Patent Publication Number: US-7902444-B1

Title: Magnetic and adjustable throw-off for snare drum

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to drumming apparatus, and more particularly to improvements to auxiliary apparatus attachable to a drum, such as a snare drum, in respect of tensioning and releasing of multiple strands that co-act with a drum head to produce desired acoustic effects. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,875 discloses apparatus of this general character. There is need for improvements in lever controlled tensioning and de-tensioning of the multiple strands as well as enabling lever captivation in strand tensioned condition, as are disclosed herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a major object of the invention to provide improved apparatus as referred to, for use in tensioning and de-tensioning drum snare wires, and wherein an endwise slidable tensioning band is employed. That apparatus basically comprises 
     a) a mount connectible to a drum such as a snare drum side wall, 
     b) a support arm having operative adjustable connection to the mount, 
     c) a handle operatively pivotally connected to the support arm, and also operatively connected to the slidable band, the handle having an extended position in which the band is endwise loosened so that the snare wires are loosened, and also having a retracted position in which the band is endwise tightened so that the snare wires are tensioned adjacent the drum head. 
     As will be seen, the operative adjustable connection of the support arm to the mount typically comprises a pivoted connection allowing the support arm to be adjustably pivoted about a first axis which is parallel to a second axis defined by said handle pivoted connection to the support arm. 
     Another object is to provide a band connection to the handle at an adjusted location, there being provision for magnetic retention of the handle in retracted position, to retain tensioning of the band. 
     A further object is to provide a rotatable adjuster connected to at least one of the mount and support arm, to adjust the pivoted position of the support arm relative to the mount, whereby the pivoted positions of the handle in said retracted and extended positions is or are adjusted. The handle may be bifurcated to receive projected extent of the adjuster, said projected extent then being manually graspable to rotate the adjuster in handle retracted position. Also, the band may consist of low friction, synthetic resinous material. 
     The drum typically has an end ring extending about the head, the band having sliding engagement with the ring; the adjuster being located remotely from such slidable band. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       DRAWING DESCRIPTION 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of apparatus incorporating a preferred form of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 1  apparatus; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of components of the apparatus; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the apparatus handle; 
         FIG. 5  is a frontal view of the handle; 
         FIG. 6  is a left side view of the  FIG. 5  handle; 
         FIG. 7  is a right side view of the  FIG. 5  handle; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a mount connectable to the side of a snare drum; 
         FIG. 9  is a frontal view of the  FIG. 8  mount; 
         FIG. 10  is a left side view of the  FIG. 9  mount; 
         FIG. 11  is a right side view of the  FIG. 9  mount; 
         FIG. 12  is a rear view of the  FIG. 9  mount; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of the  FIG. 9  mount; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the support arm, as also seen in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a frontal view of the  FIG. 14  support arm; 
         FIG. 16  is a left side view of the  FIG. 15  arm; 
         FIG. 17  is a right side view of the  FIG. 15  arm; 
         FIG. 18  is a bottom plan view of the  FIG. 15  arm; 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of an adjuster having a manually rotatable throw-off knob; 
         FIG. 20  is a side view of the  FIG. 19  adjuster; 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view of a throw-off receiver/jackscrew; 
         FIG. 22  is a side view of the jackscrew of  FIG. 21 ; 
         FIG. 23  is a side view of a large throw-off pin; 
         FIG. 24  is a side view of a small throw-off pin; 
         FIG. 25  is a perspective view of a throw-off torsion spring; 
         FIG. 26  is a side view of the  FIG. 25  spring; 
         FIG. 27  is a perspective view of a throw-off strap plate; 
         FIG. 28  is a frontal view of the  FIG. 27  plate; 
         FIG. 29  is a top plan view of the  FIG. 28  plate; and 
         FIG. 30  is a section taken on lines  30 - 30  of  FIG. 28 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a drum  10  has an annular side wall or shell  10   a  typically wooden, and a head  11  at one end of the shell, for example the lower end. A metallic ring  12  is provided to extend on and about the shell. A group  13  of snare wires  13   a  extends transversely across the head lower side, with snares  13   b  positioned to impact the head. A thin plastic tensioner band  14  is end connected at  15  to a fitting  16  to which the wires are endwise connected. That band extends toward and over the ring to slide endwise under force application, to tension the snare wires as the band is pulled in direction  17 , and to loosen the wires as tensioning is released. Band  14  typically consists of low sliding friction, synthetic resinous material. 
