Abstract
A mechanism for picking one or more vibratory strings of a string musical instrument comprising an actuator, shaft, pick and pick holder with extended offset sides to guide the pick to the correct angle for proper picking of a vibratory string on both the forward and backward picking strokes. The shaft is parallel to the vibratory string in one plane and angled to the vibratory string in a perpendicular plane as a means of fine adjustment of the engagement with the vibratory string.
Claims
1. An automatic picker for string instruments comprising a reciprocating pick holder with a slot where the pick grip is secured within the slot while the picking point protrudes, and the holder with pick deflection guides comprising a gap at the end of the slot near the picking point, the gap faces are guide surfaces to control the pick deflection limit.
2. The automatic picker of claim 1, where the pick holder is mounted on a shaft distal from the picking point and is rotated by a prime mover, comprising one of an electric motor or a pneumatic actuator.
3. The automatic picker of claim 2, rotated through an arc of less than 15 percent by the prime mover, where the prime mover is a servo motor.
4. An automatic picker for string instruments comprising a reciprocating pick holder mounted to a rotating shaft which is coplanar-to the string comprising a shaft skew angle to the string, allowing fine adjustment of the pick engagement with the string by moving-the pick holder along the shaft.
5. The automatic picker of claim 2, and comprising a pick has non-vertical engagement angle with a string on both the forward and backward stroke and the pick deflects according to the deflection limit to pluck the string.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) In order that the manner in which the above recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments there of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict typical embodiments of invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
(2) FIG. 1 is a front orthogonal view depicting a group of four automatic string pickers installed on a banjo.
(3) FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a plurality of picking assemblies of an embodiment, depicting four automatic string pickers each configured to pick a vibratory string.
(4) FIG. 3 is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder, its associated hardware and a vibratory string.
(5) FIG. 4 is a front orthogonal detail of a pick holder, pick, vibratory string, pick engagement depth, pick guides, pick guide depth and pick deflection limit.
(6) FIG. 5 is a side orthogonal view of a typical pick and the modifications for use with the pick holder.
(7) FIG. 6 is a side orthogonal detail depicting the shaft and vibratory string at a slight angle which enables the capability to vary the vibratory string engagement by adjusting the pick holder position on the shaft.
(8) FIGS. 7A through 7E are a time sequence of five views showing front orthogonal view of the pick holder as it picks a vibratory string in the counterclockwise direction.
(9) FIG. 7A is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string immediately prior to the pick holder beginning a counter clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string.
(10) FIG. 7B is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string as the pick first engages the vibratory string during a counter clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string.
(11) FIG. 7C is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string as the pick has been deflected by the vibratory string to the pick deflection limit allowed by the left pick guide during a counter clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string.
(12) FIG. 7D is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string as both the pick and the vibratory string have been deflected to the point immediately prior to vibratory string release, as allowed by the left pick guide during a counter clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string.
(13) FIG. 7E is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string immediately after to the pick holder has completed a counter clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string and immediately prior to beginning a clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string again.
(14) FIGS. 8A through 8E are a time sequence of five views showing a front orthogonal view of the pick holder as it picks a vibratory string in the clockwise direction.
(15) FIG. 8A is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string immediately prior to the pick holder beginning a clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string.
(16) FIG. 8B is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string as the pick first engages the vibratory string during a clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string.
(17) FIG. 8C is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string as the pick has been deflected by the vibratory string to the pick deflection limit allowed by the right pick guide during a clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string.
(18) FIG. 8D is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string as both the pick and the vibratory string have been deflected to the point immediately prior to vibratory string release, as allowed by the left pick guide during a clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string.
(19) FIG. 8E is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder and vibratory string immediately after to the pick holder has completed a clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string and immediately prior to beginning a counter-clockwise rotation to pick the vibratory string again.
(20) The drawings are not to scale. In fact, some aspects have been emphasized for a better illustration and understanding of the written description.
