COUPLING APPARATUS FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of musical instruments such as drums and cymbals, and more specifically to pedal assemblies used by musicians to operate such percussion instruments. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In almost every style of music, percussion instruments such as bass drums play a pivotal role in providing rhythm, melody and harmony to a musical ensemble. Percussion instruments produce this sound by being struck with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration.

In particular styles of music such as jazz, rock and in many forms of heavy metal, bass drums are required to be struck in succession to emulate techniques typical of snare drum playing, such as rudiments and rolls. Originally two tuned bass drums were used for this purpose, but a double pedal on the same drum is now more common.

In a double pedal assembly each pedal is operated by the left or right foot to strike a bass drum and produce the required sounds. In assemblies such as this, however, the drummer is required to position his or her feet adjacent to each other so as to work the pedals, which after prolonged periods can become quite uncomfortable.

US patent document 4,538,499 describes a drum beating apparatus particularly intended to overcome this problem by provide selective positioning of drum pedals and beaters to suit the position of the drummer's feet. The disclosed drum beating apparatus includes a first base with a pedal coupled to and adapted to drive a beater on a second base, which may itself include a second pedal driving a separate beater on the second base.

US patent document 4,747,333 discusses the similar need to locate a drum away from a performer so as to avoid the performer being hidden by the drum. The disclosed pedal assembly provides a drum beater for bass drums which is remotely controlled by a connected foot pedal.

These pedal assemblies, however, inevitably require the purchase of one or more pedals which are specifically arranged to provide this functionality. In

situations, for example, where drummers have previously purchased pedal assemblies as part of their drum kits, the further costs involved in obtaining purpose built pedals can be prohibitive to some drummers.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which minimises the need, and hence the sizeable costs, associated with procuring purpose built pedal assemblies. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a coupling apparatus for converting a pedal assembly with a beater to an assembly where the beater is positioned remote from said pedal assembly, said coupling apparatus including a first end adapted to engage a beater driving means of said pedal assembly; and a second end adapted to engage and position said beater proximate a striking surface of an instrument; whereby the actuation force generated by the pedal assembly is transmitted by the coupling apparatus to actuate the beater assembly and strike the instrument.

The inventive apparatus advantageously allows a pedal assembly with an attached beater for striking an instrument to be converted so that the pedal is not required to be located close to the instrument and can in fact be positioned at a distance and in a manner that is comfortable for the drummer's feet. The conversion of a pedal assembly in this manner also avoids the need for the drummer to purchase expensive pedal assemblies which are purpose built for this function.

The term beater is meant to encompass mallets, brushes and any other objects having a head and shaft, and intended to strike drums and other percussion instruments to produce sound.

It is preferred that the first end of the coupling apparatus includes an extension adapted to be received in a beater receiving means of the pedal assembly, advantageously allowing the actuation force intended to be transmitted to the beater by the beater driving means to be transmitted to the coupling apparatus.

In a further preferred form, the extension is substantially shaped to resemble a shaft of the beater so as to maximise the compatibility of the coupling apparatus and the pedal assembly.

In one form of the invention, the coupling apparatus includes an elongated connecting assembly for transmitting the actuation force generated by the pedal assembly to strike the instrument with the beater. It is preferred that the elongated connecting assembly includes at least one part resiliently mounted to a second part by a constant velocity joint so as to allow the coupling apparatus to maintain an orientation for transmitting the actuating force generated by the pedal assembly to the beater. It is further preferred that the connecting assembly includes an extendable portion, ideally with a locking mechanism such as a bolt, for adjusting the length of the connecting assembly as required. In an alternate form of the invention, the coupling apparatus includes a cable, preferably surrounded by a substantially rigid sheath, for transmitting the actuation force generated by the pedal assembly to strike the instrument with the beater.

Ideally, the second end of the coupling apparatus is adapted to engage a structure so as to support the beater in a position proximate the striking surface of the instrument. In one form, the structure may be a second pedal assembly advantageously allowing a double pedal assembly to be formed when the second pedal assembly also actuates a second beater to strike the instrument. In this manner a double pedal assembly can be setup to strike the instrument at a relatively minimal cost and without the need to first remove a single pedal assembly already positioned to strike the instrument.

