Music – Instruments – Drums
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-12
2001-03-06
Nappi, Robert E. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Drums
C084S420000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198033
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to variable pitch percussion instruments, particularly, to musical drums and, more particularly, to drums in which the pitch is varied while the drum is being played. By varying the volume of air inside the drum, by varying the rate of air flow into or out of the drum, or by a combination of these two principles the percussionist can change the pitch of the drum as he or she is playing the drum.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional musical drums with one playing means are often cylindrical with the playing means, typically a drumhead, on the top surface of the drum and an open air portal on the bottom surface of the drum.
In conventional drums with two playing means, one playing means is on the top surface of the drum, a second playing means is on the bottom surface of the drum and a small air portal is disposed on the cylindrical surface of the drum.
Attempts to vary the pitch of these drums while they are being played generally has involved the use of means to vary the tension on one of the playing means or heads of the drum. A more conventional way of providing drums with different pitch has been the use of drum sets in which each drum of the set is of a different size or the heads have different tensions applied to them. Caribbean steel drums are constructed such that each of several areas of the surface yields a different tone when struck. However, in the Caribbean steel drum, the pitch obtained by striking a given area cannot be varied.
In most conventional drums the air portals function passively and are not played by the percussionist. Hence, in those conventional drums the air portals are not playing means. There are drums, such as the ghatam from India, in which the player can vary the pitch by partially occluding an air portal while striking a rigid drum shell.
Prior to playing a drum, percussionist often stretch or loosen the drum heads to tune the drum to a desired pitch. Sapp, in U.S. Pat. No. 635,192, introduced an expansile head-tensioning tube to uniformly stretch a drum head around its circumference. Although the means employed by Sapp permits one to variably tune a drum prior to playing the drum, Sapp's invention does not permit the pitch to be varied as the drum is being played.
This invention introduces means of changing the pitch of a drum, while the drumhead is being played, by varying the volume of air inside the drum, by varying the rate of air flow into or out of the drum or by a combination of these two principles. Additional variation in pitch is obtained by providing multiple playing means on an individual drum.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to drums with at least two playing means. Each drum of this invention comprises at least one drumhead. Furthermore, each drum of this invention comprises at least one playing means which when played during the playing of said drum changes the pitch of said drum.
For purposes of this invention, a playing means is a drumhead, an air portal accessible for playing by the percussionist, or an internal air displacing means. For purposes of this invention, an internal air displacing means is a piston, a balloon, a forced air entry means, or any other means used to vary the amount of air inside the drum or to vary the flow of air between the inside and outside of the drum while the drum is being played. For purposes of this invention, a rigid drum surface is not a playing means. For purposes of this invention, the inside of a drum is the volume that would be confined by all of the surfaces of the drum if covers are stretched taut over any air portal. It is to be noted that a drumhead, when it is struck, displaces air inside the drum. It is also noted that a drum is played by striking a drumhead. It is further noted that by varying the area of an air portal, or by partially covering an air portal as the drumhead is struck, the flow of air between the inside and outside of the drum is altered.
The drum comprises at least two playing means, one being a drumhead and another being either an air portal or an internal air displacing means. Each subsequent playing means, from the third to the last, if any, may be a drumhead, an air portal or an internal air displacing means. The drum may include any additional number of playing means. Preferably, each air portal is disposed either on a drum surface comprising another playing means or on a drum surface adjacent to a drum surface comprising another playing means.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a drum the pitch of which is varied by the player while the drum is being played.
It is another object of the invention to provide means for varying the pitch of the drum, wherein said means are readily accessible to a player while the player is playing the drum.
Other objectives will become obvious with the reading of the description and claims of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 627766 (1899-06-01), Wilken
patent: 2858724 (1958-11-01), Troppe
patent: 4577541 (1986-03-01), Edge
patent: 4790228 (1988-12-01), Thirion
patent: 5377575 (1995-01-01), Huth, III
patent: 432206 (1967-03-01), None
Costa John G.
Hsieh Shih-yung
Nappi Robert E.
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