US1091433A - Snare-drum damper. - Google Patents

Description

R. HOPE-JONES. SNARE DRUM DAMPER.

APPLIOATIOK FILED M11921, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HOPE-JONES, OF NORTH TON'AIVANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNO'R TO THE RUDOLPH WURLITZER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SNARE-DRUM DAMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. April 21, 1911.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

Serial No. 622,502.

To alt whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT Horn-JONES, a subjectof the King of England, and resident of North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Snare-Drum Dampers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a damper or niuitier for snare drums, and particularly inclosed snare drums of automatic musical instruments such as pianos, organs and orchestrions. When such drums are placed near organ pipes, especially the flute-pipes, the sounding of the latter causes the snares to vibrate when the drum is silent and to buzz unpleasantly by contact with the drum head.

The object of my invention is the provi- SiOn of simple automatic means for preventing such vibration of the snares while permitting their normal action when the drum is tapped.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a snare drum em bodying the invention, showing the snaredamper controlled by the pneumatic action of an automatic musical instrument, the damper being in its inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to Fig. 1, showing the damper in its operative position. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

A indicates the body of the drum and a its snares which are stretched across its rear head in the customary manner.

B indicates the drum stick which may be vibrated by any suitable means but is preferably actuated by a pneumatic repeating mechanism controlled by a tracker board G and a perforated music sheet C The preferred mechanism shown in the drawings is of a common type and comprises the motor pneumatic D to the movable board of which the drum stick is secured; the wind board E containing the suction chamber e,- the valve chamber f connected with said suction chamber by a port f and with the outer atmosphere by ports the double valve 9, g controlling said ports and actuated by the diaphragm g in the suction chamber 6,- a passage 72. connecting the motor pneumatic with the valve chamber; ports 2', 11 leadlng from the top of the valve board E to opposite sides of the diaphragm g and the slide valve controlling the last-named ports and connected with the movable board of the motor pneumatic by a rod j. The suction chamber of the repeating mechanism is connected by a tube 70 with the suction chamber L of the main wind chest L of the automatic musical instrument with which the drum is associated. This chest may be of any suitable or well known construction, that illustrated in the drawings containing the usual valve chamber Z connected by ports Z with the suction chamber L and by ports Z with a chamber Z leading to the outer atmosphere; the valves m, m controlling the ports Z Z respectively, and the diaphragm or pneumatic m for operating said valves. The chamber beneath this diaphragm is connccted by a tube wa with the corresponding duct of the tracker board, so that whenever a drum-perforation of the music sheet registers with said duct the vibrating or repeating mechanism of the drum-stick is actuated, while under other conditions said mechanism remains at rest, in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art.

The improved snare damper in a broad sense consists of an automatically controlled part or member which presses the snares firmly against the drum head when the drum is silent to prevent rattling or buzzing of the snares and which clears and releases the snares when the drum is played. This damper is preferably actuated by pneumatic means combined with the same mechanism which controls the actuating devices of the drum stick, but I do not wish to limit myself to that particular type of actuating mechanism or the details shown in the drawings as the same may be modified within the scope of the invention.

In its preferred embodiment the damper consists of a stationary bar or strip N secured diametrically across the back of the drum in line with and at a short distance from the snares,by screws a passing through facing 0 of felt or other appropriate material and constitutes the damper proper. Connected with the diaphragm chamber 92 is a tube a leading to the valve chamber 79 of a valve box or chest P. This valve chamber is connected by a port 79 with a pressure chamber Q and by a port 72 with a suc tion chamber 9 in said box, the latter chambers being connected by tubes Q3 respectively with suitable sources of pressure and suction; not shown in the drawings. Valves 9" and 1' respectively control the ports 29 p, the same being mounted on a stem 1* attached to the movable board or head of a pneumatic R which is connected with the suction tube 713 by a branch tube 8, so that said damper actuating mechanism is under the control of the same valves m, m as the repeating mechanism of the drum stick.

The operation of the damper is as follows: When a drum-perforation of the music sheet registers with the corresponding tracker duct the outer atmosphere raises the diaphragm m of the main wind chest, shifting the valves m, m to the position shown in Fig. 1. The suction chamber 6 of the repeating mechanism is thereby placed in communication with the suction chamber L of the main wind chest, causing the motor pneumatic D and the drum stick to vibrate so long as the valves m, m remain in that position in a well known manner. At the same time, the air is exhausted from the pneumatic R which by its collapse opens the suction valve r and closes the pressure valve, as shown in Fig. 1. Air pressure is now out off from the valve chamber and the chamber a of the damper diaphragm 0 and said chamber is connected with the suction chamber g exhausting the air from said diaphragm chamber and withdrawing the damper from the drum snares. The latter are therefore free to vibrate during-the playing of the drum. lVhen a drum perforation of the music sheet breaks register with the tracker duct, the position of the wind chest valves m, m is reversed in a well known manner, cutting off communication between the suction chamber L of said chest and the corresponding chamber 6 of the repeating mechanism and allowing the drum stick to remain at rest. At the same time the pneumatic R of the damper con trolling mechanism is cut off from the suction chamber L and connected with the chamber Z flushing and expanding said pneumatic and closing the suction valve r and opening the pressure valve. The suction chamber 9 is now cut oil from the damper-diaphragm 0 and the air pressure in the chamber g is admitted thereto through the port 22 valve chamber 79, and tube 12 expanding said diaphragm and causing it to press the snares (1. against the drum head with suflicient force to prevent the objectionable rattling or buzzing hereinbefore mentioned. When the next drum-perforation of the music sheet comes into action the snare damper is again retracted, as before described. The damper-actuating mechanism comprises but few parts and as it may be combined with the pneumatic action of the musical instrument, its use involves but slight additional expense.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a snare-drum, a damper-pneumatic mounted on the drum and having its movable front side arranged to bear against the snares when inflated and to clear the same when deflated, and means for alternately inflating and deflating said pneumatic.

The combination of a snare-drum a support extending across the drum over its snares and spaced therefrom, said support being chambered in its front side, a damperdiaphragm for the drunrsnares applied to said support and forming the front wall of its chamber and means for alternately inflating and deflating said diaphragm.

3. The combination of a snare-drum, a supporting bar secured diametrically across the rear side of the drum in line with its snares and spaced therefrom, a damper for the drum-snares comprising a pneumatic applied to the front side of said bar and arranged to press the snares against the drum head when inflated, said pneumatic being substantially coextensive with the length and width of the group of snares, and means for inflating and deflating said pneumatic.

4. The combination of a snare-drum. a damper-pneumatic arranged opposite the drum-snares and having a side movable toward and from the same a facing of soft material applied to the movable side of said pneumatic and adapted to bear against the snares when the pneumatic is inflated, and means for alternately inflating and deflating said pneumatic.

\Vitness my hand this 17th day of April,

ROBERT HOPE-JONES. Witnesses C. F. GEYER, E. M. GRAHAM.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

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