Patent Publication Number: US-8969697-B2

Title: Heel driven pedal apparatus

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This non-provisional patent application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/856,325 filed on Jul. 19, 2013, titled Heel Driven Pedal. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to musical devices and, more particularly, to a foot pedal device for use by a musician while playing a percussion instrument. 
     During the course of playing the drums and other percussion instruments, a musician may be required to use a foot to operate one or more pedals. Existing foot pedals are operated with the toe end of a musician&#39;s foot. Operating a foot pedal with the toe end of a foot requires use of the foot and ankle muscles. This makes playing or operating the pedal more difficult and harder to learn than if the pedal could be operated with the larger leg muscles. A heel driven foot pedal allows a musician to operate the foot pedal with the heel end of his or her foot. Operating a foot pedal with the heel end of a foot allows the musician to use his or her larger leg muscles. 
     Therefore, it would be desirable to have a heel driven pedal apparatus that can be operated with the heel end of a musician&#39;s foot. Further, it would be desirable to have a heel driven pedal apparatus that can also be operated with the toe portion of the musician&#39;s foot so that the musician can rest his or her leg muscles by switching from heel end operation to toe end operation without requiring any changes to the heel driven pedal apparatus. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A heel driven pedal apparatus for operation by a musician&#39;s foot while playing a percussion instrument according to the present invention includes a base member. A footboard includes a front end, an opposed rear end, and opposed first and second side edges extending between the front end and the rear end. The first and second side edges are pivotally coupled to the base member at a point displaced from both the front end and the rear end such that the footboard is pivotally movable between a released configuration at which the rear end is displaced from the base member and a compressed configuration at which the rear end is adjacent the base member. 
     A spindle shaft includes a proximal end operatively coupled to the front end of the footboard with a linkage assembly, and an opposed distal end. A beater head is coupled to the distal end of the spindle shaft. The linkage assembly and spindle shaft are configured to move the beater head towards the percussion instrument when the footboard is moved towards the compressed configuration and away from the percussion instrument when the footboard is moved towards the released configuration. The beater head may be selectively rotated on the spindle shaft to selectively position a desired beater head surface for contact with the percussion instrument. 
     Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a heel driven pedal apparatus useful by a musician while playing a percussion instrument. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a heel driven pedal apparatus, as aforesaid, that may be operated by either the heel end or the toe end of a musician&#39;s foot. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide a heel driven pedal apparatus, as aforesaid, that utilizes a linkage assembly to move a beater head relative to a percussion instrument in correlation with the movement of a footboard. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a heel driven pedal apparatus, as aforesaid, that utilizes a spring assembly to urge a footboard towards a released configuration. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a heel driven pedal apparatus, as aforesaid, that includes a beater head that is axially rotatable about the spindle shaft and includes multiple beater surfaces that cause respective sounds when struck against the percussion instrument. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide a heel driven pedal apparatus, as aforesaid, that is easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the heel driven pedal apparatus illustrating the footboard in a released configuration; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the heel driven pedal apparatus, as in  FIG. 1 , illustrating the footboard in a compressed configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the heel driven pedal apparatus, taken from a different angle as  FIG. 1 , illustrating the footboard in a released configuration; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the heel driven pedal apparatus, as in  FIG. 3 , illustrating the footboard in a compressed configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the heel driven pedal apparatus as in  FIG. 1  with the beater head removed from the spindle shaft; and 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the beater head removed from the spindle shaft. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A heel driven pedal apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4  of the accompanying drawings. The heel driven pedal apparatus  10  includes a base member  12 , a footboard  20 , a linkage assembly  30 , a spindle shaft  50 , and a beater head  60 . The heel driven pedal apparatus  10  may also include a spring assembly  40 . 
     The footboard  20  includes a front end  22  and an opposed rear end  24 . At least one pivot member  15  may pivotally couple the footboard  20  to the base member  12 . The pivot member  15  is displaced from, and aft of, the front end  22  of the footboard  20  and is displaced from, and forward of, the rear end  24  of the footboard  20 . 
