Music – Instruments – Drum and cymbal beaters
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-25
2001-05-08
Hsieh, Shih-Yung (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Drum and cymbal beaters
C084S422100, C084S422200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229080
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to stands used for musical instruments such as drum kits, and particularly to stands of hi-hat cymbals.
This application is based on Patent Application No. Hei 11-146205 filed in Japan, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Musical instruments such as drum kits consisting of sets of drums and cymbals use various types of stands such as stands of hi-hat cymbals (hereinafter, referred to as “hi-hat stands”). Herein, the hi-hat stand supports hi-hat cymbals, i.e., a pair of cymbals being arranged in a face-to-face manner, as follows:
A lower fixed cymbal is mounted on a main body of the hi-hat stand. An operation rod is provided to penetrate through inside of the main body of the hi-hat stand such that it is capable of freely moving up and down. An upper moving cymbal is attached to an upper portion of the operation rod such that it is arranged opposite to face with the lower fixed cymbal. A pedal is attached to a lower portion of the operation rod such that it is interlocked with the operation rod in vertical movement. When a performer depresses the pedal with his or her foot, the operation rod correspondingly moves down so that the upper moving cymbal strikes the lower fixed cymbal to produce a cymbal sound. The operation rod is normally pressed upwardly by a return spring. So, the performer depresses down the pedal against spring force of the return spring.
FIG. 4
shows a conventional example of the hi-hat stand equipped with hi-hat cymbals being performed. That is, a hi-hat stand
1
is basically constructed by a folding tripod (or legs)
2
, a hollow stand member
3
, an operation rod
4
, a spring device
5
and a pedal device
6
. Herein, the stand member
3
is supported by the folding tripod
2
so that it stands vertically on the floor. The operation rod
4
is arranged inside of the stand member
3
to penetrate through its hollow space. So, the operation rod
4
is able to move up and down inside of the stand member
3
. The spring device
5
normally presses the operation rod
4
upwardly. The pedal device
6
is attached to a lower portion of the stand member
3
. A lower fixed cymbal
7
is fixed to an upper portion of the stand member
3
, while an upper moving cymbal
8
is attached to an upper portion of the operation rod
4
. Those cymbals
7
,
8
are arranged opposite to each other in a face-to-face manner.
The spring device
5
is constructed by a pipe
9
which is fixed to an outer periphery of the lower portion of the stand member
3
. In addition, it contains a return spring (not shown) which is built in the pipe
9
. The return spring normally presses the operation rod
4
upwardly, so that in a non-performance mode, the upper moving cymbal
8
is located being apart from the lower fixed cymbal
7
in a vertical direction.
The pedal device
6
is constructed by a pedal frame
10
, a heel
11
, a pedal
12
and a transmission member
13
. Herein, the pedal frame
10
has an L-shape in side view and is placed on the floor. The heel
11
is connected with a back-end portion of the pedal frame
10
in proximity to a performer. A back end of the pedal
12
is interconnected with the heel
11
such that a front end thereof is capable of freely moving up and down with rotary motion. The front end of the pedal
12
is interconnected with a lower end of the operation rod
4
by means of the transmission member
13
containing a belt and a chain. When a performer depresses down the pedal
12
with his or her foot, the operation rod
4
moves down against spring force of the spring device
5
, so that the upper moving cymbal
8
strikes the lower fixed cymbal
7
.
In the case of the aforementioned hi-hat stand
1
, performability of the hi-hat cymbals is greatly influenced by an intersecting angle being formed between a floor surface and the pedal
12
being depressed. Because, an angle of the pedal
12
determines a stroke of the operation rod
4
. So, if the angle is very large, it is difficult for the performer to play the cymbals rapidly. In addition, the performer has a difficulty in playing the cymbals and is easily get tired with movement of his or her foot. In contrast, if the angle is very small, it is difficult for the performer to operate the pedal
12
delicately.
To cope with the aforementioned drawbacks, the hi-hat stand
1
is equipped with an angle adjustment mechanism for continuously adjusting the angle of the pedal
12
, an example of which is shown in FIG.
5
. That is, the angle adjustment mechanism shown in
FIG. 5
is constructed by a number of parts, as follows:
One end of the transmission member
13
is brought into contact with and interlocked with a roller
14
in connection with the pedal
12
, while an opposite end of the transmission member
13
is fixed to a top portion of the pedal frame
10
by means of a bolt
15
, a nut
16
and an elongated (or elliptical) hole
17
. Herein, the opposite end of the transmission member
13
is capable of freely moving up and down within a long length of the elongated hole
17
, into which the bolt
15
is inserted and is screwed with the nut
16
. That is, it is possible to continuously adjust the angle of the pedal
12
in response to movement of the bolt
15
that moves along the elongated hole
17
.
The aforementioned angle adjustment mechanism is fixed by a human operator (e.g., performer), as follows:
At an angle adjustment mode, the human operator loosens the nut
16
to release the bolt
15
to move up or down along the elongated hole
17
. That is, the human operator moves up or down the bolt
15
along the elongated hole
17
to set a desired angle for the pedal
12
. Then, the human operator tightens the nut
16
to fix the bolt
15
to the elongated hole
17
at a prescribed position.
As described above, the conventional angle adjustment mechanism is disadvantageous in that it needs complicated adjustment work by use of a specific tool such as a wrench (or a spanner). In addition, there is a problem in which if the nut
16
goes loosened by vibrations being applied to the hi-hat stand
1
during performance, the bolt
15
is released to move along the elongated hole
17
so that the angle of the pedal
12
is varied unintentionally.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a musical instrument stand such as a hi-hat stand which has a simple structure to support hi-hat cymbals and in which an angle of a pedal is easily adjusted without using a special tool.
A musical instrument stand of this invention such as a hi-hat stand equipped with hi-hat cymbals is basically constructed by legs (or tripod), a stand member, a pedal frame, an operation rod and a return spring. Herein, the operation rod is inserted into an internal space of the stand member, which is a pipe being vertically supported by the legs, such that the operation rod is capable of moving up and down inside of the stand member. The pedal frame is placed horizontally in connection with the stand member and is equipped with a pedal having a prescribed angle against a horizontal plane. A connection member is provided to connect a lower end of the operation rod with one end of the return spring so that the operation rod is normally pressed upwardly by the return spring. In addition, a transmission member is provided to interconnect the lower end of the operation rod with a front end of the pedal. When a performer depresses the front end of the pedal with his or her foot, the operation rod is forced to move downwardly against spring force of the return spring.
This invention is characterized by providing a specially designed spacer having a prescribed thickness, which is attached to the lower end of the operation rod to slightly lower the operation rod in elevation so that the angle of the pedal is slightly reduced by a prescribed unit angle. Herein, the unit angle depends upon the thickness of the spacer. It is possible to additionally attach a felt member to the lower end
Hsieh Shih-yung
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Yamaha Corporation
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