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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to snare drums and particularly to the external
attachments for such drums which produce the snare sound.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with many different snare drum constructions and
many varied types of attachments used to produce the snare drum's
characteristic sound. The following is a list of some relevant patents in
this regard:
3,981,220 Clark 9/21/76
3,113,481 Thompson 12/10/63
850,306 Wanamaker 4/16/07
1,638,106 Strupe 8/09/27
1,236,667 Bower 8/14/17
2,834,244 Willits 5/13/58
609,068 Zeidler 8/16/98
2,115,741 Newberry 5/03/38
1,442,833 Soderberg 1/23/23
755,610 Bower 3/29/04
1,832,227 Ludwig 11/17/31
1,481,988 Danly 1/29/24
1,709,165 Bower 4/16/29
2,274,435 Slingerland 2/24/42
2,433,200 Cordes 12/23/47
The objectives underlying such constructions vary greatly, including the
easy adjustment and throw-off of snare wires, mounting and tensioning
requirements, commercial of economic feasability, and ready portability
and separability of the batter and snare head. However, little effort has
been directed to the improvement of the snare sound itself.
One such effort was undertaken by Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,481, which
sought to alleviate the loss of volume and tone quality due to distortion,
"dead spots" and so-called "choking," which often resulted from the early
use of snare beds and the stretching of the snares across the snare head
thereby flattening and distorting its central portion. By utilizing a
snare unit independent of the drum which provided a non-pressure, or
kiss-contact with the head, Thompson sought to achieve a snare action that
was always without slack, sharply defined, crisp, and free of distortion
over the entire head area.
Another such effort was undertaken by Clark, U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,220, which
sought to achieve a snare drum of improved tonal quality by providing a
cylindrical tone ring and tubular resonating chamber assembly.
However, several problems remain still unresolved by any prior art
attachments. One of the major problems within this category is that of
sympathetic vibrations, or so-called after-action and "buzzing" which
often occur after the note is struck on the batter head. The snare
vibration caused by the vibrating snare head is transferred to the bridges
or other metal snare supports thereby producing a "buzzing," or
sympathetic vibration, which destroys the crispness and clarity of the
snare tone. Applicant is aware of no prior art attachment which even
attempts to eliminate this "buzzing" action, regardless of its success.
Another problem with prior art attachments, such as those listed above, is
that generally only one bridge is adjustable for vertical drop. This means
that when the snare and snare head contact is not wanted, only one bridge
can be substantially dropped with the other bridge remaining close to the
surface of the snare head where it might produce an unwanted snare sound.
In addition, the tonal quality produced by a snare drum is directly
related to the contact pressure along the entire span of the snare
surface. The prior art attachments, however, generally only allow fine
vertical adjustment of one snare bridge thereby often resulting in a
non-uniform contact pressure across the snare surface.
Another problem with many prior art attachments is that the attachment is
mounted to the drum so that the snare surface is allowed to float or move
underneath the snare head. As in Clark, U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,220, and
Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,481, many connect the attachments by
stretching supporting cords around the rim of the drum thereby allowing
the snare unit to float free on the cords. As stated above, the tonal
quality is directly related to the contact pressure along the entire span
of the snare surface. This free floating of the snare unit can result in
variations of this contact pressure thereby distorting the tone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One embodiment of the present invention comprises a snare drum attachment
including a first bar of about the same length as the snare head diameter
of a snare drum, a pair of bridges mounted to the first bar, a plurality
of snares stretched across the bridges and defining a snare surface, means
for cushioning the stretched snares against the bridges, means for
attaching the first bar to a snare drum directly below the snare head, and
means for adjusting both the tension on the stretched snares and the
vertical drop of the bridges, i.e., the distance separating the snare
surface and the snare head.
By providing means for cushioning the stretched snares, the present
invention eliminates all snare-to-metal contact next to the snare surface,
which rides in kiss-contact with the snare head. With the residual snare
vibration completely dampened, the resulting sound provides a crisp and
clear tonal quality absent any "buzzing" or residual sympathetic vibration
and without the "tinny" quality often resulting from metal-to-metal
contact.
