I'm pretty sure Scorpion bridges by Silvio Ferretti are all slightly radiused on the bottom

I've taken sandpaper to the outer feet of some of mine ... should produce the same result, no?  [Even though with me it's strictly eyeball/seat-of-the-pants "engineering (?)."]

The Deering smile bridges came out about 10 years ago, and are now standard on all their new banjos

patents.google.com/patent/US10127895B2

Sanding the outer legs reduces the effective height og the bridge.
Gluing a piece of popcycle to the middle leg would be a better way. But hay, who's counting...

Wow, thinking about that takes me back to 1995 when I started making my 3-legged bridges with a taller middle leg. Seems to have caught on 

quote:

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Originally posted by Joel Hooks

patents.google.com/patent/US10127895B2

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Patent examiner apparently believed Deering's claim to have invented the countoured bottomed banjo bridge.

I have tremendous respect for Greg Deering and Deering Banjos in general. But not on this.

The Snuffy Smith Compression Compensated bridge attempts to achieve the same result but in an entirely different way. (Link is to Banjo Ben's General Store)

It has a slightly radiused top and an slightly shorter center foot. The claim is that it balances weight distribution across all three feet. But whether that results in an effectively even top though it's really radiused, I don't know.

^^ Say what?!?!?  $73 US dollars = $101.60 Canadian + shipping .... I'd hafta sell my banjo to be able to pay for it!! 

The snuffy CC bridge is 51 bucks for regular top and 58 bucks for the pegged top version dont know banjo bens shipping costs though .

I'll radius top and or bottom of straight or compensated Davis bridges.
Whatever the customer wants.

quote:

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Originally posted by steve davis

I'll radius top and or bottom of straight or compensated Davis bridges.
Whatever the customer wants.

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I'm stickin with Steve...

A proovin winner ..in me own testing..

True there other good bridges out there..

But his have worked out the best..for me.. :0)

quote:

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Originally posted by Old Hickory

quote:

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Originally posted by Joel Hooks

patents.google.com/patent/US10127895B2

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Patent examiner apparently believed Deering's claim to have invented the countoured bottomed banjo bridge.

I have tremendous respect for Greg Deering and Deering Banjos in general. But not on this.

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I can only invision two versions:

The Deerings outright lied and in patent troll style claimed in use designs/prior art as their own.

The Deerings were so extremely out of touch with the banjo community at large for decades that they independently DID invent/develop the design concept.  

Either way it, it is not a great look.

Other honorary mentions:

Patent filed for "vertical sides tone ring" (basically any rolled flat bar tone ring).

Patent filed for "bridge plate" (there is a basically identical early 1900s patent).

Patent filed for any banjo made from the wood "white oak" (this one is just weird).

Bonus round:

Trademarks filed for: Fairbanks (live), S. S. Stewart (live), Paramount (abandoned), and Cole, (abandoned).  Why did they file all of these trademarks?  My guess was to sit on them and prevent anyone else from doing it. 

quote:

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Originally posted by Joel Hooks
Other honorary mentions:

Patent filed for "vertical sides tone ring" (basically any rolled flat bar tone ring).

Bonus round:

Trademarks filed for: Fairbanks (live), S. S. Stewart (live), Paramount (abandoned), and Cole, (abandoned).  Why did they file all of these trademarks?  My guess was to sit on them and prevent anyone else from doing it. 

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Yes, I've seen the tone ring patent that seems to cover all sorts of configurations that already exist.

As to squatting in trademarking names, I think that goes against the fundamental requirement for registration that the owner is using the mark in commerce. Is Deering actively S.S. Stewart, Paramount, or Cole?

Banjos are a dying breed so there's no need, or benefit, to have banjo patents...

quote:

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Originally posted by Owen

^^ Say what?!?!?  $73 US dollars = $101.60 Canadian + shipping .... I'd hafta sell my banjo to be able to pay for it!! 

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According to this page, that $73 price is Canadian. As Mike says, it's $51 US. You must be looking through a browser that did the currency conversion for you.

Also, free shipping over $49. But that may be US only.

I tried to patent a lobster trap that used 1/2 of a 3' plastic barrel as its foundation.
My cousin lived and worked in Washington D.C. and took my drawings and notes to a patent lawyer he knew.
His response was "Although a good reuse of a plastic barrel,nothing to patent,here."
Meaning that it still worked the same as all other lobster traps in spite of its differences.

Thanks Ken .... I sorta kinda wondered.  I just used the link in your previous post, and didn't/don't see where it says Cdn. until I do a fake checkout where it does indeed show as $73 CDN. 

[I've got a test for hearing aids coming up in early winter.... maybe there'll be such an improvement that I will be able to hear a difference from my $4.50 Grovers* ... though I think that ability/inability probably has more to do with my brain than my ears.  In any event, I'm lookinng forward to it.  ]

* I've only ever used cheap/modestly priced bridges, though some years back I did try a couple of my own "design" .... and I could sure hear the differences in those ones.    

quote:

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Originally posted by Old Hickory

quote:

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Originally posted by Joel Hooks
Other honorary mentions:

Patent filed for "vertical sides tone ring" (basically any rolled flat bar tone ring).

Bonus round:

Trademarks filed for: Fairbanks (live), S. S. Stewart (live), Paramount (abandoned), and Cole, (abandoned).  Why did they file all of these trademarks?  My guess was to sit on them and prevent anyone else from doing it. 

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Yes, I've seen the tone ring patent that seems to cover all sorts of configurations that already exist.

As to squatting in trademarking names, I think that goes against the fundamental requirement for registration that the owner is using the mark in commerce. Is Deering actively S.S. Stewart, Paramount, or Cole?

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Looking at the documents, they took standard Goodtime banjos and laser burned the names on them, glued a paper label inside, and called it a day.  The other sample was if you look on the printed Goodtime banjo box, and squint hard, you can see the names written in the corners.  I guess that is something.  I just found a photo of a box and it seems they jammed in everything they could, Tubaphone, Orpheum, Whyte Laydie, Cole

They did not get Paramount or Cole, only S. S. Stewart and Fairbanks (oh, Vega).

I have no idea what you all are talking about, but I used to buy oversized Stu Mac bridges, and sand the dish in the bottom. It was a pretty common thing to do, and talk about here, in the early days. When Deering came out with the smile bridge, I tried one. It’s all I’ve used ever since. I really like them.

Tim is one of a kind. There's a lot of great bridge builders, but there really won't be an another artisan like Purcell. He crafted very highly finished bridges. I only regret not having him make a second duplicate of the one he made for my last build.

quote:

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Originally posted by Dean T

I have no idea what you all are talking about, but I used to buy oversized Stu Mac bridges, and sand the dish in the bottom. It was a pretty common thing to do, and talk about here, in the early days. When Deering came out with the smile bridge, I tried one. It’s all I’ve used ever since. I really like them.

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I am talking about the Deerings filing a patent and claiming to invent a design concept that was in use and basically "open source" for at least a decade before their claim. 

Bridges aren't difficult to make.Any design.

Deering isnt exactly known for their honest business practices.....

I like my sets of radius gauges for precise and repeatable arches.

What flavor popcycle? Don’t they melt quick? I support that premise.

I use radioactive colored Chinese tongue depressors to give a more stable bridgeprint AND they are 1/4 sawn.
I seen, U Seen, They sawn. I like green

The prettiest bridges are laminated tongue depressors from Texas.