US1892416A

US1892416A - Tympani stick

Info

Publication number: US1892416A
Application number: US573311A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vitto Ben
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-11-06
Filing date: 1931-11-06
Publication date: 1932-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 1949-12-27

Description

Dem 27, 1932. 5, mm 1,892,416

TYMPANI STICK Filed Nov. 6, 1931 JYz/rrfoff Patented Dec. 27, 19 32 teams TA ES P TENTf rms EN vrrro, or cnxoeeo rntmors V TYMIANI 's'rrex Application filed November 6, 1931. Serial no. 573,311

The sticks now used for beating kettle drums consist of handles inserted through the center of cushions in the form of thick disks, so that contact may be made with the membrane of the drum at any point around a disk orlhead. One of the objections to a stickof this kind isthat it does not strike a sharp blow that will produce a clean cut tone; but all of the blows, therefore the tones resulting therefrom, are muffled.

lVith the ordinary stick, the effect of blow is about the same as would result from the use of a head or striker having a fiat striking surface of considerable area, so that the force of the blow is distributed over a considerable area of the membrane of the drum. In accordance with my invention, while retaining the cushioning cfi'ect,'I produce more nearly a point contact between I the stick and the drum head, thereby causing a sharper, clearer tone to becreated.

, The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will herem- 39 after be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my inventionand of its objects and advantages, reference may be had'to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a stick embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is an end view, ona larger scale, looking at the left hand or head end of the stick as it appears in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3+8 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is cross section through the handle of the stick.

I Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a stick of any usual or suitable size and shape.

' Fastened on one end of the stick is a head in the form of a thick fiat slab or block lying in a plane at right angles tothe stick and almost entirely on oneside of. the stick. Thishead comprises a core 2 of hard mate 9 rial in the form of a stake or finger. Inclosfelt, and the strip 4: of soft felt.

ing' the core throughout the greater portion of its length is a pad 3 of comparatively hard cushioning material that covers and extends along two opposed edges andone end of'the core.- The periphery of the head is formed of a thick strip i of comparatively soft cushioning material. The core may conveniently be made of wood, the pad 3 of compacted The handle is connected to the finger or core at what 9 may be'termed the upper end of the head,

namely at a point remote from the covered end. \Vhat' maybe" termed the lower half @of the head is preferably in the form of a disk whose center is at the pointof the cov-' ered end of the core.

I. The core may project from the head proper to the opposite side of the stick and'be shaped to form a secondary head. Sometimes a composition calls for the striking of wood on the drum, in which case the handles of the sticks have heretofore been employed. However, by projecting the core of my improved stick and forming them into an 3112b iliary head, a blow may be struckby wood 1 i through the mere turning of a stick in the hand 'about'the long'axis of'the stick and without shifting the stick end for end.

The head of the stick may be weighted and the balance of the-stick modified by providing the secondary head with a hole into which may be inserted a block 6 oflead or other suitable material. I I

:The wooden core may be provided with a contracted portion or neck just below the secondaryhead 5. Thetwo ends'of the felt strip 4 may be carriedup past this neck and the strip'be fastened to the head by means of acord or thread 7 wrapped around the ends of the strip and the interposed neck portion of the core." VVhen' the felt strip becomes worn or soiled, it may quickly and eas-' ily be replaced by a new strip, as all that is necessary is to cut the cord or thread toleave the strip free to be removed. i'

The head may be fastened to the handle in any suitable way. In the arrangement shownyone end of the handle is screw threaded; the screw threaded portion of the handle is passed througha hole in the core;

and a nut 8, is applied to the projecting screw threaded end of the handle and locks the head to the handle.

The handle may be of any desired size and shape, as heretofore explained. In some instances it may be advantageous to have it more or less flattened in the zone where it is gripped in the hand, and thereby enable the user always to point the core of the head in the direction in which the blow is to be struck. Thus, for example, the handle may be oval shaped in cross section as indicated at 10 in Figure 4.

It will thus be seen that, because the head of my improved stick contains a hard core that is pointed at the end opposite the striking point on the periphery of the head, the force of a blow struck by the head will be transmitted to the membrane of the drum through a small or concentrated area thereof, whereby a clear sharply-defined tone results. It will also be seen that my stick is extremely simple, and that the striking surface may be replaced or renewed readily and at little cost.

\Vhile I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tympani stick comprisin a handle, a flat head fixed on one end of t e handle in a plane at right angles thereto; said head comprising a hard central finger-like core, a comparatively stifi' cushion on opposite sides of and across one end of the core, the edge of the cushion being curved in the arc of a circle about said end of the core, and a strip of soft cushioning material overlying and extending along the edge of said cushion.

A tympani stick comprising a handle and a flat head arranged in a plane at right an les to the handle; said head comprisin a nger of hard material fixed crosswise 0 said handle at one end of the latter, a cushion of comparatively hard material extending over one end and two opposed sides of said finger, a strip of comparatively soft cushioning material covering the edge of the aforesaid cushion, and the other end of the finger being shaped to form a hammer device.

3. A tympani stick comprising a handle, a wooden finger fixed crosswise of the handle at one end of the latter, said finger having an opening therein, a weighting element in the form of a block of metal in said opening, a thick fiat pad of comparatively hard felt extending over one end of and along two opposed sides of the finger, and a strip of comparatively soft felt covering the outer edge of the layer of hard felt.

4. A tympani stick comprising a handle, said handle having therein a flattened section, a wooden finger fixed crosswise of the handle at one end of the latter, a thick flat pad of comparatively hard felt extending over one end of and along two opposed sides of the finger, and a stick of comparatively soft felt covering the outer edge of the layer of hard felt.

5. A tympani stick comprisin a handle,

a wooden finger fixed crosswise o the handle at one end of the latter, a thick flat pad of