Patent Publication Number: US-9837057-B1

Title: Telescoping, interchangeable, drumstick/shaker

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to percussion instruments; more particularly, it is a telescoping, interchangeable, drumstick/shaker. Technical field 84/422.4. 
     2. Background Art 
     There are three categories for drumsticks—the stick type, the brush type, and rod type 
     The traditional solid wooden drumstick ranges from about 15″ to 18″ in length and includes butt, shaft, and tip portions. One of the ends typically was in the shape of a ball-like head which was used to beat on the drum to create a large sound. 
     The drum brush type drumsticks were usually made up of a plurality of metal filaments, secured to a handle to create a soft swishing sound. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,026, U.S. Pat. No. 2,485,824. 
     The rod type drumstick are usually made from round hardwood rods such as dowels that are banded together to form a stick that can produce a sound between that of the solid stick type and a brush. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,671, U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,527 U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,077 
     Various suggestions have been made to add the rattle type sound of a maraca to a traditional wood drumstick for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,466,554 a discloses conventional wooden drumstick that is inserted through a maraca gourd so that the maraca gourd is, in effect, a part of the drumstick creating a rattle sound. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,514 is an improved drumstick that is provided for producing a rattling maraca type sound as the drumstick is used by the drummer. The drumstick includes a tip section for striking the drum, a handle section which is used to grip the drumstick, and an intermediate connecting section that joins the tip and handle sections together and forms a complete drumstick. The intermediate connecting section includes a hollow cavity in which a number of pellets are loosely received creating a rattling sound when stuck. 
     Combination drumsticks have also been attempted where trying to combine the traditional wood shaft of a drumstick to rod type or brush drumstick. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 8,674,204 The traditional drum stick handle is lathed to a specified shape that includes in its shape, a pod with a widen bulb area, at the perpendicular horizontal end of the pod, a hole is drilled to hold the multiple rods which are inserted and glued into the hole creating a unique multi task drum stick. 
     U.S Pat No. 2008/0168889 A stick type drumstick is disclosed comprised of a solid wood shaft, herein after referred to as the shaft. The shaft extends to a position where a hole is drilled in the horizontal plain starting at the end nearest to the striking or beating end. Further, the stick type drumstick includes a head consisting of a plurality of individual rods formed around a foam core, this combination of individual rods and foam core combination of the center foam core and the individual rods combine to create a distinct and unique percussive sound. 
     With respect to the inventions listed above, taken either singly or in combination is capable of producing a well balanced, interchangeable drumstick capable of multiple and triple types of drumstick and shaker combination while allowing the user to freely configure it. Also another reason for this invention is only a small end or tapered portion of the drum stick is actually being utilized for striking the drum, therefore the impact causes the end of the drumsticks to break frequently, leaving the handle (shaft) used for gripping the drumstick undamaged, creating wasted material. For the foregoing reasons, this telescoping drumstick was created using the following methods. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objective of this invention is to provide a well balanced, interchangeable, telescoping drumstick, capable of multiple types of drumstick/shaker configurations that are not confined to a specific embodiment, allowing the user to freely configure it to his or her own liking. 
