Patents by Inventor Charles Gressett

Charles Gressett has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4915432
    Abstract: Apparatus for transferring door opening or closing motion, in response to rotation of a door handle, and comprises: a mounting structure; first, second and third elements carried by the mounting structure for movement relative thereto, the first and third elements coupled to the second element, the second element carried for bodily movement in response to rotation of the first element by the door handle, the third element being rotatable in response to bodily movement of the second element; a rotary output element connected to the third element; and at least two of the first, second and third elements having alternative coupling positions characterized in that in one position the output element is rotated clockwise when the handle is rotated clockwise, and in the other position the output element is rotated clockwise when the handle is rotated counterclockwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: Adams Rite Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Charles A. Gressett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4768415
    Abstract: A tremolo bridge for an electric guitar has a fine tuning mechanism installed thereon. Fine tuning screw heads 43 have coplanar top surfaces 44 which do not rise or fall as tuning is effected. When actuated, heads 43 move screws 47 vertically to act on strings 29 through string securing levers 35. With this structure, the tuning heads form an essentially flat surface providing a seat or rest for the hand or forearm of the guitarist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Charles A. Gressett, Jr., John F. Page, Daniel J. Smith, John Carruthers
  • Patent number: 4677891
    Abstract: A tremolo plate is pivotally mounted on the guitar body, and a plurality of a combination bridge saddles and lever systems are mounted on such plate, there being one such saddle-lever system for each string of the guitar. The combination systems include saddles adapted to be pivoted by set screws to change string height. They further include levers adapted to be adjusted by screws to effect fine tuning of the strings. The heads for the fine tuning screws are captured by ears. The pivot means for the tremolo plate have a pivot axis so related to the string saddles that the intonation points of the saddles may be adjusted between positions closer to the guitar neck than is such axis, and positions farther from the guitar neck than is such axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Charles A. Gressett, Jr., John F. Page, Daniel J. Smith, John Carruthers
  • Patent number: 4669350
    Abstract: The clamping apparatus includes a row of clamping elements, each two adjacent elements having one of the guitar strings disposed therebetween. An adjustable-length bolt extends through the clamping elements to create string-clamping pressure determined both by the rotated position of a bolt head and the position of a cam, the latter being mounted at the end of the adjustable-length bolt remote from the head. In accordance with the method, the head is hand-turned to cause seating of the clamping elements on the strings, this being while the cam is in a predetermined position. Subsequently, the cam element is shifted to another predetermined position that generates a large clamping pressure on the elements to clamp the guitar strings against longitudinal shifting despite the presence of large forces such as are created by tremolo action and by bending of the strings. An adjustable-height zero-fret element is provided adjacent the clamping elements to determine string height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Inventors: Charles A. Gressett, Jr., John F. Page
  • Patent number: 4656916
    Abstract: A guitar body is provided having a bridge plate pivotally mounted thereon, for example, by knife elements. Thus, when the bridge plate is pivoted in response to operation of a tremolo arm there will be a tremolo action in the guitar strings. The guitar body has a recess therein, which contains springs extending generally longitudinally of the guitar strings. One end of each spring is connected to the bridge plate, while the other end is connected to a yoke that is rotatably associated with a shaft extending generally longitudinally of the guitar strings. The shaft extends through the guitar body to one end thereof, so that it can be rotated in response to operation of a wrench. Upon turning of the wrench, the yoke moves along the shaft to adjust the spring tension of springs and thus the resistance to pivotal movement of the bridge plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Inventor: Charles A. Gressett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4557174
    Abstract: A guitar neck incorporating truss rod apparatus, in which a bowed truss rod sufficiently strong and rigid to withstand large compressive and tensile stresses is inserted through an anchor affixed centrally of the neck. One end of the truss rod is clamped for prevention of rotational or axial movement. The other end of the truss rod is threaded into an elongated adjustment nut the inner end of which bears against a shoulder in the neck body, and the outer end of which bears against a stop block located below and concealed by the topnut of the neck. The stop block is apertured to permit entrance of a wrench to adjust the nut, and thus effect either compressive or tensile loading of the truss rod for flexing of the neck in either direction. The means for securing the anchor are concealed below one of the face dots present on the finger board of the guitar neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1985
    Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: Charles A. Gressett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4549460
    Abstract: An electric bass guitar incorporating combination string-adjustment, fine-tuning, and bridge-elements. The bridge-elements are accurately adjustable to any position, and are so constructed and related that the lateral positions of the strings will be determined with great precision, regardless of the adjusted position of the saddles. Fine-tuning screws are interposed between the saddles and an anchor wall which both anchors the strings and anchors the ends of adjustment elements for the saddles. The strings are confined closely in vertical slots so that they may not move laterally but may move vertically as fine-tuning occurs. The fine-tuning screws engage the string portions in the slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1985
    Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Charles A. Gressett, Jr., Daniel J. Smith
  • Patent number: D280525
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1985
    Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: Charles A. Gressett, Jr.
  • Patent number: D280526
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1985
    Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Charles A. Gressett, Jr., Charles H. Todd, III, John F. Page
  • Patent number: D304341
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Charles A. Gressett, Jr., Charles H. Todd, III, John F. Page
  • Patent number: D309746
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Charles A. Gressett, Jr., Charles H. Todd, III