This cushioning action of the present invention also provides a second
advantage over prior art attachments. To achieve a crisp and clear snare
sound, it is necessary to maintain a fixed straight snare surface. Prior
art attachments generally attempt to accomplish this by fastening the
snares to plates and then stretching them or by stretching the snares
around bars or grooved rollers. The present invention stretches and
cushions the snares across and against a pair of bridges thereby better
seating the snares and maintaining the snares in fixed straight lines
across the entire snare surface. This results in a crisp and clean snare
sound that greatly surpasses all prior art arrangements.
One means for adjusting the vertical drop of the two bridges usable with
the present invention, as more fully discussed herein, eliminates the
problems associated with single bridge adjustments by providing two
strainers for separately adjusting the vertical drop of each bridge
thereby allowing independent control of the contact pressure between the
snares and the snare head across the entire span of the snare surface. By
so doing, the resulting sound exhibits the truest tone quality and maximum
volume produceable.
One manner of attaching the first bar of the present invention directly
below a snare head, as more fully discussed herein, also improves upon the
snare sound of prior art attachments by providing a rigid supporting bar
and end plate arrangement which rigidly mounts to the snare hoop and
suspends the snare attachment directly below and independent of the snare
head. A constant contact pressure is thus maintained across the snare
surface and virtually no distortion or tone variation is thereby
encountered. By rigidly mounting the supporting bars and snare drum
attachment to the snare drum hoop, the snare hoop and attachment can be
readily removed in order to facilitate changing the snare head with only
minor inconvenience and without disassembling the entire attachment, as
required in many prior art attachments.
One object of the present invention is therefore to provide a snare drum
attachment that eliminates the "buzzing," after-action and other
sympathetic vibration experienced in prior art attachments because of the
undampened contact between the snares and other metal surfaces.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment that
achieves maximum snare action and the truest tonal quality while
preventing all "choking," "buzzing" and other distortion.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment that
maintains the snares in fixed straight lines across the entire snare
surface and thereby produces a crisp and clean snare sound.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment with
separate adjustment of the vertical drop of each bridge thereby allowing
independent control of the contact pressure between the snares and the
snare head adjacent each bridge.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment that is
rigidly suspended directly below and independent of the snare head thereby
preventing any floating or other unwanted movement by the attachment and
maintaining a constant contact pressure across the entire snare surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment that
allows removal and replacement of the attachment and hoop assembly as an
integral unit when removing or replacing a snare head.
Related objects and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of the snare drum attachment comprising the preferred
embodiment of the present invention mounted to a snare drum.
FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the drum and attachment in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmented top view of the snare drum attachment in
FIG. 1 taken along line 3--3.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmented and part-sectional side view of the snare
drum attachment in FIG. 2 taken along line 4--4, with the right portion in
the up or engaged position and the left portion in the down or disengaged
position.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmented and part-sectional bottom view of the
snare drum attachment in FIG. 1 taken along line 5--5.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded view of the right end assembly of the snare
drum attachment in FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional end view of an alternative bridge
configuration for the snare drum attachment in FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional end view of an alternative bridge
configuration for the snare drum attachment in FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the
invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the
drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will
nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the
invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications
in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles
of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would
normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the snare drum attachment 10 comprising the
preferred embodiment of the present invention is therein depicted mounted
to a standard snare drum 11. The snare drum itself includes a drum shell
12 and a batter hoop 13 and snare hoop 14 which combine with a plurality
of tension casings 15 to stretch the batter and snare heads 16 and 17,
respectively, across the shell.
The attachment 10 comprising the preferred embodiment of the present
invention is more fully depicted in FIGS. 3 through 6. The attachment
first includes a pair of bars 18 and 19 which should be about the same
length as the snare head diameter of the particular snare drum. Normally,
this length will range from about twelve inches to about twenty inches;
however, the dimensions of the specific snare drum will control the length
of the given attachment.
A pair of tables or plates 22 and 23 are fixedly mounted across the two
bars and a pair of bridges 24 and 25 are movably mounted to the tables 22
and 23, respectively. A plurality of snares 26 are stretched across the
two bridges 24 and 25 and define a snare surface 27 which extends between
the respective bridges. This surface 27 produces the characteristic snare
sound when it is brought in close proximity, or "kiss-contact," to the
snare head 17 as the batter head 16 is struck.
