US846391A

US846391A - Bass-drum and cymbal beater.

Info

Publication number: US846391A
Application number: US33989506A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry A Bower
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-10-22
Filing date: 1906-10-22
Publication date: 1907-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1924-03-05

Description

No. 846,391. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907. H. A. BOWER.- BASS DRUM AND OYMBAL BEATER.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.22, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

@Q-cesmas:

No. 846,391. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

H. A. BOWER.

BASS DRUM AND OYMBAL BEATER.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.22, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HARRY A. BOWER, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BASS-DRUM AND Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 22.1906. Serial reassess.

OYMBAL BEATER.

Patented March 5, 1907.

T azz'whbm itmaly concern.-

talities for beating a bass Be it known that I, HARRY A. Bowen, of Boston," in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bass-Drum and Cymbal Beaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to instrumendrum and sounding a cymbal, and has for its object to foot-actuated mechanism which may be operated to produce the same results and tonal effects as though the drumstick and the cymmust be sounded by bal-striker were operated independently and by hand. I

In many orchestras, such as those employed for theatrical and minor operatic productions, thedrummer is called upon to perform upon a number of instruments in addition-to the bass drum and cymb.als,.so that it has been heretofore recognizedthat the latter some foot-actuated in- ;strumentalities to enable the drummer to use tuated instrumentalities or erated, which actuator his hands for the snare-drum,

the tympani, and other musical instruments.

Thefoot-acdevices for sounding thebass drum and the cymbals which have heretofore been utilized or proposed have been defective, in that the drummer could not, in my opinion, produce those variations in effect which should characterize mu sic of ahi hclass. Again,said instrumentalities have been bulky and clumsy, so as to occupy valuable space whereas small and compact, so as room.

.My inventi n contemplates a foot-operated instrumertality for actuat ng the drumstick and the striker for the cymbals by means of which the instruments may be struck with blows of varying force, so, as to produce a variety of effects, such as may be called for by the score.

One of the features of the device is a footoperated actuator by which either the drumstick, the cymbal-striker, or both, may be opconsists of a leafspring bent in the form of a bow and having one end connected to a stationary support or pivot and its free endconnected to the stick and the striker. Preferably there is connected directly to the convex face of the spring a plate, which constitutes a treadle, upon which .the ball of the foot of the drummer The drumstick is preferto require but little provide a.

they should be head and tends Substantially to assume .its

normal curvature. I utilize this feature by attaching to the spring one or more strikers for the cymbal, so that when the foot-plate is depressed the striker or'strikers are caused, to impinge-upon the cymbal, which is properly located with reference thereto.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in'the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 represents asection on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 illustrates how the cymbal-strikers are mounted. Fig. 6 represents a plan view of the base partially in section with the spring-actuator cut away. Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the device or appliance includes a base which is adapted to rest upon the floor. This comprises a longitudinal bar 10, having at one end an adjustable extension 11. The extension 11- is bent upwardly at its end and is provided with a curved cross-piece 13, which serves as a rest, Support, or abutment for the heel of the drummers shoe. At the right-hand end of the bar 10 are two adjustable clamp members 12 and 14, which are bent upward and toward each other to cmbrace the hoop of the drum, as shown in Fig. l 1. The clamp member 12 is somewhat wider than the bar 10, as shown in Fig. 6, and it is provided with lugs 16, which embrace the side edges of the bar 10. The members 12 cross-bar is secured to the bar 10 by a bolt 43- and wing-nut 44. The

bars

10, 11, 12, and 42 thereforeconstitute a base for the operative parts of the ap liance.

Extending latera ly from the bar 10 there l is another bar 19, which is secured to the bar and 14, as stated, are adjustable longitud1-.

10 by a bolt 20 and a wing-nut 21. The bar 19 is provided at its end with a cross-piece 22 with its corners bent down to engage the floor, as illustrated in Figs..2 and 6.

A bolt 23 projects ppwardly through the I bar 19 and the cross-piece 22, and a nut 24, in threaded engagement with said bolt, securely binds the

parts

19 and 22 together. Said bolt 23 serves'to support the cymbal, as will be subsequently explained. The lateral bar 19 may be swung about the bolt 20 as a pivot to move the cymbal into and out of coactive relation with the striker; but in addition to its function of supporting the cymbal it also serves to steady the bar'10 and hold upright the parts which are supported thereby. The

bars

10, 11, 12, and 14, the rest or abutment 13, and the cross-piece 22 are all preferably formed of strap metal of sufiicient thickness and rigidity to stand the strain to which they are subjected.

