The Portland daily press., 1889-07-27
An smPRovEo DRUM.
a Portland Man invents an instru-
inert of = Superior Quality.
Very Much Expected and Very Mucn
Claimed for the New Drum.

A new Improvement in that class OF musl-
cal instruments called drums VIII be on eX-
hibition at Mr.. Ira Stockbridge's music store
in few days. 1t is the invention OF Joseph
ID. Legault of Portland. A patent mas Deen
applied for.
The new drum invented by Mr.. lIegault is
so made as to increase, prolong and improve
the tone, and also has an improved arrange
ment FOR tightening the drum heads. AS the
construction of this instrument Is made on
entirely new principles, a detailed descrip-
ton will be of interest to the musical people
in general. The model is a 1919 inch drum.
One notices at once the absence of cords,
leather ears and tightening iron rods, so con-
spicuous in ordinary drums. As the cords
and leather ears arrangement has been the
best to tighten the drum heretofore known,
1t has been in general use since its first in
PRODUCTION. Mr.. Legault has, after careful
study, invented simple but more effective
method of tightening the drum heads, pre-
serving at the same time true circuit of vi
bration from the heads and wooden barrel.
The drum heads are frightened and loosened
by simply turning with a key stem that pro-
jects from the centre of the barrel. By this
method of tightening the drum heads, its
pitch can be raised or lowered even while
the drum is in use. Especially effective is this
arrangement in bass drum when only one
hand is used in beating, the other being free
to operate the key 1t is well known fact
that any holes made in the barrel of the
drum affects the tone. Mr.. Legault has
1f,,l1. Ali, - l.
come the difficulties that would arise had he
not taken it into consideration. Within the
drum is suspended rod that is part of the
gear used to tighten the heads. On each
end of this rod is a silyered metallic plate.
turned to the original pitch of the drum and
connected directly with the heads so that
the least disturbance from the outside will
cause them to vibrate. Two wooden hollow
discs placed in the centre prolong the vibra-
ton The drum is as light as any 16x9 inch
drum now in use.
MIR. Legaults patent drum and an or
binary drum of the same size were given a
practical test. Both drums were filled with
cold, perfectly dry smoke that the heads
might not be affected by moisture. The heads
were strained to a standard pitch and the vent
hole stopped. The drums, provided with trans
parent heads, were each suspended from the
ceiling. Then continuous roll was beat
upon the drums with two sticks for short
time, and then the vent holes were opened
and the smoke allowed to escape. In the or
binary drum the smoke came out in puffs or
waves, very fast at first but finally growing
slower and slower, each puff representing a
vibration of continuous sound, until the vi
bration ceased and the smoke rose perpen-
dicularly in small column. Each pulsa-
tion was counted and timed so many to the
minute. In the Legault drum the vibrations
| in smoke took the form of horizontal figure
eight. thus %. The smoke moved from the
silvered plates on the ends of the rod within
the drum to the wooden disc where it was
formed In circle and proceeded thence to
the vent hole through which it proceeded in
pulsations until the smoke was all out of the
drum. The sound did not cease as in the
ordinary drum when the smoke began to
ascend in column, proving that the vibra-
| ton in the new drum is very much more pro-
longed than in the common drum. The test
was also sufficient to show that the tone of
the new drum is superior to the old.