U.S. patent number 3,571,483 [Application Number 05/007,476] was granted by the patent office on 1971-03-16 for variable reluctance guitar pickup system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hammond Corporation. Invention is credited to Peter Davidson.
United States Patent |
3,571,483 |
Davidson |
March 16, 1971 |
VARIABLE RELUCTANCE GUITAR PICKUP SYSTEM
Abstract
A variable reluctance guitar pickup system which provides six
individual pickups for the six steel strings, each developing an
output voltage with string movement which is substantially
insensitive to the plane of string vibration. The pickups have a
central post of one magnetic polarity and a U-shaped enclosing yoke
of opposite polarity. The string passes centrally through the yoke
such that displacement of the string in any direction changes the
reluctance of the magnetic circuit to which a pickup coil is
sensitive. The yokes, all of the same polarity, provide extremely
high isolation of the individual magnetic circuits and sound
signals. The organization provides for ease of assembly and ready
removability and replacement of the individual pickups which are in
cartridge form and interchangeable.
Inventors: |
Davidson; Peter (Chicago,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Hammond Corporation (Deerfield,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
21726403 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/007,476 |
Filed: |
February 2, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
84/726;
984/368 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G10H
3/181 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G10H
3/00 (20060101); G10H 3/18 (20060101); G10h
003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;84/1.01--1.28 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Duggan; D. F.
Assistant Examiner: Weldon; U.
Claims
I claim:
1. An electrical pickup system for a stringed musical instrument
having strings of magnetic material comprising means providing a
pole of magnetic material at one side of a string in proximity
thereto, means providing a yoke of magnetic material having a
portion in proximity to said string enclosing a length of said
string in the region of said pole and on substantially all sides of
said string other than the said one side, means providing a
magnetic circuit between said pole and said yoke, said magnetic
circuit including permanent magnet means for providing a magnetic
polarity at said pole opposite the magnetic polarity of the yoke
portion in proximity to said string, and a pickup coil secured in
inductive relation to said magnetic circuit.
2. The pickup system of claim 1 in which said yoke in the dimension
parallel to said string extends beyond said pole in both
directions.
3. The pickup system of claim 1 in which said string when at rest
is equal or closer to said pole than to said yoke.
4. The pickup system of claim 3 in which said string when at rest
is substantially equidistant from said yoke through out half the
string circumference.
5. The pickup system of claim 1 in which said yoke encloses said
pole, said permanent magnet means and said coil.
6. The pickup system of claim 2 in which said string when at rest
is equal or closer to said pole than to said yoke.
7. The pickup system of claim 6 in which said string when at rest
is substantially equidistant from said yoke throughout half the
string circumference on the side opposite said pole.
8. An electrical pickup system for a guitar with strings comprising
a chassis for securement to guitar, a plurality of bridge string
supports secured to said chassis, said chassis having a plurality
of pickup cartridge mounting elements individually in vertical
planes passing through strings supported by said string supports,
said mounting elements all being individually the same distance
from their respective strings, and a plurality of identical pickup
cartridges, one for each string of the guitar, comprising means
providing a pole of magnetic material at one side of a string in
proximity thereto and means providing a yoke of magnetic material
having a portion in proximity to last-mentioned string enclosing a
length of said string in the region of said pole and on
substantially all sides of said string other than the said one
side, said pickup cartridges removably secured to said mounting
elements.
9. The pickup system of claim 8 in which said chassis and said
pickup cartridges have mutually engaging electrical terminal
adapted to engage when said cartridges are secured to said mounting
elements and to separate when said cartridges are removed form said
mounting elements.
10. The pickup system of claim 8 in which said bridge string
supports are individually longitudinally adjustable on said
chassis.
