Drum beater for bass drum equipped with exactly adjustable return spring regulator

Abstract: A return spring regulator (10c) incorporated in a drum beater (10) has a regulating nut (10ce) rotatable with respect to a frame and a regulating bolt (10cd) screwed into the regulating nut, and a player regulates the tension of a coil spring (10cc) stretched between an arm member (10ca) fixed to a rotatable shaft (10af) and the regulating bolt by simply rotating the regulating nut.

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a drum beater for a bass drum and, more particularly, to a drum beater for a bass drum equipped with an exactly adjustable return spring regulator. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART A player beats the bass drum with a drum beater. The drum beater largely comprises a foot pedal assembly, a beater driven for rotation by the foot pedal assembly and a righting moment generator for imparting a righting moment to the beater. A typical example of the drum beater is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication of Examined Application Nos. 55-45433 and 58-43035, and figure 1 illustrates the prior art drum beater. Referring to figure 1 of the drawings, the prior art drum beater comprises a foot pedal assembly 1, a beater 2 and a righting moment generator 3. The foot pedal assembly 1 includes a frame 1a standing on a floor 4, a shaft member 1b rotatably supported by the frame 1a, a foot board 1c turnable with respect to the frame 1a, a sprocket 1d fixed to the shaft member 1b and a chain 1e engaged between the foot pedal 1c and the sprocket 1d. The beater 2 includes a hub 2a fixed to the shaft member 1b and a mallet 2b projecting from the hub 2a, and the mallet 2b is rotated together with the shaft member 1b. When a player steps on the foot board 1c, the foot board 1c turns, and pulls the chain 1e. The chain 1e rotates the sprocket 1d and, accordingly, the shaft member 1b. The mallet 2b is rotated, and strikes the skin of the bass drum (not shown). The righting moment generator 3 imparts a righting moment to the shaft member 1b, and causes the beater 2 and the foot board 1c to return to respective home positions upon releasing the foot pedal 1c. In detail, the righting moment generator 3 includes an arm member 3a fixed to the shaft member 1b and an anchor member 3b screwed into the leading end portion of the arm member 3a, and the arm member 3a is rotated together with the shaft member 1b. When the foot board 1c stays at the home position, the arm member 3a downwardly projects from the shaft member 1b, and the anchor member 3b is close to the floor 4. The sprocket 1d rotates the arm member 3a together with the shaft member 1b, and the anchor member is spaced from the floor 4. The righting moment generator 3 further includes a regulating bolt 3c, a regulating nut 3d, a lock nut 3e and a coil spring 3f stretched between the anchor member 3b and the regulating bolt 3c. The regulating bolt 3c, the regulating nut 3d and the lock nut 3e form in combination a return string regulator. The regulating bolt 3d loosely passes through a hole formed in a projection 1f of the frame 1a, and is screwed into the regulating nut 3d and the lock nut 3e. The projection 1f is sandwiched between the regulating nut 3d and the lock nut 3e, and the regulating bolt 3d is fixed to the frame 1a. If a player does not exert the force on the foot board 1c, the coil spring 3f minimizes the distance between the projection if and the anchor member 3b, and downwardly directs the anchor member 3b. The anchor member 3b exerts the righting moment on the shaft member 1b, and holds the mallet 2b and the foot board 1c at the home positions. When the player steps on the foot board 1c, the foot board 1c pulls the chain 1e and, accordingly, the sprocket 1d, and the sprocket 1d exerts a moment on the shaft member 1b against the righting moment. As described hereinbeore, the shaft member 1b is rotated, and the beater 2 strikes the skin of the bass drum. The arm member 3a is also rotated, and spaces the anchor member 3b from the floor 4. The anchor member 3b increases the distance from the projection 1f, and stretches the coil spring 3f. The coil spring 3f increases the righting moment. Therefore, when the player releases the foot board 1c, the righting moment causes the beater 2 and the foot board 1c to return to the home positions. The righting moment is regulable as follows. If a player wants to increase the righting moment, he loosens the lock nut 3e, and tightens the regulating nut 3d so as to pull down the regulating bolt 3c against the elastic force of the coil spring 3f. When the player appropriately adjusts the righting moment, the lock nut 3e is tightened, and the regulating nut 3d and the lock nut 3e holds the regulating bolt 3c at the adjusted position. Then, the coil spring 3f is further stretched, and increases the righting moment. The increased righting moment causes the player to feel the foot board heavier, and the beater 2 and the foot board quickly return to the home positions. On the other hand, if a player wants to decrease the righting moment, the player loosens the regulating nut 3d, and the elastic force of the coil spring 3f pull up the regulating bolt 3c. When the righting moment is