US3481239A - Tambourine jingle rim supporting and actuating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 2, 1969 L. BLUMENFELD 3,481,239

TAMBOURINE JINGLE RIM SUPPORTING AND ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 50, 1967 INVENTOR 5 6 Sum lzfeld United States Patent US. Cl. 84-418 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is addressed to a musical instrument and the means for mounting the instrument in which the instrument is a tambourine jingle rim type of instrument and in which the instrument is mounted for foot pedal operation to impart axial movements to the instrument for the development of the musical sounds and wherein the means for support and actuation comprises a vertically disposed rod and a bracket on the upper end of the rod interconnecting the end of the rod with the instrument for operational support while the bottom end portion of the rod is operatively engaged by a foot pedal to effect axial movement to the rod and the instrument supported thereon.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and particularly to an instrument of the tambourine Jingle Rim type in which a hoop-like structure carries a plurality of music-producing devices about its periphery.

More specifically, my invention relates to means for mounting such a musical instrument on a supporting structure for foot pedal operation when used in dance bands.

The present invention provides for removably securing a Jingle Rim or tambourine-like instrument to an actuating mechanism whereby the musician may cause the instrument to be operated in short, abrupt movements in an axial direction, and it is a feature of the invention that although the securement means permits primarily axial movement, it also allows limited secondary movement of the musical instrument in a direction angularly related to the mounting means.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the following description of a presently preferred embodiment, read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a musical instrument embodying my invention, mounted for actuating the instrument in short, abrupt movements in a vertical di rection;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the support structure secured to the musical instrument, the latter being fragmentarily shown and with its wall portion in section;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the support structure;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional elevation of means for attaching the support structure to the actuating mechanism.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the mechanism for mounting the instrument comprises a tubular sleeve structure 1 extending vertically from a suitable base 2. Within said sleeve, for axial movement therein, is a shaft 3 which within the sleeve rests upon a cam (not shown) or bell crank arm pivotally attached to the sleeve 1 and arranged to be rotated by a foot-pedal 4 and link 5.

The musical instrument 6, embodying my invention, comprises a hoop 7 formed from a strip of wood or suitable synthetic material. The wall of the hoop may have a plurality of elongated apertures 8, within which are loosely confined the pairs of music-producing elements 9, 10. The elements 9, 10 are carried on a common axial pin 11, as suggested in FIG. 3, whereby when the instruice ment 6 is given abrupt essentially vertical movement by operation of the foot-pedal 4, the elements 9, 10 are caused to strike each other and the walls of the apertures 8, thus producing musical sounds.

For mounting the hoop 7 on the shaft 3, I have provided a clamping structure 12 which has an inherent rigidity to insure that the movement of the hoop is essentially axial while permitting some angular displacement. In the illustrated presently preferred embodiment, the structure 12 comprises substantially identical clamping elements, each having a jaw portion 14 and a beam portion 15. The respective jaw portions are substantially U-shaped, whereby the legs 16, 17 thereof collectively embrace the hoop 7 and respectively engage the outer and inner walls of the hoop.

The beam portions 15 are made rigid by the integral side flanges 18, 19, which, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, begin at the juncture of the beam portion 15 and the clamping leg 17, whereby a relatively stiff hinge point 20 is provided at each of the clamping elements.

The respective clamping elements are preferably secured to each other adjacent the jaw portions, as by the nut and bolt 21, which performs the primary clamping or gripping force to the respective jaw portions, and by the threaded sleeve 22, best shown in FIG. 4, which is disposed at the axis of the hoop 7. The wall of the sleeve accommodates the snug passages of the shaft 3, and the sleeve itself passes fully through suitable openings in the beam members 15. Upper and lower clamping nuts 23, 24 secure the sleeve to the support structure 12. An upper cylindrical portion 25 of the sleeve is suitably tapped to accommodate a wing screw 26 by which the sleeve may be affixed to the shaft 3.

It will be noted from FIG. 2 that the free ends of the respective upper and lower beam portions 15 are in contact but at the opposite ends there is a very definite space 27. The effect of this is to provide a resilient reaction to the clamping efforts of the fastener 21 and the clamping nuts 23 and 24, whereby these elements are held against loosening, and the musical instrument is maintained in proper operating condition during use.

The thusly mounted tambourine jingle rim can be foot operated by means of foot actuation of the pedal 4 about its pivot or it can, in the alternative, be hand operated by hand impact on the rim or otherwise of the tambourine while in mounted position.

Iclaim:

1. A musical instrument comprising, in combination, a hoop having disposed about its periphery a plurality of elements to produce musical sounds primarily in response to an abrupt actuation of said hoop in an axial direction, a rigid support structure secured to said hoop at a single relatively small portion of its periphery and extending diametrically toward the center of said hoop, and means for releasably securing said hoop support to hoop actuation means, including a center post and means for axial reciprocation of said center post for abrupt actuation of the hoop in the axial direction.

2. A musical instrument according to claim 1, in which said hoop support includes separable upper and lower jaw members engaging with inner and outer wall portions of said hoop and a substantially non-flexible beam portion extending radially from each of said jaw members, the means for securing said hoop support to said actuator means being substantially at the axis of the hoop.

3. A musical instrument according to claim 2, in which the juncture of said jaw members and said beam provides for limited angular displacement of said hoop during the axial movement thereof.

4. A musical instrument according to claim 1, in which said hoop support structure comprises identical mutually opposed and separable upper and lower jaw elements,

each element having w-all portions to respectively engageuw,

with inner and outer wall portions of said hoop, and identical rigid beam portions extending angularly from the respective jaw elements, means for releasably securing the respective beam portions to each other adjacent the jaw elements, and means for releasably securing the said beam portions to each other at substantially the axis of said hoop, said last-named securement means additionally including means for effecting the attachment of said beam portions to a hoop actuation means.

5. A musical instrument according to claim 4, in which the respective beam-securing means comprise threaded elements and the relation of the jaw elements to the associated beam portions is such that upon application of the jaw elements to the hoop the beam portions diverge from each other from the free ends thereof to the' jaw portions, wherebvnpon.tightening.the respective fasten,

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,088,560 5/1963 Preuss 24-81 3,215,020 11/1965 Kester 84411 3,299,765 1/1967 Rochon 84-422 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner L. R. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner

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