     In accordance with the invention, an improved throw-off assembly  20  is provided at the side of the shell. It includes a mount or base  21  connectible to the side wall  10   a , as by fasteners such as jackscrews  22 . A gasket  23  may be provided to fit between the base and side wall. 
     A support arm  24  such as a saddle is provided outwardly of the base, to be operatively connected with the base, as by a pin member, typically in the form of an elongated swivel pin  26  defining axis  79 . That pin projects through saddle flanges  27  that project toward mount  21  and that straddle opposite sides  28  of the mount, whereby the saddle or arm can pivot relative to the saddle about a transverse axis  29  defined by pin  26 . Arm  24  also has two projections  30  which are transversely spaced and define axially aligned holes or openings  31  that receive pivot pins  32 . See  FIGS. 3 ,  14  and  24 . Axes  29  and  79  are parallel. 
     A throw-off handle  33  is operatively pivotally connected to the arm  24 , as by pins  32  that also project through transversely aligned holes  34  in projections  35  at one end of the handle. The handle is also connected with, or connectible to, an end  14   a  of the band  14 , as via a strap plate  37  projecting at the side  33   a  of the handle in a direction opposite the arm or saddle  24 . Plate  37  is connected with the handle as by threaded fasteners  38 , whereby the band position relative to the handle can be endwise adjusted, for adjusting snare engagement with the drum head. 
     The handle has a pivoted extended position, hanging as indicated at  33   b  in  FIG. 1 , in which the strap plate  37  is positioned at  37   a  relatively closer to the ring  12 , whereby the band  14  is loosened relatively endwise so that the snare wires and snares are downwardly loosened relative to the drum head to hang downwardly away from that head. The handle also has an upwardly pivoted retracted position indicated at  33   b  in  FIG. 1  in which the band  14  is tightened so that the snare wires are tensioned adjacent the drum head, in active play position. 
     For this purpose, the handle is typically bifurcated at  45 , (see  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  5 ) to enable ease of manual grasping, as at handle bridge  45   a  connected with spaced legs  45   b . A magnet  50 , is fitted in opening  51  in arm  24 , to register with and attract an insert steel disc  75  in the handle body portion recess  75   a  when the handle is swung to retracted position. Therefore, the handle is removably held in retracted position, to prevent inadvertent handle swinging to downwardly extended position, and loosening of the snares, from their drum playing position. 
     Also provided is an adjuster  60  (see  FIGS. 3 and 20 ) rotatably connected to the mount  21  and support arm  24 , to adjust the pivoted position of the support arm relative to the mount, whereby the pivoted position of the handle in said retracted and extended positions is adjusted, for fine tuning of the snare positions relative to the drum head. The adjuster is shown in the form of a fastener projecting through the opening  45  formed by the handle bifurcation and may also be connected to the top of the receiver base  21 . Opening  45  is sufficiently large as to enable user finger access to and manual rotatable adjustment of the adjuster knob  63 , partially received in opening  45 , and also to accommodate handle swinging between retracted and extended positions, without interference with the adjuster. A pressure insert, such as a rubber washer  65  on the adjuster is compressed between 63 and 24 to prevent axial looseness of the connection between the arm and mount, during rotatable and rotated adjustment of the adjuster. A torsion spring  80  fits in an elongated recess  81  in the mount  21 . Spring leg  82  projects from the recess and bears against arm  24  to bias it and the magnet toward the handle and steel disc, in  FIG. 1 . This assures magnetic attraction of the handle in all tilt positions of the arm  24 . 
       FIGS. 4-30  show detailed constructions and configurations of the above numbered elements, which provide unusual advantages in their operation and results, in terms of ease and accuracy of band adjustment and positioning. 
     The handle, arm and mount elements may consist of molded plastic material.