Patent Application
20250054470
The invention generally pertains to stands for musical instruments, and more particularly to a positionable stand for musical instruments, especially for percussion instruments such as cymbals or snare drums, while providing a reduction in unwanted harmonics, and magnetic means for securing the stand in an upright position, thus providing a much smaller footprint than achievable with conventional leg braced stands.
Most drum support stands currently used by drummers consist of a folding three leg base attached to a vertical, extensible, tubular member to which percussion instruments, such as cymbals and snare drums attached at the top of the stand by means of fittings. This enables the instrument to be positioned at different heights and angles. The three legs are generally attached to the tubular element by two metal self-tapping screws coupled with a small amount of adhesive. The ability of the legs to fold and unfold is achieved by means of separate links secured by rivets. This enables drummers to fold and collapse their stands after a performance for storage and/or transport.
A major disadvantage of these types of stands is that the legs, when opened, require a significant amount of space at the base of the stands. As a result, drummers are limited when playing a snare drum as to where they can place their feet. Also, when opened, the legs limit the positioning of the stand close to the drummer and other drums. Also three leg stands tend to “walk” as the result of the instrument being struck.
An added disadvantage is that, as a percussion instrument is struck (with or without drumsticks, whisks, etc.), it vibrates and, in turn, produces sound waves-pressure vibrations carried in air. Consequently, a portion of the energy required to produce the sound waves is transmitted to the support stand, causing it to vibrate. The effect of this second set of vibrations is to dampen and change the tonal character of the instrument.
And finally, as a result of the design of most conventional three leg stands, there is unwanted flex from the legs themselves due to the pivots required to allow the inward folding of the legs.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related:
The U.S. Pat. No. 7,151,211 patent discloses a device for dampening sounds produced by a musical drum having a drumshell comprising a frame assembly having a first elongated bar member with a first channel and a second elongated bar member with a second channel. The two bar members are in opposed parallel relation. Mounting brackets are affixed secured to the two bar members at their opposing ends. Attached, to the two mounting brackets opposing ends of an assembly of snare wires. The mounting brackets also connect the assembly to the drumshell and are adjustable. The dampening member is comprised of a base member, a device for physically contacting the snare wires as it is moved along the frame assembly and a resilient material situated between the base member and the contact device to buffer vibrations produced by the struck drumhead.
The U.S. Pat. No. 8,141,548 patent discloses a vibration dampener including en elastomeric body having a top and bottom surface and a vibration transfer plate on the top surface of the body. The bottom surface of the body can be provided with a mounting base and is for being mounted to an object to be vibration controlled.
The U.S. Pat. No. 10,565,969 patent discloses a cymbal dampening system that is configured to alter sound vibration of a cymbal. The system has a first dampening bracket joined to a first wrap having a first pad that is adjacent to the cymbal. A second dampening bracket is jointed to the first dampening bracket and a third dampening bracket. The second bracket is joined to a second pad and the third bracket is joined to a third pad. The first pad, the second pad and the third pad alter sound vibration of the cymbal when struck.
For background purposes and indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the patent search.
An instrument stand adapter base that is designed to hold an instrument, particularly a percussive instrument such as a cymbal or a snare drum. The percussive instrument is maintained in a playable/useable position by means of a magnet which attaches a vertical strut and base plate at its lower end. The upper portion of the strut attaches to the tube supporting the instrument. Consequently, the stand take sup significantly less floor space than conventional stands adapter base which typically utilize three legs that fold outward while providing a stiffer structure. As such, the subject invention changes the acoustic character of the sound emanating from the instrument, generally providing enhanced acoustical performance. Additionally, the instrument stand can offer additional vibration dampening including a dampening rod with a dampening mass on its upper end, which is adjustable in height positioning for tuning.
The instrument stand adapter base does not require a large number of elements, and is comprised of an angled brace, a collar base that includes at least retaining collar style clamp which can be a one-piece clamp-on shaft collar, a two-piece clamp-on shaft collar, a hinged clamp-on shaft collar or a hinged two-piece pivoting clamp, least one magnet assembly with a magnet and an on-off switch, a base plate with securing means, a support base and vertical strut having an extrusion with a profile into which shaped nuts can be inserted for attaching items.
A second/alternate design configuration of the instrument stand adapter base includes the ability to further reduce vibrations that are produced when a cymbal is struck. In order to dampen/reduce vibrations, a dampening rod is added to the instrument stand adapter base structure. To increase the effectiveness of the dampening rod, a dampening mass such as a hollow metal ball can be secured to the upper end of the dampening rod, and to improve the dampening, a quantity of microspheres can be placed within the dampening mass.
A major benefit of the instrument stand adapter base is that a drummer is able to use stands they currently use but without the legs and now have the ability to put the stands exactly where they want them, because the footprint of the instrument stand adapter base base is so greatly reduced, and the stands can be placed in the exact same position every time. This speeds up the set up of the drum kit which is very beneficial when playing on the road.
Another benefit to the instrument stand adapter base is the base system that is much more rigid and has greater support for the upper sections of typical cymbal, spare, hi hat and drum throne stands especially when they are used together as an assembly, typically a drum kit. Additionally, with the unique instrument stand adapter base design there is no need for rubber feet between the stand(s) and a floor surface. The ends of a typical three leg stand require rubber feet so they do not move around during play. By not requiring rubber feet there is no unwanted dampening of the drums and cymbals.
In view of the above disclosure the primary object of the invention is to provide an instrument stand adapter base, especially for percussive instruments such as cymbals or snare drums, that greatly reduces the footprint compared to conventional three leg stands, and can optionally provide vibration dampening.
In addition to the primary object, it is also an object of the invention to provide an instrument stand adapter base that:
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms that disclose a preferred embodiment with two design configurations of an instrument stand adapter base. The design of the instrument stand adapter base, known as the MagStand, allows it to be used with conventional stands utilized for cymbals or snare drums.
The instrument stand adapter bases, as shown in
Some of the problems that drummers and their drum techs experience is the difficulty in acquiring the exact same placement of the stands for each use, and that many times the outward legs supporting the stands get in the way of both the drummer's own feet as well as other stands and the drums they maintain. The instrument stand adapter base offers solutions to these problems by providing a cymbal or snare stand that requires much less floor space, is easy to assemble and use, and that can provide optional vibration dampening.
The first design configuration of the instrument stand adapter base 10, as shown in
The angled brace 12 is shaped as a 90° L and is attached to the vertical strut 128 by attachment means 46 such as at least one screw, and includes a vertical section 14 with an upper edge 16, a lower edge 18, a first side edge 20, a second side edge 22, a front surface 24, a rear surface 26, and at least one opening 28. A horizontal section 30 extends outward from the lower edge 18 of the vertical section 14, and has a front edge 32, a rear edge 34, a first side edge 36, a second side edge 38, an upper surface 40, a lower surface 42, and at least one opening 44.
Located above the angled brace 12, and upon the vertical strut is the collar base 62. As shown in
The at least one magnet assembly 84, as shown in
Located at the bottom of the instrument stand adapter base 10 is the base plate 96, as shown in
Extending upward from the support base 114, is the vertical strut 128, as shown in
The second design configuration of the instrument stand adapter base 10 includes all of the elements in the first design configuration and adds a dampening rod 160 to reduce vibrations when a cymbal or snare drum is struck. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
While the invention has been described in detail and pictorially shown in the accompanying drawings it is not to be limited to such details, since many changes and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof. Hence, it is described to cover any and all modifications and forms which may come within the language and scope of the claims.