     This is achieved by having a hollow tube body with removable shaft screw collars on each end. It includes tube shaker cartridges and drumstick tube cartridges that are attached to the small tail end portion of the different drumstick types noted above. These tube cartridges have a smaller outer circumference than the hollow tube body&#39;s inner circumference, which allows these tube cartridges to telescope through the hollow tube body. The hollow tube body is from thin wall carbon fiber tubing or 6061 aluminum; its high strength, light weight, and its composition provides protection for the drumsticks and/or shaker being stored within the hollow body. The light weight of the hollow tube body: makes it perfect for storing replacement drumsticks inside the hollow tube body, allowing it to mimic or match each other in weight, thus providing a well balanced drumstick. Also, utilizing the hollow tube body as the gripping area and utilizing only a small portion of the different drumstick types creates less waste, thus creating more eco-friendly drumstick. 
     The shaft screw collar locks and unlocks the hollow tube body and inner tube cartridges together and can be installed singly or on both ends of the hollow tube body. This gives the user the ability to freely configure the device to create multiple types of drumstick/shaker configurations without being confined to the hollow tube body. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a drumstick having different end configurations combined with a shaker; 
         FIG. 2  shows a drumstick having a multirod configuration with storage capacity; 
         FIG. 3  shows a drumstick having a multirod configuration with a shaker body; 
         FIG. 4  shows various interchangeable components of the drumstick; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION 
     Telescoping, interchangeable, drumstick/shaker. 
       FIG. 1 : Illustrates the embodiment of a telescoping, interchangeable, drumstick/shaker.  100  is the hollow tube body/gripping area made from carbon fiber or aluminum tubing. In this embodiment  100  the hollow tube body is storing shaker tube cartridge  300   b . The shaker tube cartridges have a smaller outer circumference than the hollow tubes body&#39;s inner circumference which allows the shaker tube cartridges to telescope into the  100  hollow tube body.  101  is the shaft screw collar, made from clear polycarbonate tubing, carbon fiber tubing, or aluminum tubing; this component is used for releasing, storing, and locking the drumstick tube cartridges and shaker tube cartridges into place.  102  is the drumstick tube cartridge, made from brass or aluminum tubing, it is attached to the different drumsticks types and is not limited to any type of drumstick used for striking a drum or a percussion device. They have a smaller outer circumference than the hollow tubes body&#39;s inner circumference which allows these drumstick tube cartridges to telescope into the  100  hollow tube body. In this embodiment  101  shaft screw collars have been installed on both ends of  100  hollow tube body and have locked the drumstick tube cartridges, configuration  201   b  multi rod and drumstick configuration  401  for playing of this device. 
     This particular embodiment depicts how two different drumstick types can be used to create two different tones when struck while also combining a shaker maraca like sound. 
       FIG. 2 : Illustrates the embodiment of a telescoping, interchangeable, drumstick/shaker. This embodiment depicts multi rod drumstick  200   b , it is stored in  FIG. 100  hollow tube body, and while multi rod  200   a  is locked into place by  FIG. 101  for playing.  103  is the vinyl end cap. This embodiment depicts how this device can store an identical replacement drumstick tube cartridge inside of its hollow tube body; this is identical to the drumstick tube cartridge type that has been locked down by the shaft screw collar for playing of this device. Once the drumstick tube cartridge needs to be replaced, the user would unlock the drum stick tube cartridge via shaft screw collar and telescope the replacement drumstick into its place. 
       FIG. 3 : Illustrates another embodiment of a telescoping, interchangeable, drumstick/shaker. This embodiment depicts how the  500   d  hollow tube body shaker cartridge can be combined with a  200   b  multi rod drumstick to produce multiple sounds. In this embodiment  500   d , shaker tube cartridge; releases beads into  FIG. 100  hollow tube body.  101 , the shaft screw collar, has locked multi rod drumstick configuration  200 B for playing.  103  is the vinyl end cap. 
     This embodiment depicts how the hollow body can be transformed into a shaker by releasing the beads held in the  500   d  hollow tube body shaker cartridge into the hollow tube body caped off with  103  vinyl end cap. This produces a louder shaker like maraca sound adding another dimension to this device. 
     SPECIFICATION 
     Step 1: 
     Hollow Tube Body 
     Materials: 
     
