Improvements in or connected with Drums, Banjos, or the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Drums, Banjos, or the like.
We, ISAAC HUDSON SAPP, Machinist, and WILLIAM THOMSON STUART, Gentle-
man, both of Oakland, in the State of California, in the United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement:-
This invention relates to musical instruments and more especially to that class
thereof having stretchable heads-such as drums, banjos, and other devices of
this character and the invention includes broadly a musical instrument having
a stretchable head in combination with an expansible head-tensioning or tighten-
ing tube, and for the purpose of illustrating the peculiar construction and mani-
fold advantages of the same we have represented and will hereinafter describe
it in connection with a drum.
With these ends in view, the invention consists in the novel combination of
elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be herein-
after fully described and claimed.
To enable others to understand the invention, we have illustrated the preferred
embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speci-
fication, and in which,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drum provided with a head-tightening
device constructed in accordance with my invention, and parts being broken away
to more clearly illustrate certain features of the invention.
Figure 2 is a detail in plan view of an expansile tension-regulating tube.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the drum.
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are sectional details hereinafter more particularly
described, and showing respectively modified forms of tension regulating devices.
Like characters denote like and corresponding parts in each of the several
figures of the drawings.
As hereinbefore set forth, our invention is applicable to any of the musical
instruments including stretchable heads whether they be provided with one or
more of the latter, and it is illustrated in the drawings in connection with a drum.
The drum represented includes in its construction a body or shell A provided
with the upper and lower heads B and C, respectively, and the drum body has,
near its heads, the circumferential annular grooves 2 and 3, respectively, as

page_text: illustrated in Figure 1, for the purpose of receiving the expansile head-tension-
ing tubes hereinafter more particularly described. The tension-adjusting tubes
are designated by 4 and 5, respectively, and are preferably made of rubber,
although it is evident that they may be made of rawhide, leather, or any flexible
material that will contain an expanding fluid. Any fluid may be employed for
expanding the tube, but we provide means for effecting the introduction of air
into the same for the purpose of securing the peculiar result and thereby insuring
lightness when the heads are taut or stretched.
The annular grooves 2 and 3 form seats for receiving the tubes 4 and 5, respec-
tively, the latter being preferably made continuous so as to insure the even
tightening of the heads.
The heads B and C, prior to their introduction, are soaked in water until soft
and pliable and are then laid across the ends of the body or shell A and the pro-
jecting portions pulled toward and across the annular grooves 2 and 3, respec-
tively, and consequently over the annular air tubes 4 and 5. The margins of
the heads are then fastened in the narrow annular grooves 6 and 7 by means of
the split rings 8 and 9 or equivalent means the ends of which are provided with
lugs, as 10 and 12, respectively, to receive the adjusting screws 13 and 14, by
turning which the diameter of the split rings can be decreased, thereby to firmly
hold the same and consequently the two heads in place. It will be understood
that the tension-regulating tubes 4 and 5 are disposed within the grooves 2 and 3
respectively, at points between the edges of the drum, and the places at which
the two heads are secured by the split rings 8 and 9, and that said tubes are
located between the heads and the body of the drum, whereby when air is pumped
into said tubes the latter will be expanded and will thereby force that part of the
heads lying over the grooves radially outward so as to effect the tightening of
said heads.
By seating the two tubes in the annular grooves, the walls of the grooves
serve to limit the sidewise movement of the tubes when air is forced into the
latter, and as the tubes are located between the heads and the body of the drum
these two parts serve to prevent bursting of the tubes.
Each of the tubes is provided with an air supply pipe designated respectively
by 15 and 16 extending inward therefrom through the body of the drum and
then downward, and then outward and again through the body of the drum, it
being understood that each of these tubes extend through the drum but do not
pass through the heads thereof, as in case openings or holes were formed in the
heads to receive the tubes the heads would be materially weakened. The air
supply pipes which extend transversely from and communicate respectively with
the tension regulating tubes 4 and 5 are screw-threaded at their outer ends to
receive the removable caps 17 and 18 which may be detached for the purpose
of coupling an air pump of suitable construction to either of the pipes, and each
of the latter is provided with a valve designated respectively by 19 and 20 of the
tapered type adapted to fit against correspondingly-shaped seats at the ends of
the two pipes where they project outside of the drum.
