US2584554A

US2584554A - Multipurpose rhythm device

Info

Publication number: US2584554A
Application number: US170860A
Authority: US
Inventors: Everett H W Clayton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-06-28
Filing date: 1950-06-28
Publication date: 1952-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 1969-02-05

Description

E. H. W. CLAYTON MULTIPURPOSE RHYTHM DEVICE Filed June 28, 1950 w JV E veretl HM. Clay/an INVENTOR. wt-

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 U NI'TED STATES PATENT OF Fl CE 2,584,554- Mun'rlruarosa RHYTHM DEVICE Everett n. W. clams; Long; Island City, N. Y. Application June 28, 1950, Serial No. 170,860 10 Claims. (01. 8 1-470) The present invention relates to drummers trapsand equipment and hasover-all relation'to a' combination rhythm sounding device. More particularly; I have evolved" and produced a novelly unique contrivancehaving coordinated simultaneously actuatable facilities enabling a user to beat' out rhythms thereon as an entity, or in combination with other instruments in a manner to set'the pace and rhythmical time for dancers doing rhumbas, sambas, polkas, calypsos, and'so on'and' so forth.

Novelty is predicated on a multi purpose construction which lends itself. as an accompaniment instrument for dance bands, orchestras; for j,

small group combinations. and which "may" be played by itself to marlr'timcd'beats-ior dances eluding a head havingflngers to be raked-against adjacent corrugations of the stated"washboard. and a simple foot pedal on the base operatively connected with and for actuating said'ymeans.

Another object of the invention is to provide a base, a standard attached to and rising vertically from the base, a horizontally disposed bow-spring attached to the upper end of. the

standard and provided on each end with a mar raccas, a hingedfoot pedal on the base and an operating connection between the pedal and spring, whereby to rhythmically flex the bow- I spring, and in so doing to agitatingly shake the two marraccascoincident with the rhythm pat tern to be executed.

A still further object of the invention is provide a time beating rhythm contrivancewhiclr; is characterized'by the stated'ba-se and-standard;

Figure 1 is a perspective viewer amultispur 2 pose rhythm beatingcontrivance'constructed' in accordancewiththeprinciples of thepresent in vention.

Figure 2 is-a view in elevation, the view-being fragmentary in type, and showing the down positions oithe'marraccas and the openpositions of the. clappers.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view with parts in section and elevation taken on the horizontal line 3'-3 of Figure 1, lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4' is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the vertical line-4--4 of Figure 1, look-- ing in the direction of 'the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings by reference numerals and lead lines, the horizontal base; which may be substantially triangular in top plan view, is denoted by the numeral 6. A complemental board 8 is superimposed upon the left-hand end of the board 6. and interposed between this and thebase is ametal strip lfl'fastened'in place at 82'. The headed lower end M of a vertical standard l6is fitted into a recess IS in the base and. the screw-threaded portion 20 extends through the metal strip by way of a suitable opening and through an. additional opening in the board 8. An assembling and clamping nut 22 serves to fasten the parts together and to mount the standard centrally on the base. A sleeve '24 isslidable on the standardand a coiled spring 26' surrounds the standard and bears at one end against the base and at its opposite end against a collar 28 carried by the lower end of the sleeve. The numeral 33 designates a suitable foot pedal which is hinged on the base, as at. The pedal is provided with a hook 34 joined with a link 36 which, in turn, is operatively connected with the collar 28. Thus, the

pedal is depressed to move the sleeve down against the tension of the spring 26' and the spring serves to return both the sleeve and pedajl to. their normal up positions. There is a crosshead at 38 made up of a pair of

complemental strip members

40 and 42 and these are suitably fastened in place as at 44. The sleeve is provided with a stop flange 46, as shown in Figure 4. A resiliently flexible bow-spring 48' having upturned ends is secured at its intermediate portion, as at 50, on the upper end of the stand): and. A marraccas 52 or an equivalent rhythm device is mounted on the bow-spring. These two instrumentalities 52 are adapted to-be swung up and down to produce the desircdshaking strokes. In Figure 1, they are up andv in Fig ure 2, theyare down."

Coiled springs 5454 are operatively connected at their lower ends to the outer end portions of the cross-head 38 and have their upper end portions 56--56 connected with the outer end portions of the bow-spring 48 for purposes of flexing the latter in an obvious manner.

At this time attention is directed to the complemental pair of

clappers

58 and 60. These may be suitably shaped boards. The main clapper 58, as shown in Figure 4, is hinged on an axle 62 which is carried by the standard and provided with a spacing sleeve G4, a coiled spring 66 and a wing nut 68. As shown in Figure 2, the smaller clapper board 60 is hingedly mounted at on the clapper board 58. Suitably bent push-pull rods 12-42 are secured respectively at their upper ends to the clappers 58 and 6t and operatively connected at their lower ends to the outer end portion of the cross-head 38. These clappers are employed to produce, obviously, an after-beat. They are opened and closed by the pedal action and the sliding of the sleeve on the standard plus the push-pull rod ?2.

At this time, attention is directed to the primary rhythm beating unit and this is denoted by the numeral 14. This type of device has come to be known in the profession as a washboard. Actually, however, it here comprises a pair of uprights IS-16 which are attached to and rise vertically from one end portion of the base. I These uprights are suitably grooved, and the grooves serve to accommodate a corrugated plate or diaphragm I8. The beats are produced on the diaphragm by a unique rake-like head 80. The head comprises a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal rounds 82 having secured therebetween right angularly disposed cylindrical blocks 84. The blocks are vibrating fingers and have slidable or wiping contact with the corrugations on the diaphragm. A suitably shaped, depending resilient arm 86 is provided and this is secured at its lower end as shown in Figure 3 to the head 80. The upper end of the rod is attached by a collar 88 fastened on and movable with the sleeve 24.

