Patent Publication Number: US-6710236-B2

Title: Drum holder for drum stand

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a drum stand, and more particularly to an improved adjustable drum holder for drum stands provided with grip members that would effectively isolate vibrations of a drum during performance. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A drum stand is generally made up of an upright center post, radial arms mounted atop the center post via a conventional clamping mechanism, such as ball-type, gear-type, etc., and three legs connected to the lower end of the center post in a tripod arrangement. 
     Typically, three or four radial arms used for holding a drum overhead are arranged atop the clamping mechanism with 120 or 90 degrees center angle intervals. However, the existing devices to adjust the length of the radial arms to accommodate drums of various sizes, are complex and cumbersome to operate. 
     The radial arms are typically provided at their distal ends with elastic covers to isolate vibrations during performance of the drum. However, the current elastic covers of the radial arms of the drum stands are not sufficiently effective in isolating vibrations of the drum. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a drum stand having easily operable adjustable radial arms and provided with grip members at their distal ends that would effectively isolate vibrations of the drum during performance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a stand for supporting an instrument, such as drum or the like. The stand of the present invention includes a drum holder assembly having at least three spaced radial arms that may be adjusted to accommodate a variety of sizes of drums with firmness and rigidity, and with ease and convenience, and in a manner such that the drum will not vibrate or bounce when being played. 
     Each of the radial arms of the drum holder of the present invention includes a support member, and an adjustable sleeve member. The adjustable sleeve member is slidably mounted to a distal end portion of each of the support members for adjusting an effective length of the radial arms in order to accommodate drums of various sizes. Each of the adjustable sleeve members is provided at its distal end with a vibration-isolating member adapted to engage an outer cylindrical surface of the drum and to effectively isolate and isolate vibrations emanating from the drum during performance. 
     The vibration-isolating member of the present invention has a base portion and a grip portion extending substantially vertically from the base portion. The base portion is fixed to the distal end of each of the adjustable sleeve members. The grip portion of the vibration-isolating member has a hollow portion formed therethrough that deforms when vibrations or other loads are transmitted to the radial arm through the grip member from the drum. Preferably, a plurality of elastic ribs (or corrugations) are formed on an outer surface of the vibration-isolating member engaging the drum to inhibit the drum from slipping when placed on the vibration-isolating member. 
     The vibration-isolating member is preferably made of a soft elastomeric compound. The combination of a soft elastomeric compound and the hollow portion of the vibration-isolating member significantly improves the performance of musical drums. The vibration-isolating member is also preferably homogeneously formed as a unitary body, thus alleviating the cost of assembling multiple components and simplifying its manufacture. 
     When vibrations or other loads are transmitted to the vibration-isolating member from the drum, the grip portion deforms and flattens, thereby isolating the load and effectively isolating the drum from the radial arms. Thus, quality of sound of the drum significantly improves. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a floor-standing drum stand in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation view of a drum holder assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 a  is a top plan view of the drum holder assembly shown in FIG. 2 used in combination with a large diameter drum; 
     FIG. 3 b  is a top plan view of the drum holder assembly shown in FIG. 2 used in combination with a small diameter drum. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with the reference to accompanying drawings. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 1, a floor-standing drum stand  1  in accordance with the present invention is provided for supporting a musical instrument, such as drum  3  or the like. The drum stand  1  includes an upright post  2  that is supported on a floor by three tripod type legs  4  provided at a lower end portion  2   a  thereof. An upper end portion  2   b  of the upright post  2  is adapted to support a drum holder assembly  10 . A drum holder adjusting device in the form of a clamping mechanism  6  of a known construction is mounted at the upper end portion  2   b  of the upright post  2  in order to firmly hold a lower end of a holder shaft  12  of the drum holder assembly  10 . By proper manual operation on the clamping mechanism  6 , the angular position of a holder shaft  12  with respect to the upright post  2  can be adjusted as required. The clamping mechanism may be of any appropriate type well known to those skilled in the art, such as friction-type, gear-type, ball-type, etc. 
     As illustrated in detail in FIG. 2, the drum holder assembly  10  includes the holder shaft  12  provided with a top head  14  secured to an upper end of the holder shaft  12 , and a base head  16  slidable along a lower end portion of the holder shaft  12 . At least three spaced radial arms  18  having an adjustable length are pivotally mounted to the top head  14  and extend substantially radially outwardly from the top head  14  acting as a common point for the radial arms  18 . Each of the radial arms  18  includes a support member  20 , and an adjustable sleeve member  24 . 
     Each of the support members  20  is pivotally mounted to the top head  14  through lugs  15  at an inward end  20 ′ thereof. Respective levers  22  are pivotally mounted to the base head  16  through lugs  17  at one ends thereof, and to the support members  20  at the other ends thereof. 
