Title:
DRUM BEATER
United States Patent 3747464
Abstract:
A floor mounted tom tom drum having a drum beater mounted on one of the vertical legs thereof for beating the bottom head of the drum. The beater is actuated by a foot pedal which is connected to the beater by means of a resilient spring-like hard-surfaced substantially inextensible wire member carried within a flexible self-sustaining tubular guide member. A combination of percussion instruments including said tom tom drum as well as a foot pedal-operated high hat cymbal stand and a foot pedal-operated side-beater base drum.
US Patent References:
Percussion musical instrument
Percy - April 1951 - 2548271
Drum and cymbal beating device
Christian - January 1952 - 2581515
Double drum beating apparatus
Haviland - August 1958 - 2845830
Percussion musical instrument
Percy - April 1951 - 2548271
Drum and cymbal beating device
Christian - January 1952 - 2581515
Double drum beating apparatus
Haviland - August 1958 - 2845830
Application Number:
05/177051
Publication Date:
07/24/1973
Filing Date:
09/01/1971
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
984/152
International Classes:
G10D13/00; G10D13/00
Field of Search:
84/422
Primary Examiner:
Wilkinson, Richard B.
Assistant Examiner:
Franklin, Lawrence R.
Claims:
What I claim is
1. A combination of percussion instruments comprising:
1. A combination of percussion instruments comprising:
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of percussion musical instruments and more particularly to foot pedal-operated drums.
The rhythm section in a musical group performs two very important functions, particularly in the playing of musical compositions requiring a very distinct or heavy beat. One function, of course, is to provide a musical sound in combination with the musical sounds of the other instruments. The drummer who performs on the percussion instruments as well as the bass fiddle player are both charged with responsibility of adding very important musical sounds to the sounds of the other instrumentalists.
The second and perhaps more important function of the rhythm section, particularly with respect to the drummer, is to control the "time" of the musical organization. One of the essential characteristics of a good drummer is the ability to maintain proper "time" and to utilize the various effects which result from playing at the front end or the back end or in the middle of the beat.
In any event, the two important functions of the drummer are to produce sound and to control time. Time is essentially controlled by the beat of the bass drum. Drummers generally prefer to play the bass drum slightly below the dynamic level of the bass so that the beat of the bass drum is primarily felt and not heard. The percussion instruments primarily utilized to produce sound are the cymbals, the snare drums, the tom tom drums, cow bells, bongo drums and the like.
The drummer, of course, uses both the hands and the feet in playing his combination of percussion instruments. The ability to independently control the hands and the feet in playing the various instruments is one of the hallmarks of a good drummer.
The beat of the bass drum is produced by means of a foot pedal-operated beater. Since the bass drum is mounted on its side with the two drum heads extending vertically, the beater is located on the side of the bass drum adjacent one of the heads and is commonly described as a side beater. The foot pedal for the bass drum is generally actuated by the right foot of the drummer.
The left foot of the drummer actuates the foot pedal of a high hat cymbal stand. The hands of the drummer, of course, are used to play the snare drums, the tom toms, cymbals and the like.
The foot pedals are often actuated at different times since the bass drum and the high hat are not always played simultaneously. So far as musical considerations are concerned, it would often be desirable to play a tom tom drum in unison with the high hat but this would only be feasible if the tom tom were played by the foot rather than by hand not only because the hands are occupied by the sticks for playing the snare drum, the cymbals and the other instruments but also because the sound produced by a foot-operated drum beater is deeper and fuller in tone than is the sound produced by the sticks.
Foot pedal-operated tom tom drums have been used in the past in combination with high hats and bass drums but generally have been operated with separate foot pedals. Therefore, when the tom tom drum is played (usually by means of an up-beater) then either the high hat or (and more generally) the bass drum cannot be played. The only manner in which a foot pedal-operated tom tom drum can be played simultaneously with the foot pedal-operated high hat and without sacrificing the beat of the foot pedal-operated bass drum is to enable the tom tom drum to be played by the same foot as is the high hat.
The prior art includes disclosures of percussion instrument arrangements in which attempts have been made to provide additional drum beats by means of the utilization of additional foot pedals (see Haviland U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,830) or by connecting the foot pedal of a high hat to a bass drum side beater (Christian U.S. Pat. No. 2,581,515). No attempt has been made to my knowledge, however, in providing an additional beat from a tom tom (which produces a substantially different tone than does a bass drum) and furthermore none of the known arrangements for simultaneously playing a high hat and beating a drum have enjoyed any significant commercial success.
I attribute the absence in the known prior art of remote foot pedal-operated tom toms to the problems inherent in remotely actuating an upward moving drum beater as is necessarily required in connection with a foot pedal-operated tom tom. I attribute the lack of commercial success of any of the heretofore known arrangements for simultaneously playing a top hat and beating a drum with a single foot pedal to the presently unsatisfactory modes of interconnecting the foot pedal of the high hat with the remote drum beater.