In another form the second end of the coupling apparatus is adapted to engage the instrument so as to support the beater in a position proximate the striking surface of the instrument. Preferably, the coupling apparatus engages the second pedal assembly or the instrument by means of a clamp, ideally adapted to engage the structure independent of the rotational motion of the remainder of the coupling apparatus.

The second end of the coupling apparatus may also contain biasing means such as a spring to assist in returning the beater to a rest position after striking the instrument.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pedal assembly fitted with a coupling apparatus as described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a coupling apparatus fitted to a pedal assembly and mounted on a second pedal assembly;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pedal engaging portion of the preferred embodiment in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is an exploded prospective view of the connecting assembly of the preferred embodiment in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the mounting arrangement of the preferred embodiment in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a first part of an alternative mounting arrangement of the preferred embodiment in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a second part of an alternative mounting arrangement of the preferred embodiment in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 7 is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of a coupling apparatus fitted to a pedal assembly and mounted on a rim of a drum;

Fig. 8 is perspective view of the pedal engaging portion of the alternate embodiment in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is perspective view of the pedal mounting arrangement of the alternate embodiment of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is perspective view of the instrument mounting arrangement of the alternate embodiment of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the pedal mounting arrangement of an alternative embodiment;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a variation of the pedal mounting arrangement of the alternate embodiment of Fig. 11 ; and

Fig. 13 is perspective view of the instrument mounting arrangement of the alternate embodiment of Fig. 11. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fig. 1 shows a preferred form of a coupling apparatus 10 fitted to a pedal 12 and mounted to a second pedal 14 resulting in the formation of a double pedal assembly. This assembly is located in close proximity to a percussion instrument

such as a drum so that the actuation forces generated by a musician pressing on the pedals 12, 14 actuate the beaters 38, 39 to strike the instrument and produce sound.

The coupling apparatus 10 allows the actuation forces generated by the beater driving mechanism 11 of pedal 12 to be transmitted in a manner allowing actuation of the beater 38. The coupling apparatus 10 includes three major parts: the pedal engaging portion 16, the connecting assembly 18 and the mounting arrangement 20.

The pedal engaging portion 16, as shown in Fig. 2, is made up a bar 24 with a pedal engaging shaft 22 extending from one end and a connecting assembly engaging shaft 26 extending from the other end. The shaft 22 is shaped so that it is compatible with, ie able to fit into, the beater holder (not shown) provided on a typical pedal such as pedal 12. Ordinarily, the provided beater holder will take the form of a clamp adapted to engage the length of a beater and secure it while the beater driving mechanism of the pedal rotates the beater so that it to makes contact with the instrument and then returns to its resting position. Accordingly, the length and shape of the shaft 22 enables it to be secured in the beater holder in a similar manner once the beater 38 is moved to the mounting arrangement 20. Bar 24 is arranged so as to enable sufficient clearance between the engaging portion 16 and pedal 12 throughout the rotational motion of the engaging portion 16 during the normal course of playing the instrument. It is also preferable that at least a part of the bar 24 is arranged to offset the centre of the shaft 26 so that it can efficiently position the connecting assembly 18. The shaft 26 has a cross section in the shape of a circle with a flattened segment facing the offset portion of the bar 24, and is adapted to engage, socket 28 on one end of the connecting assembly 16. The flat part of shaft 26 provides a surface to engage the bolt 30 and lock the shaft 26 to the connecting assembly 18. The connecting assembly 18, as shown in Fig. 3, is made up of a number of interconnected parts allowing the rotational actuation force generated by the beater driving mechanism 11 in pedal 12 to rotate the connecting assembly 18 and consequently the beater 38. These parts include constant velocity (CV) joints

32, 34 enabling the connecting assembly 18 to maintain any angle whilst rotating so as to transmit the rotational actuation forces discussed above.

It is also preferred that the connecting assembly 18 is provided with an extender 36 to adjust the length of the connecting assembly 18 and hence the distance of the beater 38 from the pedal 12. The extender 36 may be locked using the bolt 40 which functions in a manner similar to bolt 30. It is preferred that all bolts used have a square head such that a standard drum tuning key can be used to engage and disengage them.

The mounting arrangement 20, as shown in Fig. 4, connects to the connecting assembly 18 in a manner similar to that of the pedal engaging portion 16, ie the shaft 44 engages the socket 42 and is locked in place by the bolt 46.

