Music – Instruments – Drums
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-17
2001-02-06
Nappi, Robert E. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Drums
C084S414000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06184451
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of musical drums and is more particularly directed to a drumhead and a method for producing the drumhead. The drumhead is specifically adapted to be used in conjunction with hand drums.
Hand drums refer to musical drums that are usually played with the hand instead of with sticks, e.g., conga, bongo, djembe and bata drums. Hand drums have a generally cylindrical drum shell, typically constructed of wood, which has an open top and bottom. Shells for hand drums, such as conga drums, frequently have a shape which is larger around the middle and tapered toward the top and bottom openings. The top opening is usually covered with an animal skin drunhead tightened and tuned to a desired musical tone. Traditionally, such animal skins were tightened over the top of the wooden drum shell by the use of rawhide binding strips, twine or rope, producing a drum and head assembly not easily tuned or modified. While natural skin drumheads produce beautiful musical tones, they are also very sensitive to atmospheric changes such as heat and humidity. Large changes in temperature or humidity can dramatically change the musical tone of a natural skin head and render drums so equipped unplayable.
To address these disadvantages, musical instrument makers have developed synthetic drumheads closely approximating the musical characteristics of traditional skin drumheads. Synthetic drumheads are constructed from sheets of synthetic material joined to a drum hoop and formed to fit over the open top of a drum shell. The drum hoop is sized to pass over the open top end of a drum shell and be drawn toward the bottom of the drum shell by a counterhoop and tensioning mechanisms. Using such an arrangement makes changing drumheads and tuning of hand drums relatively quick and easy.
Manufacturing a synthetic drumhead which duplicates the sound quality of a natural skin drumhead requires the use of relatively thick layers of synthetic material. To construct a hand drumhead, these flat sheets of synthetic material must be formed into a shape having a planar central portion surrounded by a conical portion which terminates in a circular edge. Skin drumheads assume this configuration naturally when stretched over the open end of a drum shell. In contrast, when a flat disc of synthetic material is formed into a drumhead having a conical peripheral portion, a significant amount of excess material is produced which will overlap in folds creating a rough and irregular exterior surface on the conical portion of the drumhead.
It is known in the art to cut the peripheral edge portion of a synthetic drumhead into a series of slots which will allow the excess material to overlap without folding, somewhat alleviating the irregular surface problem. However, the overlapping material produces an uneven surface and the slots cut in the peripheral edge of the drumhead must be covered to produce a professional appearing drumhead.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a unique method for producing a synthetic hand drumhead by removing excess material from the periphery of the drumhead in the form of precisely cut V-shaped notches, leaving a peripheral edge made up of a series of finger-like projections of equal size. The removed material allows the synthetic drumhead material to lay flat without overlapping when it is formed into the shape of a drumhead. The notches are preferably cut with a numerically controlled laser, which can simultaneously cut a plurality of sheets of drumhead material.
During the forming process for the preferred embodiment of the drumhead, identically cut discs of drumhead material are bonded to each other with the finger-like projections of the first layer covering the V-shaped notches of the second layer. This configuration of layers produces a conical peripheral portion of a drumhead having a uniform appearance and feel which appeals to hand drum players.
In a preferred embodiment, the drumhead may be tuned by adding a damping element between the discs of drumhead material prior to forming, resulting in a drumhead which more closely duplicates the sound of a natural skin head. In a further preferred embodiment, the outwardly facing or planar surface of the drumhead is texturized to give the normally smooth synthetic material a more natural appearing and feeling surface texture.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for cutting the disk-shaped layers of a hand drumhead from sheets of synthetic material which allows the efficient production of professional quality synthetic hand drumheads.
Another object of the invention is to provide a synthetic hand drumhead having a uniform outwardly facing surface and professional appearance.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a synthetic hand drumhead of superior appearance and musical quality.
A yet further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved synthetic hand drumhead which closely approximates the feel and sound quality of a natural skin hand drumhead.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the description of the preferred embodiments, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2850156 (1958-09-01), Shane
patent: 5385076 (1995-01-01), Belli
patent: 5419430 (1995-05-01), Wilson et al.
D'Addario James
Miller Robert O.
Alix Yale & Ristas, LLP
Hsieh Shih-yung
J. D'Addario & Company, Inc.
Nappi Robert E.
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