For example, the arrangement disclosed in the above mentioned Haviland patent comprises a series of rigid shaft members. As a consequence, the distance between the top hat and the illustrated bass drum must be within the fairly small limits of adjustability of the actuating mechanism. Furthermore, care must be used in aligning the various shaft and journal members and the alignment between the high hat and the bass drum must be maintained within fairly close limits. Furthermore, there is a certain amount of inertia which must be overcome in actuating the foot pedal for the remote beater since the shaft actuating members must be rotated back and forth in opposite directions rather rapidly. This inertia may cause foot fatigue and may also result in the inability to maintain an "edge" on the beat over prolonged periods of playing time. Of course, the friction produced at the various journals may also impose a force sufficient to produce foot fatigue over a period of time and would also contribute to the inability to maintain a sharp and continuous beat.
Furthermore, the mechanical actuating arrangement disclosed in the Haviland patent would not be particularly desirable to musicians who perform mainly at one night engagements (which comprises a vast majority of musicians) and who must unpack and pack the instruments before and after every performance. First of all, the actuating arrangement disclosed in the Haviland patent would add some appreciable weight to the overall weight of the percussion outfit. Furthermore, a not insubstantial amount of time is required to assemble and disassemble the actuating mechanism.
The mechanism disclosed in the above mentioned Christian patent utilizes a cable or belt 53 to actuate the drum beater. While this arrangement avoids some of the deficiencies inherent in the Haviland patent it introduces certain other deficiencies.
For example, the cable must be wrapped about pulleys 61 and 52. The pulleys introduce a degree of friction which can produce foot fatigue as well as behind-the-beat playing of the drum. Furthermore, the tension required in the cable to actuate the drum beater requires that the high hat and the bass drum be maintained in a predetermined spaced relation by means, for example, of the bar 75 shown in the Christian patent.
Furthermore, the presence of the bar 75 as well as the cable 53 between the top hat and the bass drum produces an obstacle to the ease of placement of a snare drum stand or the like therebetween. Furthermore, the amount of time required to assemble and disassemble the actuating mechanism shown in the Christian patent would certainly tend to dissuade musicians primarily employed in one night engagements from using that actuating mechanism.
It has been my observation that there is not available a highly satisfactory foot pedal actuating mechanism for a remote drum beater and, as a consequence, all of the advantages derivable from a foot pedal-operated tom tom drum or the like in addition to the bass drum, are forfeited. On the other hand, the utilization of a beater drum and particularly a tom tom drum in addition to the bass drum can provide many colorful musical effects, variations in expression and interpretation and a much more dynamic and complete beat.
The present invention provides a foot-operated actuating mechanism for a remote drum beater that is so efficient mechanically as to produce no undesirable loss of beat sensitivity and no appreciable foot fatigue, that is so easy to assemble and disassemble and is so light in weight as to present no impediment to its use by those employed in one night engagements and that permits the location of the additional drum anywhere with respect to the other percussion instruments as well as to its associated foot pedal. In addition, the invention provides means for conveniently mounting a drum beater on the vertical leg of a floor mounted tom tom drum for actuation into beating relation with the lower head of the drum by means of a remote foot pedal. Very little time and effort is required to attach the up-beater to the leg of the drum and it can be attached to the leg of any conventional floor mounted tom tom without modification of the drum including the drum leg.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention may be summarized as comprising an improved drum beater apparatus including an up-beater for beating the bottom head of a floor mounted drum and for mounting on the vertical leg of the drum and further including a remote actuating mechanism including a foot pedal and means for translating the movement of the foot pedal to the drum beater.
The latter means features a flexible self-sustaining tubular guide member and a resilient spring-like hard-surfaced substantially inextensible wire member carried within the guide member. The combination of the aforesaid guide member and wire member affords many advantages over actuating mechanisms heretofore known. For example, the mechanism is extremely lightweight, enjoys high mechanical efficiency, provides great latitude in the location of the tom tom drum vis-a-vis the bass drum, the high hat and the other percussion instruments, has no effective inertia characteristics and can be easily adjusted around the stands of cymbals and other drums, chairs, microphone and amplification equipment and the like.
Another aspect of the invention resides in the combination of percussion instruments including a foot pedal-operated high hat stand, a foot pedal-operated side-beater bass drum and a floor mounted foot pedal-operated tom tom drum in which the drum beater for the tom tom drum is pivotally mounted on one of the vertical legs thereof for beating against the bottom head thereof, and further including a foot pedal and a flexible actuating means interconnecting the foot pedal and the drum beater.
By virtue of the present invention a tom tom drum can be beaten by a foot pedal and played in synchronism with a high hat cymbal arrangement (if desirable) without the discontinuance of the playing of either the associated high hat or bass drum. Accordingly, objects of the invention include the provision of a remote foot pedal-operated tom tom drum, the provision of an easily actuated and easily assembled and disassembled drum beater actuating mechanism and the provision of means for easily and quickly mounting an up-beater on the vertical leg of a floor mounted tom tom drum.
Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which preferred structural embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example only.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drum set including a floor-mounted tom tom drum equipped with beater apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the beater apparatus including a foot pedal.
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of portions of the beater apparatus including the foot pedal.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the foot pedal.
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a V-shaped mounting bracket mounted on a leg of the drum.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 discloses an assembly of percussion instruments referred to hereinafter as a drum set and indicated generally at reference numeral 10. The drum set 10 may be more particularly characterized as comprising a stand and cymbal assembly 11, commonly known as a "high hat," a snare drum 12, a bass drum 13 and a floor mounted tom tom drum 14.
In playing the drum set 10 the drummer normally sits on a chair or stool located between the high hat 11 and the bass drum 13 and positioned generally in front of the snare drum 12. The high hat is generally actuated or played by the left foot of the drummer and comprises a foot pedal 16. The bass drum 13 is played with the right foot of the drummer and is also supplied with a foot pedal indicated at reference numeral 17.
With respect to the high hat 11, actuation of the foot pedal 16 serves to relatively move a pair of cymbals 18 and 19 into engagement with one another. With respect to the bass drum 13, actuation of the foot pedal 17 serves to pivot the arm 20 of a drum beater assembly 21 so that a head 22 mounted on the end of the arm 20 beats against a head 23 of the bass drum 13.
From the description thus far it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that both feet of the drummer are continually being used in playing their respective instruments, at least when the musical composition being played has a heavy beat. By means of drumsticks the drummer uses his hands to play the snare drum 12 and occasionally cymbals 18 and 19 of the high hat 11 as well as the tom tom drum 14, and the other drums such as tom tom drums which may be mounted on the shell of the bass drum 13 and other various percussion instruments such as cymbals, cow bells, triangles and the like. Bongos, gongs, tympanis and the like may also be included in the percussion section of a musical organization.
As noted, the tom tom drum 14 is almost always a hand-played instrument, particularly when a foot operated high hat and a bass drum are included within a drum set. Generally, a tom tom drum is foot-operated only when a complete drum set is not being utilized, such as in connection with standup cocktail lounge work and small combos.
The desirability of enabling the drummer using a complete drum set to play the tom tom drum by foot as well as by hand is well recognized. Apparently, the greatest impediment to its usage in this respect has been the unavailability of a suitable foot-operated actuating mechanism.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a drum beater mounting bracket 24 is mounted on a vertical leg 26a of the tom tom drum 14. Referring to FIG. 3, a vertical slot 27 is formed in the mounting bracket 24 to receive the vertical leg 26. The mounting bracket 24 is adjustably secured to the leg 26 by means of a pair of fastening devices 28 each of which comprises a knurled head 29 and a threaded stud 30 which is turned into a complementarily threaded horizontal bore 31 which intersects the vertical slot 27.
A boss 32 projects upwardly from a top wall 33 of the mounting bracket 24 and is apertured as at 35 to receive a pivot pin 34 which is also received in an aligned bore of a pivot arm 36 whereby the arm 36 is mounted for pivotal movement about the pin 34.
The pivot arm 36 has a bore 37 in an end portion 38 thereof situated on one side of the pivot pin 34. The bore 37 receives a beater rod 39 which is adjustably secured within the bore 37 by means of an adjustable clamping member 40.
On a side of the pivot pin 34 opposite the end portion 38 the pivot arm 36 comprises a shoulder 41 formed on a bottom wall 42 for receiving the upper end of a spring biased pin 43. The purpose of the pin is to bias the pivot arm 36 to the position thereof shown in FIG. 3 so that a drum beater 44 mounted on the end of the beater rod 39 is normally disposed some distance below the bottom head of the drum 14.
The pivot arm 36 is actuated by means of an actuating assembly comprising a flexible self-sustaining tubular guide member 46 and a wire member 47 slidably carried within the guide member 46. An upper end 48 of the guide member 46 is disposed in a vertically slotted bore 49 formed in the mounting bracket 24 and having a larger diameter portion 49a and a smaller diameter portion 49b. An upper end 50a of the wire member 47 protrudes from the smaller diameter portion 49b and has formed at the end thereof an enlarged head 51 which is seated in a recess 52 formed in an upper wall 53 of the pivot arm 36.
A threaded sleeve 54, having a larger diameter bore 54a which houses a lower end 56 of the guide member 46 and a smaller diameter bore 54b through which a lower end 50b of the wire 47 extends, is threaded into a bore 57 formed in a mounting block indicated at reference numeral 58. The block 58 is, in turn, fixedly attached by means of suitable fasteners as indicated at 59 to a base plate 60 upon which a foot pedal 61 is pivotally mounted.
