TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject invention, generally speaking, is related to the field of musical instruments, particularly to percussion musical instruments and specifically refers to the drum, respectively to the snare drum with quickly and easily interchangeable assembly parts of the drum where is by structural changes achieved an improved sound characteristic and enabled easier tuning of the instrument. According to the International Patent Classification (IPC, Int. CI ⁸ ), object of the invention is classified and marked by the basic classification symbol G 10D 13/02 which refers to the drums, however, since the present invention relates to a percussion musical instruments it may be marked by the secondary classification symbol G 10D 13/00.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

The technical problem which has to be solved by this invention consists of the following: how to construct a drum to which it is possible to quickly and easily replace the drum body or any of the elastic top and bottom drum heads without using tools, as well by easier elastic drum head tensioning and simpler tuning, which is thereupon characterized in better sound quality, has broader tonal range, in which is out of tuning disabled and which is compatible for placing onto the standard stands. Drum has to be constructed so that allows aesthetic variations, wherein the hoops of the membranes and the drum body, whether they are part of the standard equipment or are changeable, can be made of various materials: metal, plastic, wood, fiberglass or other materials.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

The drum is a percussion instrument, which is presumed to represent the oldest musical instrument, at least 6,000 years old, and over time has been used for various purposes: to create a better mood with songs and dancing, with religious ceremonies, to create noise and fear in the enemy, in signaling and distraction purposes, for reporting information, etc.. Today the drum as an instrument, is one of the four representatives of membrane instruments (besides him there are timpani, tambourine and snare drum, which differentiates from the drum having in the middle, below the lower membrane, placed a snare wires that gives him a specific tone).

In accordance with the desired type of tones expected in beating the drum, may be used palms, fingers, sticks with globular ends (drumsticks) and brushes, which all can be of different shapes and made of different materials.

With popularization of music in the 20th century, particularly with the development of radio and television, by shortening of the time required for the traveling, by the popularization of pop music, through so-called "live concerts", music becomes a significant factor in changing the culture and the area of life, in which are generated great profits, so the musicians have become increasingly interested in the changes of the musical instruments as from reason to intensify the sound, light and other musical and visual effects. All this contributed to membranophone instruments that these become also more attractive, more complex with significant sound improvements. By placing a foot pedal in year 1909 was opened the way for the modern drum kits whose indispensable part became the snare drum with a membrane of plastic, to whom is, compared to a classic drum, added a strainer, causing that, as musicians say, his sound becomes "lighter".

Changes on the drums are usually focused on improving the sound quality, on their aesthetic appearance, on the application of the materials used for making the body of the drum and the like.

It should be emphasized that in all existing drums and snare drums which have two membranes, replacement of parts in assembly, which is caused by its damage or by a request for change of sound, is performed rather slow and complicated, by disassembling the drum with loosening the side-mounted screws, where is more or less necessary to use tools, and which is much more important, that this is the time-consuming task, which practically causes anxiety in both, artists and viewers-listeners, especially when the intervention is done directly during performing concerts. It is needless to mention that after such replacements additional checking and tuning is required, that has to be done in terms of noise and poor lighting.

Author of this invention has resolved to make such a drum which allows the improvement of the sound quality and also the tuning speed of the instrument which he has also presented in his patent US 4,909,125 PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS IN THE NATURE OF A DRUM, in which invention is shown a snare drum upper membrane which is with a ring fixed with screws to couplings that are secured to a cylindrical lug, comprising the drum body, which is fastened by retainers to the nut into which enters a screw, the lower end of which is a bearing, and which is by its upper end positioned under a ball, rotationally placed in the hemispherical swivel bearing, in which is on its outer side, with the retainer, attached to the pusher movably mounted immediately below the rigid circular rim of the lower membrane, wherein is on the outer side, on the lower part of the drum body is placed a circular boundary. This solution has solved the problem of tuning of both membranes only by one wheel, quickly and without the need for subsequent tuning, wherein is obtained a much wider tonal range than the previously existing solutions. By a careful analysis and monitoring the working of such constructed instrument, the author came to the conclusion that other structural changes can be made on the drum also, that would significantly contribute to reduce the time needed for replacing of his structural parts, with an additional increase in sound quality, reliable security from untuning and especially prevent damage and cracking of thin, delicate lower membrane.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The essence of the invention is in the fact that the drum according to authors' idea is designed to allow quick and easy replacement of the drum heads without using of any tools.

The essence of the invention is also the fact that instead of the standard metal frames, which are used in the majority of the drums, is possible a quick and easy replacement with wooden frames, which are dimensionally larger, and what in all existing drums requires a complex additional tuning of the instrument.