11. The pickup system of claim 8 in which said chassis is
vertically adjustable to provide proper string positioning relative
to the guitar frets.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
Guitar pickups for steel string guitars or similar instruments
which provide an electrical musical signal for each string
independently by variation of the reluctance of a magnetic circuit
which includes the playing string.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pickups which provide an electrical musical signal for each of the
strings, usually six, of a guitar or similar instrument by
variation of the reluctance of a magnetic circuit with string
vibration are not broadly new. In general they provide a post of
one magnetic polarity beneath each string such that as the string
vibrates toward and away from the post the reluctance of the
magnetic circuit varies. The magnetic circuit passes in inductive
relationship to a pickup coil of some sort so that as the
reluctance of the magnetic circuit and hence the magnetic flux
therethrough varies, a current is generated in the coil. The coil
in turn is connected to the input of electronic circuitry which
drives a speaker system. A typical example of such an organization
forms the subject of the U.s. Pat. to C.L. Fender. No.
3,236,930.
Although there are many variations of this general arrangement,
there is the common disadvantage that the electrical output is to
some degree at least sensitive to the plane of string vibration.
That is, vibration in some planes has less effect upon the
reluctance of the magnetic circuit than equal vibration in other
planes. This has an effect upon the quality of the output which is
important in some systems at least. The possible signal voltage is
also reduced insofar as string vibration in some planes contributes
only very little to the output. Another disadvantage which is
sometimes highly important is that isolation as between the several
magnetic circuits is not very good even if provided with an
individual pickup coil for each string, with the result that
vibration of a particular string may induce considerable crosstalk
in more than one pickup coil. With the popular variety of
transducer systems available a common coil embraces all of the
magnetic posts, thus, output is a composite of all signals and
crosstalks and no individual signal isolation is even
attempted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the system of the present invention each of the separate
pickups has an inverted U-shaped yoke which is maintained at one
magnetic polarity and a central pole of opposite polarity. The end
of the central pole is so positioned that a string passing through
the yoke is equal or slightly less distant to the central pole than
to the yoke throughout its 180.degree. curved portion. The yoke is
considerably longer than the central pole and projects beyond it in
both directions. It, therefore, acts as an effective magnetic
shield for the central pole. Furthermore, all of the yokes are of
the same polarity and hence, an adjacent vibrating string for
another pickup cannot appreciably change the reluctance of the
magnetic circuit of a particular pickup. This is particularly true
since each pickup has its own entirely independent magnetic
circuit. The pickups are positioned immediately adjacent the bridge
so that as the strings vibrate, they will develop a maximum
angularity through the yoke which contributes to the output as will
appear.
All of the individual pickup cartridges each of which includes the
permanent magnets, the yoke, the central pole member and the signal
coil, are identical and are fabricated separately and slid into
place such that they make mechanical and electrical connections
with a mounting member attached to the guitar body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pickup system associated with
the contiguous portion of a guitar;
FIG. 2 is end elevation of the pickup which may be considered as
taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 2-2 of FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a partial elevational view; a portion of the cover and
base plate are in section, which is taken substantially along the
line 3-3 of FIG. 1 in the direction indicated by the arrows;
FIG. 4 is a partial horizontal elevational view, looking downwardly
as indicated by the arrows along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 with a
portion of the cover in section;
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view which may be considered as
taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 as indicated by the arrows;
and
FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken in the direction of the
arrows along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a portion of a guitar body is
indicated at 10. The guitar may be conventional and there is,
therefore, no need to show additional guitar structure. The six
strings appear at 12 and these strings are anchored in any suitable
fashion toward the base end of the guitar body to the right of the
pickup system of the present invention which is indicated generally
at 14. The pickup system includes the bridge for the strings as
will appear presently.
As seen in FIG. 1, the pickup system 14 includes as principal
elements, six pickup cartridges 16 through which the strings pass,
together with appropriate mounting structure, a signal cord 18
having a connector 20 which plugs into a complementary fitting 22
on the pickup and a cover 24 which serves as as finishing and
protective element and also as an electrostatic shield and as a
means for grounding electrostatic charges on the player. The bridge
string supports which do not show in this view are beneath the
cover 24.
