Music – Instruments – Drum and cymbal beaters
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-07
2001-11-13
Hsieh, Shih-Yung (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Drum and cymbal beaters
C084S422100, C084S422200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316708
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a hi-hat for generating percussion instrument sounds by cymbal dishes which can be set into motion, of which one cymbal is guided striking against the other cymbal dishes associated with a rod which is movable up and down in or on a stand.
Using convex shaped cymbal dishes, so-called cymbals, to generate specified noises by striking with sticks or adequate aids is known. These cymbals can likewise be struck against each other by hand, whereby two approximately equally large cymbals touch on their outer edges. This striking against each other is obtained in connection with the hi-hat, as is, for example, known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,500, that the upper cymbal is struck against the stationary lower cymbal with the aid of a rod which can be moved up and down. Such hi-hats belong to the standard outfitting of a percussionist, whereby he can either act directly through a foot pedal upon the rod, or as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,500, through a long activation cable which is arranged in a sheath. The typical and long lasting clash arises by striking the upper cymbal dish on the lower one. Hi-hats are used as rhythm instruments in concerts, as well as in connection with recording on sound carriers in the studio, which as a rule are operated in time by footwork of the percussionist. Usually a base drum or the like is operated with the other foot. With a hi-hat of this type, only the upper cymbal or cymbal dish can, as already mentioned, be struck against the lower stationary cymbal dish. Other noises can if necessary be reached by adding sticks or other aids. Further possible variations consist, if need be, in that cymbals of different size which emit different noises are used. Nonetheless, there has existed for years the intensive wish on the part of percussionists of generating different noises with one and the same hi-hat or of altering the intensity, even during a concert. Also, certain effects, as for example two staggered sounds, cannot be realized with the aid of known constructions. For this, one can, if worse comes to worse, rely on auxiliary technology in that the individual playing sessions are recorded on multiple tracks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Underlying the invention is therefore the object of creating an instrument which can be played or actuated variably and in many ways.
The objective is accomplished in that the other cymbal dish, that is, the lower cymbal dish, can also be moved up and down and is constructed so that it can strike against the mobile cymbal dish, and for this reason is associated with a rod structure appropriately mounted in or on the stand.
The possibility of moving the lower cymbal dish leads to an additional possibility which simply cannot be attained in connection with previous hi-hats. The playing possibilities therewith increase whereby advantageously the focus can be on operating facilities which purely from the outside cannot be distinguished from the previous ones at all. With one and the same foot motion, either both cymbal dishes are brought against each other or, however, only to a certain point, in order then to be hit by the other, or in that one of the cymbal dishes is fixed and the other is struck against it. This specification makes clear that the solution of the invention offers a great number of different playing possibilities for a percussionist practiced to any extent which makes generating music additionally interesting and creates even more enjoyment than the activation of previously known hi-hats.
According to an appropriate refinement of the invention, it is provided that the rod which can be moved up and down is arranged with the upper cymbal dish inside the stand tube forming the stand, and the rod structure is constructed with the other, that thus lower cymbal dish, as the casing tube surrounding the stand tube and the rod. Correspondingly, the lower cymbal dish is moved opposite to the upper cymbal dish through the sheath tube or the rod structure, while the rod can be likewise moved up and down with the upper cymbal dish through one and the same foot pedal. As a rule, however, this motion takes place against each other in any given case, so that the appropriate noises can be generated with basically shorter motions, but also by appropriate variations and additions, different noises which were wholly unattainable with previous hi-hats. It was mentioned above that there are many possible variations whereby it is also conceivable to make both movable apart from each other by switching, so that the percussionist can strike the cymbal dishes lying together with the sticks in order to be able to operate the two cymbal dishes individually after moving them apart.
An especially appropriate construction of such an operating facility consisting of mechanical parts in connection with which the movable rod is joined flexibly with a foot pedal of a basically familiar construction, whereby this foot pedal at the same time acts upon a cable line which is joined with the sheath tube after guidance through a guide roller. This construction makes it possible to lead the two cymbal dishes against each other, and to be sure with the same foot pedal. As the same time, it can be assured by the operating facility that the two cymbal dishes selectively either hit each other while in motion or that the one has already reached its end position and the other then strikes upon it. Here it is important that the percussionist moves the rod for the upper cymbal dish downward while at the same time the sheath tube is guided upward with the same pedal motion. He thus requires only the single known pedal to operate both mobile cymbal dishes so that he can operate another musical instrument as before.
The correspondingly movable parts can be moved with the same foot because it is provided, according to a refinement of the invention, that the movable rod consists of a pedal element, a sheath element and a dish rod, that the pedal element is constructed as a tube accommodating the cable line, and the adjoining sheath element is constructed as an intermediate element enclosing the guide pulley and joined with the dish rod. Consequently, a continuous rod is no longer used, but rather such a mechanics which at the same time also guarantees the motion of the cable line and its guidance by the guide pulley so that thereby the downward motion of the rod with the upper cymbal dish is converted into an upward motion of the sheath tube with the lower cymbal dish.
With the mechanics described, the return of the two cymbal dishes into their initial position is also guaranteed at the same time in that the sheath tube with the other cymbal dish has a pedestal which is passed in a cylindrical tube enclosing the stationary stand tube and has a collar projecting outward which is mounted between cylindrical springs arranged in the cylinder tube. The corresponding cylindrical springs are appropriately clamped between the collar and other components of the cylinder, and they are designed so that a uniform elevating and depressing the cymbal dish or the sheath tube, and pressing the rod up are assured.
The force of the cylindrical springs can advantageously be adjusted, for which it is provided that the cylinder tube is joined clamping the cylindrical springs through a thread with a tray ring. Depending upon how far the cylinder tube is retracted through the thread on the tray ring, the counter pressure increases and the forces necessary to move the sheath tube must be correspondingly high. As a rule, these springs are proportioned so that only a swing back and an exact passage of the sheath tube is possible.
An excessive pressure or even damage is deliberately prevented in that the cable line is allocated a spring arrangement, the hardness of which lies above that of the cylindrical spring. Herewith it is guaranteed that when the sheath tube moves against the counter pressure of the cylindrical springs, the spring leads to an elongation of the cable line so that damage is avoided. The length and construction of the spring arra
Creighton Wray James
Hsieh Shih-yung
Narasimhan Meera P.
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