appropriately regulated, the player tightens the lock nut 3e so as to hold the regulating bolt 3c at the appropriate position. The decreased righting moment causes the player to feel the foot board light, and the beater 2 and the foot board 1c slowly return to the home positions. The prior art drum beater thus arranged encounters a problem in complicated regulating work. As described hereinbefore, the player needs to individually turn the regulating nut 3d and the lock nut 3e so as to adjust the righting moment, and such a double loosening/tightening work is complicated for the player. Especially, when the player loosens the lock nut 3e, he needs to oppositely exert moments on the lock nut 3e and the regulating nut 3d so as to prevent the regulating nut 3d and the regulating bolt 3c from turn together. If the lock nut was excessively tightened, he needs tools, and the loosening work is not easy. In order to solve the problem inherent in the prior art beater, Japanese Utility Model Publication of Unexamined Application No. 6-73795 discloses another prior art beater shown in figure 2. The prior art drum beater disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication also comprises a foot pedal assembly 5, a beater 6 and a righting force generator 7, and description is focused on the righting moment generator 7. The righting moment generator 7 includes an arm member 7a, a regulating bolt 7b, a coil spring 7c stretched between the arm member 7a and the regulating bolt 7b, a regulating nut 7c, a lock nut 7d and a detent 7e. The regulating bolt 7b, the regulating nut 7c, the lock nut 7d and the detent 7e as a whole constitute a return spring regulator. The particular feature of the return spring regulator is directed to the detent 7e, and description is focused on the structure of the detent 7e. The detent 7e includes a flat surface 7f formed in the regulating bolt 7b, an attachment 7g attached to a frame of the foot pedal assembly 5 and a projection 7h fixed to the regulating nut 7c. The attachment 7g has an upper plate 7ga and a lower plate 7gb, and a hollow space is defined between the upper plate 7ga and the lower plate 7gb. A small hole 7gc is formed in the upper plate 7ga, and is shaped in a D-letter configuration. The regulating bolt 7b has a D-letter cross-section similar to the D-letter configuration of the small hole 7gc, and passes through the small hole 7gc. However, the flat surface 7f does not allow the regulating bolt 7f to turn in the small hole 7gc. On the other hand, a large hole 7gd is formed in the lower plate 7gb, and is shaped into a generally triangle configuration. The projection 7h has a generally triangle configuration similar to the generally triangle configuration of the large hole. Although the projection 7h is insertable into the large hole, the generally triangle configuration does not allow the projection 7h to turn in the large hole 7gd. When the drum beater is assembled, the attachment 7g is fixed to the frame, and the regulating bolt 7b downwardly projects from the large hole 7gd. The regulating nut 7c turns around the regulating bolt 7b, and the projection 7h is inserted into the large hole 7gd. The lock nut 7d is tightened, and the lock nut 7d and the regulating nut 7c hold the bolts in its appropriate position. The coil spring 7c exerts a righting moment on the shaft member 5a. If a player wants to increase the righting moment, he loosens the lock nut 7d, and pulls down the regulating nut 7c so as to take out the projection 7h from the large hole 7gd. He turns the regulating nut 7c, and pulls down the regulating bolt 7b. The flat surface 7f and the small hole 7gc do not allow the regulating bolt 7b to turn with respect to the attachment 7g. When the righting moment is regulated, he adopts the projection 7h to the large hole 7gd, and releases the regulating nut 7c. The coil spring 7c pulls up the regulating bolt 7b and the regulating nut 7c, and the large hole 7gd snugly receives the projection 7h. The lock nut 7d is tightened, and the attachment 7g is sandwiched between the lock nut 7d and the regulating nut 7c, again. On the other hand, if a player wants to decrease the righting moment, the player slightly loosens the lock nut 7d, and takes out the projection 7h from the large hole 7gd. He turns the regulating nut 7c so as to move the regulating nut 7c in the direction toward the lowest end of the regulating bolt 7b. The flat surface 7f and the small hole 7gc do not allow the regulating bolt 7b to turn in the small hole 7gc. The coil spring 7c pulls up the regulating bolt 7b. When the righting moment is regulated, he adopts the projection 7h to the large hole 7gd, and releases the regulating nut 7c. Then, the coil spring 7c pulls up the regulating bolt 7b, and the large hole 7gd receives the projection 7h. He tightens the lock nut 7d, and the attachment 7g is sandwiched between the lock nut 7d and the regulating nut 7c, again. The flat surface 7f and the small hole 7gc prevents the regulating bolt 7b from undesirable turn during the regulating work. However, the return spring regulator is expensive because of the flat surface 7f, the small hole 7gc, the large hole 7gd and the projection 7h. The flat surface 7f decreases the mechanical strength of the regulating bolt 7b. Moreover, even though the player regulates the righting moment by turning the regulating nut 7c, the righting moment is undesirably decreased when the projection 7h is received into the large hole 7gd. Further, attention is drawn to US-A-5 365 824 which discloses another drum beater pedal and which was used as a basis for the preamble of claim 1. Another drum beater is disclosed in US-A-1 909 761. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a drum beater, a return spring regulator of which is simple and low in production cost and allows a player to exactly adjust a righting moment. This object is achieved by a drum beater according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the present invention may be gathered from the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The features and advantages of the beater for a bass drum according to the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a partially cut-away front view showing the structure of the prior art beater disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication of Examined Application Nos. 55-45433 and 58-43035; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the righting moment generator incorporated in the prior art beater disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication of Unexamined Application No. 6-73795; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of a drum beater for a bass drum according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is a front view showing the structure of the drum beater; Fig. 5 is a partially cut-away side view showing the structure of the drum beater; and Fig. 6 is a partially sectional front view showing a return spring regulator incorporated in the drum beater shown in figures 3 to 5. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to figure 3 of the present invention, a drum beater 10 embodying the present invention is placed in front of a skin 11a stretched over shell (not shown) of a bass drum 11. The skin 11a is fastened to the shell by means of a hoop 11b, and the hoop 11b is clamped with clamp bolts 11c. A player usually turns the clamp bolts 11c with a tuning key 11d (see figure 4). The drum beater 10 largely comprises a foot pedal assembly 10a placed on a floor 12, a beater 10b driven for rotation by the foot pedal assembly 10a and a righting moment generator 10c for regulating a righting moment. The foot pedal assembly 10a includes a pedestal 10aa placed on the floor 12, a pair of post members 10ab and 10ac projecting on both sides of the pedestal 10aa, a heel spaced from the pedestal 10aa and a beam member 10ae connected between the pedestal 10aa and the heel 10ad. These members 10aa to 10ae as a whole constitute a frame structure, and per se stands on the floor 12. The foot pedal assembly 10a further includes a shaft member 10af, bearing units 10ag/10ah fixed to the leading ends of the post members 10ab/10ac for rotatably supporting the shaft member 10af, a foot board 10ai turnably connected to the heel 10ad and a connecting member 10aj connected between the foot board 10ai and the shaft member 10af. The foot board 10ai is wide enough to put a foot of a player thereon. When the player steps on the foot board 10ai, the foot board 10ai turns around the heel 10ad, and the connecting member 10aj converts the turning motion of the foot board 10ai to a rotation of the shaft member 10af around the bearing units 10ag and 10ah. In this instance, the connecting member 10aj is formed from a leather strip or a flexible synthetic resin strip. A chain and a sprocket or a belt and a pulley are available for the connecting member 10aj. The foot pedal assembly 10a further includes a clamp member 10am turnably supported by the pedestal 10aa and a clamp bolt 10an for pressing the clamp member10am against the hoop 11b. The clamp member 10am grips the hoop 11b, and the clamp bolt 10an fixes the clamp member 10am to the hoop 11b. The beater 10b is driven for rotation together with the shaft member 10af, and includes a rocking block 10ba fixed to the shaft member 10af, a beater rod 10bb projecting from the rocking block 10ba and a head 10bc attached to the leading end of the beater rod 10bb. Though not shown in the drawings, a hole is formed in the rocking block. The beater rod 10bb is inserted into the hole, and is fastened by means of a screw bolt 10bd. If the player loosens the screw bolt 10bd, the beater rod 10bb is slidable, and he can regulate the length from the rocking block 10ba and the head 10bc. When no force is exerted on the foot board 10ai, the righting moment generator 10c exerts the righting moment on the shaft member 10af, and the righting moment spaces the head 10bc from the skin 11a. When a player wants to beat the bass drum 11, he steps on the foot board 10ai, and rotates the shaft member 10af together with the beater 10b. The beater 10b strikes the skin 11a, and the skin 11a generates a drum sound. When the player releases the foot board 10ai, the righting moment rotates the shaft member 10af together with the beater 10b, and the head 10bc is spaced from the skin 11a. The righting moment generator 10c imparts the righting moment to the shaft member 10af, and urges the beater 10b in the counter clockwise direction in the structure shown in figure 3. The