In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the base plate 60 comprises the plate upon which the foot pedal 16 of the top hat 11 is mounted. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the foot pedals 16 and 61 are mounted on the base plate 60 in side-by-side relation. While each of the foot pedals 16 and 61 can be operated independently they are in fact mounted in sufficiently close relation so that the drummer can operate both simultaneously with his left foot.
For example, in FIG. 2 the left foot of the drummer is indicated in the dashed lines at reference numeral 62. The heel of the foot 62 engages the foot pedal 16 whereas the toe engages the foot pedal 61. Thus the foot 62 traverses both pedals for simultaneous operation. If desired, however, the drummer may switch his foot back and forth between the two pedals 16 and 61 to play the top hat 11 and the tom tom drum 14 independently.
Referring to FIG. 3, the foot pedal 61 comprises a heel plate 63 connected in fixed assembly to the base plate 60, and a toe plate 64 which is pivoted to the heel plate 63 by means of a pivot pin 66. A recess 67 is formed in a lower face 68 of the toe plate 64 near the outer end thereof for receiving the transversely extending cylindrically shaped head portion 69 of a pivot rod 70. The head 69 is secured in the recess 67 by means of a fastener plate 71, and a lower end of the rod 70 is pivotally connected by means of pin 72 to one arm 73 of a bifurcated plate member 74 which is in turn pivotally mounted on the mounting block 58 by means of a pin 76.
Another arm 77 of the bifurcated plate member 74 comprises a substantially vertical wall 78 having a recess 79 formed therein for receiving an enlarged head end 80 of the wire member 47 as it extends through the guide member 46 and beyond a side wall 81 of the mounting block 58.
As the toe plate 64 of the foot pedal 61 is depressed, the pivot rod 70 pivots the bifurcated plate member 74 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. This has the effect of moving the wire member 47 vertically downwardly vis-a-vis the mounting bracket 24 to pivot the arm 36 in a counterclockwise direction, thus pivoting the beater head 44 upwardly into engagement with the lower head of the tom tom drum 14.
The guide member 46 is constructed of flexible, self-sustaining tubular material such as metal braid or the like so that it can be easily bent and shaped into the configuration most convenient in extending between the mounting bracket 24 mounted on the drum 14 and the mounting block 58 fastened to the base plate 60. Thus, for example, in referring to FIG. 1, the guide member 46 can be shaped to extend over a leg 82 of the snare drum 12, behind the foot pedal 17 of the bass drum 13 and then looped upwardly into the bore 49 of the mounting bracket 24. The guide member 46 is self-sustaining in the sense that it will maintain the configuration into which it is shaped until it is intentionally reshaped, and furthermore, will not crimp in normal usage.
The wire member 47 is constructed preferably of substantially inextensible metal wire having a hard surface and having the resilient characteristics of spring steel. The inside diameter of the guide member 46 is only slightly oversized with respect to the outside diameter of the wire member 47 to provide a snug guiding relationship therebetween. The wire member 47 may be coated with a very light lubricant to reduce friction as the wire member 47 is reciprocated within the guide member 46.
Since the wire member 47 is inextensible there is very little lost motion between the toe plate 64 and the pivot arm 36. This ensures that the drum beater rod 39 moves accurately and in rapid response to the movement of the toe plate 64 and further ensures that the beat actually intended by the player is in fact implemented by the sound of the drum 14.
The entire actuating assembly can be easily and rapidly assembled and disassembled. For example, in assembling the mechanism the mounting bracket 24 is mounted on the leg 26a of the drum 14 by disposing the leg in the slot 27 and tightening the fasteners 28. After the other legs 26 and 26b are in place the mounting bracket 24 is then adjusted for proper positioning.
The threaded sleeve 54 which is mounted on the lower end 56 of the guide member 46 is then threaded into the bore 57 of the mounting block 58 after the head end 80 of the wire member 47 has been pulled through the bore 57 and over the arm 77 of the bifurcated plate member 74 and into the recess 79. The sleeve 54 is secured in place by means of a knurled nut 83 which is mounted on the sleeve 54 and threaded snugly into engagement with a vertical end wall 84 of the mounting block 58.
The entire actuating mechanism may be completely assembled in place in a matter of minutes and is just as conveniently and rapidly disassembled. It is extremely light. Furthermore, when the mechanism is disassembled it may be wound into a compact roll and easily stored with one of the drums in a drum case or other container.
The actuating mechanism is also inexpensive in manufacture. The various components are relatively simple in design and construction and no special tooling or fabrication is required.
The adjustability of the drum beat rod 39 in the pivot arm 36 enables the actuating mechanism to be used in association with drums having different diameters. Generally, the mounting bracket 24 is arranged so that the drum beater 44 will strike the center of the drum head, and means are provided for preventing twisting of the mounting bracket 24 on the drum leg 26a which would cause a misalignment of the drum beater and drum head.