     The adjustable sleeve member  24  is slidably mounted to a distal end portion  20 ″ of the each of the support members  20  for adjusting an effective length of the radial arms  18  in order to accommodate drums of various sizes. More specifically, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 2, the sleeve members  24  are slidably mounted about the distal end portion  20 ″ of the support members  20  for axial movement along a length thereof, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b.  Particularly, FIG. 3 a  illustrates the top plan view of the drum holder assembly  10  with the radial arms  18  in their outermost extended position adapted to support the large diameter drums, while FIG. 3 b  illustrates the top plan view of the drum holder assembly  10  with the radial arms  18  in their innermost retracted position adapted to support the small diameter drums. 
     The sleeve member  24  is provided with a slot  25  therealong. The drum holder assembly  10  further includes a clamp device  26  adapted to secure the sleeve member  24  in a selected position relative to the support member  20 . Preferably, the clamp device  26  includes a bolt  26 ′ extending through the slot  25  in the sleeve member  24  and threadedly engaging a threaded hole at the distal end portion  20 ″ of the support member  20  for clamping the sleeve member  24  to the support member  20 . 
     Moreover, at least one of the radial arms  18  is provided with a plurality of marks  21 ′ located on at least one of vertical surfaces  21  of the support members  20  to indicate the effective length of the respective radial arm  18 . The marks  21 ′ are disclosed to be in the form of raised ridges or grooves. 
     Each of the adjustable sleeve members  24  is provided at its distal end with a vibration-isolating member  30  adapted to engage an outer cylindrical surface of the drum  3 , as illustrated in FIG. 2, and to effectively isolate vibrations emanating from the drum  3  during performance. 
     Preferably, the vibration-isolating member  30  has a solid unitary body including a base portion  32  and a grip portion  34  extending substantially vertically from the base portion  32 . The base portion  32  is fixed to the distal end of each of the adjustable sleeve members  24  in any appropriate manner known to those skilled in the art. The grip portion  34  of the vibration-isolating member  30  has a hollow portion  36  formed therethrough so that the unitary body of the grip member  30  continuously circumscribes the hollow portion  36 . 
     The presence of the hollow portion  36  allows the grip portion  34  of the vibration-isolating member  30  to deform when vibrations or other loads are transmitted to the radial arm  18  through the grip member  30  from the drum  3 . In the preferred embodiment the hollow portion  36  is substantially vertically elongated, ovular through opening (or channel). Consequently, the grip portion  34  of the vibration-isolating member  30  extends substantially vertically from the base portion  32  and has a substantially toroidal shape elongated in a vertical direction. 
     A plurality of elastic ribs (or corrugations)  38  are formed on an outer surface of the vibration-isolating member  30  engaging the drum  3  to inhibit the drum  3  from slipping when placed on the vibration-isolating member  30 . Preferably, the ribs  38  are provided on both the base portion  32  and the grip portion  34  of the vibration-isolating member  30 , as illustrated in FIGS. 2,  3   a  and  3   b.  The ribs  38  inhibit the drum  3  from slipping relative to the radial arms  18 . 
     When vibrations or other loads are transmitted to the vibration-isolating member  30  from the drum  3 , the arcuate shaped grip portion  34  deforms and flattens, thereby absorbing the load. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the vibration-isolating member  30  is used to isolate vibrations emanating from the musical drum  3 . FIG. 2 represents such an arrangement. The drum  3  is supported on the support stand  1  having a plurality of legs  4 . 
     The musical drums all suffer from the common drawback that vibrations emanating from the drum head are transferred from the drum shell to the supporting legs and finally to the floor. This transfer of energy shortens the sustain of the drum and causes the drum to sound constricted. Placing the vibration-isolating member  30  between the drum  3  and the radial arms  18  effectively isolates the drum  3  from the radial arms  18 , thereby substantially improving quality of sound of the drum  3  and increasing the drum&#39;s sustain. 
     The vibration-isolating member  30  is preferably made of a soft elastomeric material. The combination of a soft elastomeric material and the hollow portion  36  of the vibration-isolating member  30  has been shown to improve the performance of musical drums. The vibration-isolating member  30  is also preferably homogeneously formed as a unitary body, thus alleviating the cost of assembling multiple components and simplifying its manufacture. 
     The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments disclosed hereinabove were chosen in order to best illustrate the principles of the present invention and its practical application to thereby enable those of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated, as long as the principles described herein are followed. Thus, changes can be made in the above-described invention without departing from the intent and scope thereof. It is also intended that the scope of the present invention be defined by the claims appended thereto.