GB2260440A

GB2260440A - Drum stand

Info

Publication number: GB2260440A
Application number: GB9121457A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Paul Hackett; John Thomas Brown
Original assignee: Premier Percussion Ltd
Current assignee: Premier Percussion Ltd
Priority date: 1991-10-10
Filing date: 1991-10-10
Publication date: 1993-04-14
Anticipated expiration: 2011-10-10
Also published as: GB9121457D0; GB2260440B

Abstract

A support stand for a musical drum, particularly a snare drum, consists of a base column (30) to the upper end of which a support rod (34) is attached to extend across the diameter of the drum (10). An upright (36) is mounted to each end of the support rod (34), each upright (36) carrying releasable clamp means (38) for clamping the drum at a position intermediate the top (14) and bottom hoops. <IMAGE>

Description

Title - Drum Stand The invention relates to an improved support cradle for a musical drum, in particular for a snare drum.

A musical drum generally consists of a cylindrical drum shell over the open ends of which respective drum heads are tensioned.

Each drum head consists of a circular "skin" having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter. of the drum shell, a flesh hoop being secured to the periphery of the skin. The skin rests against an annular bearing edge of the drum shell with the flesh hoop lying alongside the outer surface of the drum shell. In order to tension the skin, pressure is applied to the flesh hoop in a direction away from the bearing edge.

In the type of musical drum known as a snare drum, a "snare" lays across the bottom head of the drum under tension. Conventionally musical drums, in particular snare drums, are supported by means of a tripod stand. It is a disadvantage of such a support stand that it takes up a large amount of space in the drummer's working area, which area may in any case be restricted, with the effect that the working area becomes undesirably cluttered.

A further disadvantage of the conventional stand for a musical drum, in particular a snare drum, lies in the method of clamping the drum to the tripod stand. Further, where the drum is a snare drum the method of clamping can have the undesired effect of "choking" the snares and hence reducing their performance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved support stand for a musical drum, in particular a snare drum, in which the above disadvantages are reduced or substantially obviated.

The invention provides a support stand for a musical drum, in particular a snare drum, which drum includes top and bottom hoops and which stand comprises a base column, a support rod attached to the base column and extending across the drum, at least one upright extending from an end of the support rod, and releasable clamp means associated with the or each upright and adapted for clamping to a musical drum, at a position intermediate the top and bottom drum hoops of the drum.

The support stand may rest upon a conventional tripod being connected to the tripod by the base column. If desired, the base column may be adjustably mounted on the tripod. For example,the base column may be received telescopically within an upright of the tripod.

In one embodiment, the upright is connected to the support rod at an intermediate position along its length, conveniently by a swivel clamp assembly, this arrangement permitting the musical drum to be rotatably adjusted to achieve a desired playing position.

The invention further provides a drum assembly which comprises a drum having top and bottom hoops and mounted on a support stand, which stand comprises a base column, a support rod attached to the base column and extending across the drum, at least one upright extending from an end of the support rod, and releasable clamp means associated with the or each upright and clamped to the drum at a position intermediate the top and bottom drum hoops of the drum.

When the musical drum is a snare drum it preferably includes an intermediate hoop positioned between the top and bottom drum hoops and the clamp means associated with the uprights is preferably clamped to the intermediate hoop spaced away from the shell. Thus the drum is being allowed to resonate freely and the snare wires respond fully without being choked.

The or each support rod which is attached to the base column may extend diametrically across the drum, or may extend between suitable points on the perimeter of the drum. If desired, more than one support rod may be used.

A lateral support may be provided for the base column and which may be fixed at its remote end. For example the lateral support may be secured to another item of the drummer's equipment, for example a bass drum. Alternatively, the lateral support may be secured to a fixing point which may for example be a bracket fixed to an adjoining wall.

The drum assembly preferably further comprises an attachment by means of which a bass drum can be attached to the end of the lateral support remote from the base column, the angle between the bass drum and the lateral support being adjustable so that the bass drum is mounted at the desired angle for playing. The attachment means may be angularly offset with respect to the bass drum thus ensuring that the lateral support always moves in a horizontal plane. Alternatively, the angle between the bass drum and the lateral support may be fixed, being sufficient to compensate for a desired playing position.

It will be appreciated that when a lateral support is provided the conventional tripod may be dispensed with altogether.

Alternatively, again the tripod may be replaced with a single drum support leg.

An embodiment of a drum assembly according to the invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying

drawings, in which, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a snare drum and support stand according to one aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is a view in enlarged scale and disassembled, of the area shown encircled and marked "A" in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of area depicted "A" and illustrated in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view in enlarged scale and disassembled, of the area shown encircled and marked "B" in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4, with the clamp assembled but in a plain orthogonal to that of Figure 4;; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 1 having a lateral stand support and a single leg, and Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the upper part of Figure 6 illustrating, diagrammatically, the snare drum removed from the stand.