The pickup system as shown in the more detailed views comprises a
base plate 26 attached to the guitar body and the principal portion
of the mechanism which is removably secured thereto. The base plate
lower surface fits the top of the guitar body and is secured
thereto by screws not shown. It has a pair of threaded posts 28
that are welded into counterbored holes on the undersurface of the
base plate to maintain side view perpendicularity and front view
parallelness with the posts upstanding from the base plate. A
bridge chassis 30 is seated on hubbed and threaded leveling wheels
97 threaded upon the posts. The edges of the wheels are knurled and
contain 90.degree. holes for easy rotation, as with a paper clip.
The extended thread in the hub of these wheels increases the
stability of the system. The undersurface of the bridge chassis
contains an oblong hole 101 on one side and a round hole on the
opposite side which is aligned onto the leveling wheel hubs. The
strings of the instrument when tightened on the string support
blocks 40, subsequently to be described, supports the seated system
firmly in place on the base plate levelers 97.
When securing the base plate 26 to the guitar body and the bridge
chassis to the base plate, molded shims as necessary may be
interposed to achieve the proper spacing, the ultimate objective
being to achieve a proper fit with the guitar body and to support
the strings at an appropriate level relative to the frets on the
guitar neck.
The bridge chassis 30 is formed of heavy nonmagnetic sheet metal,
brass for instance, Its rearward portion forms a flat base as at 32
and has a turned up rearward flange 34 through which six adjustment
screws 36 extend. These screws are parallel and are piloted at
their front ends in tabs 38 wherein the threads on the steel screws
36 have been removed at the ends to prevent enlargement of the tab
holes. The tabs are struck upwardly from the chassis metal. Each of
the screws is threaded through a string support block 40 so that
when the screws are turned the blocks move forwardly or backwardly.
To prevent them from rocking, they have flat bottom surfaces with
projections that are guided in narrow slots in a thin flat plate 42
secured to the chassis plate 32 by rivets 44. This plate 42 covers
the openings, not shown, which are formed when the tabs 38 are
struck out and generally provides a smooth flat surface to support
and further guide the blocks 40. Supporting the string blocks in
this manner offsets production tolerances and provides
vibrationless performance. Springs 46 surrounding the screws 36 are
wound in a reverse direction to the screw threads to prevent
binding or spring rotation and bear against the blocks and prevent
the mechanism from rattling. They also hold the screw heads against
the flange 34 and aid in preventing change in the setting once the
bridge block has been adjusted for proper string length. The flat
portion 32 of bridge chassis 30 is extra wide to accommodate a
complete latitude of string support blocks 40 movement. Thus,
eliminating the need to twist the assembly which is a common
necessity for tuning string support blocks on guitars.
Forwardly of the tabs 38 the chassis 30 is offset downwardly and
the portion 48 ahead of the offset forms a shelf to which an
electrical receptacle case 50 is secured by screws 53. This
receptacle case has socket sleeves 52 which provide for plug-in
electrical connection to pins 54 on each of the pickup cartridges
16. The sleeves 52 are connected to seven pins, not shown, at the
case end which form electrical connection with socket sleeves, not
shown, but molded into the terminal connector 20 at the end of the
signal cord 18. The seven signal leads in the cord 18 include one
referred to as the drain which is common to one side of all pickup
circuits and six which connect separately to the other electrical
side of the individual pickups. To insure that the connector 20
will not inadvertently be pulled loose, the cord 18 is gripped just
behind the connector by a clamp 51 tightened by a thumb nut 54. In
addition, the connector 20 and electrical receptacle case 50 have
an internal interlock in the front end of the receptacle case, upon
insertion of connector 20. To disengage from the interlock, the
cord is first released from the clamp 51 by loosening thumb nut 54
then a light pull at the cord end of the connection will effect the
release.
Just in front of the receptacle case 50 the chassis is formed into
six pickup cartridge support tines 56 which are bent upwardly
slightly and then forwardly so as to be parallel to the rearward
portion 32 of the chassis. These tines are identical excepting that
the two in the center are at a higher level than those outwardly
thereof and the latter are higher than those at the edges FIG. 2.