The novelty of the invention is also the fact that is by the constructive solution according to the invention, quite easily and quickly may be replaced a drum body, which at the same time, may be replaced by one made of different materials;

The novelty of the invention that makes a present drum significantly different from the known drums is a placement of the drum body, which is designed as being "floating", so that the drum body is directly inserted between the drum heads (upper and lower) with no contact with the side fasteners which hold the upper rigid rim of the drum heads, which additionally make a positive impact on sound quality.

The essence of the invention is also the fact that once tuned drum, by replacement of equal parts (drum head or the drum body) not need a subsequent tuning, and if are replaced a previously used drum head or a drum body with a new ones, that differ in the dimensions, the process of tuning is easy, fast and can be performed in a short break between the two musical performances. The essence of the invention is also reflected in the construction of segment which prevents drum being out of tune, which is normally a problem with all widely used drums, since it is constantly occurring as a result of exposing a drum to constant vibrations and movements.

It is particularly emphasized, that the essence of the invention is also the fact that on the hollow conical drum body, on its top and bottom rim, are made a rounded arch-bended ends, on which the drum heads are leaned, so that between the drum head rims and these roundings are formed tension angles of approximately 45 °, which is important as from reason that this allows a much easier drum tuning and thus also prevents that during the tuning occurs damages, i.e. cracking of a much thinner bottom drum head. An important novelty is also a design of the drum body with a circular recesses, made near the bottom of the drum body, into which enters a tensioning drum heads hoop, but that does not touch the drum body, which significantly contributes to the quality of its sound.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate understanding of the invention and to show how it can be implemented in practice, author, for the example only, refers to the attached drawings which relate to the subject application and where:

• Figure 1 shows the drum assembly set in a vertical cross section;

• Figure 2 shows a drum in a top view;

• Figure 3 shows a set of carrier wheel in a top view;

• Figure 4 shows a set of carrier wheel in a side view;

• Figure 5 shows a set of carrier wheel in a bottom view;

• Figure 6 shows a set of carrier wheel of a bayonet mount rods in a top view;

• Figure 7 shows a carrier wheel of a bayonet mount rods set in a side view;

• Figure 8 shows a lugged wheel in a top view;

• Figure 9 shows a lugged wheel in a side view;

• Figure 10 shows a drum body in a vertical cross section;

• Figure 11 shows a upper rigid hoop in a top view;

• Figure 12 shows a upper rigid hoop in a vertical cross section;

• Figure 13 shows a rigid wooden hoop with holes for inserts for coupling with bayonet rods;

• Figure 14 shows a side view to a set of solid wooden hoop in a vertical cross section;

• Figure 15 shows an insert into a wooden frame of rigid hoop for coupling bayonet mount rods. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

By observing the figures of accompanying drawings it may be easy perceived that the drum with easily interchangeable assembly parts and enhanced sound characteristics consists of a vertical holder 1, a carrier wheel 2, which is supported on the standard stand 3, a carrier wheel 4 of bayonet mount rods, a tightening wheel 5, a stretching hoop 6 for tensioning drum heads, a bottom drum head 7, drum body 8, upper rigid hoop 9 and with upper drum head 10 with a stretching hoop 52

In the market of musical instruments and equipment is a large number of differently designed stands for drums, and how the present invention can be used on any of them - the stand is not claimed and therefore is only schematically shown in the figure, causing the figure more visible and more clear. According to the inventor's idea linking the drum assembly with stand 3 was achieved through vertical holder 1 built as screw, which is by its lower end immovably secured to the hub 11 of a carrier wheel 2, and then is to him, through the hub 12 with insert 15, fixed also a carrier wheel 4 of bayonet mount rods, and finally is, through bearing 13 bedded into a hub 14, fixed a tightening wheel 5, that relies lower drum head 7 taut and secured in a stretching hoop 37.

The carrier wheel 2 represents a conically formed structure of a metal ring 16, to which are integrally connected a radial spokes 17, who are apart each other at 120°, wherein on the places of their connections to a metal ring 16 are made arched reinforcements 18, which inserts into the vertical stabilizers 53 with rubber protectors 54, existing on any standard stand, during placement a drum onto a stand 3. The other ends of the radial spokes 17 are connected to hub 11 of a carrier wheel 2. The hub 11 has laterally drilled a circular hole 51 through which is tunneled a cylindrical cotter passing through a cylindrical hole on a vertical holder 1 to prevent rotation of a carrier wheel 2 relative to a vertical holder 1.

