Abstract:
A solid drumstick tapers towards its balance point to redistribute weight at its shoulder and butt sections. A diameter of the shoulder and the butt portions increases or decreases in a consistent manner so as to not change the drumstick&#39;s balance point, but in a manner that still provides a means to move the mass outwards. A flared butt portion is less likely to cause slippage.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     There are no previously filed nor current co-pending applications anywhere in the world. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a drumstick and, more specifically, to a drum stick that tapers towards its center point to provide a deeper, louder sound. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     It is well known that drums are constructed differently to produce and to compliment different types of music. Jazz musicians prefer a crisp, clean sound while rock musicians prefer a loud, deep sound. Typically, the drumhead, the tension of the drumhead, the diameter of the shell and the type of the shell all affect the pitch, the overtones and the sound rings produced by a drum. 
     It would be more advantageous if a musician can produce a different sound by simply changing the drumstick. This would be especially advantageous for amateur drummers who cannot afford to purchase a variety of drumheads. The present invention is a tapered drumstick that redistributes the weight closer towards the shoulder and the butt portions to produce a deeper and a louder sound. The weight of the stick and the balance point remain the same, thus no additional effort is required by the drummer to alter his or her stroke. There are presently a variety of drumsticks known to alter the sound produced or the grasp&#39;s comfort. The following patents are considered related to the present invention. 
     Most closely related to the present invention is U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,566 to Hughlett et al., wherein the center of gravity is repositioned to 35%-41% along the length of the stick to present a better tonal quality. This is accomplished by enlarging the butt end and constructing a cavity between the balance point and the striking tip. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,152 to Campbell et al. teaches a drumstick balanced for juggling, wherein the drumstick exhibits a center of mass in the range of 58% to 62% of the distance along the length. The drumstick was designed to exhibit the “feel” of a juggling club by means of drilling a hole to remove mass from the rear of the stick and inserting brass screw studs at the bead end of the stick. A disadvantage to this invention is the laborious effort required to redistribute the weight. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,308 to Raab teaches a rhythm saw that comprises a series of ridges between the handle and the playing tip. The ridges produce a unique sound when they are dragged across an object. U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,470 to Larrain discloses a drumstick that comprises grooves along its intermediate length portion. There are several disadvantages to these inventions. Firstly, most drummers maintain the balance point of a stick slightly beyond their hands, so they have to readjust their hold to an unconventional one that accommodates the ridges. Secondly, the ridges and the grooves obstruct a percussionist&#39;s ability to juggle the stick while playing. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,028,260 to LaLonde discloses a drumstick that incorporates an adjustable weight system mounted within its hollow interior. The drumstick is symmetrical about its longitudinal axis. A disadvantage to this invention is that it must be disassembled for access to its hollow interior to add or to subtract weights. 
     Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,508 to Huslig discloses a drumstick that comprises two generally flat surfaces that oppose one another along at least a portion of the length. While this design provides the benefits of a more comfortable grip, a beginner percussionist will ultimately graduate to a more conventional stick that does not comprise a means to obstruct the juggling. 
     The present invention is an improved drumstick that tapers towards its balance point. The present invention resembles a conventional wooden drumstick and it handles in a similar manner; however, the tapered section offers the drummer a better and a more comfortable grip while also affording the drummer a better design for juggling. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wooden drumstick. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved construction that can be utilized for conventional, wooden drumsticks as well as with ones manufactured from other common materials. It is an object of the present invention to provide a drumstick that handles in a manner similar to conventional drumsticks and does not require any additional effort to strike like conventional drumsticks. 
     The foregoing objects are accomplished by means of a drumstick that tapers towards its balance point, thus it redistributes the weight towards the shoulder and the butt sections. It is an object of the present invention to teach a drumstick that weighs the same as a conventional drumstick and one that comprises the same balance point. 
     An advantage to the improved drumstick is a deeper and a louder sound produced by the drumstick. Another advantage to the drumstick is that the percussionist may produce this sound without the expense or the effort required to change drumheads. It is a further advantage of the drumstick to provide a means to change the sounds desired for a type of music simply by changing the stick. 
     It is envisioned that the foregoing advantage is accomplished by means of a redistribution of the mass of the present drumstick, which changes the resonate frequency of the drumstick. The location of the vibration nodes are shifted to cause a lower sound. The redistribution of mass also causes an increased contact time with a drumhead to provide the same impact. Velocity similarly adds to a deeper sound. 
     In addition to the changes in resonate frequency, the redistribution of mass also changes the center of rotation and moves it closer to the butt or the end opposite the one used to strike a drum head. Similarly, the change in the center of rotation provides less vibration through the drumstick because the center is moved more in line to where a drumstick is generally held. Essentially, the center of rotation is moved to a point where the vibrations felt from the striking of the tip are equal and opposite, thus they cancel each other out. 
     Another advantage to the present mass redistribution is that it provides a more comfortable and an easier means to juggle, to twirl and to perform tricks with the drumstick. It is more common for marching percussionists to add to their performance for entertainment or competitive purposes. The present design enables these percussionists to add to the variety and the difficulty of the tricks they perform. 
