Abstract:
A rotation device is adapted to be installed between the bell of a musical wind instrument and the body of the musical instrument. One or more rotational devices may be controlled by the musician or someone else while the musician is performing and/or playing the instrument. The rotation device may control the speed of rotation, the direction of rotation, and the amount of travel of rotation. The amount of travel of rotation of the bell may be more than and/or equal to and/or less than a 360 degree rotation.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/930,541 filed 10 Jan. 2011, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/800,682 filed 20 May 2010, which is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 12/590,201 filed 4 Nov. 2009, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/384,969, filed 10 Apr. 2009, which claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/123,686 filed 10 Apr. 2008. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to functional adaptation to musical instruments, and more particularly to creating and/or modifying a musical wind instrument to allow the musician to control rotational movement of the musical instrument&#39;s bell. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Musicians generally perform individually or in groups, i.e., a band. And, a band can include a single musician (a “one man band”) all the way up to a hundred or more musicians. One style of a band that typically includes more than just a few musicians is called a marching band. A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians that incorporate a wide range of movements into their musical performance. A wide variety of instruments may be used in the band, including brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments, to produce a strong and stable rhythmic component suitable for marching and movement. Based primarily on the “marching” aspect of the band, most marching bands incorporate some form of a uniform, generally including the colors and/or symbols of the school or organization, and can be as detailed as a military style uniform, to as informal as matching t-shirts and shorts. 
     In addition to the traditional street parade performances, many marching bands also perform field shows at sporting events or at competitions. The goal of each band&#39;s performance is different. Some aim for maximum uniformity and precision, while others—especially scramble bands—aim to be as entertaining as possible. Many high school and college marching bands aim for maximum sound and visual impact on the audience. 
     High school and college sporting events, especially half time of football games, has become a premiere opportunity for schools to display the skills and uniqueness of their marching bands to the players, the fans, and those watching the sporting event on television. High schools and colleges are constantly trying to improve the “wow” effect of their marching bands to impress all those who watch and enjoy the performance. 
     The musical instruments themselves provide little toward the “wow” factor, other than the music they produce and any movements that the musician makes that incorporate the musical instrument. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods that allow musical instruments to be used by the musicians that can improve the “wow” effect of a band, such as being able to move or rotate the bell of a musical instrument by the simple push of a button, while the musician is playing the instrument. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Systems and methods provide a movement and/or rotation device adapted to be installed or otherwise incorporated between the bell of a musical wind instrument and the body of the musical instrument. The rotation device may be controlled by the musician while the musician is performing and playing the instrument, or may be controlled remotely by someone other than the musician. The rotation device controls the movement of the bell, including rotating the bell more than and/or equal to and/or less than a 360 degree rotation. 
     In one embodiment, the systems and methods provide functional adaptation to musical instruments, and more particularly provide modification to a musical instrument to allow the musician to control rotational movement of the musical instrument&#39;s bell. 
     In another embodiment, the systems and methods provide means for rotating the bell of a musical wind instrument, the musical wind instrument adapted to be played by a musician, means for controlling the means for rotating the bell of the musical wind instrument, and means for providing power to the means for rotating the bell of the musical wind instrument. 
     In yet another embodiment, the systems and methods provide for rotating the bell of a musical wind instrument, the systems and methods comprising a driver adapted to rotate the bell of the musical instrument, a source of power adapted to provide power to the driver, and a controller operationally coupled to the source of power, and adapted to control the driver so as to allow for the control of the driver to rotate the bell of the musical wind instrument. 
     In yet another embodiment, the systems and methods provide for rotating a bell of a musical wind instrument, the systems and methods comprising providing means for rotating the bell of the musical instrument, providing means for controlling the means for rotating the bell, and operating the controls for rotating the bell of the musical instrument. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a musical instrument incorporating a system for rotating the bell of the instrument. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the musical instrument shown in  FIG. 1 , showing components of the system for rotating the bell of the instrument. 
         FIG. 3  is a close-up perspective view of the system for rotating the bell of the instrument shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the musical instrument shown in  FIG. 1 , showing alternative components of the system for rotating the bell of the instrument. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims. 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the views, there is generally designated at  20  a movement/rotation device adapted to move, e.g., rotate the bell  22  of a musical wind instrument  24 . The rotation device  20  allows the musician (or someone else) to rotate the bell  22  in a 360 degree circle, or more or less. 
     One notable instrument that is used in many bands, including the marching band, to impress the audience is the tuba, or also referred to as the sousaphone (the wearable tuba), because of its impressive size and sound. The various aspects of the rotational device  20  will be described in connection with rotating the bell of a sousaphone. That is because the features and advantages that arise due to the invention are well suited to this purpose. Still, it should be appreciated that the various aspects of the invention can be applied to other musical instruments as well. 
