US1293599A - Drum. - Google Patents

Description

T. WILSON.

DRUM.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-17, r911.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

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TOM WILSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRUM.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4., 1919.

Application filed January 17. 1917. Serial No. 142.945.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ToM WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drums, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drums, and particularly to improvements in the means for adjusting the tension of the heads of drums. The invention is of particular value in connection with snare drums, for instance, in which it is desirable to prevent too great a tension in the snare head. In certain forms of drums now in use the opposite heads of the drum are adjusted simulta neously by the operation of a single adjusting means instead of adjusting the heads of the drum separately as was the common prior practice. Although it is a great advantage to be able to adjust the heads of a drum simultaneously by adjusting means, located preferably at one side of the drum, it will be seen that the operation of the adjusting means on the two heads of the drum simultaneously ordinarily tends to produce a greater tension in the snare head than in the beater head because the snare head is usually formed of thinner material and stretches more readily under the influence of the adjusting means. In order to secure the best operation of the drum it is desirable that the tension of the snare head he not greater than or perhaps slightly less than the tension of the beater head. It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide means for limiting the movement of one of the heads so that the tensions of the opposite heads of the drum may be varied and controlled, and although the improvement of the present invention is especially adapted for drums in which the heads are adjusted simultaneously, it will be apparent that the improvement may be used with advantage in connection with other forms of drums. A particular object of the invention is to provide adjustable controlling means for use in a drum in which the heads are adjusted simultaneously whereby the movement of one of the heads, such as the snare head, may be limited or controlled after a predetermined movement thereof while permitting a continued operation of the ad usting means for efiecting a further tightening of the other head of the drum.

The nature of my improvement, the means by which it is carried out, and the various objects of this invention, will appear more clearly from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which certain forms of my invention are illustrated.

In the drawings- Figure '1 shows a perspective view of a snare drum embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through the drum illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the construction and operation of my improvement;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 1 is a sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, illustrating a modified form of my invention.

This improved drum comprises a cylindrical shell 10 having mounted on the ends thereof, the snare head 11 and the beater head 12, which have their edges wrapped around and secured to the flesh hoops 13 and 1 1 respectively. These flesh hoops l3 and 14 fit over the shell 10, and the movement thereof inwardly fromthe ends of the shell causes the heads of the drum to be tightened. The adjustment of the heads, by means of the flesh hoops, is eifected through the hoops 15 and 16 which also fit over the drum shell in the same manner and engage the flesh hoops 13 and 1 1, respectively. The hoops 15 and 16 are engaged at a plurality of points around the drum by the hook members 17 and 18 having the hooks 17 and 18* which engage the hoops 15 and 16 respectively, so that when the hook members are drawn toward each other, the corresponding inward movement of the hoops 15 and 16 will operate to increase the tension of the drum heads. The hook members 17 are provided with longitudinal bores or apertures It will be seen that the finger holds 21 are located, according to'the better practice, adjacent to the snare head of the drum, so that they do not interfere with the operation of playing the drum.

In order to get the best effect from a drum in the playing thereof, it is desirable that the heater head be adjusted to a tension equal to or greater than that of the snare head, and in order to accomplish this, I P ovided mean r limiting, at a y de ir Point, he mo eme t o the snare hea whi h te ds .t st e eh and tighte mo -1" eedi y th n the ee-t h ad, s tha h co tinue ope ation of he adjustin m a W llther e ter r e ncreas th tension of the beater head without effecting the tension of the snare head. In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this adjusting me ns ompris e e ie o studs, or lugs, 25 secured to the shell 10 around h centr l po tion the f, e log 25 having a la ra eylind i e exte sio 2 and the part 25 26 o eeeh log r provided with central bores, or apertures, adapted to receive one of the adjusting screws ,20 an form a bea i g the efor- Eaeh oi the parts 26 i hr aded o i outer side, as shown M26, and s engage by an adjusting nut 27 having an outer knurled surface 2 adapted to be engag by the fingers of the operator. These adjusting nuts -27 may be moved to any desired position on the parts 26 and be caused to engage the flesh h p f the sna head when the latter has moved to a predetermined point, so that further movement of the flesh hoop 1:3, or the hoop .15, will be prevented, and thereafter the continued operation of the adjusting members 20 will serve to increase the tension oi": the beater head without affecting the tension of the snare head,

Insteadof using the form of regulating or adjusting means shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

said screw members may be causedto engage the flesh hoop '13 in thevm'anner previously described. I

By means of this invention the relative tensions ofthe opposite heads of the drum may he regulated and controlled in any desired manner while employing adjusting means which tightens both heads simultaneously. After the heads have been adjusted in tliedesired manner, they maybe rela ed then upon retightening them they will automatically assume the same relative tensions owing to the operation of the adjustable stops.

