composite layers including an interior layer, the composite layers of the laminate also including at least one supplemental layer, each layer including strands enveloped in an associated polymeric binder, with each subsequent layer being in intimate contact with the next adjacent layer.

Abstract: A body for a stringed instrument comprising a front face and a back face and a continuous side face there around; and an exterior laminate, the exterior laminate being formed of a plurality of composite layers including an interior layer, the composite layers of the laminate also including at least one supplemental layer, each layer including strands enveloped in an associated polymeric binder, with each subsequent layer being in intimate contact with the next adjacent layer.

Abstract: A propulsion device, designed especially but not necessarily solely for propelling tennis balls for training purposes, has in common with earlier devices a rotary distributor or magazine, feeding balls in successively following order into a discharge conduit. The balls are discharged through a barrel which is mounted upon the housing of the equipment for adjustment about a transverse axis, thus to dispose the barrel at selected positions of inclination, to vary the trajectory of the ball when propelled, with the adjustment being preserved after selection by the user.An improved oscillatory motion is imparted to the entire device, hence to the barrel, following adjustment of the barrel to the selected position of inclination.

Abstract: A device for propelling tennis balls has an oscillating discharge barrel to which balls are fed from a rotating distributor. A programmed relationship is provided, including a motion-translating linkage oscillating the barrel as an extension of the mechanism used for rotating the distributor. Programming is achieved to cause a predetermined number of objects to be propelled from the barrel, during each oscillatory cycle, as a direct response to rotation of the distributor.The linkage can be optionally provided without changing the basic design of propulsion devices heretofore made. The invention provides this through an extension shaft of the distributor, which rotates a member having openings spaced different radial distances from the axis of rotation of the member. A drop pin is extendable through any of the openings, and through a slot of a motion-translating link connected to a support bracket for the barrel.