Music – Instruments – Drums
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-05
2001-01-09
Ip, Paul (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Drums
C084S415000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172288
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates, in general, to a snare system for a snare drum and, more particularly, to a clamp that provides for the selective precise rapid engagement and disengagement of the snares against the snare head without the use of tools and also provides for the selective precise rapid tensioning of the snares against the snare head.
BACKGROUND ART
Snare drums produce a sound that is quite different from that produced by other drums. This unique sound is produced by stretching snares, typically made of cable, gut, or wire across one head of the drum. The snares are generally attached to the drum shell at one end, stretched across the snare head, and attached to a strainer which is connected to the opposite side of the drum shell. The strainer operates to stretch the snares across the snare head. By selectively engaging and disengaging the snares against the snare head and/or by varying the amount of tension applied to the snares by means of a snare strainer, a drummer can change the sound produced by the snare drum. Various devices are available for adjusting the tension within the snares themselves, however, these devices require the use of tools, such as Allen wrenches, screw drivers, or the like, and are virtually impossible to employ while the drummer is performing on the instrument. In addition to being very cumbersome to use, such tools prohibit the drummer from making precise rapid adjustments to the individual snare groups as musical and artistic circumstances dictate. Furthermore, these devices do not provide for the selective precise rapid engagement and disengagement of the snares against the snare head, when desired, while performing.
In view of the foregoing, it has become desirable to develop an improved snare system including a snare clamp which utilizes a minimum number of components, is operable without the use of tools, and which enables the drummer to rapidly and precisely engage and disengage the snares against the snare head and which permits the drummer to make precise rapid adjustments to the tension within the snare groups while performing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the problems associated with prior art snare clamping devices and other problems by providing a snare drum clamping device which provides for the selective rapid engagement and disengagement of the individual snares against the snare head and also provides for the precise rapid tensioning of the snares against the snare head without the use of tools and while the drummer is performing. The clamping device is comprised of a primary element and a secondary element retained in an abutting relationship by fasteners passing therethrough. One or more screws having threads over a portion of their length are received within through bores located adjacent the outer ends of either the secondary element or primary element. A hand nut engages the threaded end of each of the screws. The opposite end of the screw has a cross-drilled bore therethrough. The ends of a first snare group are attached to a snare clasp having a connecting cable passing therethrough which is received through the cross-drilled bore in the opposite end of the screw. Similarly, the ends of a second snare group are attached to another snare clasp having a connecting cable passing therethrough which is received through the cross-drilled bore in the opposite end of another screw. By rotating the hand nut associated with each screw, the snare groups can be selectively engaged and/or disengaged against the snare head and the tension within each of the snare groups can be precisely adjusted. After the snare groups have been engaged against the snare head and the tension has been precisely adjusted, the tension within the snare group is maintained since the orientation of the hand nut with respect to its respective threaded screw will not change unless the hand nut is turned by the drummer. In addition, the snare group can be selectively engaged and disengaged against the snare head by merely rotating the hand nut a pre-determined number of turns. The ends of the third snare group are received between the primary element and the secondary element and are held therein in a vise-like arrangement thus preventing the tension within this group of snares from changing. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the first and/or second group of snares can be attached to the secondary element by means of a connecting cable attached to the snare clasp and having its ends received within a through bore in the secondary element and retained therein by means of a fastener received within a threaded blind bore in the secondary element. In still another alternate embodiment, only a singular element, rather than a primary element and secondary element, is utilized and one or more snare engagement, disengagement and precision adjusting means comprised of the aforementioned screw and hand nut arrangement is similarly employed. Alternatively, either one or both of the screws and hand nuts can be eliminated and the ends of the connecting cable which passes through the snare clasp can be received within a through bore in the singular element and retained therein by means a fastener received within a threaded blind bore in the secondary element.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3113481 (1963-12-01), Thompson
patent: 4383467 (1983-05-01), Glassford, Jr.
patent: 4967634 (1990-11-01), Whynott
patent: 5107742 (1992-04-01), Cummings et al.
patent: 5275081 (1994-01-01), Freer
patent: 5684257 (1997-11-01), Yanagisawa
Grover Musical Products, Inc.
Hudak James A.
Ip Paul
Lockett Kim
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