(21) TABLE-US-00002 Parts List 1 automatic picker assembly group 2 pick 3 pick holder 4 pick fasten screw 5 pick holder adjustment screw 6 shaft 7 bushing 8 coupling 9 coupling shaft screw 10 reserved 11 servo motor 12 reserved 13 pick assembly frame 14 pick assembly mount screw 15 shaft mounting hole 16 shaft mounting hole 17 pick holder slot 25 pick engagement depth 26 extended pick guide 27 pick deflection gap limit 28 shaft skew angle 29 reserved 30 pick trim area 31 outline of commercial pick 32 pick guide depth 33 pick engagement angle 50 banjo body 51 vibratory string
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
(22) FIG. 1 is a front orthogonal view depicting the automatic picker assembly 1 as installed on a banjo 50. As depicted, a multi-string banjo, comprising four vibratory strings 51 is shown equipped with the present automatic picker assembly Each vibratory string 51 is coupled with an actuating assembly for automatically picking the vibratory string when an electrical signal is provided to the appropriate servo motor 11. Although this disclosure is directed to a four string banjo, the embodiments may be used in any string musical instrument, such as but not limited to, six string guitar, twelve string guitar, mandolin, ukuleles, harp, cello, and the like.
(23) FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a group of multiple picking assemblies. As depicted there are four pick holders 3, each holding a pick 2, directly adjacent to a vibratory string 51. Each pick holder 3 a held to its shaft 6 with two pick holder adjustment screws 5. The pick holder adjustment screws 5 fasten the pick holder 3 at the selected position along the shaft 6, thereby providing adjustment of the position along the shaft 6 and the clocking angle of the pick holder 3. The shaft 6 is guided by bushings 7 in the pick assembly frame 13 and fastened to a coupling 8 with a coupling shaft screw 9. The coupling is driven by the output shaft of a servo motor 11. In use, when the servo motor 11 rotates clockwise the commanded number of degrees, the rotary motion is conveyed by the coupling 8 to the shaft 6, to the pick holder 3, to cause the pick 2 to be rotated the same number of degrees, thereby picking the vibratory string 51. When the servo motor 11 is commanded to rotate counter-clockwise a commanded number of degrees, the rotary motion similarly causes the pick 2 to be rotated thereby picking the vibratory string 51 on the reverse path.
(24) FIG. 3 is a front orthogonal view of a pick holder 3, pick holder adjustment screw 5, pick 2, pick fasten screws 4, two shaft mounting holes 15 and 16. The pick holder 3 is fastened to the shaft 6 by placing the shaft 6 through either shaft mounting hole 15 or shaft mounting hole 16. This provides a gross adjustment of height of the pick holder 3 above the vibratory string 51. The pick 2 is fastened to the pick holder 3 by placing the pick 2 into the pick holder slot 17, leaving the desired amount of pick 2 extending beyond the pick holder 3 and then tightening the pick fasten screws 4.
(25) FIG. 4 is a front orthogonal detail of a pick holder 3 and defining aspects of control of the embodiment namely, pick engagement depth 25, pick guide 26 and pick deflection gap 27. The pick engagement depth 25 is the extension of the pick 2 beyond the vibratory string 51. The pick guide 26 is that portion of the pick holder 3 which limits the amount of travel that the pick 2 may bend before it is supported by the pick holder 3. The pick deflection gap 27 is the amount of gap between a surface of the pick 2 and the adjacent side of the pick guide zone 26. Together the length of the pick guide gap 26 and the pick deflection allowance 27 create a supplemental stiffener for the pick 2 which allows single pick 2 to correctly play a vibratory string 51 at the controlled and correct picking angle 33 from either side.
(26) FIG. 5 is a side orthogonal detail of a pick 2 showing how a commercial pick is modified to be used in the present embodiment. The pick trim area 30 is cut away from a commercially available pick to provide a pick 2 which can be fastened to the pick holder 3. The trimming of the commercial pick sides allow multiple pick holders 3 to be more closely spaced without interference. The trimming of the commercial pick also creates in the pick 2 a center slot for gross adjustment of pick engagement depth.
