Patents by Inventor Joseph C. Nicholl

Joseph C. Nicholl 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: 4843941
    Abstract: Stringed instruments such as a guitar or the like that includes a head, a neck extending between the head and a body, tremolo apparatus having a base mounted on the body, a string mount pivotally mounted on the base, a handle assembly for selectively pivoting the string mount in a first direction from a datum position to increase the tension in the strings and alternately in a second direction from the datum position to decrease the tension in the strings, a stop member to limit the pivotal movement of the string mount in the second direction to the datum position when no manual force is being applied to the handle assembly while permitting the handle assembly being manually pivoted in the second direction from the datum position, spring mechanism constantly resiliently urging the stop member into abutting relationship with the base, skate mechanism mounted on the base for selectively adjusting the height of the strings, and truss mechanism mounted by the neck to counterbalance the pull of the strings that in
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1989
    Inventors: Joseph C. Nichols, Charles D. Orr
  • Patent number: 4143576
    Abstract: A fretted neck of a guitar having a plurality of strings spaced above the fretboard and a capo selectively movable along the length of the neck for retaining all of the strings in abutting relationship to the fretboard. The capo includes a clamp frame having a generally horizontally extending portion that mounts a retainer bar and a generally vertically extending portion, a finger operated clamp member, and a torsion spring mounting the clamp member on the clamp frame and resiliently urging it to a clamping position, and the torsion spring being mounted on the clamp frame. In one embodiment the retainer bar mounts a roller for each string while in a second embodiment the retainer bar mounts rollers with one of the rollers being of a length to extend across two strings. In a third embodiment the retainer bar mounts two plastic inserts that have downwardly extending rectangular teeth for holding the guitar strings against the fretboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1979
    Inventors: Joseph C. Nichols, John M. Berner, Mario F. Fernandez
  • Patent number: D293687
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Inventor: Joseph C. Nichols
  • Patent number: D380982
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Inventor: Joseph C. Nicholl