     The footboard  20  may also include opposed first  26  and second  28  side edges. The first  26  and second  28  side edges may extend between the front  22  and rear  24  ends of the footboard  20 . The footboard  20  may be pivotally coupled to the base member  12  at the first  26  and second  28  side edges of the footboard  20  between the front  22  and rear  24  ends of the footboard  20 . The footboard  20  is pivotally coupled at a location that is displaced from both the front  22  and the rear  24  ends of the footboard  20 . 
     The footboard  20  is pivotally movable between a released configuration ( FIG. 1 ) and a compressed configuration ( FIG. 2 ). In the released configuration, the rear end  24  of the footboard  20  is displaced from the base member  12 . In the compressed configuration, the rear end  24  of the footboard  20  is adjacent to the base member  12 . 
     The footboard  20  may include a planar surface  25  that spans between opposed front  22  and rear  24  ends and opposed first  26  and second  28  side edges of the footboard  20 . The planar surface  25  of the footboard  20  may be configured to selectively support a musician&#39;s foot between the front  22  and rear  24  ends of the footboard  20  such that the footboard  20  may be driven by a heel portion of the musician&#39;s foot. A toe plate  70  may be coupled to the front end  22  of the footboard  20  so as to prevent the musician&#39;s foot from extending beyond the front end  22  of the footboard  20  and/or to ensure that the musician&#39;s heel is positioned behind the pivot member  15 . The planar surface  25  of the footboard  20  may also be configured to allow the musician to locate his or her foot behind the pivot member  15  such that the footboard  20  may be driven by a toe portion of the musician&#39;s foot. 
     The spindle shaft  50  has a proximal end  52  and an opposed distal end  54 . The beater head  60  is coupled to the distal end  54  of the spindle shaft  50  and the proximal end  52  of the spindle shaft  50  is coupled to the linkage assembly  30 . The linkage assembly  30  is coupled to the front end  22  of the footboard  20 . 
     In one embodiment, the linkage assembly  30  and the spindle shaft  50  may be configured to move the beater head  60  relative to the footboard  20 , and vice versa. As the footboard  20  is moved towards the compressed configuration, the linkage assembly  30  and the spindle shaft  50  may move the beater head  60  towards the percussion instrument. As the beater head  60  moves away from the percussion instrument, the spindle shaft  50  and the linkage assembly  30  may move the footboard  20  towards the released configuration. 
     In the same embodiment, or in a different embodiment, the linkage assembly  30  may be configured to move the spindle shaft  50  and the beater head  60  relative to the footboard  20 . More particularly, the linkage assembly  30  may be configured to move the spindle shaft  50  and the beater head  60  away from the front end  22  of the footboard  20  when the footboard  20  is moved toward the compressed configuration. The linkage assembly  30  may also be configured to move the spindle shaft  50  and the beater head  60  towards the front end  22  of the footboard  20  when the footboard  20  is moved toward the released configuration. 
     In one embodiment, the beater head  60  may be axially coupled to the distal end  54  of the spindle shaft  50 . The beater head  60  may include multiple spaced apart beater surfaces  61 , each causing a unique sound when contacted against the percussion instrument such as against the face of a drum. More particularly, the beater head  60  may be coupled to the spindle shaft  50  such that the beater head  60  or release is first pushed downward and then rotated until a desired beater head surface  61  is selected and positioned as desired and then released whereby a spring urges the beater head upward back into a locked position. 
     In the same or another embodiment, the beater head  60  may be removably coupled to the distal end  54  of the spindle shaft  50  ( FIG. 5 ). The interchangeable beater head surfaces  61  may be selected by depressing a spring biased beater head body portion  62  towards the spindle shaft  50  while simultaneously twisting the beater head  60  relative to the spindle shaft  50 . The interchangeable beater head surfaces  61  may then be selected or interchanged with another beater head surface  61 . Still another beater head surface  61  may be selected by twisting the beater head  60  relative to the spindle shaft  50 , and so on. The interchangeable beater head surfaces  61  may be the same size, type, and style as a previously selected beater head surfaces  61 , or it may be a different size, type, or style so as to create a different sound than the sound created by the old beater head surface  61  when it strikes a percussion instrument. 
     More particularly,  FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the beater head  60 . A shaft  62  extends through a central bore defined through the body portion  65  and is removably/threadably received in a base  67 . Once the shaft  62  is coupled to the base  67 , the shaft  62  is fixed from movement and configured such that the body portion  65  can move up and down therealong as described below. 