As can be seen in Figure 1, a snare drum 10 is mounted on a support stand 20 and comprises a cylindrical drum shell 2 over the open ends of which respective drum heads 4, 6 are tensioned.

Each drum head 4, 6 is tensioned by tensioning bolts 8, 12 which, in the case of the top drum head 4 extend from a top counterhoop 14 to an intermediate hoop 16, and in the case of the bottom head 6 extend from the bottom counterhoop 18 to the intermediate hoop 16.

A snare 22 is laid across the bottom head 6 of the drum and is attached by means of first and second snare clamps 24, 26 as described and claimed in our co-pending application (Applicants ref P11416GB).

The support stand 20 comprises a base column 30 attached by means of a swivel clamp assembly 32 (shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3) to a support rod 34, at each end of which an upright 36 is mounted. The uprights 36 are provided at their ends remote from the support rod 34 with clamps 38 for attachment to the intermediate hoop 16 of the drum 2.

The height of the snare drum 2 can be adjusted by means of telescopic height adjustment means 46. One end of the base column 30 is received telescopically within a leg 31. One end of a lateral support 40 clamps the leg 31, the other end also being clamped via a clamp assembly 42 (shown in more detail in Figures 4 and 5) to a bass drum 44.

As can be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the swivel clamp assembly 32 comprises a clamp member 48 attached to the support rod 34 and provided with angled lugs 50, 52 which project downwards from the clamp member 48 for engagement in corresponding recesses 54, 56 in a co-operating clamp member 58 adapted for mounting at the upper end of the base column 30. One angled lug 50 is provided with a step 60, the faces of which engage with a locking lever 62 located in the clamp member 58 when the co-operating clamp members 48 and 58 are assembled. The clamp member 58 is suitably mounted on the base column 30 by means of a ball and socket mounting 64 secured by screw means 66.

As can seen from Figures 4 and 5, the lateral support 40 is attached by means of a clamp assembly 42 to adjacent pillars 70 of a bass drum 44. The clamp assembly 42 comprises two cooperating clamp members 72, 74, the first 72 of which is mounted on the lateral support 40 to which it is secured by means of a screw 76. A U-shaped member 78 is pivotally attached to the clamp member 72 and comprises downwardly projecting angled lugs 80. The angular orientation of the U-shaped member 78 relative to the first clamp member 72 can be adjusted by means of a screw 82.

The second clamp member 74 is provided with recesses (not shown) for engagement with the lugs 80. Bolts 84 are provided for attaching the clamp member 74 to a plate 86 which is mounted between adjacent pillars 70 of the bass drum 44, so that the plate 86 lies parallel to but spaced from the shell 88 of the bass drum 44.

Whereas the base column 30 is illustrated in Figure 1 as mounted upon a support leg 31, it will be appreciated that the leg .31 could be the upright of a conventional tripod. When the lateral support 40 is provided, the tripod and/or the leg 31 may be dispensed with altogether. The lateral support 40 may be connected to the base column 30 or to a leg 31, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure 6 the arrangement illustrated corresponds to that of Figure 1 and similar reference numerals have therefore been used to designate similar parts. However, in Figure 6 a conventional snare drum cradle is used with the single leg 31 and the lateral support 40. In the conventional cradle three arms 90 grip the drum at three peripheral positions. This "gripping" tends to distort the drum head thus "choking" the snares.

However, the embodiment of Figure 6 enables a conventional snare to be used with the single leg and lateral support of the invention leaving room in the players working area.

Also in Figure 6 the swivel clamp assembly 32 is replaced by an adjustable pivot 92. A further screw 94 enables the gripping diameter of the arms 90 to be adjusted to enable a snare drum to be gripped or released. The arm stays 96 which are each pivotally attached to the arms 90 support the arms and also permit movement resulting from adjustment.

Claims

Claims

1A support stand for a musical drum, in particular a snare drum, which drum includes top and bottom hoops and which stand comprises a base column, a support rod attached to the base column and extending across the drum, at least one upright extending from an end of the support rod, and releasable clamp means associated with the or each upright and adapted for clamping to a musical drum, at a position intermediate the top and bottom drum hoops of the drum.
2 A support stand as claimed in claim 1 in which a lateral support (40) is provided for the column (30), the other end of the lateral support being fixed.
3 A support stand as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which a single leg (31) supports the stand on a base, for example the ground.
4 A support stand as claimed in claim 1 in which a tripod (not shown) supports the stand on a base, for example the ground.
5 A support stand 20 for a musical drum 10, which stand 20 comprises at least one lateral support 40, and a single leg

31 upon which the stand is supported on a base, for example the ground.
6 A support stand as claimed in claim 5 in which a musical drum is supported by the arrangement illustrated in Figures

6 and
7.