GB2408140A

GB2408140A - Cymbal securing device

Info

Publication number: GB2408140A
Application number: GB0326243A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Lewis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-11-11
Filing date: 2003-11-11
Publication date: 2005-05-18
Also published as: GB0326243D0

Abstract

A cymbal holding device comprises a resiliently deformable contact member and a locking means. The locking means is moveable by a single hand action between a released position wherein the device can be inserted onto a reduced diameter upper end portion of a cymbal stand, and a locked position wherein the contact member is urged against the end portion.

Description

1 2408140

CYMBAL SECURING DEVICE

The present invention relates to a device for securing a cymbal on a support stand.

Cymbal stands as used, for example, with drum sets, normally consist of a support pole with a threaded end portion of slightly smaller diameter.

The threaded end passes through a hole in the centre of the cymbal which is supported on a shoulder at the top of the unthreaded part of the pole. Known devices for securing cymbals on such stands include a threaded component such as a wing nut, which is screwed onto the threaded end portion of the stand. Alternatively, self-tapping devices may be used which operate on the same principle. Protective pads such as expanded foam can be placed either side of the cymbal to allow for movement and vibration of the cymbal when struck.

A problem arises because these devices often have to be fitted to the stands on stage before a concert, when the lights are turned down low. In these conditions the process of screwing the securing device onto the stand on top of the cymbal is very time-consuming, especially considering that drum sets frequently include several cymbals on such stands.

Another known alternative cymbal holder is an elastic gripper, in which longitudinal members are squeezed together by an encircling elastic band or ring so as to grip the threaded end portion of the stand. Although no time-consuming screwing is required, this type of device does not work well when the cymbal is hit hard because the elastic flexes and slippage occurs, meaning that the cymbal is no longer held securely in place. The consequence of the cymbal not being properly secured is that subsequent striking results in movement of the cymbal on the stand, which may adversely affect the quality of the sound produced.

A further disadvantage with these known devices is that they are purely functional and unsightly. Increasingly, staged musical performances are being seen as a visual spectacle, in which the appearance of the equipment on stage is an important consideration.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a device for holding a cymbal on a stand that substantially alleviates the aforementioned problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a cymbal holding device comprising a resiliently deformable contact member and locking means moveable by a single hand action between a released position wherein the device can be inserted onto a reduced diameter end portion of a cymbal stand, and a locked position wherein the contact member is urged against said end portion.

It is an advantage of the device that a cymbal can be secured to a stand and locked in place in one simple action, without the need for any screwing of a nut or threaded assembly.

The locking means may comprise a locking member wherein, in the locked position, the locking member urges the contact member against the end portion of the support stand.

In a preferred embodiment the device comprises a body surrounding a substantially cylindrical cavity, and the contact member comprises a hard rubber liner disposed within said cavity.

Preferably, the cavity within the rubber liner is sized to just fit over the threaded end portion of the stand but is smaller than a lower unthreaded portion thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the locking member comprises a slide lock slidably moveable within the body in a direction to the locked position for urging the contact member against the end portion of the support stand, and in an opposite direction to release the contact member and unlock the holder from the cymbal stand.

The slide lock may extend through a side opening in the body so as to be moveable between the locked and released positions by a lever disposed outwardly of the body.

Preferably, the slide lock is pivotally connected to the lever at a pivot point, the lever having a cam surface for engaging a bearing surface of the body, such that rotation of the lever about pivot point causes movement of the slide lock relative to the body.

It will be appreciated that the resilient deformation of the contact member by the slide lock ensures that the cam surface is urged into contact with bearing surface when the cymbal holder is in use.

Preferably, the cam surface is profiled so that the lever is biased into the locked position by the resilience of the contact member.

In a preferred embodiment, the lever is recessed into a depression in the body in the locked position, and is rotatable about the pivot point so as to protrude away from the body in the unlocked position.

Preferably the lever comprises a finger grip to facilitate movement thereof between the locked and unlocked position of the securing device.

It is an advantage that, when in the locked position, the lever fits snugly into the recess so as not to present an obstruction or snagging hazard during use.

It is a farther advantage that the functional components of the device are substantially contained within the body, or are adapted to fit snugly against the body in use. This means that the external appearance of the body can be shaped, coloured or otherwise adapted to have a decorative or symbolic appearance more suitable for the spectacle of a staged musical performance.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a sectional view of a known device for holding a cymbal on a stand; Figure 2 is a sectional view of a device for holding a cymbal on a stand in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 3a and 3b are sectional views of a locking mechanism of the device of Figure 2 in a released and a locked position respectively; s Figure 4 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism of a device for holding a cymbal on a stand in accordance with the present invention; Figure 5 is an exterior view of a device for holding a cymbal on a stand in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a slide lock in an alternative embodiment of a cymbal holder in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a known device 10 in the form of a wing-nut holds a cymbal 12 on a stand 14. The stand 14 is of a type commonly used with drum kits, and comprises a cylindrical pole having a lower unthreaded portion 22, of slightly larger diameter than an upper threaded end portion 2O, so as to provide an annular ledge 24. The cymbal 12 has a central aperture 16, sized to allow placement over the upper threaded portion 20 of the stand 14 and supported on the ledge 24. Upper and lower protective pads 18, 19 may be placed on either side of the cymbal 12. These may be of a resilient material such as expanded foam, to allow movement of the cymbal when struck.