Extending perpendicularly from the shaft 44 is the bar 48 which is arranged to offset the beater holder 50 in order to provide clearance for the beater holder 50 from the remainder of the mounting arrangement 20 when the beater holder 50 is being actuated. The beater holder 50, located at one end of the bar 48, is adapted to receive and secure a standard beater for use with base drums or other percussion instruments, such as beater 38. Thus, beater 38 is inserted through the hole 52 of the beater holder 50 and locked into place by the bolt 54.

Also extending perpendicularly from an end of the shaft 44 is the bearing plate 56, which secures the mounting arrangement 20 so as to provide rotational freedom to the shaft 44, the bar 48 and the beater holder 50 so as to allow them to rotate as a single unit about the centre of axis running through the shaft 44 when actuated.

The clamp 58 extends from the face of the bearing plate 56 and secures the mounting arrangement 20 to a support structure such as the second pedal assembly 14. This arrangement allows the actuation force transmitted by the connecting assembly 18 to pivot the beater 38 between the striking and resting positions. Preferably, the clamp 58 is provided with the bolt 60 to secure the clamp 58 in position, although a number of bolts, wing nuts or any suitable locking mechanisms can be used. Also, it will be appreciated that the clamp 58 may be implemented using a suitable number of bolts, nuts, spring loaded switches, latches, or alternatively any suitable means of securing the mounting arrangement 20 to a support structure can be used as a substitute to the clamp

58. Other clamps discussed below may also be implemented in this alternate manner.

An alternative mounting arrangement 21 is illustrated in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. The mounting arrangement 21 includes a two part cylindrical clamp 23 which fits around the rotating shaft (not shown) of the pedal 14. Where the rotating shaft is not cylindrical in nature, the clamp 23 may be formed in a shape which is more appropriate and allows a better fit. The clamp 23 is secured in place by inserting bolts/screws (not shown) through holes 25 so that both parts of the clamp 23 are brought together around the rotating shaft of the pedal 14. It will be appreciated that while nuts can be used, a pair of the holes 25 may be threaded so as to eliminate the need for nuts.

The clamp 23 also includes on one side a hole 29 into which another screw may be inserted, thereby providing frictional force against the rotating shaft of pedal 14 and preventing movement of the clamp 23 relative to the rotating shaft of the pedal 14.

The clamp 23 is also provided with a bearing 27 running around the external circumferential surface of the clamp 23. The bearing 27 is shaped to fit the channel 33 which is formed within the two part bracket 31. In alternative embodiments, the bearing 27 may be replaced by bushing, rollers, balls, or any other means by which the bracket 31 is able to maintain independence from the rotational motion of the clamp 23.

The bracket 31 is secured in place by inserting bolts/screws (not shown) through holes 35 on the bracket 31 so that both parts of the bracket 31 are brought together around the bearing 27 of the clamp 23. As with holes 25, it will be appreciated that the holes 35 on the bracket 31 may be threaded so as to eliminate the need for nuts.

Extending from the top end of the bracket 31 is a cube shaped beater holder 45 for securing a standard beater, such as the beater 38. The beater 38 is inserted in the hole 41 at the top of the beater holder 45 and secured in place by a bolt (not shown) which is inserted into a threaded hole 43 provided on one side of the beater holder 45.

Extending from another side of the beater holder 45 is a bar 37 including an L-shaped section which, by offsetting a shaft 39 extending perpendicularly

from the bar 37, provides clearance for the beater holder 45 from the remainder of the mounting arrangement 21 when the beater holder 45 is being actuated.

The shaft 39 has a cross section in the shape of a circle with a flattened segment facing the offset portion of the bar 37, and is adapted to engage socket 28 on one end of the connecting assembly 16. The flat part of shaft 39 provides a surface to engage the bolt 30 and lock the shaft 39 to the connecting assembly

16.

This arrangement allows the bracket 27 to rotate about the bearing 27 and therefore relative to the clamp 23, and consequently the rotating shaft of the pedal 14. Similarly, the arrangement also allows the rotating shaft, and therefore the clamp 23, to rotate without affecting the rotational motion of the bracket 27.