Thus, the mounting bracket 24 is apertured at 86 to receive a bent end 87 of an elongated brace rod 88, an opposite end 89 of which is inserted into a pair of aligned bores 90 and 91 formed in the legs 92 and 93 of a U-shaped clamp 94. The end 87 of the rod 88 is secured to the bracket 24 by means of a threaded fastener 96, whereas the other end 89 as well as the clamp 94 is secured to a drum leg 26b as shown in FIG. 5 by means of a threaded fastener 97. The brace 88 effectively interconnects the mounting bracket 24 and the drum leg 26b on which the clamp 94 is mounted to prevent twisting of the bracket 24. This ensures that the drum beater 44, once adjusted, will remain in proper alignment with the drum head.
Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably come within the scope of my contribution to the art.
This invention relates generally to the field of percussion musical instruments and more particularly to foot pedal-operated drums.
The rhythm section in a musical group performs two very important functions, particularly in the playing of musical compositions requiring a very distinct or heavy beat. One function, of course, is to provide a musical sound in combination with the musical sounds of the other instruments. The drummer who performs on the percussion instruments as well as the bass fiddle player are both charged with responsibility of adding very important musical sounds to the sounds of the other instrumentalists.
The second and perhaps more important function of the rhythm section, particularly with respect to the drummer, is to control the "time" of the musical organization. One of the essential characteristics of a good drummer is the ability to maintain proper "time" and to utilize the various effects which result from playing at the front end or the back end or in the middle of the beat.
In any event, the two important functions of the drummer are to produce sound and to control time. Time is essentially controlled by the beat of the bass drum. Drummers generally prefer to play the bass drum slightly below the dynamic level of the bass so that the beat of the bass drum is primarily felt and not heard. The percussion instruments primarily utilized to produce sound are the cymbals, the snare drums, the tom tom drums, cow bells, bongo drums and the like.
The drummer, of course, uses both the hands and the feet in playing his combination of percussion instruments. The ability to independently control the hands and the feet in playing the various instruments is one of the hallmarks of a good drummer.
The beat of the bass drum is produced by means of a foot pedal-operated beater. Since the bass drum is mounted on its side with the two drum heads extending vertically, the beater is located on the side of the bass drum adjacent one of the heads and is commonly described as a side beater. The foot pedal for the bass drum is generally actuated by the right foot of the drummer.
The left foot of the drummer actuates the foot pedal of a high hat cymbal stand. The hands of the drummer, of course, are used to play the snare drums, the tom toms, cymbals and the like.
The foot pedals are often actuated at different times since the bass drum and the high hat are not always played simultaneously. So far as musical considerations are concerned, it would often be desirable to play a tom tom drum in unison with the high hat but this would only be feasible if the tom tom were played by the foot rather than by hand not only because the hands are occupied by the sticks for playing the snare drum, the cymbals and the other instruments but also because the sound produced by a foot-operated drum beater is deeper and fuller in tone than is the sound produced by the sticks.
Foot pedal-operated tom tom drums have been used in the past in combination with high hats and bass drums but generally have been operated with separate foot pedals. Therefore, when the tom tom drum is played (usually by means of an up-beater) then either the high hat or (and more generally) the bass drum cannot be played. The only manner in which a foot pedal-operated tom tom drum can be played simultaneously with the foot pedal-operated high hat and without sacrificing the beat of the foot pedal-operated bass drum is to enable the tom tom drum to be played by the same foot as is the high hat.
The prior art includes disclosures of percussion instrument arrangements in which attempts have been made to provide additional drum beats by means of the utilization of additional foot pedals (see Haviland U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,830) or by connecting the foot pedal of a high hat to a bass drum side beater (Christian U.S. Pat. No. 2,581,515). No attempt has been made to my knowledge, however, in providing an additional beat from a tom tom (which produces a substantially different tone than does a bass drum) and furthermore none of the known arrangements for simultaneously playing a high hat and beating a drum have enjoyed any significant commercial success.
I attribute the absence in the known prior art of remote foot pedal-operated tom toms to the problems inherent in remotely actuating an upward moving drum beater as is necessarily required in connection with a foot pedal-operated tom tom. I attribute the lack of commercial success of any of the heretofore known arrangements for simultaneously playing a top hat and beating a drum with a single foot pedal to the presently unsatisfactory modes of interconnecting the foot pedal of the high hat with the remote drum beater.
For example, the arrangement disclosed in the above mentioned Haviland patent comprises a series of rigid shaft members. As a consequence, the distance between the top hat and the illustrated bass drum must be within the fairly small limits of adjustability of the actuating mechanism. Furthermore, care must be used in aligning the various shaft and journal members and the alignment between the high hat and the bass drum must be maintained within fairly close limits. Furthermore, there is a certain amount of inertia which must be overcome in actuating the foot pedal for the remote beater since the shaft actuating members must be rotated back and forth in opposite directions rather rapidly. This inertia may cause foot fatigue and may also result in the inability to maintain an "edge" on the beat over prolonged periods of playing time. Of course, the friction produced at the various journals may also impose a force sufficient to produce foot fatigue over a period of time and would also contribute to the inability to maintain a sharp and continuous beat.