         
         
           
             OD 0.625 in×ID 0.555 in (drawings  100 ) thin wall carbon fiber tubing or aluminum tubing. 
           
         
       
    
     These materials are chosen for their high strength, light weight, and thin wall. 
     Procedure: Cut hollow tube body to 8¾ in length. Using miter saw, pipe cutter, or any saw capable of cutting carbon fiber or aluminum tubing. After making the cut, the hollow tube body will be deburred and sanded ½ up from bottom of the hollow tube body to allow shaft screw collars to be fitted and installed to the hollow tube body. The hollow tube body may be painted to any color or design. 
     Step 2: (Drawings  105 ) Drill 3/16 in Hole in Hollow Tube Body. 
     Procedure: At ¼ inch from the bottom at both ends of the hollow tube body, mark and drill a 3/16 in hole ¼ in on center using a drill or drill press. This is in preparation for the installation of a set screw shaft collar as seen in step 3. 
     Step 3: Installation Shaft Screw Collar 
     Materials: 
     
         
         
           
             OD 0.875 in×ID 0.625 in LN 0.5 in (drawings  101 ) the shaft screw collar is made from clear polycarbonate tubing, carbon fiber tubing or aluminum tubing with #10-32× 3/16 in Allen Wrench, cup point set screw
 
—Allen Wrench
 
           
         
       
    
     Procedure: The Allen Wrench cup set screw is located in the shaft screw collar. When tightened, it will lock the tube cartridge holding the drumsticks, multi rods, into place for playing. When released, it will allow for removability of the drumstick tube cartridge. 
     The clear polycarbonate composition of the shaft collar was chosen for its high strength and durability. Since the polycarbonate is clear, it allows for visibility to line the set screw with the 3/16 inch hole that was drilled in the hollow tube body in step 2. The set screw shaft collar is a key component that works in conjunction with all components of this device for storage, dispensing, reloading, and playing of this device. Slide shaft screw collar over the hollow tube body. Align the 3/16 in set screw in the shaft collar with the 3/16 in hole that was drilled in the hollow tube body. 
     Note: The shaft screw collar can be installed on both ends of the hollow tube body or at one single end depending on the users&#39; preference. 
     Step 4: Cutting Drumstick Tube Cartridge to Length 
     Material: 
     
         
         
           
             OD 0.53125 in×ID 0.50325 in brass tubing, aluminum tubing, or carbon fiber tubing. 
           
         
       
    
     Procedure: Cut drumstick tube cartridge to ½-1 in length. Using miter saw, pipe cutter, or any saw capable of cutting carbon fiber or aluminum tubing. After making the cut, the tube will be deburred using sand paper, steel wool, or reamer. 
     Step 5: 
     The following different lengths will offer the user multiple configurations for storage, dispensing, and playing of this device. 
     Materials: 
     
         
         
           
             Drums stick, mallet, brush drumstick shaft OD ½ in 
             Multi rods solid wood OD ⅛ in and OD 3/16 in 
           
         
       
    
     Procedure: cut to 8¼ in length and 3⅝ in length using a miter saw or any wood cutting saw. 
     Step 6: Conjoining the Drumstick and Multiple Multi Rods Configurations, Along with the Drumstick Tube Cartridge and Shrink Tube. 
     Materials: 
     —Glue 
     
         
         
           
             Drumstick tube cartridge OD 0.53125 in ID 0.50325 in LN 0.5 to 1 in 
             (Configuration drumstick  400 , 401 ), (Configuration mallet drumstick shaft  500 , 501 ) shaft, OD 0.5×LN 8¼ in and OD 0.5 in×LN 3⅝ in 
             Heat shrink tube OD ½ in LN 4 in 
             (Configuration  200   a ,  201   a ) Multi rods  12 , OD ⅛ in×LN 8¼ in and 12, OD ⅛ in×LN 3⅝ in for each drumstick tube cartridge 
             (Configuration  200   b , 201   b ) Multi rods  5 , OD 3/16 in×8¼ in and 1, OD ⅛ in×LN 8¼ in for each drumstick tube cartridge. Multi rods  5 , OD 3/16 in×LN 3⅝ in and 1, OD ⅛ in×LN 3⅝ in for each tube cartridge. 
             (Configuration  200   c    201   c ) Multi rods  8 , OD ⅛ in×8¼ in and 1, OD 3/16 in×LN 8¼ in for each drumstick tube cartridge  8 , OD ⅛ in×LN 3⅝ in and 1, OD 3/16 in×LN 3⅝ in for each drumstick tube cartridge. 
           
