Electric variable tone percussion instrument

Claim 2

An electric variable tone percussion instrument comprising a source of a finite number of periodic signals, means connected to said source for continuously varying the frequency of said periodic signals, bridge modulator means coupled to said source, said bridge modulator means contains a storage means output means coupled to said bridge modulator means, and switch means coupled to said storage means, said switch means normally being in a nonconducting state, said storage means being charged to a maximum voltage and said output means producing a minimum output voltage while said switch means is in said non-conducting state, said storage means discharging and said output means producing a maximum output voltage when said switch means is in a conducting state, said switch means immediately returning to said nonconducting state causing said storage means to charge towards said maximum storage voltage while said output means produces an exponentially decaying output voltage signal.

Claim 3

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said periodic signals are square waves.

Claim 4

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 2, wherein said storage means is a capacitor.

Claim 5

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for varying the frequency of said periodic signals comprises means for varying said frequency continuously through the audio range.

Claim 6

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 4, wherein said means for adjusting the frequency is a potentiometer, and said source of periodic signals includes a solid state switching device, said potentiometer being coupled to said switching device, and means for returning said switching device to a non-conducting state after said switching device conducts by maintaining the amount of current flowing through said switching device at less than a holding current level independently of the setting of said potentiometer.

Claim 7

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 5, wherein said means for returning includes a transistor being caused to conduct when said switching device conducts.

Claim 8

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 4, wherein said source comprises a relaxation type oscillator coupled to a bistable multivibrator, said oscillator including a programmable unijunction transistor having an anode, cathode and gate electrodes, said programmable unijunction transistor being non-conducting when the vOltage at said anode is less than the voltage at said gate electrode, a capacitor and a potentiometer connected between a source of positive potential and ground, said capacitor being coupled to said anode and charging in accordance with a time constant determined by said capacitor and said potentiometer, said programmable unijunction transistor conducting when said capacitor charges to a voltage greater than the voltage at said gate electrode, a transistor having base, emitter and collector electrodes, said base electrode being connected to said cathode electrode, said collector electrode being connected to said anode electrode and said emitter electrode being connected to ground, said transistor conducting when said programmable unijunction transistor conducts ensuring that said programmable unijunction transistor becomes non-conducting after becoming conducting.

Claim 9

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 1, including a touch sensitive contact, said switch means being triggered into said conducting state when said touch sensitive contact is manually touched.

Claim 10

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 3, said bridge modulator means including diode means connected to said capacitor for allowing current to flow through said capacitor in only one direction enabling said capacitor to charge to said maximum storage voltage.

Claim 11

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 9, wherein said bridge modulator means having an output, said output means being connected across said output of said bridge modulator.

Claim 12

An electric variable tone percussion instrument as set forth in claim 10, wherein said switch means is connected across said capacitor, said switch means being provided with a gate electrode connected to a touch sensitive contact, said touch sensitive contact producing a triggering signal when manually touched causing said switch means to be in a conducting state discharging said capacitor.