Drum mount

Abstract

An adjustable drum mount composed of a fixed component and at least one mounting component, wherein the relative position of the mounting component with respect to the fixed component is adjustable. The fixed component is durably attached to the drum shell with fasteners. The fixed component has a planar, extending member, which connects with the mounting component(s). The planar, extending member has one end, attached continuously to the bulk of the fixed component, called the fixed end. The planar, extending member has another end, disposed distal to the fixed end, called the free end, which can vibrate. The mounting components can be mounted substantially anywhere between the fixed end and the free end. The adjustment changes the stiffness with which the drum mount connects the drum leg or support to the drum.

Claims

1. A drum mount comprising a fixed component and at least one mounting component, wherein the fixed component is attached to a drum shell with at least one threaded fastener; the fixed component has a planar extending member with at least two ends, one a fixed end and one a free end; at the fixed end, the extending member is fixed relative to the drum shell; and at the free end, the extending member is free to vibrate, orthogonally, relative to the drum shell; wherein the mounting component can be fastened to the planar extending member; and wherein the mounting component can be fastened to the planar extending member of the fixed component substantially anywhere along the length of the planar extending member from the fixed end to the free end.

2. The drum mount of claim 1, wherein the fixed component (“U-bracket”) is fabricated from a continuous piece of material, having two planar members opposed to one another and connected with a curvilinear surface, and the mounting component is comprised of a substantially planar screw plate having two holes; a receiver hub; and a connecting member.

3. The drum mount of claim 2, wherein one of the planar members of the U-bracket (“rear plane”), having two slotted holes, attaches to a drum body with fasteners; the other planar member of the U-bracket (“front plane”), having two elongated slots, attaches to the connecting member, screw plate, and receiver hub with fasteners, the front plane, having a rectangular shape with two long linear edges and a short, rounded edge (“free-end”), attaches to the curvilinear surface at the fixed end, wherein the free-end is distal to the fixed end; two elongated slots in the front plane and two holes or slots in the rear plane; the receiver hub is fabricated as a single sub-component from a single material, having a substantially rectangular base, with two long edges and two short edges, a front surface with a raised plateau, a flat rear surface, and four (4) holes extending from the front surface to the rear surface, the front surface having a channel partially bisecting the front surface of the base, including the raised plateau, said channel running parallel to the long edges of the substantially rectangular base; the connecting member fabricated as a single sub-component having a base that has a channel partially bisecting the rear surface of the base, between the two holes; wherein the receiver hub attaches to the front plane of the U-bracket with fasteners extending through the receiver hub and the elongated slots of the front plane of the U-bracket, to connect with the screw plate, and the connecting member, thereby capturing and securing a tubular drum support between the defined channels of the rear surface of the connecting member and the front surface of the receiver hub.

4. The drum mount of claim 3, wherein the U-bracket, receiver hub, connecting member, and screw plate are fabricated from one of wood, zinc, steel, aluminum, poly(methyl-methacrylate) (“PMMA”), polycarbonate (“PC”), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), polypropylene (“PP”), high-density polyethylene (“HDPE”), and low-density polyethylene (“LDPE”).

5. The drum mount of claim 3, wherein the U-bracket is fabricated from spring steel.

6. The drum mount of claim 3, wherein the receiver hub and connecting member are fabricated from cast zinc.

7. The drum mount of claim 3, wherein one hole is placed on the left side of the receiver hub, below the plateau, and another hole is placed on the right side of the receiver hub, above the plateau.

8. The drum mount of claim 7, wherein a mounting location of the receiver hub with respect to the U-bracket can be defined as a relative position; and wherein the relative position of the receiver hub with respect to the U-bracket can be varied without disconnecting the connecting member from the receiver hub, or removing the tubular drum support from between the receiver hub and connecting member, by adjusting the fasteners that connect the receiver hub to the screw plate.

9. The drum mount of claim 8, wherein the receiver hub has a center of mass and a linear displacement of the receiver hub center of mass with respect to the fixed end of the U-bracket can be defined by a distance; wherein the stiffness with which the mount connects the tubular drum support to the drum is inversely proportional to the distance between the center of mass of the receiver hub and the fixed end of the U-bracket.

10. The drum mount of claim 3, wherein the connecting member can be tightened with respect to the receiver hub by tightening at least one wing-nut.

11. The drum mount of claim 10, wherein the tubular drum support can be removed by loosening one wing-nut that connects the connecting member to the receiver hub.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention is illustrated with 5 drawings on 3 sheets.

(2) FIG. 1 is an isometric drawing of the present invention installed on a kick drum.

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention installed on a tom drum.

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of the present invention installed on a snare drum.

(5) FIG. 4 is an isolated isometric view of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(7) The following descriptions are not meant to limit the invention, but rather to add to the summary of invention, and illustrate the present invention, a drum mount. The present invention is illustrated with a variety of drawings showing various possible embodiments.

(8) The present invention, a drum mount, has two essential pieces: a fixed component and at least one mounting component. Both the fixed component and the mounting component(s) can be, themselves, composed of multiple individual pieces or sub-components. The present invention is exemplified with drawings detailing the first embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of the present invention, a drum mount 8, installed on kick drum 1. The kick drum 1 has a membrane 3 and shell 2. The membrane 3 is attached to the shell with a hoop 6. The hoop 6 is held on the shell 2 by tensioners 5, 7, 9. The visible components of the tensioner are the hoop retainer 5, lug 7, and tension rod 9. The tensioner 5, 7, 9 acoustically couples the membrane 3 to the shell 6, while it creates surface tension in the membrane 3. In this embodiment, a plurality of drum legs 4 are attached to the kick drum with the drum mount 8.