The snare ends are soldered to small snare plates 28 which are removably
mounted to the upper surfaces of a pair of blocks 31 and 32. These blocks
are mounted across the bars 18 and 19 between bridges 24 and 25 and two
drop regulators 33 and 34, respectively. A third block 35 is mounted
across the bars at one end of the attachment 10, with a spring-loaded
snare tension screw 36 and a pair of guide pins 37 and 38 being provided
to adjust the tension on the stretched snares as further described below.
A pair of countertension bars 41 and 42 and tension bar screws 43 and 44,
as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, are attached to tables 22 and 23 between
bridges 24 and 25 and blocks 35 and 32, respectively. These countertension
bars are adjustable in the vertical direction and operate to place a
downward tension or force on the snares 26 as they are stretched across
the respective bridges. This tension applied by the countertension bars is
beneficial for two reasons. First, it aids in stretching the snares across
the bridges thereby better defining the snare surface 27 and preventing
the snares from contacting the snare drum shell 12. Second, the tension
exerted by the countertension bars serves to eliminate the vertical
component of the force exerted on the soldered snare ends as the snares
are stretched across the bridges. This greatly reduces the number of snare
ends which break away from the small snare plates 28 when tension is
applied to the snares by adjusting snare tension screw 36.
As already stated, an important feature of the present invention is the
cushioning of the snares 26 as they are stretched across bridges 24 and
25, respectively. This cushioning eliminates the "buzzing" and other
sympathetic vibration while also maintaining the stretched snares in fixed
straight lines across the entire snare surface and thereby achieving the
crisp and true tonal quality characteristic of the present invention.
Although this cushioning may be accomplished in various ways, the major
concerns remain maintaining the stretched snares in fixed straight lines
across the snare surface and dampening all residual vibrations remaining
in the stretched snares which may distort the overall tonal quality of the
drum.
In the preferred embodiment, vibration-absorbing felt pads 45 and 46 are
positioned between the stretched snares 26 and the bridges 24 and 25,
respectively. These pads cushion and dampen the snares thereby preventing
the transfer of any residual vibrations between the snares and the bridges
and maintaining the snares in fixed straight lines across the snare
surface. In addition, a pair of vibration-absorbing felt pads 45' and 46'
are also positioned between the stretched snares 26 and the countertension
bars 41 and 42, respectively. These additional pads also extend between
the stretched snares and the rim or edge of the snare shell 12 and assure
the total dampening of all residual vibrations remaining in the snares
after they have crossed the bridges. As stated above, many alternative
means for cushioning the snares to thereby maintain them in fixed straight
lines and dampen their residual vibrations may be employed and such are
clearly anticipated by the present invention.
The snare drum attachment 10 comprising the preferred embodiment of the
present invention is rigidly suspended directly below and independent of
the snare head 17 of a snare drum 11 by means of pairs of supporting bars
47 and 48 which are rigidly fastened to the snare hoop 14 as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 5. A pair of top plates 49 and 50 extend across the top
surfaces of supporting bars 47 and 48, respectively; and end plates 59 and
60 combine with drop regulators 33 and 34, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, to
enclose the ends of bars 18 and 19 and thereby suspend the bar and snare
assembly directly below and independent of snare head 17.
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the end of each bar 18 and 19 is connected to
its respective top plate by means of a rigid pin 51 centrally located
within a snare release compression spring 52 and two vibration-absorbing
plastic sleeves 53. The pins 51 are imbedded in bars 18 and 19 and extend
through the top plates 49 and 50 thereby allowing vertical movement of the
bars within the outer restraint of drop regulators 33 and 34. However,
compression springs 52 strongly resist any such upward movement of the
bars in the direction of the supporting bars and top plates.
