US2115741A - Orchestra or street drum - Google Patents

Description

May 3, 1938. s. H. NEWEERRY ORCHESTRA 0R STREET DRUM Filed April '7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTdRNlY y 1938- s. H. NEWBERY 2,115,741

ORCHESTRA OR STREET DRUM Filed April 7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY 9 INVENTOR v Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly percussion drums, in general banjos, ukuleles and mandolins, using membrane heads and generally to a musical instrument using a stretched membrane head, has particularly to do with mechanism for tightening the membrane and is an improvement upon the prior Patent No. 1,901,765, granted March 14, 1933, for Drum head tightener.

An important object of the invention is the elimination of the use of tension rods of the usual type and more specifically the retainers employed in my prior construction, so that the exterior of the drum can be made smooth and the drum shell will be left free for engraving or other adornment without interference from such elements.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means in a drum whereby the drum may be readily converted from the orchestra type to the street drum type.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby a double adjustment of the drum head may be effected in application thereof, that is to say in applying the drum head to one or the other of the types of shells for which it is adapted, the head may be given a differential adjustment independent of the adjustment effected after the general plan of my prior patent aforesaid.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the snares may be instantaneously released from the drimi, thereby permitting its immediate transformation from the ordinary snare drum. to any other type of drum. These and other objects are attained by the construction set forth in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a drum constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the head adjusting mechanism common to both the batter and snare heads of the drum.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the lower part of the drum illustrating the positioning of the snare adjustments.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the drum shell sections.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the snare release, and

Figs. '7 and 8 are perspective views showing the different types of drum obtainable with the use of my construction by minor manipulation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the numeral I0 designates the drum shell which at its upper and lower ends has portions ll of reduced diameter connected to the main body of the shell by substantially horizontally extending shoulders I2. The extremities of the reduced portions are flanged inwardly and toward the center of the drum as indicated at [3 so that these upper surfaces may provide a smooth surface for the reception of the membrane or head 14. Engaged with the shell Ill and more particularly the main body thereof through bayonet slots l5 are head tighteners l6, each comprising a cylindrical wall ll, the upper end of which is reverted in spaced relation to the outer wall as indicated at [8, thus providing a channel l9. Within this channel I9 is arranged an upper cam ring 20 having a series of ratchet like teeth 2| adapted to coact with a similar cam ring 22 which lies against the wall I! at the inner surface thereof and is held in position by means of a lug or lugs 23 (which are carried by said tighteners) engaging in slots 24, which parallel the edge surfaces of the teeth of the lower cam ring. The upper cam ring may be adjusted with relation to the lower cam ring through a rotating member 25 mounted in the opposed walls provided by reverting the upper end of the head tightener wall and provided with a small pinion 26 engaging with racks 21 formed on the upper and lower cam rings 2|] and 22. The lower cam ring abuts directly against the head hoop 28 forcing it downwardly in the annular channel provided between the inset portion of the shell and the wall ll of the tightener. An additional quick tightening means is readily provided by forming the bayonet slot I5 in its normally horizontal position with a slight incline as shown, and by forming in this incline portion and. more particularly the upper surface thereof, a plurality of coves 29 in which the stud or pin 30 may be selectively engaged.