The embodiments of the coupling apparatus 10 as discussed above and shown in Figs. 1 to 6 are suitable for right handed/footed musicians who would normally play with the pedal 12 positioned to the left the pedal 14. However, it will be appreciated that the parts of the coupling apparatus 10 can be configured, or an adapter can be used (not shown), so that the pedal 12 is positioned to the right of pedal 14 and is therefore making it suitable for left handed/footed musicians.

Figs. 7 to 10 show an alternative embodiment, ie connecting assembly 74, in which the cable 62 transmits the actuation force generated by the pedal 64 to the beater 76 which is mounted on the rim of the drum 78. An advantage of this alternative embodiment is that the pedal 64 may be placed anywhere the user desires so long as it is within the range of the cable 62, which can be of any suitable length.

The connecting assembly 74, as shown in Fig. 7, incudes at one end a pedal engaging portion 70, which engages the pedal 64, connected by the cable 62 to the pedal mounting arrangement 72 which secures the connecting assembly 74 to the pedal 64. At the opposite end of the cable 62, there is provided an instrument mounting arrangement 80 which secures the connecting assembly 74 to the drum 78. The cable 62 slides along its axis to transmit the actuating force from beater driving mechanism 66 of the pedal 64 to the beater 76. in fact, the cable 62 functions in a manner similar to a bicycle cable which is used to connect brake levers of a bicycle to its brake pads. The cable 62 is surrounded by a stationary

sheath 68 which provides some rigidity to the cable 62 so that it may maintain tension during operation.

The sheath 68 is securely clamped to the pedal mounting arrangement 72 which is in turn securely clamped to pedal 64. In this way, cable 62 is able to move freely within sheath 68 to actuate the beater 76.

The pedal engagement portion 70, as shown in Fig. 8, includes an L- shaped bar 84 with a pedal engaging shaft 82 extending perpendicularly from one end and the cable 62 secured at the other end by the bolt 86. Shaft 82 is compatible with, ie able to fit into, the beater holder (not shown) provided on pedal 64, in a manner similar to that described above. The L-shape of the bar 84 offsets the pedal engagement portion 70 to allow it to rotate when actuate by the beater driving mechanism 66 without obstruction by the pedal 64 or the pedal mounting arrangement 72. It will also be appreciated that the offset arrangement of the pedal engagement portion 70 allows the initial movement of the cable 62, when actuated, to be directed in a downward rather than horizontal direction.

The pedal mounting arrangement 72, as shown in Fig. 9, includes a clamp 88 for securing the connecting assembly 74 to the pedal 64 and locking it in place using wing nuts 90, 92. At the opposite end, the pedal mounting arrangement 72 is provided with a clamp 94 for securing the sheath 68 and consequently allowing the cable 62 to move freely within the sheath 68.

The instrument mounting arrangement 80, as shown in Fig. 10, is located at the opposite end of the cable 62 and secures the connecting assembly 74 to the rim of the drum 78 using a clamp 96. The clamp 96 is provided with the wing nut 108 which moves at least a portion of one arm of the clamp 96 toward the other arm of the clamp 96 such that the space between these arms is reduced and the clamp 96 tightens around the rim of the drum 78 as required. It will appreciated that while the instrument mounting arrangement 80 is illustrated in Fig. 7 as being mounted to the rim of the drum 78, it can similarly be mounted to any suitable part of the drum 78 or any other percussion instrument, or even a second pedal as per the embodiment discussed above.

The sheath 68 and cable 62 are also secured in place by clamp 98 and bolt 102 respectively. Bolt 102 secures the cable 62 to the arm 100 which is rotatably mounted to the remainder of the instrument mounting arrangement 80.

The arm 100 includes a hole 106 for holding the beater 76 and a bolt 104 for locking it in place, and is adapted to pivot unobstructed in manner allowing actuation of the beater 76 as the cable 62 moves within sheath 68 in accordance with the force provided by the beater driving mechanism 66 of the pedal 64. In another embodiment, a spring or other biasing means can be included within the instrument mounting arrangement to assist in returning the beater 76 to the resting position after it has struck the drum 78 and to also reduce the compression force on the cable 62.

Figs. 11 to 13 show yet another alternative embodiment, ie connecting assembly 200, in which a dual cable arrangement 202 is used to transmit the actuation force generated by a pedal (not shown) to a beater 204 which is mounted on the rim of an instrument such as a drum (not shown).