     The beater head  60  includes a spring  63  sandwiched between the base  67  and a lower plate of the beater head  60  that is configured to normally bias the body portion  65  in an upwardly extended configuration. However, depressing/actuating the body portion  65  compresses the spring  63  and “unlocks” corresponding shaft flanges  64  from complementary slots  66  defined in an upper plate of the body portion  65  so as to enable the body portion  65 —having the beater head surfaces  61 —to rotate about the shaft  62 . Releasing pressure on the body portion  65  reverses this action and again locks the beater head body portion  65  into place, i.e. corresponding flanges  64  and slots  66  nest together as the spring  63  urges the body portion  65  upwardly. The beater head  60  is not rotatable when the corresponding flanges  64  and slots  66  are engaged/nested. 
     In one embodiment, the heel driven pedal apparatus  10  includes a spring assembly  40 . The spring assembly  40  includes at least one spring member  42  and may also include at least one tension adjustment member  44  coupled to the spring member  42 . The spring member  42  may be operatively coupled to the base member  12  and the linkage assembly  30  so as to urge the foot pedal  20  towards the released configuration. As such, the spring member  42  may also urge the beater head  60  away from the percussion instrument. 
     The linkage assembly  30  may include at least one cam tensioner  32 , at least one rocker arm shaft  34 , at least one rocker arm  36 , and at least one linkage member  38 . The cam tensioner  32  may be coupled to the spring assembly  40 . The rocker arm shaft  34  may be coupled to the cam tensioner  32  and may also be pivotally coupled to the base member  12 . The rocker arm  36  may be coupled to the rocker arm shaft  34  and the proximal end  52  of the spindle shaft  50 . The linkage member may be coupled to the rocker arm  36  and the front end  22  of the footboard  20 . It is understood that the cam tensioner  32  and spring assembly  40  control the rate and force with which the spindle shaft pivot upon movement of the footboard  20  and cause an automatic movement back to a non-compressed position. 
     One embodiment of the heel driven pedal apparatus  10  (not shown) may include a pair of spindle shafts  50  and beater heads  60 . Respective proximal ends  52  of the spindle shafts  50  are operatively coupled to the linkage assembly  30  so as to move respective beater heads  60  toward one or more percussion instruments when actuated. For instance, the percussion instrument may include a pair of base drums that are played simultaneously by operation of the footboard  20  as described previously or by linking two or more heel driven pedals together as is common with percussion instrument pedals. 
     In another embodiment (not shown), the linkage assembly  30  may include a cam and cam follower(s) positioned adjacent the rear end  24  of the footboard  20  and be operatively connected to the spindle shaft  50 . Accordingly, the spindle shaft  50  and beater head  60  may be controlled by operation of the toe end (rear end)  24  of the footboard  20 . Stated another way, the linkage for operating the spindle shaft  50  may be positioned adjacent the rear end  24  of the footboard  20  instead of at the front end  22  as shown in the figures or the linkage may be replaced with a cam and cam follower. 
     In use, a musician may selectively position his or her foot on the footboard  20  to selectively drive the footboard  20  with either the heel end or the toe end of his or her foot. The footboard  20  may be driven by the heel end of the musician&#39;s foot when the toe end of the musician&#39;s foot is located forward of the pivot member  15  and the heel end of the musician&#39;s foot is located aft of the pivot member  15 . Alternatively, the footboard  20  may be driven by the toe end of the musician&#39;s foot when the toe end of the musician&#39;s foot is located aft of the pivot member  15 . 
     When the musician moves the footboard  20  from the released configuration ( FIG. 3 ) to the compressed configuration ( FIG. 2 ), the linkage assembly  30  and spindle shaft  50  urge the beater head  60  towards the percussion instrument. When the musician removes his or her foot from the footboard  20 , the spring member  42  pulls the cam tensioner  32 , causing the cam tensioner  32  to rotate the rocker arm shaft  34  relative to the base member  12 . As the rocker arm shaft  34  rotates relative to the base member  12 , the rocker arm  36  and the spindle shaft  50  move the beater head  60  away from the percussion instrument and the linkage member  38  moves the footboard  20  back to the released configuration. 
     It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.