Abstract:
The invention is a musical instrument stand that can be vertically adjusted while the instrument remains on the stand. Ideally, the mechanism that alters the height of the instrument will be operable by foot, so that the operator will be able to adjust the stand while playing the instrument.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to the art of stands for musical instruments, primarily keyboards and other horizontally situated instruments such as keyboards, and in the adjustability of such stands with the instrument mounted thereon.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Musical instrument stands of various types are well known and widely used. Typically such stands consist of multi-legged structures that support either the instrument or an undercarriage. Some are composed of a base and a single support that holds a frame on which the instrument rests (a “pillar” configuration). Few of the stands are adjustable in height.  
         [0005]     One instance of such a stand is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,953. That patent describes an instrument stand having essentially two legs, each leg having an end for contact with the floor and an end for supporting the instrument (an “X” configuration). The legs were pivotably joined at their middles, and the angle between them adjusted to adjust the height of the instrument. The adjustment was regulated by a locking gear mechanism having a plurality of working positions.  
         [0006]     Another such instance of a stand is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,245. That patent teaches a similar “X” configuration instrument stand having as its positioning device an assembly comprising a control rod, a spring and two positioning discs. The assembly is manipulated by handlebars on each leg, and the angle between the legs is adjusted accordingly.  
         [0007]     These designs and other that have been designed have failed to provide a stand that may be adjusted with the instrument still mounted on the stand.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The invention therefore has, as a primary object, the improvement of musical instrument stands in such a way that they can be adjusted while the instrument remains on the stand. This object is met by different mechanisms appropriate to the type of stand employed. Ideally, each such mechanism will be operable by foot, so that the operator will be able to adjust the stand while playing the instrument.  
         [0009]     One example of such a mechanism that could be employed on a stand having two legs in an “X” configuration would be a powered piston attached to each of the two legs and adapted to draw the legs toward or away from each other. Another example of such a mechanism that could be employed on a stand having a single “pillar” configuration would be to have the pillar adjustable support a support frame, and have a winch or similar drive adjust the height of the frame. Such a construction makes it possible to move the instrument from a first position, where, perhaps, the user is sitting at a keyboard, to a second position, where the user is standing at the keyboard, without having to remove the instrument from the stand, and without having to stop playing the instrument.  
         [0010]     The invention is described in the following with reference to embodiment examples shown in the drawings.  
         [0011]     Additional objects of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The features advantages of the present invention will become more clearly appreciated as a description of the invention is made with reference to the appended drawings. In the drawings:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of the invention in a “pillar” configuration.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the invention in a “pillar” configuration.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the invention in an “X” configuration.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of the invention in an “X” configuration.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the invention in a “table” configuration.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the invention in a “table” configuration. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below by making reference to the drawings.  
         [0020]     The present invention was developed for use with keyboard instruments. The stand, as shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , may take one of several forms.  
         [0021]     In the first example of the invention, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the stand  10  includes a base  12 . The base  12  includes multiple legs splayed outwardly from a central point. The legs may be adjustable for the purposes of conforming to an uneven surface, or may be adjustable in length to provide optimal stability. The stand  10  also comprises at least one substantially vertical pillar  14  extending upwardly from the base  12 .  
         [0022]     A keyboard support  16  is supported on the pillar  14 . The keyboard support  16  comprises at least one substantially horizontal member on which a keyboard  100  may be mounted. Ideally, for stability purposes, the keyboard support  16  should have a single broad surface, as shown, or have two or more horizontal members that are spaced widely enough to prevent movement of the keyboard when the keyboard is played.  
         [0023]     The keyboard support  16  should not be affixed to the pillar  14 , but should be adjustably mounted on the pillar  14  so that it may move vertically along the length of the pillar  14 . This may be achieved by providing the keyboard support  16  with a collar  18  that fits around the pillar  14 . To provide ease of movement, the collar  18  may incorporate rollers, ball bearings, low friction material lining, or other such materials as are well known in the art. Alternatively, the keyboard may be mounted to a collar  18  that fits within a chamber (not shown) in the pillar  14 . Ideally, in this configuration, the collar  18  should have an exterior horizontal cross-sectional profile substantially equivalent to the interior horizontal cross-sectional profile of the channel in the pillar  14 . The instrument stand  10  should also have means for moving the keyboard vertically along the pillar  14 . This may be provided by mechanical, hydraulic, or other means. In the example shown, the instrument stand includes an electric motor  20 , a foot switch  22 , and a vertically disposed, externally threaded screw member  24 . The screw member  24  is adapted to fit into an internally threaded aperture  26  in the collar  18 . The vertically disposed screw member  24 , which is essentially parallel to the pillar  14 , is rotated by the electric motor  20 . Ideally, the foot switch  22  will include a control that activates the electric motor  20  and turns the screw member  24  selectively in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Rotation of the screw member  24  will result in the raising or lowering of the keyboard without removing the keyboard from the keyboard support  16 .  
