Musical drumhead

Abstract

A musical drumhead having a plurality of multifilament yarns joined to form an open weave mesh fabric wherein the surface of the multifilament yarns is uneven or undulating for enabling a strong bond with an applied coating, which, in turn, is provided to encapsulate the individual multifilament yarns. When struck by a hard object, the open weave mesh fabric absorbs vibrations resulting in a sound that simulates the sound properties of a modern day synthetic drumhead at substantially reduced sound levels. Integrating a plurality of soft fiber tufts into the surface (top and bottom) of the mesh fabric reduces the sound levels produced by the drumhead of the present invention even further.

Claims

1. A musical drumhead for use as a batter head of a single-headed or double-headed drum, said double-headed drum also having a resonant drumhead, said musical drumhead comprising: a plurality of multifilament yarns joined together to form an open mesh fabric, said individual multifilament yarns having uneven or undulating surfaces for enabling a strong bond with an applied coating means, said multifilament yarns being individually encapsulated by said coating means, wherein said open mesh fabric when struck by a hard object absorbs vibrations and simulates the sound properties of a synthetic drumhead at substantially reduced sound levels.

2. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein a plurality of soft fiber tufts are integrated into said open mesh fabric to enhance the absorption of vibrations and the further reduction of sound levels when said open mesh fabric is struck by a hard object.

3. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said multifilament yarns are twisted.

4. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said multifilament yarns are braided.

5. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said open mesh fabric is knitted.

6. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said open mesh fabric is knotted.

7. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said coating means secured in fixed position the pattern of said open mesh fabric thereby precluding off-bias stretching of said mesh fabric upon the tensioning of said drumhead in any direction of a polar array.

8. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said coating means secured in fixed position the weave pattern of said mesh fabric upon the striking of said drumhead by a hard object.

9. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said coating means comprises material made of polyvinyl chloride.

10. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said coating means comprises material made of polyvinylidene fluoride.

11. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said coating means comprises material made of high density polyethylene.

12. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said coating means comprises material made of chlorosulfonated polyethylene.

13. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said open mesh fabric comprises a pattern of intersecting said individual multifilament yarns defining adjacent openings to enable the passage of air through said batter head.

14. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said multifilament yarn comprises material made of polyester.

15. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said multifilament yarn comprises material made of nylon.

16. The musical drumhead of claim 2 wherein said soft fiber tufts are bonded to said open mesh fabric to reduce the initial contact noise and any accompanying drumhead reverberations produced when said drumhead is struck by a hard object.

17. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said open mesh fabric when struck by a hard object produces a clear tone absent the predominance of acoustic noise.

18. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said hard object is a drumstick.

19. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said hard object is a drum mallet.

20. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said drumhead is integral to an electric percussion instrumental system.

21. The musical drumhead of claim 1 wherein said drumhead is integral to an acoustic percussion instrument.

22. The musical drumhead of claim 13 comprising two or more layers of said open mesh fabric.

23. The musical drumhead of claim 22 wherein one layer of said open mesh fabric is placed in an off-biased orientation relative to said other layer of said open mesh fabric.

24. The musical drumhead of claim 23 wherein said layers of said open mesh fabric rotate separately to adjust the size of said openings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drumhead in accordance with the present invention shown with a double-headed drum, including a resonant head, and comprised of vinyl-coated multifilament twisted yarns combined with a conventional drumshell and tensioning hardware.

(2) FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an enlarged section of the open mesh fabric shown in FIG. 1 detailing a group of twisted multifilament yarns used to create a weave.

(3) FIG. 1B is a cross-section of a coated single strand of twisted multifilament yarns of the type used to make the open weave mesh fabric shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A.

(4) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a drumhead in accordance with the present invention shown comprised of vinyl-coated multifilament yarns.

(5) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a drumhead in accordance with the present invention shown comprised of vinyl-coated multifilament twisted yarns.

(6) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a drumhead in accordance with the present invention shown comprised of vinyl-coated multifilament yarns integrated with soft tufts of fiber.

(7) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a drumhead in accordance with the present invention shown comprised of vinyl-coated multifilament yarns integrated with soft tufts of fiber in a different arrangement.

(8) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a drumhead in accordance with the present invention shown comprised of a knitted mesh material.

(9) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a drumhead in accordance with the present invention shown comprised of a variant of a knitted weave mesh material.

(10) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a single-headed musical drum in accordance with the present invention comprised of an open weave mesh material and shown with the head being percussed by a drumstick.

(11) FIG. 8A is an enlarged section of the open weave mesh material shown in FIG. 8.

(12) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a drumhead in accordance with the present invention shown with two layers of woven mesh fabric about to be joined together in an off-biased orientation relative to one another.

