WO2015092639A1

WO2015092639A1 - Device to support a percussion plate

Info

Publication number: WO2015092639A1
Application number: PCT/IB2014/066852
Authority: WO
Inventors: Riccardo Martinazzi
Original assignee: Riccardo Martinazzi
Priority date: 2013-12-20
Filing date: 2014-12-12
Publication date: 2015-06-25
Also published as: ITBS20130187A1

Abstract

A device to support a percussion plate (2) comprises a spherical joint (10) adapted to be fixed to the top of a plate-holder rod (12). Said spherical joint comprises a plate-holder pin (14) having a spherical base (16) for supporting the plate and a bell (18) for housing and guiding said spherical base (16), said pin being supported by elastic means (20) adapted to bring back the pin in a starting position at the end of the solicitation given to the plate.

Description

"DEVICE TO SUPPORT A PERCUSSION PLATE"

DESCRIPTION The present invention refers to a device to support a percussion plate, particularly a "cymbal" plate.

"Cymbal" plates are percussion elements combined with drum-kits for accompanying any kind of music.

Normally, the plate is inserted on a rod, known as "stand", upon the tip of which is normally fixed a device comprising a washer as stopper, a plastic base with an extension within which a threading has been created, and, for protecting the center of the plate, a felt positioned under the plate and a felt positioned on the plate. A nut is screwed in the threading of the plastic base for holding the plate, permitting anyway to it a possibility of movement according to the diameter of the plastic base or of the threaded pipe where the plate is inserted.

The plate which uses the traditional supporting system has issues related to limited inclination, issues related to break due to reduced possibilities of tilting, and has issues related to abrasion of its central hole, because with the passing of time the protective plastic pipe wears itself and, consequently, the hole of the plate enters in metal-to-metal contact wearing itself and making the hole oval- shaped, which is normally circular-shaped. The value of the plate will be depreciated and it will bring to a premature break and to a different sound quality not attributable to its original sound.

Finally, the traditional plate-supporting rod has always had the purpose of making the plate operating on the static support and not making the plate operating for increasing its sound mechanical possibilities.

The purpose of the present invention is to propose a device to support a percussion plate capable of solving the above reported drawbacks and, in the meantime, improving the sound performances of the plate itself.

Said purpose is obtained with a device to support a percussion plate according to claim 1 . The depending claims describe the preferred forms of embodiment of the invention.

The characteristics and the advantages of the device according to the invention will become anyway clearer from the following indicated description of its preferred examples of embodiment, given as an indication but not limited to, with reference to the attached figures, wherein:

- figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the device to support a percussion plate according to the invention;

- figure 2 is a view of separated parts of a percussion plate and of the support device;

- figure 3 is a view in separated parts of a percussion plate and of the support device; and

- figure 4 is an axial section of the device assembled to the percussion plate.

A device to support a percussion plate 2 is indicated as a whole with 1 in these drawings.

The support device 1 comprises a spherical joint 10 adapted to be fixed to the top of a plate-holder rod 12. Said spherical joint 10 comprises a plate-holder pin 14 having a spherical base 16 and a bell 18 for housing and guiding said spherical base 16. Said plate-holder pin 14 is supported by elastic means 20 adapted to bring back the pin in a starting position at the end of the solicitation given to the plate 2. In the drawings, the starting position of the pin 14 is a vertical position.

In a form of embodiment, said elastic means 20 comprise a spring, for example a conical helical spring. For example, the spherical base 16 is fixed to the upper ending of the spring.

In a possible variant of embodiment, the elastic means 20 can comprise magnetic means, elastomeric means or any other means adapted to permit an oscillation of the plate-holder pin 14 with respect to the starting neutral position and to bring back said pin to said starting position at the end of the force acting on it. In a preferred form of embodiment, the elasticity of said elastic means 20 is adjustable.

According to a form of embodiment, the support device 1 comprises a lower element 22 for connecting to the plate-holder rod 12. The bell 18 is supported by said lower element 22 through a threaded coupling. For example, said lower connecting element 22 has a lower portion 22' for coupling to the plate-holder rod 12 and a hollow top portion 22" which partially houses the elastic means 20. For example, in said hollow top portion 22" is housed a cup 24 within which is inserted and guided a lower portion of the conical spring 20.

The hollow top portion 22" of the lower element 22 is externally threaded; the bell 18 has a threaded inner surface adapted to screw itself on said hollow top portion 22".