A pair of conventional snare drum strainers 54 and 55 are mounted to the
snare drum shell 12 directly above and between supporting bars 47 and 48,
respectively. These strainers are attached to bars 18 and 19 by means of
flexible tension cables 56 which extend through holes in blocks 32 and 35
and securely fasten to bars 18 and 19 by means of attachments 57, as shown
in FIG. 5. A conventional rigid rod arrangement may also be used to attach
the strainers to the bar assembly; however, it is believed the flexible
tension members serve to better absorb and dissipate any residual
vibration thereby aiding in the elimination of the sympathetic vibrations
which may distort the tonal quality. An example of two conventional snare
drum strainers which may be used in the present invention is the Camco
Strainer, Model No. 830, made by Camco Drum Company of Los Angeles,
California, and a strainer marketed under the trademark of a Rogers
Dynasonic Strainer produced by the Rogers Division of the C.B.S. Musical
Instruments Co. of California.
Another feature of the dual strainer arrangement of the present invention
is that the drummer may separately adjust the vertical drop of each bridge
thereby allowing independent control of the contact pressure between the
snares 26 and the snare head 17 adjacent each bridge. As shown in FIGS. 1
and 2, each strainer includes a lever 58 which operates to move the
bridge, bar and snare assembly between two positions . . . an up or
engaged position and a down or disengaged position. FIG. 4 demonstrates
both of these positions, the right portion of the Figure corresponding to
the engaged position and the left portion corresponding to the disengaged
position. It is, of course, necessary to have the snare surface 27
engaging the snare head 17 in order to produce the characteristic snare
sound. However, as previously indicated, a slight or "kiss" contact is
necessary in order to produce the truest tonal quality without any areas
of "choking" or other distortion. Therefore, each strainer is also
provided with a fine adjustment dial 61 which can be used to independently
control the contact pressure between the snares and the snare head
adjacent each bridge after the lever 58 has moved the snares into the
engaged position of FIG. 4.
The vertical drop of the bars 18 and 19 can also be controlled by adjusting
drop regulators 33 and 34. As shown in FIG. 6, each drop regulator is
provided with a pair of pronged ends 65 and 66 which slidably fit between
the end plate and supporting bars. By loosening screws 67 and 68, the drop
regulator can be raised or lowered a given distance thereby further
adjusting the vertical drop of the bars 18 and 19.
The present invention also provides a second adjustment, already mentioned,
which allows the drummer to regulate the tension on the stretched snares
26 and snare surface 27. Such adjustment only requires the use of an
appropriately-sized allen wrench with the spring-loaded snare tension
screw 36. By turning screw 36, block 31 is thereby horizontally moved
along bars 18 and 19 thereby varying the tension on the snares as they are
stretched across bridges 24 and 25. Such tension adjustment is often
necessary, as when changing broken snares or when a different length or
period of snare action is desired after each note is struck.
The present invention further provides a third adjustment of the distance
between bridges 24 and 25 and thus the span of snare surface 27. As shown
in FIG. 5, each bridge is movably mounted to its respective table 22 and
23 by means of cap screws 63 seated in elongated slots 64. Each bridge may
therefore be horizontally moved a given distance along bars 18 and 19
equal to the length of these elongated slots 64 thereby varying the
distance between the bridges and also the span of snare surface 27. The
importance of being able to vary the snare surface is that such adjustment
varies the overall magnitude and tonal quality of the snare sound. This
variation is often significant when changing from one type of music to
another. For example, when the snare drum is to be played with a symphony
orchestra, the maximum snare surface-to-snare head contact is desired and
thus also the greatest span of snare surface 27.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bridges 24 and 25
have a part-cylindrical outer configuration upon which the
vibration-absorbing pad is positioned. However, many other configured
bridges may also be employed in the present invention, the major concerns
being to cushion the snares thereby establishing a well-defined, fixed and
straight snare surface 27 while also dampening all residual vibrations in
the snares as they are stretched across the particular bridge. Examples of
two other acceptable configurations are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
Another feature of the present invention is that, unlike many prior art
attachments, the present invention need not be disassembled while removing
and replacing a damaged snare head 17. By rigidly mounting the supporting
bars and thus the attachment to the snare drum hoop 14, the only required
step before replacing the damaged head is to disengage the flexible
tension cables 56 from the strainers 54 and 55 and then to remove the hoop
14 as would normally be done with prior art drums and attachments. The
snare attachment is thus removable as one integral unit with the hoop 14
and the snare head can thus be readily removed and replaced with only
minor inconvenience and without disassembling the entire attachment.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the
drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as
illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that
only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all
changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are
desired to be protected.
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