(13) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a drumhead in accordance with the present invention shown with one layer of woven mesh fabric placed in an off-biased orientation relative to a second layer of woven mesh fabric.

(14) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of plain woven Kevlar material.

(15) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the plain woven Kevlar material of FIG. 11 shown stretched or tensioned in an off-biased manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(16) The present invention, which will be described in more detail with reference to the preferred embodiment in FIG. 1, provides a composite open weave mesh fabric material 10 for fashioning drumhead 12 attached to counterhoop 14 which, in turn, is brought together with drum shell 16 to construct either a double-headed drum 20 having a bottom resonant head 22, or a single-headed drum 24. Conventional tensioning hardware 18 is employed to ensure drumhead 12 is properly tensioned. Multifilament yarns 30, whether twisted or braided, or in whatever manner the yarn is otherwise joined, typically has an uneven or undulating surface 26, which enables a strong bond with applied coating 28. Applied coating 28, in turn, encapsulates individual multifilament yarns 30, which aids in absorbing vibrations when drumhead 12 is struck by a hard object such as, for example, drumstick 32. This results in achieving the sound properties of a modern day synthetic drumhead at substantially reduced sound levels.

(17) Multifilament yarns 30 utilized to produce open weave mesh fabric material 10 of the present invention may be twisted (FIGS. 1,1A,1B,2,3), or braided (not shown), or joined in any other suitable manner. These yarns may be comprised of material, including, for example, polyester, nylon, among other synthetic or natural materials that may also be suitable for the intended purpose. Drumhead 12 may also be comprised of knitted mesh fabric 11 and 13 (FIGS. 6,7) or knotted mesh fabric (not shown) using a plurality of twisted or braided multifilament yarns 30 or any other suitable means for joining yarn material into an open mesh fabric to achieve the invention's objectives. The means to coat or encapsulate multifilament yarns 30 of the present invention may comprise cured molten polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene fluoride and high density polyethylene, or any other synthetic material suitable for this purpose.

(18) Cured polyvinylchloride, as with any other suitable synthetic cured molten material, acts to ensure that the weave pattern of the open weave mesh fabric material 10, knitted mesh fabric material 11 and 13, and knotted mesh fabric material (not shown) remains secured in place to prevent any off-bias pull or stretching of the material upon the tensioning of drumhead 12 in any direction of a polar array (FIGS. 9,10) or when drumhead 12 is struck by a hard object.

(19) Any of the weave, knitted or knotted patterns utilized, no matter the composition of the multifilament yarns used to produce them, comprise a series of connecting and intersecting individual multifilament yarns 30, which join to define adjacent various sized openings 36 to produce an open mesh pattern sufficient to enable the passage of air upon the striking of drumhead 12. The size of openings 36 determines the amount of air that passes through resonant head 22 below, for example, and thus, the amount of resonance, the tone and the sound levels produced by the struck drumhead 12.

(20) An alternative embodiment of the drumhead in accordance with the present invention comprises open weave mesh fabric material 10 produced from vinyl coated multifilament yarns integrated with a plurality of individual soft tufts of fiber material 34, such as olefin, as shown in varied arrangements in FIGS. 4,5. Olefins are synthetic fibers made from polyolefin, such as polypropylene or polyethylene. Soft fiber tufts 34 are provided as an integral component of open weave mesh fabric material 10 to reduce the initial contact noise and any accompanying drumhead reverberations. Tufts 34 also enhance the reduction of sound levels produced when drumhead 12 is struck by a hard object, such as drumstick 32 or any comparably hard object, for example, a drum mallet (not shown), utilized to produce the desired drum sounds.

(21) Drumhead 12 in accordance with the present invention may be utilized as an integral component of an acoustic percussion instrument, such as double-headed drum 20 and single-headed drum 24 shown in FIGS. 1,8, respectively, or an electronic percussion system (not shown).

(22) In addition to a single layer of open weave mesh fabric material 10, knitted mesh fabric material 11 and 13, or knotted mesh fabric material (not shown) used in accordance with the present invention, two or more layers of, for example, open weave mesh fabric material 38,40, as shown in FIGS. 9,10, may be combined in an overlay manner to achieve the objectives described heretofore. For example, one such layer of open weave mesh fabric material 38 may be placed in an off-biased orientation 42 relative to one or more of such other layers of material 40 to prevent the material, when incorporated as the drumhead component of a musical drum, from being distorted or pulled unevenly when tensioned or stretched. The overlay of fabric materials 38,40, shown in FIG. 9,10, depending on how the layers are oriented relative to one another can be utilized to adjust the size of openings 36 for regulating the amount of air that passes through the fabric and to increase the overall durability and tension capabilities of the drumhead.

(23) While the invention will be described in connection with a certain preferred embodiment, it is understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to that embodiment. Rather, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.