righting moment generator 10c includes an arm member 10ca fixed to the shaft member 10af, a return spring regulator 10cb connected to the post member 10ac and a coil spring 10cc stretched between the arm member 10ca and the return spring regulator 10cb. A player varies the righting moment by using the return spring regulator 10cb. As shown in figure 6 in detail, the return spring regulator 10cb has a regulating bolt 10cd, a regulating nut 10ce and a clamp bolt 10cf. The frame has a lug portion 10ap laterally projecting from the post member 10ac. A through-hole 10aq is formed in the lug portion 10ap, and extends in a vertical direction or a perpendicular direction to the floor 12. A lateral hole is further formed in the lug portion 10ap, and is open to the through-hole 10aq. The inner surface defining the lateral hole is threaded, and, accordingly, the plug portion 10ap has an inner threaded portion 10ar. The outer surface of the regulating bolt 10cd is threaded along a center axis CL thereof, and, accordingly, the regulating bolt 10cd has an outer threaded portion 10cg. A lateral hole 10ch is formed in one end portion of the regulating bolt 10cd, and a hook 10ci of the coil spring 10cc is engaged through the lateral hole 10ch with the regulating bolt 10cd. For this reason, the coil spring 10cc upwardly urges the regulating bolt 10cd. The regulating nut 10ce is largely broken down into a thin portion 10ci and a thick portion 10ck along the center axis thereof, and the outer surface of the thick portion 10ck is contiguous through a chamfer surface 10cm to the outer surface of the thin portion 10ci. The thin portion 10ci is roughly equal in diameter to the through-hole 10aq, and is loosely insertable into the through-hole 10aq. Accordingly, the thin portion 10ci is turnable in the through-hole 10aq. The thick portion 10ck is larger in diameter than the through-hole 10aq, and is never inserted into the through-hole 10aq. When the thin portion 10ci is inserted into the through-hole 10aq, the chamfer surface 10cm is brought into contact with the periphery defining the through-hole 10aq, and the thick portion 10ck projects under the lug portion 10ap. The outer surface of the thick portion 10ck is roughened, and allows a person to turn the thick portion 10ck with his fingers. A through-hole is formed in the regulating nut 10ce along the center axis thereof, and the inner surface defining the through-hole is threaded so that the regulating nut 10ce has an inner threaded portion 10cn. The outer threaded portion 10cg is engaged with the inner threaded portion 10cn, and the regulating bolt 10cd is screwed into the regulating nut 10ce. The clamp bolt 10cf has a head portion 10cp and a threaded portion 10cq. The head portion 10cp has a cross section identical with the cross section of the head portion of each clamp bolt 11c. For this reason, a player can loosen and tighten the clamp bolt 10cf by means of the tuning key 11d used for the clamp bolts 11c. The outer threaded portion 10cq is engageable with the inner threaded portion 10ap, and the clamp bolt 10cf is screwed into the lateral hole. As described hereinbefore, the lateral hole is open to the through-hole 10aq, and, accordingly, the leading end of the clamp bolt 10cf is pressed against the outer surface of the thin portion 10ci. When the leading end is strongly pressed against the outer surface of the thin portion 10ci, a player hardly turns the regulating nut 10ce, and determines the tension of the coil spring 10cc. Assuming now that a player wants to increase the righting moment, he loosens the clamp bolt 10cf, and turns the thick portion 10ck so as to downwardly move the regulating bolt 10cd. When the righting moment is adjusted, he stops the turn of the regulating nut 10ce, and screws the clamp bolt 10cf into the lateral hole. The leading end of the clamp bolt 10cf is pressed against the outer surface of the thin portion, and does not allow the regulating nut 10ce to turn. On the other hand, when a player wants to decrease the righting moment, he loosens the clamp bolt 10cf, and turns the thick portion in the opposite direction. The regulating nut 10ce upwardly moves the regulating bolt 10cd, and the regulating bolt 10cd decreases the tension of the coil spring 10cc. After the regulation of the righting moment, he screws the clamp bolt 10cf into the lateral hole, and presses the leading end of the clamp bolt 10cf against the outer surface of the thin portion 10ci. Thus, only three parts 10cd, 10ce and 10cf constitute the return spring regulator 10cb, and the return spring regulator 10cb is simpler than the prior art return spring regulators. The regulating bolt 10cd, the regulating nut 10ce, the clamp bolt 10cf and the lug portion 10ap are machined through a drill work and a threading work without a complicate machining work, and the production cost of the drum beater 11 is lower than the prior art drum beaters. The regulating bolt 10cd is not partially cut away, and is durable. The clamp bolt 10cf is moved with respect to the lug portion 10ap independently from the motion of the regulating bolt 10cd and the regulating nut 10ce, and the turning motion of the regulating nut 10ce does not affects the position of the clamp bolt 10cf. For this reason, the regulating work is