         
       
    
     Procedure: Apply glue to the multi rods around the circumference of each rod, covering length of 4½ in from bottom. Next, apply glue to interior wall of OD 0.53125 in×ID 0.50325 in drumstick tube cartridge. Insert drumstick, multi rod (Configuration one, two, and three) combinations into drumstick tube cartridge. Crimp drumstick tube cartridges to drumstick to form fit, then slide heat shrink tube(drawings  106 ) OD ½ in LN 4 in to base of drumstick tube cartridge. Lastly, use a heat gun to shrink tube to bind the multi rods. 
     Step 7: Removable Shaker Tube Cartridges. 
     Materials: 
     
         
         
           
             OD 0.53125 in ID 0.50325 in 8 ft length brass tubing, carbon fiber tubing or aluminum tubing 
             OD ⅝ in ID ⅝ in rubber or vinyl plugs 
             10-20, ⅛ in beads 
           
         
       
    
     Procedure: Cut shaker tube cartridges to 4 different lengths: (configurations  300   a , 300   b ,  300   c , 300   d ) #1 LN 8 in×¼ in, #2 LN 3 in×⅝ in, #3 LN 7 in×¼ in, and #4 LN 2 in hollow tube body shaker tube cartridge. Next, use a miter saw, pipe cutter, or any saw capable of cutting carbon fiber or aluminum tubing, after making the cut, the tube will be de burred using sand paper, steel wool, or a reamer. Afterwards, insert 5/in8×in1 LN plugs into the bottom end of the shaker tube cartridges. LN 8 in×¼ in, LN 3 in×⅝ in, LN 7 in×¼ in, and LN 2 in. Next, place  10 - 20 , ⅛ in beads into shaker tube cartridges LN 8 in×¼ in, LN 3 in×⅝ in, LN 7 in×¼ in, and LN 2 in. Then, insert 5×8 in×1 in LN plugs into the top of LN 8 in×¼ in, LN 3 in×⅝i, and LN 2 in shaker tube cartridges. 
     Hollow tube body shaker tube cartridge OD 0.53125 in ID 0.50325 in LN 2 in will be used for dispensing the beads held inside of it into the hollow tube body from step one. This will turn the hollow tube body into a shaker that will produce a louder sound and another dimension to this device. 
     Place OD ⅝ Hollow tube body cap over the bottom of OD 0.53125 ID 0.50325 LN 2 plug ID ⅝ of the shaker tube cartridge. Remove the plug on the top of 0.53125 in ID 0.50325 in shaker tube cartridge. Pour the metal beads held in the shaker tube cartridge into the hollow tube body from step 1 and slide the shaker tube cartridge into the hollow tube body. 
     Note: Any of these tube shaker cartridges can be taken out of this device and used independently for sole purpose of a shaker. 
     Step 8: Install hollow tube body end caps 
     Materials: 
     
         
         
           
             Rubber or vinyl ⅝ in OD×⅝ in length end cap. 
           
         
       
    
     Procedure: slide ⅝ in OD×⅝ in caps onto hollow tube body ends that are not being used. 
     Note: end caps may not be used if user is using both ends for playing 
     Step 9: Configuring the drum stick to play. 
     Procedure: Remove end cap from hollow tube body and slide any combination of drum sticks, multi rods shaker into the hollow tube body. Lock the drumstick tube cartridge into place by tightening down the set screw located in the set screw shaft collar. The hollow tube body and the drumstick tube cartridge should be flush at the ends of the hollow tube body. The set screw will align and press against the drumstick tube cartridge locking it into place. If using the drumstick tube cartridge on both ends, remove the cap from other end and slide the shaft screw collar into place and follow the same process. To reload the drumstick, loosen the set screw and slide the drumstick tube cartridges out of the hollow tube body. 
     Note: The specifications listed above can be duplicated to smaller and larger sizes using the same process. The drumstick tube cartridge can be attached to any type of drumstick for use of this devise.