The drumstick 25 is pivotally connected to the. end of the bar-10. To accomplish this, there is riveted to the said bar a -metallic yoke 26, in which there is a pivot or fulcrum pm 27 to receive a second yoke 28. To the yoke 28 there is secured a third yoke 29, one of the sides of which is riveted or otherwise secured to the back of the yoke 28. The sides of theyoke 29 and the back of the yoke 28 are apertured to receive the end of the stick 25. A bent spring 30, one end of which is attached to the back of-the yoke 29,.bears against the stick between the sides of the yoke 29, so as to prevent its dislocation. These parts, with the exception of the spring, are formed or made of metallic'straps substantially similar to those of which the base is formed.

The actuator consists of a curved leaf- Its left end, which is bifurcated, is pivotally coiled around a transverse pin or pivot 32, secured to the bar 10 by the bolt and wing-nut 43:44, and its free end is secured to a loop 33, of flexible material, such as soft leather. This loop is secured to the upper side of the yoke 29 and it is apertured to receive the'stick 25. To the convex face of the sprin 31 there is secured a plate 34 to receive the iall of the foot, of the drummer, so that when the heel of his foot is placed against the rest 13 and the plate is depressed the spring 31 will be straightened out, as illustrated in dotted lines, so as to force the free end'ofthe stick 25 toward the drumspring 1 3 1 in place by the-bolt head. Thespring normally tends to contract 'to the full-line position in Fig. 1, so as to withdraw the free end of the stick from the drumhead, which is indicated at a.

The cymbal is illustrated at bin Fig. 2, and it is secured upon the bolt 23by a nut 35,

washers 36, and a wing-nut 37-. I preferably employ a plurality ofstrikers for the cymbal, sai strikers consisting of metallic fingers 38 38 38, the free ends of which diverge, as illustrated in Fig. 5. These fingers are pivoted ently of each other, and, to this end their inner ends are encircled by a band142, of rubber.

as illustrated in Fig. 5, which is passed around the yoke 39. Said strap or band further serves to hold said fingers normally in the same planeand laterally outward from the spring.

To limit the downward movement of the body of the spring, I place below it and in the arc of movement of the plate or treadle 34 a stopconsisting of a bracket 50, secured 20 and wing-nut 21 and shod. with soft cushioning material, as indicated at 5]..

It will be understoodthat the device herein illustrated and described is not the only embodiment of the invention and that various changes in the construction and arrangement of the details thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without at tempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a device of the character-described, a drumstick, and an actuator therefor comprising a curved spring having one end stationary and the otherend connected to the stick, said spring being adapted to be engaged between its ends to effect the actuation of the stick thereby.

2. In a device of the character described, a base, a drumstick pivotally connected to the base,'and a curved'spring-having one end connected to the base and the other end connected to the stick, whereby pressure upon the spring effects the actuation of the stlck.

3. Ina device of the character described, a base, a drumstick pivotally connected tothe base, a curved spring having one end con nected to the base and theother end con nected to the stick, and a foot-piece secured to the curved face 3 ends. 4. In a device of the character described, a base having a transverse pivot-pin, a curved spring pivoted upon said pivot-pin, a drumstick, means for pivotally connecting said stick to said base, and meansfor flexibly connecgng the free end of said spring to said stic 5. In a device of the character described, a

of the spring between its base, a drumstick pivotally connected to the at the other end for the heel of the drum mers foot, a curved spring connected to the base and extending toward the clamp members, a foot-plate attached to the convex face extension of said base tor supporting a cyma drumstick pivotally bal, and one or more strikers on said spring of said spring, and connected to the base at a point adjacent the clamp members and connected to'said spring.

7. In a device of the character described,

' the combination with a cymbal, of means for sounding the cymbal, comprising a curved spr ng, one or more strikers extending laterally from said spring and adapted-to impinge upon the cymbal, and means for yieldingly mounting said striker or strikers on said spring.

8. In a device of the character described, a curved spring secured atone end and having its other end free, means for guiding the free end of the spring, and oneor more cymbal strikers projecting laterally from said spring between its ends. 1 i I 9. In a device of the character described, a base, an actuator connected to said base, a pivot connected to the actuator, and a plurality of diverging cymbal-strikers mounted upon said ivot, and means for yieldingly holding sai strikers in operative position.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a base, and an actuator connected thereto, of a bracket on the actuator having a yoke, one or more strikers pivoted on said yoke, and an elastic band around said yoke and the inner ends of said strikers substantially as set forth. I

11. In a device of the character described, a base, a drumstick pivoted to said base, a curved spring connected to said base-land said stick for actuatin the latter, a lateral for engaging the cymbal.

12. In a device of the character described, a

l base, a drumstick pivoted to said base, a

lateral extension of said base upon wh1ch a cymbal may be supported, means on said base by winch it may be connected to a drum, a curved spring loosely connected to the base and to the drumstick, one or more cymbal-strikers on the said spring,

spring that the said spring maybedepressed by the foot of the drummer when his heel is against said rest.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY A. BOWER.

Witnesses:

MAnoUs B. MAY, A. L. FoLsoM.

and a heel-rest on the base in such relation to the