Obviously with a structure of this character it is possible to immediately interchange the tighteners and heads associated therewith in different types of shells so that the drum may in the course of a few moments be converted from the ordinary orchestra drum to a street drum and vice versa. To accomplish this it is merely necessary that the tighteners be bodily rotated to disengage the bayonet slot connections between the shell then in use and the tighteners and then to reverse the operation and secure the tighteners to the second shell. Thus the cost of a set of drums may be materially reduced. The lower tightener has its revertedportion equipped with mountings for the snare. These mountings are designated as a tightener 3| and a release 32. The tightener 3| needs no specific description comprising merely the usual snare cord attachment 33 and adjusting screw 34 therefor. The snare release, however, comprises a novel construction illustrated more particularly in Fig. 6 of the drawings. It is composed of a toggle including fixed and movable elements 35 and 36, movement of the movable element being guided through slots 31 included in the bracket 39, in which the mechanism is mounted. A lever 39 is pivoted in this bracket as at 4!] and has one arm thereof connected by a link 4| to a pivot 42 connecting the links 43 of the toggle mechanism. Suitable cords 44 are attached to the lower or movable element 36, and are passed up and over the stationary member 35, which is arranged in close proximity to the snare head and may be adjusted with relation thereto by reason of the fact that the securing elements attaching the bracket 39 are passed through slots 45. The toggle mechanism. is so spaced from the inner wall of the bracket that the tension of the cords 44 will in the tightened position of these cords, which corresponds to the extended position of the toggle, tend to force the connected end of the links 43 toward and against the upper Wall of the bracket. The second arm of the lever 39' is bent outwardly so that it is readily accessible beyond the side wall of the drum and it is obvious that a movement of this lever in one direction will break the toggle and release the snare cords, while a movement thereof in the opposite direction will set the toggle and tension of the cords. This arrangement permits of an instantaneous release or restoration of the snare action and accordingly permits the drum to be instantaneously converted from the share to any type of drum.

Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is cap-able of certain modifications without departing from the spirit of my invention and since the invention is equally applicable to all types of instruments employing stretched membranes, I wish it to be understood that I contemplate any changes within the scope of the appended claims and likewise understood that the term drum employed in these claims is understood to comprehend all structures employing drum head arrangements.

I claim:

1. In a drum, and the like, a shell comprising a main body having an inset end projection, a head engaged over said projection and having a ring, an annular member having connection with the end of said main body and provided with a reverted portion extending inwardly and downwardly toward the head where it engages with the projection forming a substantially closed channel, means carried by said annular member between the downwardly extending portion and the wall oi. said annular member and engaging the ring to tighten said head.

2. In a drum and the like, a shell comprising a main body having an inset end projection, a head engaged over said projection and having a ring, an annular member having connection with the end of said main body and provided with a reverted portion extending inwardly and downwardly toward the head where it engages with the projection forming a substantially closed channel for housing a head tightening means and said ring, means carried by said annular member between the downwardly extending portion and the wall of said annular member and engaging the ring to tighten said head, said head tightening means comprising oppositely rotatably movable cam rings associated within said channel and cooperating with said ring in the lower part of said channel, and means to oppositely move said cam rings.

3. In a drum and the like, a shell comprising a main body having an inset end projection, a head engaged over said projection and having a ring, an annular member having connection with the end of said main body and provided with a reverted portion extending inwardly and downwardly toward the head where it engages with the projection forming a substantially closed channel for housing a head tightening means and said ring, a snare mounting supported on said annular member, said snare mounting comprising an adjusting member, a toggle mechanism associated with said mounting and movable to operative and broken positions, said snare being tightened in the operative, and released in the broken position of said toggle mechanism.

4. In a drum and the like, a shell comprising a main body, opposite ends of said body being provided with inset end projections, a head engaged over each of said projections and having a ring telescoping over said projections and associated with the inset portion thereof, annular members telescoping over the opposite; ends of said main body and having detachable connections therewith, each of said annular members having at its end opposite said detachable connection. an overhanging flanged part spaced from the wall of the annular member and terminating in close proximity to the head, the space between said overhanging flanged part and the wall and the space between said inset projection causing a compound channel to be formed, one part of the channel receiving said ring of the head, head tightening means comprising oppositely rotatably movable cam rings in another portion of said channel thereby housing said cam rings, and means to oppositely move said cam rings.

5. A device as embodied in, claim 4 wherein snare mountings are sup-ported on one of said annular members, one of said snare mountings comprising an adjusting member, the other of said mountings comprising a toggle mechanism movable to operative and broken positions, the snares being tightened in the operative, and released in the. broken position of said toggle mechanism.

SIDNEY H. NEWBERRY.

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