Furthermore, the mechanical actuating arrangement disclosed in the Haviland patent would not be particularly desirable to musicians who perform mainly at one night engagements (which comprises a vast majority of musicians) and who must unpack and pack the instruments before and after every performance. First of all, the actuating arrangement disclosed in the Haviland patent would add some appreciable weight to the overall weight of the percussion outfit. Furthermore, a not insubstantial amount of time is required to assemble and disassemble the actuating mechanism.
The mechanism disclosed in the above mentioned Christian patent utilizes a cable or belt 53 to actuate the drum beater. While this arrangement avoids some of the deficiencies inherent in the Haviland patent it introduces certain other deficiencies.
For example, the cable must be wrapped about pulleys 61 and 52. The pulleys introduce a degree of friction which can produce foot fatigue as well as behind-the-beat playing of the drum. Furthermore, the tension required in the cable to actuate the drum beater requires that the high hat and the bass drum be maintained in a predetermined spaced relation by means, for example, of the bar 75 shown in the Christian patent.
Furthermore, the presence of the bar 75 as well as the cable 53 between the top hat and the bass drum produces an obstacle to the ease of placement of a snare drum stand or the like therebetween. Furthermore, the amount of time required to assemble and disassemble the actuating mechanism shown in the Christian patent would certainly tend to dissuade musicians primarily employed in one night engagements from using that actuating mechanism.
It has been my observation that there is not available a highly satisfactory foot pedal actuating mechanism for a remote drum beater and, as a consequence, all of the advantages derivable from a foot pedal-operated tom tom drum or the like in addition to the bass drum, are forfeited. On the other hand, the utilization of a beater drum and particularly a tom tom drum in addition to the bass drum can provide many colorful musical effects, variations in expression and interpretation and a much more dynamic and complete beat.
The present invention provides a foot-operated actuating mechanism for a remote drum beater that is so efficient mechanically as to produce no undesirable loss of beat sensitivity and no appreciable foot fatigue, that is so easy to assemble and disassemble and is so light in weight as to present no impediment to its use by those employed in one night engagements and that permits the location of the additional drum anywhere with respect to the other percussion instruments as well as to its associated foot pedal. In addition, the invention provides means for conveniently mounting a drum beater on the vertical leg of a floor mounted tom tom drum for actuation into beating relation with the lower head of the drum by means of a remote foot pedal. Very little time and effort is required to attach the up-beater to the leg of the drum and it can be attached to the leg of any conventional floor mounted tom tom without modification of the drum including the drum leg.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention may be summarized as comprising an improved drum beater apparatus including an up-beater for beating the bottom head of a floor mounted drum and for mounting on the vertical leg of the drum and further including a remote actuating mechanism including a foot pedal and means for translating the movement of the foot pedal to the drum beater.
The latter means features a flexible self-sustaining tubular guide member and a resilient spring-like hard-surfaced substantially inextensible wire member carried within the guide member. The combination of the aforesaid guide member and wire member affords many advantages over actuating mechanisms heretofore known. For example, the mechanism is extremely lightweight, enjoys high mechanical efficiency, provides great latitude in the location of the tom tom drum vis-a-vis the bass drum, the high hat and the other percussion instruments, has no effective inertia characteristics and can be easily adjusted around the stands of cymbals and other drums, chairs, microphone and amplification equipment and the like.
Another aspect of the invention resides in the combination of percussion instruments including a foot pedal-operated high hat stand, a foot pedal-operated side-beater bass drum and a floor mounted foot pedal-operated tom tom drum in which the drum beater for the tom tom drum is pivotally mounted on one of the vertical legs thereof for beating against the bottom head thereof, and further including a foot pedal and a flexible actuating means interconnecting the foot pedal and the drum beater.
By virtue of the present invention a tom tom drum can be beaten by a foot pedal and played in synchronism with a high hat cymbal arrangement (if desirable) without the discontinuance of the playing of either the associated high hat or bass drum. Accordingly, objects of the invention include the provision of a remote foot pedal-operated tom tom drum, the provision of an easily actuated and easily assembled and disassembled drum beater actuating mechanism and the provision of means for easily and quickly mounting an up-beater on the vertical leg of a floor mounted tom tom drum.
Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which preferred structural embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example only.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drum set including a floor-mounted tom tom drum equipped with beater apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the beater apparatus including a foot pedal.
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of portions of the beater apparatus including the foot pedal.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the foot pedal.
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a V-shaped mounting bracket mounted on a leg of the drum.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 discloses an assembly of percussion instruments referred to hereinafter as a drum set and indicated generally at reference numeral 10. The drum set 10 may be more particularly characterized as comprising a stand and cymbal assembly 11, commonly known as a "high hat," a snare drum 12, a bass drum 13 and a floor mounted tom tom drum 14.