Referring to Fig. 11 , the connecting assembly 200 incudes at one end a pedal engaging portion 206, which secures the connecting assembly 200 to the pedal, connected by the dual cable arrangement 202 to an instrument mounting arrangement 208, which secures the connecting assembly 200 to the drum, other musical instrument or other suitable structure.

Similar to the previously described embodiments, a rod 210 is adapted to fit inside the beater holder (not shown) of the pedal assembly. This allows transmission of the actuation force generated by the pedal assembly through to a perpendicular bar 212, which is either secured to or integrally formed with the rod 210, and subsequently through to a rotatable mounting bracket 214, which is able to rotatable about an axis at a bearing 216.

The rotatable mounting bracket 214 connects to the cables 218 of the dual cable arrangement 202 and is able to push or pull the respective cables 218 as the bracket 214 rotates clockwise or counter-clockwise.

The lower support plate 220 positions and secures the bearing 216 and the sheaths 222 of the dual cable arrangement 202. The sheaths 222 are anchored, lower support plate 220, so that they are stationary whilst the cables 218 are able to move inside them. The lower support plate 220 includes a base portion 224 which provides additional support and stability to the lower support plate 220 and may be clamped to the bass drum pedal assembly by the part of the drum pedal assembly usually intended for a bass drum rim. It is preferred that the lower

support plate remain stationary in relation to the non-moving parts of the pedal, ie those part of the pedal which are touching the floor. The lower support plate 220 may also be provided with screws 226, which can be adjusted to change the height of the base portion 224 of the lower support plate 220 and thereby optimise the stability of the lower support plate 220 on the floor.

Fig. 12 illustrates a variation of pedal engaging portion 206 in which a clamp 238 is able to be fitted around the rotatable crossbar of a standard bass drum pedal assembly and secured in place using a bolt 240. Accordingly, the actuation force generated by the rotation of the crossbar is transmitted through to the clamp 238 and thereby affects a pushing or pulling force on the cables 218, similar to the manner in which the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 11 operates. It will be appreciated that in this variation, the need for a rotatable mounting bracket 214 is removed.

Fig. 13 illustrates the instrument mounting arrangement 208, which allows the connecting assembly 200 to be secured to a part of an instrumen, for example, the rim of a drum. The instrument mounting arrangement 208 includes a rotatable mounting bracket 228, which is a rotatable about an axis at a bearing 230. The bracket 228 is connected to the dual cable arrangement 202, which allows it to rotate depending on the push or pull forces transmitted via the cables 218.

Rotatable mounting bracket 228 is also provided with a socket capable of receiving the standard bass drum pedal beater 204, which may be secured in place using a bolt 232.

The upper support plate 234 positions the rotatable mounting bracket 228 and secures the bearing 230, for example, the rim of a standard drum (not shown) using a clamp 236 fitted with a bolt 238. It will be appreciated that upper support plate 234 may be an extension of, or alternatively entirely independent from, the lower support plate 220. The sheaths 222 of the dual cable arrangement 202 are also anchored to the upper support plate 234 so that when the cables 218 move relative to the upper support plate 234, the sheaths 222 remain stationary.

A spring or other biasing means (not shown) may also be incorporated into the arrangement in order to assist the return of the beater 204 to the rest position,

particularly if the orientation of the beater 204 is such that the force of gravity works against the return that would normally be provided by such a spring.

In a further variation of the connecting assembly 200, the dual cable arrangement 202 may be replaced by a series of CV or universal joints of any suitable number. Such joints may or may not be housed in a flexible or protective material or hinge or linked bearing, and the linkages between said joints may be housed in bearings inside tubes connected by said flexible or protective material or hinge or linked bearing. The series of CV or universal joints are able to transmit the rotational force generated by the rotatable crossbar of a standard bass drum pedal assembly, either by direct link or through rods, gears, cams, levers, or any other relevant mechanical system at either end of the series, to a standard bass drum beater which is positioned proximate to the surface of the drum and secured in this position by an instrument mounting arrangement which allows it to move relative to the drum similar to the embodiments described above. It will be appreciated that the screws, bolts, clamps, surfaces, rods, bearings, etc of the above described embodiments may be of any reasonably functional orientation, size, shape, number, or any other relevant dimension in order to optimise the action of the entire assembly.

While the present invention has been described with reference to specific preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes could be made to this embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.