The adjustment of the elasticity of elastic means 20 can be carried out by screwing more or less the bell to the lower element 22. As a matter of fact, the bell 18 engages the spherical base 16 of the pin 14 and then the axial translation of said bell 18 causes an axial displacement of pin 14 and then a higher or lower compression of elastic means 20.

Once the desired elasticity of elastic means 20 has been chosen, the axial position of the bell 18 can be made stable through at least a locking nut 181 . It is clear that the use of a spherical joint 10, and in particular of the spherical base 16 of the plate-holder pin 14, permits to the plate-holder pin itself to reach an inclination much greater than the plates traditionally supported, even up to almost ±90° with respect to the plate-holder rod 12.

The rotation of the spherical base 16 can be helped through the interposition of a ring 26 with low coefficient of friction between the spherical base 16 and the border which delimits the top opening of the bell 18 from which protrudes the spherical base 16.

In a preferred form of embodiment, the plate-holder pin 14 has a threaded distal ending 14' for screwing a locking nut 28 of the plate 2, for example a butterfly nut. Moreover, the plate-holder pin 14 comprises a collar 30 locking the plate 2 obtained in an intermediate position between the spherical base 16 and the upper ending of said pin 14.

Between the nut 28 and the collar 26 can be interposed a support element 32 for the plate 2, preferably of rubber, upon which lies the plate 2. For example, said support element 32 comprises a lower element 32', lying on the collar 30, and at least an upper element 32", which upperly engages to the plate 2. For example, said lower and upper elements can be realized as rubber rings. Moreover, between the threaded distal ending 14' of the plate-holder pin 14 and the plate 2 can be interposed a tube 33 which permits to avoid the metallic contact between plate and pin.

Unlike the felts usually used for supporting the plate, which have a diameter and an both lower and upper area of contact with the plate which limits the sound, the support element 32 has a reduced surface of contact with the plate, to the benefit of the sound volume and the sensibility of the plate. In other words, the reduced contact with the support element 32 permits to the plate to generate higher sound vibrations with respect to the traditional plates.

Advantageously, the support device according to the invention can be installed on any cymbal stand rod available on the market or directly inserted on a rod available on the market.

The support device permits to the plate not to suffer from mechanical issues of retention of its oscillation.

The support device offers to the plate the possibility of having the free sound as the producer has declared because the plate does not work anymore by oscillating on a pin, instead it is the pin that oscillates for the plate and with the plate itself.

With the support device according to the invention, it is possible to change the oscillation speed of the plate by tightening more or less the bell.

The support device permits to reduce the latent speed that the plat quickly beaten normally has and this is a drawback in some musical genders. Thanks to the support device according to the invention, the drummer can repeatedly and quickly beat the plate, which will react by always returning in the same position with a mechanically adjustable return speed.

The support device has the possibility of damping the most devastating strokes given to the plate and drastically reduces the probability of breaking the plate. The inner spring 20 can be provided with various hardnesses for better calibrating the oscillation according to the weight of the plate installed and increasing or reducing the damping effect during the percussion of the plate. The elastic means 20 can have various sizes and constructive possibilities with metallic, plastic, magnetic or electrical/electronic materials.

To the forms of embodiment of the device according to the invention, an expert in the art, for satisfying the possible needs, can make modifications, adaptations and replacements of elements with other functionally equivalent ones, without leaving from the scope of the following claims. Each of the characteristics described as belonging to a possible form of embodiment can be realized independently from the other forms of embodiment described.

Claims

1. A device to support a percussion plate (2), comprising a spherical joint (10) adapted to be fixed to the top of a plate-holder rod (12), said spherical joint comprising a plate-holder pin (14) having a spherical base

(16) for supporting the plate and a bell (18) for housing and guiding said spherical base (16), said pin being supported by elastic means (20) adapted to bring back the pin in a starting position at the end of the solicitation given to the plate.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the elasticity of said elastic means is adjustable.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said elastic means comprise a spring, the spherical base of the pin being fixed to an upper portion of said spring.

4. A device according to the preceding claim, wherein said spring is conical.

5. A device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a lower element (22) for connecting to the plate-holder rod, the bell being supported by said lower joint element through a threaded coupling.

6. A device according to the preceding claim, wherein said lower connecting element has a hollow top portion (22") which partially houses the elastic means (20), and wherein the bell is screwed into said top portion.

7. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plate- holder pin is adapted to reach an inclination of about 90° with respect to the plate-holder rod.

8. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said plate- holder pin has a threaded distal ending (14') for screwing a locking nut (28) of the plate.

9. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plate- holder pin comprises a collar (30) locking the plate obtained in an intermediate position between the spherical base and the upper ending of said pin.