         [0024]     Another mechanism that may be used would be a winch and pulley system (not shown). The pulley may be included at the top of the pillar  14  or at the top of the interior chamber of the pillar. The mechanism may include a winch at the base of the stand  10  and a cable that extends either through the chamber or along the pillar to the pulley and downwardly to the collar  18 . Activation of the winch would pull the collar  18  upwardly and the raise the keyboard. Release of the winch would allow the keyboard to be drawn downwardly by force of gravity. Alternatively, the cable may be attached to the collar  18  so that it may exert force on the collar  18  selectively from the top and the bottom, and the winch arranged to move the cable in either of two directions such that activation of the winch results in the controlled adjustment of the height of the keyboard without removing the keyboard from the keyboard support  16 . A further embodiment of this invention (not shown) would position the winch at the top of the pillar, and would work generally in the manner described.  
         [0025]     In a second embodiment of the invention, shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the instrument stand  10 ′ comprises two legs  30  pivotally joined at a central point  32 . Each leg  30  has a bottom end and a top end. The bottom end of each leg should have horizontally extending legs  34  that are adapted to hold the keyboard stand  10 ′ upright. The top end of the legs  30  should include means to support the keyboard. Although such means may incorporate horizontally extending legs, ideally, the top ends of the legs should engage a horizontal keyboard support  36 . The horizontal keyboard support  36  should be adjustably mounted on the top ends of the two legs  30 . It should be mounted on the two legs such that the legs  30  may move horizontally along the length of the keyboard support  36 . Such a configuration would allow for the raising and lowering of the stand while maintaining the keyboard in a horizontal position. Furthermore, a mechanism may be employed to maintain the keyboard in a central position with relation to the keyboard stand through the use of a twin rack and pinion mechanism (not shown), or other such mechanism well known in the mechanical arts.  
         [0026]     The invention further comprises means to adjust the angle between the two legs  30 . This may be comprised of a mechanical or hydraulic actuator mounted on the legs between the pivotal center point and the upper or lower ends of the legs  30 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the means comprises a hydraulic piston  38  having a first end  40  mounted on the first leg and a second end  42  mounted on the second leg. The hydraulic piston is attached to a hydraulic pump  44  that can alter the pressure within the hydraulic piston  38 . The pump, ideally, is activated by a foot switch  46 . As shown in the drawings, by reducing the pressure in the piston  38 , the angle between the legs  30  is reduced and the keyboard is raised without removing the keyboard from the keyboard support  36 .  
         [0027]     A third embodiment of the invention comprises a traditional table-style stand  10 ″. The stand  10 ″ includes at least two vertically disposed legs. The legs will be designed to provide stability to the stand, either by the provision of numerous legs or by the provision of legs providing a large enough base to lend stability to the stand  10 ″. In the embodiment shown, the stand incorporates two pedestal-type legs  50 , each having a base  52  that extends outward horizontally from the plane defined by the two legs. Each leg comprises a base section  54  that is affixed to its base and an adjustable section  56  that is axially adjustably mounted on the base section. The adjustable sections  56  are each affixed to a keyboard support  58  on which the keyboard  100  is mounted. The stand  10 ″ includes a mechanism, such as those earlier described, to move the adjustable legs axially along the length of the base section, resulting in the raising or lowering of the keyboard. Ideally, the raising or lowering of the keyboard support  58  is effectuated by the activation, by foot switch  59  or other control of a single mechanism, as exemplified by the electric motor  60  that is shown in  FIG. 5 . Preferably, the adjustable sections of the legs are moved simultaneously by a double rack and pinion mechanism  62  or a chain drive or similar device as are well known in the art.  
         [0028]     In the several embodiments of the invention described, the keyboard may remain affixed to the instrument stand and the keyboard height adjusted. No removal of the keyboard is necessary to adjust the height. The design may be changed so that the adjustable keyboard support may raise or lower more than one keyboard. The design may also be used in conjunction with a fixed keyboard support so that a selected number of keyboards may be raised or lowered while at least one keyboard remains stationary. Similarly, more than one adjustable keyboard support may be mounted on a stand.  
         [0029]     It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction that has been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention only be limited by the appended Claims. Thus it can be seen that all of the objects of the invention are met.