(27) FIG. 6 is a side orthogonal detail of a pick 2, pick holder 3, shaft 6 and vibratory string 51 illustrating additional aspects of the present embodiment namely, shaft skew angle 28. The line of the shaft 6 and the line of the vibratory string 51 reside in the same plane throughout the rotation of the pick, but are not parallel. They are skewed by a few degreesthe shaft skew angle 28. The allows fine adjustment of the pick engagement depth by loosening the pick holder adjustment screws 4, sliding the pick holder 3 one way or the other on the shaft 6 a short distance and then tightening the pick holder adjustment screws 4. Multiple positions of the pick holder 3 are illustrated along the shaft 6. Note the difference in pick engagement depth in the different positions.
(28) FIGS. 7A through 7E are a front orthogonal detail of a pick 2, pick holder 3, shaft 6 and vibratory string 51 illustrating a counter-clockwise picking sequence.
(29) FIG. 7A illustrates the pick holder 3 in a position at rest prior to a counter-clockwise rotation for picking a vibratory string 51.
(30) FIG. 7B illustrates the pick holder 3 in its counterclockwise rotation at the point where it has just begun to contact the vibratory string 51. The pick 2 has not yet begun its deflection.
(31) FIG. 7C illustrates the pick holder 3 in its counterclockwise rotation at the point where it has contacted the vibratory string 51 and the pick 2 has deflected to the point that the pick 2 has contacted the left pick guide 26 and has utilized the entire pick deflection gap and is now at the optimum pick engagement angle 33 to play the vibratory string 51.
(32) FIG. 7D illustrates the pick holder 3 in its counterclockwise rotation at the point where it has contacted the vibratory string 51 and the pick 2 has deflected to the point that the pick 2 has utilized the entire pick deflection allowance and has also deflected both the pick 2 and the vibratory string 51 to the point of vibratory string release, thereby playing the vibratory string.
(33) FIG. 7E illustrates the pick holder 3 in a position at rest after picking a vibratory string 51.
(34) Note that FIG. 7E also illustrates the pick holder 3 in a position at rest prior to a clockwise rotation for picking a vibratory string 51.
(35) FIGS. 8A through 8E are a front orthogonal detail of a pick 2, pick holder 3, shaft 6 and vibratory string 51 illustrating a clockwise picking sequence. The clockwise rotation follows a similar sequence to that described above.
(36) FIG. 8A illustrates the pick holder 3 in a position at rest prior to a counter-clockwise rotation for picking a vibratory string 51.
(37) FIG. 8B illustrates the pick holder 3 in its counterclockwise rotation at the point where it has just begun to contact the vibratory string 51. The pick 2 has not yet begun its deflection.
(38) FIG. 8C illustrates the pick holder 3 in its clockwise rotation at the point where it has contacted the vibratory string 51 and the pick 2 has contacted the right pick guide 26 and has utilized the entire pick deflection gap and is now at the optimum pick engagement angle 33 to play the vibratory string 51.
(39) FIG. 8D illustrates the pick holder 3 in its counterclockwise rotation at the point where it has contacted the vibratory string 51 and the pick 2 has deflected to the point that the pick 2 has utilized the entire pick deflection allowance 27 and has also deflected both the pick 2 and the vibratory string 51 to the point of vibratory string release, thereby playing the vibratory string.
(40) FIG. 8E illustrates the pick holder 3 in a position at rest after picking a vibratory string 51.
(41) Note that FIG. 7E also illustrates the pick holder 3 in a position at rest prior to a clockwise rotation for picking a vibratory string 51.
(42) In another embodiment, the movement is translational instead of rotational. Although FIGS. 7 A though 7E and FIGS. 8A trough 8E describe a rotational sequence, a similar sequence of the comprised automatic string picker is attained by translational movement.