The snares 35 of the drum in the embodir'nent shown in the drawings are engaged by clamping means 36, which may be adjusted by means of the screw member 37 which is threaded through said clamping means, said screw member passing through a stud 38 on the p 16 at e d, p ot ly e gaging With n a s u 3 on he oop 115 at its oth end, wher by the en ion f th s are may b reg lated hi adjust ng mean r the nar o th d um-h ev r, on itn s no par of th p esent in ent onl gh I have shownend de e ibed ertai-n em odime ts of the ven io for p p ses o illu tration, it w ll be nd rsto th i may be ons neted in v o ot er orms w h ut depart g f mth spirit. of

my in ent on as defin in t e ppend d lai s- Wh I eirn i 1- In ombin tio a drum l the hea m unted on sai shelh hoop e gag n said head mean for d awing sa d ho p wa d eeh othe multan u y, en means mounted be een sa d oops fo re ting the achi v ment of e of -.s id h op h le permit ng 'hid fi st men oned nieen to e se cont nu o emen o h ot e hoop- 2- 'I combinat on, 2 dru shel dru head mounted o s d shel hoop ngaging s i heads, lamping means engaging id h ops and ha ing means f adju t ng he tension of sa d heads; and eans n tin independently of the adj sting m ans an lying. in th path of mo m n ofone o said hoo sontwardly of aid he l or. ontrolling the mo ement f said h op ndep dently of; the othe I a In combina ion, d um she l, drum head mounted o he hoops engaging said heada-elamp ng mea eng ging said hoo s and haying mea s for adjustin the tension o said he ds, neen eeeP- erating with said damping means. ar un e o t p ph ral s rfac of the drum-fo limiting the mo emen of: one of s id hoop i. In combinati a drum sh ll, drni heads mounted on said drum she'll, hoensengaging said drum heads, amping mean engaging said hoops and. ha ing mean 'fQ adjusting h nsion of b h of said heads adjusting the tension of bo h o said h ad simultaneously, and adjustable means carried by said shell for controlling the ad justment of one of said heads.

6. In combination, a drum shell, drum heads mounted on said shell, hoops engaging said drum heads, clamping means engaging said hoops, operating members engaging said clamping means for adjusting said clamping means toward each other, lugs engaged by said operating members and attached to said shell, and adjustable means carried by said lugs to limit the movement of one of said hoops and permit the continued movement of the other hoop after a predetermined operation of said operating members.

7. In combination, a drum shell, drum heads having flesh hoops engaging said shell, hoops engaging the outer ends of said flesh hoops, two series of hook members engaging said second-named hoops, operating members rotatably engaging the hook members of one series and threadedly engaging the hook members of the other series, said operating members having finger holds adjacent one of said members of the drum, lugs attached to the shell of said drum, and stop members threadedly engaging said lugs and positioned to engage one of said flesh hoops for limiting the movement thereof upon operation of said operating members.

8. In combination, a drum shell, drum heads mounted on said drum shell, hoops engaging said heads, clamping means engaging saidhoops and having means for adjusting the tension of said heads, studs secured to said shell around the outer periphery thereof between said hoops, and adjustable members engaging said studs for con trolling the movement of one of said hoops independently of the other.

9. In combination, a drum shell, drum heads mounted on said shell, hoops operatively connected to said heads and surrounding said shell, means for drawing said hoops toward each other simultaneously, and means for holding said first-named means adjacent said shell but operated independently of said first-named means for arresting the movement of one of said hoops while permitting said first-named means to cause continued movement of the other hoop.

10. In combination, a drum shell, drum heads mounted on said shell, flesh hoops connected to said drum heads and surrounding said shell, means for drawing said flesh hoops toward each other simultaneously, and means for engaging one of said flesh hoops to arrest the movement thereof while permitting said first-named means to cause continued movement of the other flesh hoop.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name.

- TOM WILSON.

Ooplu at thll patent may be obtained for live cents each, by' addressing the Commissioner of Patent-l.

Wuhingtol, D. 0.

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