     This is accomplished by means of the drumstick being heavier at its shoulder and its butt portion. Conventional drumsticks vary in weight from approximately 1.5 to 2.5 oz. per drumstick. The diameter of the shoulder and the butt portions of the present center-tapered drumstick is increased or decreased in a consistent manner so as to not change the balance point of the drumstick, but in a manner that still provides a means to move the mass outwards. Similar to a twirling baton, the weighted portions are positioned towards the terminal ends of the length to provide greater ease and stability. It is a further advantage that the present drumstick provides its drummer a more comfortable grip. The flared butt portion of the present stick is less likely to slip form the hand of a person utilizing it. 
     It is one final object of the present invention to provide a design that requires no cavity, no hollow interior nor any portion of the interior be removed or accessed. It is an advantage to this object that the cost of manufacture is reduced significantly and therefore approximates the cost of manufacture for a traditional drumstick. 
     Other objects of the invention will become better apparent from the drawing and the more detailed description of the illustrative embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and the features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the PRIOR ART, wherein a conventional drumstick is shown; and, 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the center tapered drumstick according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within the Figures. 
     In order to describe the complete relationship of the improved invention to the prior art, it is essential that some description be given to the manner and to the practice of the functional utility of a conventional drum stick. A conventional drumstick  100  is shown in  FIG. 1 . Conventional drumsticks  100  comprise a tip  120 , a shoulder  140 , a shaft  160  and a butt  180 . The tip  120  can be acorn shaped, barrel shaped, oval shaped or rounded. The tip  120  typically strikes the drumhead to produce a sound. The shoulder  140  is the portion of the length that tapers from the shaft  160  to the tip  120 . The length of the shoulder  140  approximates one quarter (¼) the length of the drumstick  100 . The shaft  160  is the cylindrical portion that travels across the greater part of the center length where the percussionist grips the drumstick  100 . The shaft  160  approximates one half the length of the drumstick  100 . The shaft  160  is straight and it maintains the same circumference throughout its length. The butt  180  is opposite the tip  120  and is rounded at its end. The butt  180  approximates about one quarter (¼) the length of the drumstick  100 . Percussionists keep the balance point  200  of the stick slightly beyond their hands. 
     1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     The preferred embodiment of the center tapered drumstick  10  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 2 . The center tapered drumstick  10  similarly comprises a tip  12 , a shoulder  14 , a shaft  16  and a butt  18  so that it resembles for the most part the drumstick  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . The center tapered drumstick  10 , however, varies in the construction of the shaft  16  portion. Although the shaft  16  remains cylindrical along the length, it begins to taper at the portion where the flared butt  18  and the shaft  16  approximately meet. At the approximate center of the entire length of the center tapered drumstick  10 , the shaft  12  begins to broaden towards the shoulder  12  so that the circumference where the shaft  14  and the shoulder  12  meet approximates the circumference comprised in the flared butt  18  portion. The weight of the drumstick  10  is distributed towards the two portions  22   a ,  22   b  along the length that comprise the largest circumference. To maintain the same weight as a conventional drumstick  100 , the drumstick  10  may either comprise a slightly longer length or the circumference of the flared butt  18  portion and the widest part of the shaft  16  portion may be slightly greater to accommodate the weight lost by the slightly narrower shaft  16  portions. Alternatively, the shoulder  14  portion may begin to taper for a shorter distance. For any of the foregoing constructions, the balance point remains the same so that a drummer will grip the drumstick  10  in a manner similar to that known for conventional drumsticks  100 . 
     It is envisioned that the most narrow portion of the tapered center comprises a diameter that approximates ⅔ the diameter of the flared butt  18  portion; however, the approximations are not limited to the ones disclosed for the purposes of enablement. For example, the diameter may vary from ½ inch at the center portion to approximately ¾ inch at the butt  18  and the shoulder  14  portions. 
     The present invention can be accomplished using drumsticks manufactured from a variety of woods, including Ash, Maple, Oak American Hickory, etc. Similarly, the design may be utilized for drumsticks manufactured from aluminum, plastics and other nonconventional materials. The design of the shoulder  14  and the tip  12  is not limited to the ones shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , but rather, the present design may additionally be utilized with drumsticks that comprise shoulders and tips that vary in shape and structure. 
     It is further envisioned that the present design may be utilized in combination with the ridges, the grooves, the grips and the other additions to conventional drumsticks taught in the prior art. 
     2. OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     To utilize the present invention, a drummer may grip the drumstick just beyond the balance point. A drummer may employ a matched grip or a traditional grip when utilizing the present invention. The drummer would twirls or mock twirls the present invention at the tapered center portion. The drummer similarly tosses and catches the drumstick at the tapered center portion. The drummer strikes the drum utilizing the tip or the butt portions of the present drumstick in the same manner utilized for conventional drumsticks. The present drumstick may be used solely to produce a louder and a deeper sound, it may be utilized with different shaped tips to produce a desired sound, or it may be switched and used in combination with conventional sticks to produce a combination of softer and louder sounds. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed and, obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and the various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.