US 10,593,309 B2Granted

Damper bar adjustment mechanism for keyboard percussion instrument

AssigneeMarimba One Inc.

InventorStephen J. Cole

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Abstract

A keyboard percussion instrument (100) generates sounds when keys (130) or other such members are struck. A movable damper bar (140) is brought into contact with the keys to artistically shorten their ringing duration. When pressed, a pedal (145) removes the damper bar from contact with the keys. When the pedal is released, a spring (1010) urges the damper bar into contact with the keys. The damper bar is supported by a pair of arms (165) that pivot about pivot points (800) at the ends of movable posts (520) that extend from a pair of pivot height adjusting mechanisms (175). Each pivot height adjusting mechanism has two adjusting screws. A first screw (510) urges a post to move up or down and a second screw (565) fixes the post in position when tightened. Adjusting the heights of the pivot points provides control over the damping of key vibrations.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A keyboard percussion instrument, comprising:

a plurality of frame members,
a plurality of sound key supports secured to said frame members,
a plurality of sound keys that rest on said key supports, each of said keys having a top side and an underside,
a damping bar having first and second ends and arranged to be moveable into or out of contact with said undersides of said keys,
a pair of pivot height adjusting mechanisms secured to said frame members,
said pivot height adjusting mechanisms each comprising a housing, a movable post having a pivot point, and an adjusting thumbscrew arranged to adjust a height of said movable post up and down,
a pair of pivot arms, each having first and second ends, said first ends of said pivot arms being secured respectively to said first and second ends of said damping bar and said second ends of said pivot arms being secured respectively to said pivot points of said movable posts of said pair of pivot height adjusting mechanisms,
whereby each of said adjusting thumbscrews is arranged to adjust the height of its associated post and its pivot point, which in turn adjusts a height of said second end of the pivot arm connected to said pivot point and hence a height of the second end of said damper bar that is secured to said second end of said pivot arm,
a spring secured to one of said frame members and arranged to urge said damping bar into contact with said undersides of said keys,
a pedal hingeably secured to one of said frame members,
a connecting member having a first end connected to said pedal and a second end connected to said damping bar, so that when said pedal is actuated, said damping bar is removed from said contact with said undersides of said keys, and when said pedal is released, said damping bar is urged by said spring into contact with said undersides of said keys,
whereby when said damping bar is urged to move up by said spring when said pedal is released, said damping bar contacts said undersides of said keys in a manner determined by said adjusting thumbscrews.

9 more elements

A method for adjustably positioning a damper bar in a keyboard percussion instrument, comprising:

providing a damper bar having first and second ends,
providing a pivot arm having first and second ends, said first end of said pivot arm being secured to said first end of said damper bar, and said second end of said pivot arm including a pivot hole, such that adjusting a height of said second end of said pivot arm will cause a height of said first end of said damper bar to be adjusted,
providing a pivot point height adjusting mechanism having a height-adjusting thumbscrew and a post extending from said mechanism, said post including a hole at one end distal from said mechanism, and said height-adjusting thumbscrew arranged to adjust a height of said hole from said mechanism,
providing a fastener,
joining said pivot hole of said pivot arm to said hole in said post using said fastener to provide a pivot point, and
adjusting said height adjusting thumbscrew to adjust a height of said pivot point from said mechanism, which will in turn adjust a height of said first end of said pivot arm and hence the height of said first end of said damper bar.

3 more elements

A damping mechanism for a keyboard percussion instrument having a plurality of keys with underside surfaces, comprising:

a damper bar having upper and lower surfaces and first and second ends and arranged to be moveable against said undersides of said keys to dampen their sound and away from said undersides of said keys so as to allow said keys to ring freely,
means for moving said damper bar to contact or be spaced from said undersides of said keys,
a pair of pivot arms which each have first and second ends, said first ends of the pivot arms fixedly secured to said first and said second ends of said damper bar, respectively, each pivot arm having a pivot point at its second end,
a pair of height adjusting members and a pair of respective posts, each post having an end with a pivot point, said ends of said posts being rotatably joined to a respective one of said pivot points of said pivot arms, each height adjusting member arranged to adjust a height of its associated post for enabling the heights of said posts to be adjusted individually by individual adjusting members,
whereby said height adjusting members can be used to adjust the heights of said posts and hence heights of said pivot points of said posts and said pivot arms, thereby to adjust positions of said first and seconds ends of said damper bar, so that said damper bar is arranged to contact said undersides of said keys in a selectable manner.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.