Kettledrum

Abstract

Abstract A KETTLEDRUM INCORPORATING A RING WHICH ACTS AS A BRIDGE OVER WHICH THE DRUMHEAD IS STRETCHED, AS A MEANS TO MOUNT THE BOWL IN SEALED AND DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP, AS A MEANS TO MINIMIZE TRANSMISSION OF VIBRATIONS FROM THE DRUMHEAD TO THE BOWL, AS A GUIDE FOR PULL RODS WHICH ARE UTILIZED IN CHANGING THE PITCH O THE DRUMHEAD, AND AS A PROTECTIVE ELEMENT PREVENTING ANY SHIFTING OF THE COUNTERHOOP OR FLESH HOOP DESPITE ROUGH HANDLING OF THE INSTRUMENT. THE UPPER OR BEARING EDGE OF SUCH RING (WHICH MAY BE TERMED, FOR CONVENIENCE, THE "BRIDGE RING") HAS A PREDETERMINED SHAPE AND THICKNESS ADAPTED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE GENERATED SOUNDS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PREVENTING CUTTING OF THE DRUMHEAD. THE INDICATED BRIDGE RING IS SUPPORTED BY COMBINATION GUIDE AND SUPPORT STRUTS THE LOWER ENDS OF WHICH ARE CONNECTED TO A BASE RING. SUCH BASE RING PROVIDES A MOUNTING FUNCTION AND ALSO SERVES TO ENCLOSE AND PROTECT A SPIDER AND COVER ELEMENT THROUGH WHICH DRUMHEAD-TUNING FORCES ARE TRANSMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE PULL RODS. THE PULL RODS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COUNTERHOOP THROUGH SCREWS ADAPTED TO PERMIT VERY FAST INITIAL TUNING OF THE INSTRUMENT. THE BOWL IS A FLANGED HEMISPHERE DEVOID OF HOLES AND SMOOTH ON THE INSIDE, SUCH HEMISPHERE BEING FORMED BY BLOWING A HEATED SHEET OF ACRYLIC PLASTIC OR THE LIKE.

Inventors

• 👤 William H Chaffee
• 👤 Donald G Canedy
• 👤 Josephus B Thompson

Bibliographic Details