The same is true of the bridge string supports 40 FIG. 3. Thus, the
upper surface of the group of strings presents the usual diverging
convex configuration relative to the fret board and the individual
pickups 16 can be identical as will appear and still be properly
located relative to their individual strings. As shown, the tines
56 are centered beneath the connector sleeves 52. The front ends of
the tines are bent in slightly toward the center line so that each
is parallel to its string, the strings passing from notches 58 in
the bridge string support blocks 40 to the notches in the nut, not
shown which as is customary, are closer together than those at the
bridge.
The individual pickup cartridges 16 include an inverted U-shaped
yoke member 60 of magnetic material which has parallel legs 62 and
a semicircular connecting portion 64 at the top. To give some idea
of scale, in the embodiment shown, the overall length from the
center of the curved portion 64 to the ends of the legs is about
nine-sixteenths inches. From front to back, parallel to the string
it is about seven-sixteenths inches. Internally, the distance
between the legs is about three-sixteenths and the metal is about
one-thirty second inch thick. A pole piece 68 of magnetic material
is centrally disposed between the legs and is formed of material
similar to that of the yoke. Its overall length vertically is about
eleven thirty-seconds. The lower portion 70 of the central pole
piece 68 has the same length horizontally as the yoke, but the
upper portion 72 as seen in FIG. 5 is only a little over one-third
as long. This upper portion 72 is centrally located both
transversely and longitudinally with respect to the yoke.
A pair of permanent magnets 74 of the resilient type are located on
each side between the bottom portion 70 of the central pole piece
68 and the legs 62 of the yoke. Since magnets of this type have a
lower induction value than Alnico magnets, increasing the area
compensates for this factor. Further, since the coercivity of
resilient magnets is higher than Alnico, short flat magnets have a
decided advantage. These magnets conform to the surface dimensions
of the pole piece portion 70 so that the narrow pole extension 72
projects thereabove. The lower portion 70 of the central pole piece
is about double the yoke wall thickness, serving as the flux path
for both magnets. It is important that saturation does not occur
which would introduce undesired leakage. In addition, the increased
thickness also serves as a spacer for the yoke opening needed for
string movement, the size of the coil that can be used and the thin
magnets that are required. The upper portion 72 is thinner than
lower portion 70 to provide even more coil space and to reduce the
flux leakage to the yoke walls. The upper pole piece portion 72 is
not reduced dimensionally to a point where saturation can be
approached. The magnets are inserted during assembly so that they
have like poles against the pole piece 68. As seen in FIG. 6, for
instance, the North poles of the magnets 74 are against the pole
piece 68 and the South poles against the legs 62 of the yoke 60.
Thus, the top portion 72 of the central pole 68 has a North
polarity whereas, the upper portion of the yoke has a South
polarity. The magnetic circuit through the air is therefore between
the inside of the yoke and the upper portion of the central pole.
This portion of the circuit is well shielded by the yoke and there
is, therefore, very little stray flux outside the yoke.
The top pole portion 72 is provided with a coil form 76 wound with
a coil 78. The coil leads 80 are connected to the previously
mentioned pin terminals 54 which are carried by a thin reinforced
plastic panel 82. The coil leads are protected from shorting
against portion 70 of the central pole piece by a plastic
termination guard 98.
On each side, the faces of the yoke legs 62 are embraced by
nonmagnetic sheet spring metal bracket members 84, formed of hard
copper alloy for instance, and the assembly is held together by
nonmagnetic rivets 86 passed through aligned holes in the several
elements. The bracket members 84 are bent around the front of the
cartridge to protect the coil 78 and extend below the yoke 60 and
are bent so as to embrace the tine 56 to form a light press fit. At
its ends the two bracket members are also formed to provide spring
fingers 88 which press resiliently against the edges of the tine
and spring fingers 90 which bear against the tine from beneath.
Rearward extensions of the brackets are shaped as at 92 to grasp
the terminal panel 82 at is side edges. The cartridge assembly,
therefore, can be pressed upon its tine and during its rearward
movement the pins 54 will enter the socket sleeves 52 and make the
electrical connections simultaneously with the mechanical
mounting.