easy. Finally, the clamp bolt 10cf does not change the position of the regulating bolt 10cd, and a player can exactly adjust the righting moment to an appropriate value. The drum beater 10 behaves as follows. A player places the drum beater 10 in front of the bass drum 11, and connects the drum beater 10 and the hoop 11b. The player repeatedly steps on the foot board 10ai so see whether or not the righting moment is appropriate. If the foot board 10ai is too heavily or too light, he loosens the clamp bolt 10cf with the tuning key 11d, and regulates the tension of the coil spring 10cc as described hereinbefore. When the tension and, accordingly, the righting moment are appropriately regulated, he tightens the clamp bolt 10cf, again. The player sits on a chair (not shown) in front of the bass drum 11, and places his foot on the foot board 10ai. He repeatedly depresses and releases the foot board 10ai. When he depresses the foot board 10ai, the foot board 10ai turns around the heel 10ad, and rotates the shaft member 10af against the righting moment. The coil spring 10cc is further stretched. The beater 10b is rotated from the home position toward the skin 11a, and strikes the skin 11a. The skin 11a vibrates, and generates the drum sound. When he releases the foot board 10ai, the coil spring 10cc is shrunk, and imparts the righting moment to the shaft member 10af. The shaft member 10af and, accordingly, the beater 10b turn in the opposite direction, and the beater 10b returns to the home position. The connecting member 10aj transfers the righting moment to the foot board, and the foot board 10ai returns to the initial position. As will be appreciated from the foregoing description, the drum beater 10 according to the present invention is simple in structure, low in production cost and easy for regulating the righting moment. Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the clamper may be implemented by any kind of detent such as, for example, a ratchet and a pawl. The drum is not limited to the bass drum. The drum beater is available for any kind of drum.

Claims: A drum beater for a drum (11) having a skin (11a) stretched over a shell, comprising: a foot pedal assembly (10a) including a rotatable shaft (10af) and a foot board (10ai) where a player steps on for rotating said rotatable shaft from a home position toward said skin; a beater (10b) connected to said rotatable shaft for beating said skin; and a righting moment generating means (10c) connected to said rotatable shaft for urging said beater toward said home position, and including an arm member (10ca) fixed to said rotatable shaft, a spring member (10cc) connected at one end to said arm member and generating an elastic force for imparting a righting moment to said rotatable shaft and a spring regulator (10cb) connected to the other end of said spring member so as to change said elastic force exerted to said arm member, wherein said spring regulator (10cb) includes a regulating nut member (10ce) having an inner threaded portion (10cn), a first portion (10ci) inserted into a through-hole (10aq) formed in said foot pedal assembly and a second portion (10ck) larger in the maximum dimension of a cross section than said through-hole, a regulating bolt member (10cd) connected to said other end of said spring member and having an outer threaded portion (10cg) engaged with said inner threaded portion so as to be screwed into or out of said first portion characterized in that said first portion (10ci) is rotatably inserted in said through-hole (10aq) and said spring regulator further comprises a clamper (10cf) for preventing said first portion from a rotation in said through-hole. The drum beater as set forth in claim 1, in which said second portion (10ck) has a rough outer surface so that a person can turns the second portion without slip. The drum beater as set forth in claim 1, in which said through-hole (10aq) is formed in a lug portion (10ap) of said foot pedal assembly in such a manner as to extend in a perpendicular direction to a floor (12) where said drum beater and said drum are placed, and said spring member (10cc) and said second portion (10cn) respectively occupy in a space over said lug portion (10ap) and a space under said lug portion (10ap) so that said spring member (10cc) causes said regulating bolt member (10cd) to press said second portion against a lower surface of said lug portion. The drum beater as set forth in claim 3, in which said spring member (10cc) is a coil spring stretched between said arm member (10ca) and said regulating bolt member (19cd). The drum beater as set forth in claim 1, in which said clamper (10cf) is implemented by a first clamp bolt screwed into a threaded hole (10ar) open to said through-hole (10aq), and a hoop (11b) retains said skin (11a) on said shell by means of second clamp bolts (11c), a tool (11d) being shared between said first clamp bolt and said second clamp bolts. The drum beater as set forth in claim 5, in which said tool (11d) has a recess adapted to a head of said first clamp bolt (10cf) and heads of said second clamp bolts (11c).

Inventors: SHIGENAGA FUMIHIRO, SHIGENAGA, FUMIHIRO
Applicants: YAMAHA CORP, YAMAHA CORPORATION
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G10D13
IPC codes: G10D13