     As seen particularly in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the rotation device  20  may be enclosed within or include a housing  30 . The housing, if used, may include a top portion  32  and a bottom portion  34 , or alternatively, side portions, for example. The housing may be made of a variety of materials, including plastics, and/or metals, such as aluminum or brass, to match the musical instrument. 
     Means for rotating the bell  22  of the musical instrument  24  may be positioned within or on or outside the housing  30 . As can be seen particularly in the exploded view of  FIG. 2 , and as a non-limiting example, means for rotating the bell are described below. For example, the mounting end  23  of the bell  22  may slide within the inner diameter or hub of a gear  36 . One or more thumb screws  38  or the like, including glues, welding, press fit, as non-limiting examples, may be used to secure the gear  36  to the mounting end  23  of the bell  22 . 
     A gasket  40  may be seated between the gear  36  and the top side of a rotary bearing  42 . The bearing  42  permits relative motion between the gear  36  and a bearing seat  44 . One or more thumb screws  46  or the like, as previously described, may be used to secure the bearing seat  44  to the mounting end  25  of the musical instrument  24 . As can be seen, the bearing seat  44  may include a lip  48  which supports the bearing  42 . 
     An additional gasket  50  may be positioned on or around the lower side of the bearing  42 . Below the gasket  50 , and below the lip  48  of the bearing seat  44 , a driver support bracket  52  may be positioned around the bearing seat  44 . The support bracket  52  may include a support arm  54  for mounting the driver  56 . It is to be appreciated that the driver  56  may be mounted in other configurations as well, such as the driver may be mounted to the housing  30 , or the driver may be mounted to the instrument  24 , as non-limiting examples. 
     In one embodiment, the driver  56  comprises an electric motor and gear, such as a worm gear, although other driver mechanisms are possible, such as stepper motors, servo motors, electromagnetic, hydraulic, pneumatic, direct drive, drive shaft, belt and pulley configurations (see  FIG. 4 ), and the like. The driver  56  may be a fixed speed driver, or it may be a variable speed driver. As can be seen, as the gear  58  of the driver  56  rotates, the gear  36  in turn rotates causing the bell  22  to rotate. It is to be appreciated that in alternative configurations, gear  36  and/or gear  58  may be replaced with other mechanisms, such as pulley  66  and pulley  68 , as can be seen in  FIG. 4 . 
     In one embodiment, means for powering the rotational device  60  provides power to the driver  56 . The means for powering may be by mean way of a power supply  60 . The power supply may comprise any one or more of known sources of power, including, but not limited to a battery, a capacitor, solar, wind, magnetic, and any source of power generated by movement. The power supply  60  may be positioned within or on or outside the housing  30 , or the power supply  60  may be configured as a portable power supply that is electrically coupled to the driver  56  and then may be carried by the musician or coupled to the instrument, for example. Desirably, the power supply  60  is a rechargeable power supply, although not required. 
     The rotation device  20  also desirably includes means for controlling the rotational device  20 . A control unit  62  may be operationally coupled (e.g., wirelessly, electrically, optically, infrared), to the driver  56  to provide control of the rotation device  20 . By way of non-limiting examples, the control unit  62  can include on/off controls, and/or directional controls, and/or speed controls to allow the musician or someone other than the musician to operate the functionality of the rotational device  20  during the course of use of the instrument, such as during a practice or performance. The control unit may also be operated by someone other than the musician to allow the musician to focus on playing the instrument. 
     More than one rotational device  20  may be controlled by a control unit  62 . For example, a band may consist of four musical instruments, each having a rotational device  20 . The control unit  62  may be operated by a musician or by someone else to control the operation of the four rotational devices. This feature would allow for accurate rotation in unison of the four (or more or less) rotational devices  20  and associated bells of each of the musical instruments. 
     It is to be appreciated that features of the rotation device  20  as described above may vary in their assembly and/or configuration. For example, the gear  36  or pulley  66  may be positioned over or on the mounting end  25  of the musical instrument  24  instead of over or on the mounting end  23  of the bell  22 . The gaskets  40 ,  50  may or may not be used, and/or additional gasketing may be used, and their positions relative to the gear  36  or pulley  66  and bearing  42  and bearing seat  44  may be adjusted. The support bracket  52  including the support arm  54  may also be an integral element of the bearing seat  44  instead of being a distinct component. The bearing  42  and/or bearing seat  44  may or may not be used. Other modifications for allowing rotation of the bell  22  of the musical instrument  24  are also within the scope of the invention. 
     The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. It is to be appreciated that the embodiments shown may consist of fewer devices as shown, i.e., the use of consisting of or consisting essentially of is within the scope of the invention and the claims. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.