GB2083265A - Drum beater - Google Patents

Abstract

A foot-operated device for beating a bass drum has a frame 1 on which is journalled a shaft 2 carrying a beater. A foot-operable rocker 19 is pivoted on the frame and coacts with the shaft through a toothed rack sector 20 and pinion toothing 21 on the shaft. Return loading means 13 act between the shah and the frame. Due to the mechanical advantage given by the rocker and by the relative radii of the rack sector and the pinion toothing, the speed and amplitude of movement of the beater are increased relative to the speed and amplitude of movement of the foot- operable rocker. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A drum beater device This invention relates to a beater device for foot-operation by a player to beat a dum such as a base drum.

The conventional beater for this purpose has a frame on which a heater shaft is jour nalled and which carries a movable foot pedal, the pedal being linked to a radius arm on the beater shaft. Downward pressure on the foot pedal by the player causes movement of the foot pedal which is transferred through the radius arm to the beater. With such an arrangement, the amplitude and speed of movement which can be imparted to the beater, for a given movement of the foot pedal, are both limited.

It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide an improved form of beater device wherein the speed and amplitude of movement of the beater, for a given foot movement, are much increased, to the extent that the player can readily perform more rapid drum beats, and with greater loudness, than was possible hitherto.

According to the present invention, a drum beater device comprises a frame, a shaft jour nalled on the frame and carrying a beater, a foot-operable rocker pivoted on the frame and having a toothed gear sector meshed with a pinion toothing of the shaft, and return loading means acting between the shaft and the frame.

With such an arrangement, both the rocker, and the relative radii of the gear sector and the pinion shaft, can be readily made to give a mechanical advantage which increases the speed and amplitude of the movement of the beater for a given movement of the foot actuating the device.

In a preferred form, the rocker is a two-arm lever having the toothed gear sector at an end of one arm, and a foot pedal is carried movably on the frame to coact with the free end of the other arm.

The return loading means is preferably adjustable, and in a convenient arrangement the return loading means comprises tension spring means coupled at one end to radial lug means on the shaft, and coupled at their other end to the frame. Such return loading means may comprise two tension springs each having their other end attached to a crossbar, and an adjusting structure coupling the crossbar to the frame. The adjusting structure may be, for example, a rod journalled in the crossbar and having a threaded portion engaged in a threaded portion of the frame.

In a further feature, an angularly adjustable coupling is provided between the beater and the shaft.

A releasable clamp means may be provided on the frame for securing the device to the structure of a bass drum.

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, an embodiment of foot-operated drum beating device in accordance therewith is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of the device, with foot plate and beater arm removed; Figure 2 is an end elevation, viewed in the direction of the arrow ''Q'' in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation, taken on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a side elevation viewed in the direction of the arrow "P" in Fig. 1.

The beater device comprises a frame 1 in the opposite side walls of which is journalled a cross-shaft 2 carrying at one end, externally of the side wall, a bushing 3 having at its outer axial end a number of teeth 4. A collar 5 having axial end teeth 6 can be engaged coaxially with the bushing 3 by means of a wing-bolt 7 engaged through the collar 5 and threaded axiaily into the bushing 3. The collar 5 can be slackened off, rotated into a desired position of rotation relative to the bushing 2, and then re-tightened with the teeth 6 engaged with the teeth 4 to ensure rotational coupling between the bushing 3 and the collar 5. A compression spring 8 positioned in facing axial cavities of the bushing 3 and the collar 5 ensures that the teeth 6 and 4 become disengaged when the wing-bolt 7 is slackened off.The collar 5 has a recess 8 in which one end of a beater arm 9 is secured by a pin 10. The other end of the beater arm carries a beater pad 11.

On the shaft 2 there are mounted two lugs 1 2 to each of which there is fastened one end of a respective return loading spring 13, the other end of each loading spring being secured to a bar 14. In the centre of the bar 14 there is a bore which receives, in rotatable manner, the captive reduced end of a threaded tensioning rod 1 5 which is threaded through the front wall of the housing at 1 6 and carries an external knob 1 7 for rotation of the rod 1 5 to increase or lessen the spacing of the bar 14 from the front wall, and thereby apply greater or lesser spring tension on the radial lugs 1 2. The tension of the springs 1 3, 1 3 acts on the shaft 2 in the direction to draw the beater pad 11 away from a drum to which the device is attached.

A pivot shaft 1 8 is journalled at its ends in the two side walls of the frame, and carries centrally a rocker 1 9 having at one end an arcuate gear tooth formation 20 meshed with a toothed pinion formation 21 of the shaft 2.

The other end of the rocker has a freely rotatable roller 22 carried on an axle 23.

Depression of the roller 22 causes rotation of the shaft 2 in the direction to move the beater 11 towards the drum skin, against the tension exerted by the springs 13, 1 3.

On the two side walls of the frame 1 there are provided pivots 24 which serve for the mounting of a footplate 25 which rests on the roller. Accordingly, downward pressure on the footplate 25 causes the beater 11 to be moved towards the drum.

A block 26 extends from one side wall of the frame 1, and has a threaded hole in its upper part to receive a threaded spindle 27 having a knurled knob 28. The spindle is engaged through an arm 29 forming part of a crossbar 30 which is engaged at its other end through an opening in the end wall of the frame 1. The crossbar 30 carries a plate 31 which coacts with a plate 32 to form an adjustable spring-returned clamp to receive a part of the framework of a bass drum (not shown), whereby the beater device as a whole may be attached immovably, but releasably, to the frame of the drum.

With such a construction of beater device, the pressure of the player's foot on the foot pedal 25 causes the shaft 2 to rotate and the beater pad 11 to hit the drum skin. Due to the provision of the rack and pinion acting between the rocker arm 1 9 and the shaft 2, the speed and amplitude of movement of the beater 11 are greater than the speed and amplitude of the movement of the footplate, so that a very rapid "response" of the beater 11 to the player's foot movement is obtained, and more volume can be obtained for a given extent of foot movement. The return springs 13, 1 3 act directly on the shaft 2 and thus rapidly withdraw the beater 11 between each foot operation of the beater. The force exerted by the return springs 13, 1 3 can be adjusted by the knob 1 7 to give variation of (i) the reaction against which the player's foot must work when moving the footplate 25, and (ii) the speed of return movement of the beater 11.

Claims (9)

1. A drum beater device comprising a frame, a shaft journalled on the frame and carrying a beater, a foot-operable rocker pivoted on the frame and having a toothed gear sector meshed with pinion toothing of the shaft, and return loading means acting between the shaft and the frame.

2. A drum beater device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rocker is a two-arm lever having the toothed gear sector at an end of one arm, and wherein a foot pedal carried movably on the frame coacts with the other arm.

3. A drum beater device, as claimed in either of claims 1 and 2, wherein the return loading means is adjustable.

4. A drum beater device, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the return loading means comprises tension spring means coupled at one end to radial lug means on the shaft, and coupled at their other end to the frame.

5. A drum device, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the return loading means comprise two tension springs each having their other end attached to a crossbar, and wherein an adjusting structure couples the crossbar to the frame.

6. A drum beater device, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the adjusting structure is a rod journalled in the crossbar and having a threaded portion engaged in a threaded portion of the frame.

7. A drum beater device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising an angularly adjustable coupling between the beater and the shaft.

8. A drum beater device, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including releasable clamp means on the frame for securing to the structure of a bass drum.

9. A drum beater device substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.