In playing the drum set 10 the drummer normally sits on a chair or stool located between the high hat 11 and the bass drum 13 and positioned generally in front of the snare drum 12. The high hat is generally actuated or played by the left foot of the drummer and comprises a foot pedal 16. The bass drum 13 is played with the right foot of the drummer and is also supplied with a foot pedal indicated at reference numeral 17.
With respect to the high hat 11, actuation of the foot pedal 16 serves to relatively move a pair of cymbals 18 and 19 into engagement with one another. With respect to the bass drum 13, actuation of the foot pedal 17 serves to pivot the arm 20 of a drum beater assembly 21 so that a head 22 mounted on the end of the arm 20 beats against a head 23 of the bass drum 13.
From the description thus far it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that both feet of the drummer are continually being used in playing their respective instruments, at least when the musical composition being played has a heavy beat. By means of drumsticks the drummer uses his hands to play the snare drum 12 and occasionally cymbals 18 and 19 of the high hat 11 as well as the tom tom drum 14, and the other drums such as tom tom drums which may be mounted on the shell of the bass drum 13 and other various percussion instruments such as cymbals, cow bells, triangles and the like. Bongos, gongs, tympanis and the like may also be included in the percussion section of a musical organization.
As noted, the tom tom drum 14 is almost always a hand-played instrument, particularly when a foot operated high hat and a bass drum are included within a drum set. Generally, a tom tom drum is foot-operated only when a complete drum set is not being utilized, such as in connection with standup cocktail lounge work and small combos.
The desirability of enabling the drummer using a complete drum set to play the tom tom drum by foot as well as by hand is well recognized. Apparently, the greatest impediment to its usage in this respect has been the unavailability of a suitable foot-operated actuating mechanism.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a drum beater mounting bracket 24 is mounted on a vertical leg 26a of the tom tom drum 14. Referring to FIG. 3, a vertical slot 27 is formed in the mounting bracket 24 to receive the vertical leg 26. The mounting bracket 24 is adjustably secured to the leg 26 by means of a pair of fastening devices 28 each of which comprises a knurled head 29 and a threaded stud 30 which is turned into a complementarily threaded horizontal bore 31 which intersects the vertical slot 27.
A boss 32 projects upwardly from a top wall 33 of the mounting bracket 24 and is apertured as at 35 to receive a pivot pin 34 which is also received in an aligned bore of a pivot arm 36 whereby the arm 36 is mounted for pivotal movement about the pin 34.
The pivot arm 36 has a bore 37 in an end portion 38 thereof situated on one side of the pivot pin 34. The bore 37 receives a beater rod 39 which is adjustably secured within the bore 37 by means of an adjustable clamping member 40.
On a side of the pivot pin 34 opposite the end portion 38 the pivot arm 36 comprises a shoulder 41 formed on a bottom wall 42 for receiving the upper end of a spring biased pin 43. The purpose of the pin is to bias the pivot arm 36 to the position thereof shown in FIG. 3 so that a drum beater 44 mounted on the end of the beater rod 39 is normally disposed some distance below the bottom head of the drum 14.
The pivot arm 36 is actuated by means of an actuating assembly comprising a flexible self-sustaining tubular guide member 46 and a wire member 47 slidably carried within the guide member 46. An upper end 48 of the guide member 46 is disposed in a vertically slotted bore 49 formed in the mounting bracket 24 and having a larger diameter portion 49a and a smaller diameter portion 49b. An upper end 50a of the wire member 47 protrudes from the smaller diameter portion 49b and has formed at the end thereof an enlarged head 51 which is seated in a recess 52 formed in an upper wall 53 of the pivot arm 36.
A threaded sleeve 54, having a larger diameter bore 54a which houses a lower end 56 of the guide member 46 and a smaller diameter bore 54b through which a lower end 50b of the wire 47 extends, is threaded into a bore 57 formed in a mounting block indicated at reference numeral 58. The block 58 is, in turn, fixedly attached by means of suitable fasteners as indicated at 59 to a base plate 60 upon which a foot pedal 61 is pivotally mounted.
In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the base plate 60 comprises the plate upon which the foot pedal 16 of the top hat 11 is mounted. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the foot pedals 16 and 61 are mounted on the base plate 60 in side-by-side relation. While each of the foot pedals 16 and 61 can be operated independently they are in fact mounted in sufficiently close relation so that the drummer can operate both simultaneously with his left foot.
For example, in FIG. 2 the left foot of the drummer is indicated in the dashed lines at reference numeral 62. The heel of the foot 62 engages the foot pedal 16 whereas the toe engages the foot pedal 61. Thus the foot 62 traverses both pedals for simultaneous operation. If desired, however, the drummer may switch his foot back and forth between the two pedals 16 and 61 to play the top hat 11 and the tom tom drum 14 independently.