Drum heads, before using, should be tightened up, and this operation can be
readily effected by removing the caps 17 and 18 and successively connecting an
air pump to the projecting ends of the air pipes 15 and 16, so as to supply the
communicating endless inflatable tubes 4 and 5 with air for the purpose of
tightening the heads. When the drum is not in use the heads should be let
down or loosened and this can be quickly and easily accomplished by removing
the caps 17 and 18 and forcing the tapered valves 19 and 20 away from their
seats to permit the escape of air from the tension tubes 4 and 5 and the conse-
quent deflation of the latter.
The hoops or rings 21 and 22, usually of wood, surround the opposite ends of
the body or shell A. and the overhanging portions of the heads B and C and are
connected by one or more rods, as 23, the latter being conveniently fastened to
the said body or shell near the middle of the latter, but it is to be distinctly

page_text: understood that these hoops or rings and rod or rods perform no part of the
head-tightening operation they simply being employed for convenience in carry-
ing the instrument and to protect the edges of the heads from injury, at the
places where the heads come in contact with the edges of the drum body.
It is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not in any manner
limited to the hereinbefore described construction for we have illustrated and
will hereinafter describe certain modified forms. It is obvious. also that a single
tube could be employed for tightening two heads.
In Figure 4 the inflatable tubes 24 and 25 are of slightly different shape and
are adapted to fit against the plain surface of the body or shell A and between
the outwardly-extending beads 26 and 27 upon the opposite edges of said body
or shell. As in Figure 1, the heads B and C are stretched over the opposite ends
of the body and are held in the annular grooves 6 and 7 therein by rings or
equivalent devices 8 and 9. On the introduction of air into these tubes 24 and 25
the stretching of the heads over the beads 26 and 27 will take place.
In Figure 5 the body of the drum is outwardly flared at its opposite ends, as
at 28 and 29, respectively, and between these flared portions and located upon the
plain surface of the body, the rings 30 and 31 are slidable, these rings. being
peripherally grooved as at 32, to receive the margins or turned over portions of
the heads B and C, such portions of the head being held in the grooves by rings
or equivalent devices 8 and 9.
The inflatable tubes 4 and 5 are located in the spaces bounded by the drum
body, the flared portions 28 and 29 thereof, the turned over portions of the
heads A and B and the slidable rings 30 and 31. On the introduction of air
into these tubes the latter will be inflated outwardly and toward each other,
thereby stretching the drum heads radially outward, and moving the rings 30
and 31 toward each other for stretching the two heads inward, whereby the
tensioning effect is applied in transverse directions.
In Figure 6 the shell or body of the drum is like that represented in Figure 5,
but instead of fastening the margin of the heads to the body or shell of the drum
we wrap the same around the wooden hoops or rings 33 or 34 which encircle the
opposite ends of the drum, and a second pair of hoops or rings, as 35 and 36, are
adapted to act against the first-mentioned rings, and these hoops 35 and 36 are
connected with the drum body by circular strips of leather or analogous means.
The tubes 4 and 5 are introduced into the space between the flared portions 28
and 29 and the leather strips 37 and 38, and the inflation of the tubes will draw
the outermost rings 35 and 36 toward each other through the medium of the
intermediate strips.
In Figure 7 the shell or body A is cylindrical and the heads are wrapped around
the rings 33 and 34 as shown in the previous figure, the rings being movable
toward each other by the second pair of rings 39 and 40 slidable in the cup-shaped
receivers 41 and 42 located beyond the ends of the drum and connected to each
other and to the shell by means of rods 43. The inflating tubes are located in the
annular receivers 41 and 42 and fit against the rings 39 and 40 for forcing the
latter toward each other when said.tubes are inflated for the purpose of tightening
the heads.