The carrier wheel 4 of bayonet mount rods is by means of a threaded ring insert 15 settled in the hub 12 and axially rotationally fixed to a vertical holder 1, whereby this carrier is also of a conical structure which is made of a carrier ring 19, which is strengthened with a six reinforcing spokes 20, symmetrically distributed in a star-like positions for every 60°, interconnected by arched connectors 21. where on a carrier ring 19 in every 45°, on the reinforcing segments 57, are positioned cylindrical bores 22 with threads in which are vertically secured by screws 23 cylindrical bayonet rods 30 whose upper ends have a cylindrical constriction 24 which turns into a conical ends 25. Over a carrier wheel 4 of bayonet mount rods and onto the narrowed end 26 of the vertical holder 1 is pulled over a bearing 13 and placed into a cylindrical bearing made in the center of the hub 14 of a tightening wheel 5, where further of this bearing is a narrow cylindrical hole through which is passing the upper end of narrowed end 26, on which is made a lateral slot corresponding to slot at washer 27, which is fixed to a narrowed end 26 by screw 28 through spring 55 and washer 56. On a hub 14 body of tightening wheel 5, at every 120° are drilled a cylindrical holes in which are inserted springs 29 with metal balls 31 placed into a hemispherical holes 32 made on the bottom parts of the washer 27, whose function is to prevent undesired screw 28 movements, which often occurs and leads to a drum out of tuning. The carrier ring 33 with its edge 34 leans against a stretching hoop 6 for tensioning elastic bottom drum head 7, stretch it by its axial displacement, up or down , and appears a displacement of the drum head that tightens or relaxes, by which performs tuning the sound of the drum. The bottom drum head 7 is made of a standard consistent plastic and is significantly thinner relative to the upper drum head 10, and as well as the same, is inserted into a stretching hoop 6, to which is, in order to be permanently fixed, molded by plastic 41.

The drum body 8 is a resonant cavity which greatly impacts on the quality of sound. The body 8 has the shape of a hollow truncated cone, whose top part is slightly horizontally, arched downwards bended edge 35, while on its lower end is formed a horizontal, slightly arched, rounded rim 36 to which a bottom drum head 7 relies. Apart a form of a drum body 8, to sound significantly affects also a types of material of which a body is made, so that now are widely used various materials (metal, plastic, wood, bakelite, fiberglass, etc.). The most important structural novelty is a horizontal circular groove 40 on the drum body 8 which is designed so that between its horizontal edge 38 and the upper curved part of the "U" profile stretching hoop 6 for tensioning drum heads there is a space 39 which is the space within it is possible to perform tuning the tension of the bottom drum head 7.

The upper drum head 10 is inserted into standard stretching hoop 52 and secured by means of rigid upper hoop 9, the ring 45 of which is configured to include a vertical inner projection 44 and a broader horizontal base 43 on which is made, in every 45°, a standard bayonet slot 50, whose wider round part 46 diameters are slightly larger than the diameters of the conical ends 25, whilst arched slots 47 in their spread are slightly wider than cylindrical constrictions 24 of bayonet mount rods 30, thus enabling easy insertion of the bayonet rods 30 into the bayonet slots 50 and their fixture by slight rotation of them. Thanking to this, it is possible to quickly disassemble an upper rigid hoop 9 and after that can be easily removed both, the upper and bottom drum heads 10 and 7 and a drum body 8, which is extremely important especially when you need to replace some of these parts during the course of the concert. Lately, there is often a need for a upper rigid hoop 9 made of metal, plastic etc. to be replaced by a wooden hoop. According to the present invention, such substitution is possible, whereby it is necessary that the wooden hoop 49 is made with holes for metal segments 48 which are fixed with screws through the holes 59. On the segment 48, below a round part 46 of bayonet slot 50 is a projection 60 which allows much easier extraction of the bayonet mount rods 30 when disassembling the drum. In this case, it is necessary to further tune the drum which may be easily achieved by turning the carrier wheel 4 of bayonet mount rods.

METHOD OF INDUSTRIAL OR OTHER APPLICATIONS OF THE INVENTION

Industrial production of the present invention is absolutely possible in factories for the production of musical instruments, and even a well-equipped mechanical workshops based on the technical documentation which experts from the subject area can easily make by using the description and drawings of this application.

The invention is suitable for mass production, and is easily applicable to all types of drums and snare drums regardless of the materials they are made of.

In particular embodiments of the invention are recommended when it comes to drums, which are used as part of mobile equipment and whose repair or replacement of parts is necessary to be performed fast in conditions of poor visibility.