Referring to FIG. 3, the foot pedal 61 comprises a heel plate 63 connected in fixed assembly to the base plate 60, and a toe plate 64 which is pivoted to the heel plate 63 by means of a pivot pin 66. A recess 67 is formed in a lower face 68 of the toe plate 64 near the outer end thereof for receiving the transversely extending cylindrically shaped head portion 69 of a pivot rod 70. The head 69 is secured in the recess 67 by means of a fastener plate 71, and a lower end of the rod 70 is pivotally connected by means of pin 72 to one arm 73 of a bifurcated plate member 74 which is in turn pivotally mounted on the mounting block 58 by means of a pin 76.
Another arm 77 of the bifurcated plate member 74 comprises a substantially vertical wall 78 having a recess 79 formed therein for receiving an enlarged head end 80 of the wire member 47 as it extends through the guide member 46 and beyond a side wall 81 of the mounting block 58.
As the toe plate 64 of the foot pedal 61 is depressed, the pivot rod 70 pivots the bifurcated plate member 74 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. This has the effect of moving the wire member 47 vertically downwardly vis-a-vis the mounting bracket 24 to pivot the arm 36 in a counterclockwise direction, thus pivoting the beater head 44 upwardly into engagement with the lower head of the tom tom drum 14.
The guide member 46 is constructed of flexible, self-sustaining tubular material such as metal braid or the like so that it can be easily bent and shaped into the configuration most convenient in extending between the mounting bracket 24 mounted on the drum 14 and the mounting block 58 fastened to the base plate 60. Thus, for example, in referring to FIG. 1, the guide member 46 can be shaped to extend over a leg 82 of the snare drum 12, behind the foot pedal 17 of the bass drum 13 and then looped upwardly into the bore 49 of the mounting bracket 24. The guide member 46 is self-sustaining in the sense that it will maintain the configuration into which it is shaped until it is intentionally reshaped, and furthermore, will not crimp in normal usage.
The wire member 47 is constructed preferably of substantially inextensible metal wire having a hard surface and having the resilient characteristics of spring steel. The inside diameter of the guide member 46 is only slightly oversized with respect to the outside diameter of the wire member 47 to provide a snug guiding relationship therebetween. The wire member 47 may be coated with a very light lubricant to reduce friction as the wire member 47 is reciprocated within the guide member 46.
Since the wire member 47 is inextensible there is very little lost motion between the toe plate 64 and the pivot arm 36. This ensures that the drum beater rod 39 moves accurately and in rapid response to the movement of the toe plate 64 and further ensures that the beat actually intended by the player is in fact implemented by the sound of the drum 14.
The entire actuating assembly can be easily and rapidly assembled and disassembled. For example, in assembling the mechanism the mounting bracket 24 is mounted on the leg 26a of the drum 14 by disposing the leg in the slot 27 and tightening the fasteners 28. After the other legs 26 and 26b are in place the mounting bracket 24 is then adjusted for proper positioning.
The threaded sleeve 54 which is mounted on the lower end 56 of the guide member 46 is then threaded into the bore 57 of the mounting block 58 after the head end 80 of the wire member 47 has been pulled through the bore 57 and over the arm 77 of the bifurcated plate member 74 and into the recess 79. The sleeve 54 is secured in place by means of a knurled nut 83 which is mounted on the sleeve 54 and threaded snugly into engagement with a vertical end wall 84 of the mounting block 58.
The entire actuating mechanism may be completely assembled in place in a matter of minutes and is just as conveniently and rapidly disassembled. It is extremely light. Furthermore, when the mechanism is disassembled it may be wound into a compact roll and easily stored with one of the drums in a drum case or other container.
The actuating mechanism is also inexpensive in manufacture. The various components are relatively simple in design and construction and no special tooling or fabrication is required.
The adjustability of the drum beat rod 39 in the pivot arm 36 enables the actuating mechanism to be used in association with drums having different diameters. Generally, the mounting bracket 24 is arranged so that the drum beater 44 will strike the center of the drum head, and means are provided for preventing twisting of the mounting bracket 24 on the drum leg 26a which would cause a misalignment of the drum beater and drum head.
Thus, the mounting bracket 24 is apertured at 86 to receive a bent end 87 of an elongated brace rod 88, an opposite end 89 of which is inserted into a pair of aligned bores 90 and 91 formed in the legs 92 and 93 of a U-shaped clamp 94. The end 87 of the rod 88 is secured to the bracket 24 by means of a threaded fastener 96, whereas the other end 89 as well as the clamp 94 is secured to a drum leg 26b as shown in FIG. 5 by means of a threaded fastener 97. The brace 88 effectively interconnects the mounting bracket 24 and the drum leg 26b on which the clamp 94 is mounted to prevent twisting of the bracket 24. This ensures that the drum beater 44, once adjusted, will remain in proper alignment with the drum head.
Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably come within the scope of my contribution to the art.