The rearward portion 32 of the chassis has side wings 94 which are
bent upwardly and somewhat inwardly to carry the previously
mentioned cover 24 which is recessed on the underside for snap
action installation on the bridge chassis wings and is further
secured thereto by screws 96. Preferably this cover should be
formed of nonmagnetic metal or metal plated plastic material so as
to provide electrostatic shielding and grounding for the musician
as well s providing physical protection for the pickup elements and
generally dressing up and snag-proofing the arrangement. If formed
of plated plastic material, it is preferable to plate the inside as
well as the outside of the cover so that grounding of the cover to
the wings 94 takes place automatically when the cover is attached.
The bridge chassis 30 is in turn connected to the drain wire within
the receptacle case 50 via a thin copper alloy strap 100 which
emerges from an aperture on the underside of the case and is
clamped between the case and the chassis when screws 53 are
tightened.
After the mounting plate 26 has been attached to the guitar and the
chassis secured thereto as previously described, the strings 12 are
threaded through the yokes 60 and are secured to whatever
anchorages for the strings are provided by the guitar. For strings
that are not easily removable for threading, gaps can be provided
on the centerline of the semicircular region of the yokes for
entry. Hence, the yoke would be comprised of two pieces. For ease
of manufacture, however, the yoke member is best left as one
complete piece part. The strings are rested in the notches 58 and
are tightened and tuned in the customary fashion, the string
supports 40 being adjusted as necessary. The stringing operation
will be facilitated if the cover is removed and subsequently
replace.
When properly set up, the strings will pass centrally through the
yokes at about or slightly below the center of curvature of the top
portion 64. The distance from the string to the end 72 of the
central pole is equal or less than it is to the yoke either at its
sides or at the top. The relationship is approximately as shown in
FIG. 6, for instance. The magnetic flux is, therefore, strong from
the pole end 72, to the steel string 12 and thence to the yoke 60.
If now it is assumed that the string is moved horizontally in
either direction, its distance to the yoke will be reduced, but the
distance from the central pole 72 will not be changed as much. The
total flux path length through the air will, therefore, be reduced
and the flux density through the magnetic circuit including the
coil 78 will be changed. If now it is assumed that the string moves
downwardly from its at rest position, the distances to the yoke
sides will remain the same but the distance to the end pole 72 will
be reduced and the magnetic reluctance of the circuit is,
therefore, changed. If the string moves upwardly, the distance to
the yoke is reduced, but the distance to the central pole 72 is
increased. Note, however, that since the starting position of the
string is closer to the pole end 72, increase of the shorter
distance will have more of an effect to change the total reluctance
than an equal decrease in length of the longer path. This is
because the reluctance of a magnetic circuit which is contributed
by a airgap that is not small approaches a function of the square
of the distance.
As the string moves in vibrating, it not only shifts from side to
side and up and down as mentioned above, but the portion in the
pickup which is close to the bridge support also is inclined
relative to the notch 58. This inclination causes the string to be
closer at the front edge of pole end 72 than at its back edge.
During movement of the string from side to side or upwards and
downwards, it is even closer to the front edge of the yoke and the
central pole than it is at the rearward edges of these elements.
The effect of this is to increase the change in the reluctance of
the circuit as the string moves away from its at rest position.
From the above it will be seen that vibration of the string in any
major plane of its elliptical movement will produce a signal output
which will not change appreciably as the plane of vibration
precesses, but is more truly representative of vibration amplitude
only. It is also apparent that since the magnetic flux path for
each string and pickup is substantially wholly within each pickup
yoke and since no part of the magnetic circuit for any pickup is
common to another, extremely good isolation between adjacent
pickups is achieved together with extreme insensitivity to external
hum fields.
Although the invention has been illustrated and described as
applied to a conventional six string guitar, it can, of course, by
the use of more or fewer pickup cartridges and apparent revision of
the other structure be adapted to other stringed instruments, such
as four string bass guitars or mandolins, or even in instruments
with many strings, pianos for example. With an external filter
system for selection of the desired electrical components, the
pickup system can, of course, have even wider application.
Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful
is:
* * * * *