Some of the advantages of the invention are as follows: Simplicity of construc-
tion and rapidity and ease of tightening and loosening the heads;. the instrument
is not bound by the numerous and complex devices usually present in instruments
of this character; the head's can be tightened independently thereby allowing
the use of a very thin share head and a heavy batter head by means of which a
better tone is produced; the heads are tightened absolutely even all around, and
consequently there is no danger of drawing the shell or head out of shape in
tightening, as is so often done with rope and rod tighteners; the elasticity of
the air within the air tubes allow the heads to expand or contract under atmos-
pheric changes and thus the heads are preserved; this is a great advantage over
the old rod tighteners. which keep the heads so tight that they lose their elastic

page_text: properties and fail to vibrate; the drum shell may be made of very much thinner
material the air pressure being so even that there is no danger of crushing it,
consequently much lighter instruments can be constructed, which is quite an item
to a drummer on a long march; the vibration of the heads is improved and the
shell itself being bound by nothing but a layer of elastic air is free to vibrate;
the heads are not as liable to tear on the edge of the shell as the pull is radially
outward, instead of down on the shell;, and the tighteners never slip as do the
leather braces on the old rope drums.
Changes in the form, proportion, size and the minor details of construction,
within the scope of the appended claims, may be resorted to without departing
from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
1. A musical instrument including a stretchable head and an expansile head-
tensioning tube, substantially as described.
2. A musical instrument including a stretchable head and an endless expansile
head-tensioning tube, substantially as described.
3. A. musical instrument including a stretchable head and an expansile endless
head-tensioning device, substantially as described.
4. A musical instrument including a stretchable head, an expansile head-ten-
sioning tube, and means for limiting the movement of the latter, substantially as
described.
5. A musical instrument including a body, a stretchable head secured to the
body, and an expansile head-tensioning tube located between the head and the
body, substantially as described.
6. A musical instrument including a body having a groove, a head on the body,
means for securing the head in place, and an expansile head-tensioning device
located in said groove, substantially as described.
7. A musical instrument including a body, a head stretched over the same,
means for securing the marginal portion of the head to the body, and an expan-
sile head-tensioning device located between the head and the body, substantially as
described.
8. A musical instrument including a body, a head stretched over the same,
means for securing the head to the body, a tube adapted to receive a fluid and
constituting a head-tensioning device, and a supply pipe communicating with said
tube and provided with a detachable cap, substantially as described.
9. A musical instrument including a body, a head stretched over the same,
means for securing the head to the body, a tube adapted to receive a fluid and
constituting a head-tensioning device, and a supply-pipe communicating with
said tube, and provided with a detachable cap, and also having a valve, substan-
tially as described.
10. A musical instrument including a body, a head stretched over the same,
an expansile tube situated between the head and the body, and a supply pipe
extending through said body and having a removable cap, substantially as
described.
11. A musical instrument including a body, a head, a tubular tensioning
device, and a split ring surrounding the head and serving to hold the latter in
place on the body, substantially as described.
12. A musical instrument including a body having a groove, a head stretched
over the body and the edge thereof being disposed in said groove, a ring for hold-
ing said edge in said groove, and a tubular tensioning device disposed between
the stretched over portion of the head and the body, substantially as described.
13. A musical instrument having two grooves, a head stretched over the body
of the instrument, a split ring for securing the edge of the head in one of the
grooves, a tubular tensioning device disposed in the other groove, a ring sur-

page_text: rounding the head, and means for connecting the said ring with the body of the
instrument, substantially as described.
14. A musical instrument including a body having two grooves, a head
stretched over the body, a split ring for securing the head in one of the grooves
and having lugs, an adjusting screw carried by said lugs, a tubular expanding
device exposed in the other groove between the head and the body, a supply
pipe communicating with said tube and provided with a detachable cap, a ring
surrounding the stretched over portion of the head, and rod connecting said last
mentioned ring with said body, substantially as described. .
For the Applicants,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.Mech.E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.