Drum stick

A drum stick comprises a handle portion and a substantially planar drum contact portion connected to the handle portion. The handle portion may be planar or cylindrical, substantially rectangular or tapered. In either case, the handle portion is continuous with the drum contact end of the stick.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a musical instrument accessory, particularly a 
stick for playing drums. 
Drum sticks have a generally cylindrical geometry with varying degrees of 
taper. A drum stick typically has a bead or ball at its distal end. The 
bead or ball is normally used to strike a tympanic surface or other part 
of a drum. However, any part of the drum stick may be used to elicit 
percussive sound from a drum or other object. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a new drum stick. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a drum stick 
which elicits a different kind of percussive sound from drums and other 
percussive instruments. 
Another, more particular, object of the present invention is to provide 
such a drum stick which is easy to manufacture. 
A further particular object of the present invention is to provide such a 
drum stick which is more readily usable than conventional drum sticks in a 
pair held by the same hand. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A drum stick comprises, in accordance with the present invention, a handle 
portion and a substantially planar drum contact portion connected to the 
handle portion. 
Pursuant to a first embodiment of the present invention, the handle portion 
is planar and continuous with the drum contact portion. Pursuant to a 
second embodiment of the present invention, the handle portion is 
substantially cylindrical and continuous with the drum contact portion. 
Preferably, the drum contact portion has a substantially semicircular 
distal end provided with a rounded edge. 
Pursuant to another feature of the present invention, the drum contact 
portion is integral with the handle portion. 
Pursuant to another feature of the present invention, the drum contact 
portion has rounded longitudinally extending edges. 
Pursuant to an additional feature of the present invention, the drum 
contact portion is tapered from the handle portion towards a distal end of 
the drum stick. 
A drum stick in accordance with the present invention elicits from drums 
and other percussive instruments a kind of percussive sound which is 
different from the sound elicited by conventional drum sticks. More 
particularly, because the drum stick is flat at its striking end and a 
greater area of the drum stick comes into contact with the struck surface, 
a flap type sound results. The difference in sound quality permits new and 
varied uses of drum percussive sounds in musical recordings. 
A drum stick in accordance with the present is easy to manufacture. In 
addition, where the drum stick is totally flat or planar, a pair of sticks 
may be easily held against one another in the same hand, thereby resulting 
in a greater facility of playing drums with multiple sticks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, a drum stick 10 comprises an integral body 
defined by a pair of elongate planar surfaces 12 and 14 which are joined 
to one another by a pair of parallel, longitudinally extending, rounded 
sides or edges 16 and 18. Each planar surface 12 and 14 is bounded at 
opposite ends by a pair of semicircular arcs 20 and 22 each being rounded 
to join planar surfaces 12 and 14. 
The drum stick of FIGS. 1-4 is symmetrical about both a longitudinal axis 
24 and a central transverse axis 26. Because of this symmetry, either end 
of the stick serves as the proximal or handle portion, while the other end 
serves as the distal, drum striking or drum contact portion. 
As illustrated in FIG. 2, drum stick 10 has, from one end to the other, an 
essentially uniform thickness, as defined by the distance between planar 
surfaces 12 and 14. Each planar surface 12 and 14 extends essentially the 
entire length of stick 10, i.e., from one end of the stick to the other. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 5-9, another drum stick 30 comprises an integral 
body defined by a pair of elongate tapered planar surfaces 32 and 34. 
Surfaces 32 and 34 are joined to one another by a pair of rounded sides or 
edges 36 and 38 which are mutually angled and extend in a generally 
longitudinal direction. Each planar surface 32 and 34 is bounded at a 
proximal or handle end portion 40 by a generally straight or transverse 
edge 42, which is slightly rounded (see FIG. 9). At a distal end, drum 
stick 30 terminates in a drum striking or drum contact portion 44 which is 
formed at the free end with a generally semicircular arc 46 rounded to 
join planar surfaces 32 and 34 to one another. 
As illustrated in FIG. 6, drum stick 30 has, from one end to the other, an 
essentially uniform thickness, as defined by the distance between planar 
surfaces 32 and 34. Each planar surface 32 and 34 extends essentially the 
entire length of stick 30, i.e., from one end of the stick to the other. 
As shown in FIG. 5, each planar surface 32 and 34, and concomitantly drum 
stick 30, has a width which is tapered from one end of stick 30 to the 
other. 
As illustrated in FIG. 10, planar surfaces 32 and 34 may have a first 
tapered region 48 and a second tapered region 50 at the proximal and 
distal ends of the drum stick, respectively, the taper of the second 
region being greater than the taper of the first region, whereby a 
broadened middle area 52 is formed. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 11-15, yet another drum stick 60 comprises an 
integral body having a generally cylindrical, slightly tapered handle 
portion 62 at a proximal end of the drum stick and a planar drum contact 
portion 64 at a distal end of the instrument. Drum contact portion 64 of 
drum stick 60 is defined by a pair of elongate tapered planar surfaces 66 
and 68. Surfaces 66 and 68 are joined to one another by a pair of rounded 
sides or edges 70 and 72 which are mutually angled (but not necessarily 
so) and extend in a generally longitudinal direction. Each planar surface 
66 and 68 is connected at a proximal end to handle portion 62. At a distal 
end, each planar surface 66 and 68 is bounded by a semicircular arc 74 
which is rounded to join planar surfaces 66 and 68. 
Drum sticks 10, 30 and 60 may be made of virtually any material such as 
polymeric substances or fiberglass. However, hard wood is recommended for 
its strength, lightness and resonant characteristics. Utilizable woods can 
be divided into three categories of hardness and density: soft, medium and 
hard. Harder and denser woods are used for a strong attack. Medium density 
wood will produce a lesser, brighter response (less volume than the 
heavier woods). Soft wood will produce more bass response in the range of 
notes. Hard woods include morado, ebony, hickory, and bubinga, while 
medium woods include walnut, cherry, mahogany, and zebra. Soft woods 
include pine, poplar, and big leaf maple. It is to be noted that grain 
orientation and moisture content should be controlled to provide a drum 
stick with desirable percussive characteristics. 
Although the invention has been described in terms of particular 
embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light 
of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications 
without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed 
invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and 
descriptions herein are proferred by way of example to facilitate 
comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the 
scope thereof.