(9) FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the present invention, a drum mount 8, installed on tom drum 11. The tom drum 11 has a membrane 13 and shell 12. The membrane 13 is attached to the shell with a hoop 16. The hoop 16 is held on the shell 12 by tensioners 15, 17, 19. The visible components of the tensioner are the hoop retainer 15, lug 17, and tension rod 19. The tensioner 15, 17, 19 acoustically couples the membrane 13 to the shell 16, while it creates surface tension in the membrane 13. In this embodiment, a plurality of drum legs 14 are attached to the kick drum with the drum mount 8.

(10) FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of the present invention, a drum mount 8, installed on snare drum 21. The snare drum 21 has a membrane 23 and shell 22. The membrane 23 is attached to the shell with a hoop 26. The hoop 26 is held on the shell 22 by tensioners 25, 27, 29. The visible components of the tensioner are the hoop retainer 25, lug 27, and tension rod 29. The tensioner 25, 27, 29 acoustically couples the membrane 23 to the shell 26, while it creates surface tension in the membrane 23. In this embodiment, the drum mount 8 is in situ on the shell 26, but no supports or legs are attached.

(11) The drum mount 8 is installed on the shell 2, 12, 22 of the drum 1, 11, 21. The drum mount 8 does not place the shell 2, 12, 22 under any type of stress, and does not create any von mises stress within the shell 2, 12, 22. At least one drum leg 4, 14, or other drum support, can be attached to the drum 1, 11, 21, with two threaded fasteners 37 (FIG. 4). Two threaded fasteners 37 also allow the drum mount 8 to be adjusted.

(12) FIG. 4 shows an isolated isometric view of the drum mount 8; FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the drum mount 8. The drum mount 8 is composed of a screw plate 103, a U-bracket 102, a receiver hub 101, a connecting member 100, and a plurality of fasteners 37, 92. The screw plate 103 has a flat, planar surface 45 with two holes 46 in it.

(13) The U-bracket 102 has an outer planar surface 35 and an inner planar surface 33. The U-bracket 102 has a distinct front plane 51 and rear plane 52, connected by a curved portion 31. The U-bracket has a narrow edge 34, defining its thickness. On the front plane 51, there are two elongated slots 53. On the rear plane 52, there are two screw holes or slots 54. The front plane 51 is extended from the curved portion 31. The front plane 51 has a fixed end 160, where it connects to the curved portion 31. The front plane 51 also has a free end 161, which is opposite the fixed end 160.

(14) The receiver hub 101 has a base 36 with a front surface 70 and a rear surface (not visible). The rear surface of the receiver hub is flat. Running longitudinally down the front surface 70 of the receiver hub is a channel 71, which partially bisects the base 36 of the receiver hub 101. On each side of the channel 71 is a raised plateau 72, centered on the longer dimension of the front surface 70 of the receiver hub 101. On each side of the channel are two holes 48, 49, 73. One hole 73 on each side is centered on the raised plateau 72. On the left side of the receiver hub 101, the second hole 49 is below the raised plateau 72. On the right side of the receiver hub 101, the second hole 48 is above the raised plateau 72. As with any physical part constructed from a homogeneous material, the receiver hub 101 has a centroid, which, due to the symmetry of the part, roughly corresponds to the geometric center of the receiver hub 101.

(15) The connecting member 100 has a rounded rectangular base 80, with a front surface 81 and a rear surface (not shown). On the rear surface of the connecting member base 80, there is a channel parallel to the short side or edge 82 of the base 80 that is centered on the rear surface. There are two holes 83 through the connecting member 100, positioned on either side of the base 80. In one embodiment, the connecting member 100 attaches to the receiver hub 101 with a wing nut 32 and a standard bolt 37 disposed on the front surface 81 wherein a screw post 92 extends through the two holes 83. The standard bolt 37 can remain fixed, and the wing nut 32 can be loosened, releasing the support member or leg that is retained in the channel 71.

(16) The receiver hub 101 is connected to the U-bracket 102 with two fasteners 37. In one embodiment, the fasteners 37 from the receiver hub 101 pass through the elongated slots 53 in the U-bracket 102, fastening to the screw plate 103. The connecting member 100 fastens to the receiver hub 101 with two additional fasteners 37, 92. At least one drum leg 4, 14 or support can be securely captured and retained between the connecting member 100 and receiver hub 101. The position of the support, such as a drum leg 4, 14 can be adjusted by moving the receiver hub 101 relative to the U-bracket 102, by adjusting the fasteners 37 in the screw holes 48, 49 connecting the receiver hub 102 to the screw plate 103. In this way, the stiffness of the support and mount system can be easily adjusted. Additionally, the user can select the appropriate position for their particular style, adjusting the drum mount 8 to get the preferred amount of stiffness.

(17) The drum mount 8 components 100, 101, 102, 103 can be fabricated from stiff, environmentally durable materials such as poly(methyl-methacrylate) (“PMMA” or tradenames Plexiglass or Lucite®), polycarbonate (“PC” or tradename Lexan®), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), polypropylene (“PP”), high-density polyethylene (“HDPE”), low-density polyethylene (“LDPE”), wood, zinc, steel, or aluminum. The drum mount 8 components 100, 101, 102, 103 can be fabricated from steel, which can be punched (stamped) and/or forged (hot or cold). The drum mount 8 components 100, 101, 102, 103 can also be fabricated from appropriate polymers, using standard manufacturing processes, such as injection molding. In the first embodiment, the U-bracket 102 is fabricated from spring steel, while the connecting member 100 and receiver hub 101 are cast from zinc.