In use, the aperture 16 in cymbal 12 is placed over the end portion 20 of the stand 14 so as to be supported by the annular ledge 24. The holder 10 is screwed onto the threaded portion 20 until it contacts the top of the cymbal 12 or the upper protective pad 18 if used. Further tightening of holder 10 ensures that the cymbal 12 is held firmly in place.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a cymbal holder 25 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numbers which refer to the same components as in Figure 1 remain the same. The cymbal holder 25 comprises a bell-shaped body 26, which encapsulates a resiliently deformable contact member 28. The contact member is sized and shaped to fit over the threaded portion 20 of the stand 14, and takes the form of a hard rubber liner within the body 26. The base of the body 26 is of sufficient diameter to receive the upper protective pad 18 placed on top of the cymbal 12.

A slide lock 34 is located within the body, and surrounds the contact member 28. The slide lock 34 is slideably moveable within a passage defined by an opening 35a through the body 26 and a recess 35b formed within the body 26 surrounding the liner 28. The slide lock 34 extends through the opening 35a where it is pivotally mounted by means of a scroll pin 32 to a lever 30.

The lever 30 has a cam portion adjacent the scroll pin 32 with a cam surface 31. The cam surface 31 has a first region 31a at a relatively short distance from the scroll pin 32 and a second region 31b at a relatively large distance from the scroll pin 32. The first and second regions 31a, 31b of cam surface 31 are disposed approximately 90 to each other. In the position shown in Figure 2 the second cam surface 31b abuts a bearing surface 33 on the exterior of the body 26. This is the locked position in which the slide lock 34 is urged to the right (as shown in Figure 2) so as to urge the contact member 28 against the threaded end portion 20 of the stand 14. When the lever 30 is rotated about the scroll pin 32, the profile of the cam surface releases the slide lock 34 so that it is free to move to the left. The released and locked positions are shown in more detail in Figures 3a and 3b.

Figure 3a shows the lever 30 in the released (horizontal) position. The body 26 of Figure 2 has been removed from Figures 3a and 3b for clarity.

The first cam surface region 31a abuts the bearing surface 33 (which is shown as a dotted line in Figures 3a and 3b). In this position the slide lock 34 has been moved to the left as shown, and exerts no substantial force on the contact member 28, which is loose around the threaded shaft 20.

Figure 3b shows the lever 30 in the locked (vertical) position such that the second surface region 31b abuts bearing surface 33. In this position the slide lock 34 has been moved to the right as shown, and exerts force so as to compress the hard rubber liner against the threaded shaft 20 at a surface 38.

In order to ensure that once locked, the lever 30 remains in the locked position until released, the profile of the cam surface 31 is arranged so that the greatest distance between the cam surface 31 and the scroll pin 32 occurs when the lever 30 is at a small angle just before the lever 30 reaches the final locked position. Thus, in the locked position, the resilient action of the contact member 28 against the slide lock 38 biases the lever 30 into the locked position.

In the released (horizontal) position of Figure 3a, the holder 25 can easily be placed onto and taken off the stand 14 without substantial resistance. In the locked (vertical) position of Figure 3b, the holder 25 is secured onto the stand 14 because the contact member 26 is urged into contact with, so as to grip the end portion 20 of the stand 14.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the lever 30 and slide lock 34, corresponding to the locked position as shown in Figure 3b. In order to release the holder 25 from the locked position, lever 30 is moved in an upward direction to a substantially horizontal position as indication by arrows B to A. Figure 5 shows the exterior of the holder 15. In the locked position, lever 30 is embedded into the surface 44, so that it does not protrude and interfere with the playing of the cymbal. Lever 30 is also shaped to include a finger grip 42, for ease of use when releasing the holder 25.

Figure 6 shows a slide lock 52 of an alternative embodiment of a cymbal holder, which is similar in operation to the cymbal holder with slide lock 34 of the embodiment of Figures 2 to 5. In this embodiment, a resilient contact member 54 comprises a hard rubber material attached to the inner perimeter surface of slide lock 52. When the slide lock 52 is moved to the right as shown in Figure 6, the resilient contact member 54 is urged against the threaded end portion 20 of the stand 14 to grip the stand 14 in the same manner as described above for the embodiment of Figures 2 to 5.

The embodiment described herein have a bell-shaped body. It will be appreciated that this is a convenient and aesthetically pleasing shape, but that other body shapes may be equally effective. Consequently, holders employing the same functional principles described herein may be fashioned to have any desired, decorative or symbolic shape, thereby enhancing the appearance of cymbal stands used in staged musical presentations.

Claims

Claims 1. A cymbal holding device comprising a resiliently deformable

contact member and locking means moveable by a single hand action between a released position wherein the device can be inserted onto a reduced diameter upper end portion of a cymbal stand, and a locked position wherein the contact member is urged against said end portion.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a locking member wherein, in the locked position, the locking member urges the contact member against the end portion of the support stand.
3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a body surrounding a substantially cylindrical cavity, wherein the contact member comprises a hard rubber liner disposed within said cavity.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the cavity within the rubber liner is sized to just fit over the upper end portion of the stand but is smaller than a lower portion thereof.
5. The device of claim 2, wherein the locking member comprises a slide lock slidably moveable within the body in a direction to the locked position for urging the contact member against the end portion of the support stand, and in an opposite direction to release the contact member and unlock the device from the stand.
6. The device of claim 6, wherein the slide lock extends through a side opening in the body so as to be moveable between the locked and released positions by a lever disposed outwardly of the body.
7. The device of claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the slide lock is pivotally connected to the lever at a pivot point, the lever having a cam surface for engaging a bearing surface of the body, such that rotation of the lever about pivot point causes movement of the slide lock relative to the body.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the cam surface is profiled so that the lever is biased into the locked position by the resilience of the contact member.
9. The device of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the lever is recessed into a depression in the body in the locked position, and is rotatable about the pivot point so as to protrude away from the body in the unlocked position.
10. The device of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the lever comprises a finger grip to facilitate movement thereof between the locked and unlocked position of the securing device.
11. A cymbal holding device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.