Drum gripper

Claim 1

A TONGS FOR GRIPPING A DRUM BY ITS UPPER CHIME TO PROVIDE FOR SUPPORT OF THE DRUM FROM SUSPENSION MEANS ABOVE THE SAME, SAID TONGS COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF BENT LEVERS, EACH HAVING (1) A MEDIAL FULCRUM AXIS, (2) A LONGER ARM, AND (3) A SHORTER ARM SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGER ARM; (B) PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID LEVERS FOR SWINGING MOTION RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER WITH THEIR FULCRUM AXES COINCIDING AND WITH THE SHORTER ARM OF EACH GENERALLY ADJACENT TO THE LONGER ARM OF THE OTHER; C. ABUTMENT MEANS ON THE FREE END PORTION OF THE LONGER ARM OF ONE OF SAID LEVERS, FACING IN THE DIRECTION THAT ITS SHORTER ARM PROJECTS, FOR ENGAGING THE SIDE SURFACE OF A DRUM BENEATH THE UPPER CHIME THEREOF; (D) MEANS ON THE FREE PORTION OF THE SHORTER ARM OF SAID ONE LEVER PROVIDING A FIRST JAW MEMBER WHICH FACES TOWARD ITS LONGER ARM AND WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE INNER SURFACE OF THE UPPER CHIME OF A DRUM; (E) A SECOND JAW MEMBER ON THE FREE END OF THE SHORTER ARM OF THE OTHER LEVER, GENERALLY OPPOSING SAID FIRST JAW MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE UPPER CHIME OF A DRUM; (F) SECUREMENT MEANS ON THE FREE END OF THE LONG ARM OF SAID OTHER LEVER FOR CONNECTING THE SAME WITH SUSPENSION MEANS, SO THAT WHEN SAID LAST NAMED LONG ARM EXTENDS ACROSS THE TOP OF A DRUM, WITH SAID JAW MEMBERS ENGAGING OPPOSITE FACES OF THE UPPER CHIME OF THE DRUM, THE APPLICATION OF UPWARD FORCE TO SAID SECUREMENT MEANS CAUSES THE JAW MEMBERS TO SECURELY GRIP SAID CHIME; AND (G) COOPERATING LOCKING MEANS ON SAID LEVERS FOR CONFINING THEM AGAINST SWINGING MOTION OUT OF A POSITION IN WHICH THE JAW MEMBERS ARE ENGAGED WITH THE CHIME OF A DRUM, SAID LOCKING MEANS COMPRISING MEANS ON ONE OF SAID LEVERS DEFINING AN ABUTMENT SPACED FROM ITS PIVOT AXIS, AND LATCH MEANS MOUNTED ON THE OTHER LEVER FOR MOIN WHICH SAID LATCH MEANS IS ENGAGED WITH THE LAST NAMED ABUTMENT MEANS.