The unitary results obtainable in this over-all combination of companion instrumentalities is produced by a simple hinged pedal on a single base. Therefore, as the pedal is depressed and released in customary drummer-like fashion, the one movement serves to simultaneously operate the various coordinated rhythm-making devices. That is to say, the raker head 80 sweeps up and down against the corrugations to produce a primary rhythm pattern. At the same time, the downward movement of the pedal causes the downwardly sliding sleeve to straighten out the bow-spring and to set each marraccas 52 into motion. The up-and-down movement of the parts 52 permits the same to produce the desired. rhumba effect. The cross-head on the sleeve also operates, as stated, the clappers and these produce the after-beat.

It will be obvious from the disclosure that novelty is believed to be present in the main subcombinations as well as in the over-all combination, in that a single base with a single pedal and single upright coordinate the several devices to produce the desired individual sounds in proper progressive relationship.

-'If desired, the aforementioned bracing strap or strip I0 may be provided, at one end, with a head plate I I and the latter may be used to orna ment and dress up the base 6. That is to say, head plate ll may be a name plate and thus carry suitable emblems or other insignia.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1; A rhythmicalsound-producing percussion contrivance for use by drummers and others comprising a horizontal base, a vibratory diaphragm having horizontal corrugations and secured to and rising vertically from said base, a vertically reciprocable head having rigid .raker fingers in wiping contact with the corrugations of said diaphragm, a foot pedal pivoted for operation on said base, and an operating connec tion between said pedal and head.

2. A percussion instrument for use by drummers and others comprising a horizontal base, a horizontally corrugated diaphragm secured to and rising vertically from said base, a vertical standard fixed on said base in close spaced parallelisni with said diaphragm, means slidably mounted on said standard having elements contacting and adapted to be raked up and down across the corrugations on said diaphragm, a foot pedal pivotally mounted on said base, and an operating connection between said pedal and means.

3. The structure defined in claim 2, wherein said means embodies a sleeve reciprocable on said standard, a coiled spring surrounding the standard with-one end resting on the base and the other end engaging the sleeve, an arm carried by said sleeve, and a rake-like head carried by said arm.

4. The structure defined in claim 3, wherein said head comprises a plurality of spaced horizontal rounds and cylindrical blocks secured betweenthe rods, said blocks constituting raking fingers and having vibratory wiping contact with the corrugations of said diaphragm.

5. A rhythmical time beating contrivance usable as a drummers trap comprising a base, a vertical standard attached to and rising from said base, a bow-spring secured midway between its ends to the upper end of said standard, a marraccas mounted on each end of said spring, a foot, pedal hinged for operation on said base, and an operating connection between said pedal and the opposite end portions of said bow-spring.

6. The structure defined in claim 5, wherein said operating connection embodies a sleeve slidable on said standard, a cross-head carried by said sleeve, and flexible connections between the ends of the cross-head and ends of said bowspring.

7. The structure defined in claim 6, and a pair of after-beat clappers swingably mounted on said standard, and push-pull rods secured to the opposite end portions of said cross-head and the respective clappers.

8. A rhythmical time beating contrivance usable as a drummers trap comprising a base, a vertical standard attached to and rising from said base, a spring-returned sleeve slidable on said standard, a cross-head carried by said sleeve,

15 a pedal hinged on said base and operatively connected with said sleeve to slide latter up and down, a pair of after-beat clapper boards hingedly mounted on said standard, and a pair of pushpul rods secured respectively to the clapper boards and cross-head.

9. A rhythm device of the class shown and described comprising a base, a vertically disposed corrugated plate attached to and rising from one end of the base, a standard attached to and rising vertically from the base and disposed in paral lelism with said corrugated diaphragm, a sleeve vertically reciprocable on said standard, a coiled spring surrounding the standard and interposed between the base and one end of the sleeve, a foot pedal hingedly mounted on the base and operatively connected with said sleeve for moving the latter up and down, a resilient arm fastened to and depending from said sleeve and interposed between the sleeve and corrugated diaphragm, a head structure mounted on the lower end of said arm and shiftable up and down in relation to the diaphragm and provided with fingers in raking contact with the corrugations of the diaphragm, a bow-spring mounted on the upper end of said standard, rhythm-producin shaker devices attached to the respective outer ends of said bow-spring, a cross-head secured to the upper end of said sleeve, operating connections between the end portions respectively of the cross-head and bow-spring.

10. A rhythm device of the class shown and described comprising a base, a vertically disposed corrugated plate attached to and rising from one end of the base, a standard attached to and rising vertically from the base and disposed in parallelism with said corrugated diaphragm, a

sleeve vertically reciprocable on said standard, a coiled spring surrounding the standard and interposed between the base and one end of the sleeve, a foot pedal hingedly mounted on the base and operatively connected with said sleeve for moving the latter up and down, a resilient arm fastened to and depending said sleeve and interposed between the sleeve and corrugated diaphragm, a head structure mounted on the lower endof said arm and shiftable up and down in relation to the diaphragm and provided with fingers in raking contact with the corrugations of diaphragm, a bow-spring mounted on the upper end of said standard, rhythm-producing shaker devices attached to the respective outer ends of said bow-spring, a cross-head secured to the upper end of said sleeve, operating connections between the end portions respectively of the cross-head and bow-spring, a pair of opposed clappers, one clapper hingedly mounted on said standard and the other clapper hingedly mounted on the first-named clapper, and pushpull rods secured at their upper ends to the respective clappers and at their lower ends to the outer end portions of said cross-head.

EVERETT H. W. CLAYTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,456,242 Leedy May 22, 1923 2,287,183 Lively June 23, 1942 2,156,711 Watschinger et a1. May 2, 1939