# US 10,872,589 B2 · Monolithic composite drum shell

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- Number: US 10,872,589 B2
- Document ID: US10872589B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/792,181
- Filed: 2020-02-14
- Published: 2020-08-20
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-14
- Assignees: Michael G. Meliti
- Applicants: Michael G. Meliti
- Inventors: Michael G. Meliti
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872589B2

## CPC

- G10D 13/22: Shells
- B27H 1/00: Bending wood stock, e.g. boards
- B27K 3/0214: {Drying (drying in general F26B)}
- B27K 3/15: Impregnating involving polymerisation {including use of polymer-containing impregnating agents (macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials C08H; compositions of lignin-containing materials C08L97/02)}
- G10D 13/02: Drums; Tambourines with drumheads
- G10D 13/24: Material for manufacturing percussion musical instruments; Treatment of the material
- B27D 1/086: {Manufacture of oblong articles, e.g. tubes by spirally winding veneer blanks}
- B27K 5/02: Staining or dyeing wood {(wood staining compositions C09D15/00)}; Bleaching wood (bleaching wood pulp D21C9/10)
- B27K 2200/10: Articles made of particles or fibres consisting of wood or other lignocellulosic material
- B27K 2200/15: Pretreated particles or fibres
- G10D: STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDIONS OR CONCERTINAS; PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; AEOLIAN HARPS; SINGING-FLAME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (organs, harmoniums or similar wind musical instruments with associated blowing apparatus G10B; pianos, harpsichords, spinets or similar stringed musical instruments with one or more keyboards G10C; automatic musical instruments G10F; electrophonic musical instruments in which tones are generated by electromechanical means G10H)
- B27H: BENDING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; COOPERAGE; MAKING WHEELS FROM WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL
- B27K: PROCESSES, APPARATUS OR SELECTION OF SUBSTANCES FOR IMPREGNATING, STAINING, DYEING, BLEACHING OF WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIALS, OR TREATING OF WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIALS WITH PERMEANT LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces in general B05; coating wood or similar material B44D); CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL TREATMENT OF CORK, CANE, REED, STRAW OR SIMILAR MATERIALS
- B27D: WORKING VENEER OR PLYWOOD (applying liquids or other fluent materials to surface in general B05; grinding, sanding, or polishing of wood B24; applying adhesives or glue to surfaces of wood B27G11/00; manufacture of veneer B27L5/00)

## Abstract

Methods of making, and the resultant monolithic drum shell for a musical instrument, that include selecting one or more desired wood fibers, providing a resinous binder solution, and immersing the wood fibers within the resinous binder solution for a duration that saturates and covers the wood fibers with the resinous binder solution to form a drum shell liquid composition. The drum shell liquid composition is deposited into a mold, and then cured to form a monolithic composite drum shell. The monolithic composite drum shell is removed from the mold to provide a ready-to-use drum shell for assembling into a musical instrument.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making a drum shell for a musical instrument, the method comprising
selecting one or more desired wood fibers;
providing a resinous binder solution;
immersing the wood fibers within the resinous binder solution for a duration that saturates and covers the wood fibers with the resinous binder solution to form a drum shell liquid composition;
depositing the drum shell liquid composition into a mold;
curing the drum shell liquid composition to form a monolithic composite drum shell; and
removing the monolithic composite drum shell from the mold to provide a ready-to-use drum shell for assembling into a musical instrument.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the wood fibers are selected from the group consisting of recycled wood, recycled wood waste, wood chips, wood shavings, and sawdust.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the wood fibers are selected from the group consisting of oak, birch, beech, maple, mahogany, walnut, cherry, bubinga, luana, poplar, ash, alder, pine, and spruce.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further including cleaning and drying the wood fibers prior to immersing within the resinous binder solution.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further including screening the wood fibers for desired particle sizes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further including pretreating the wood fibers with an additive prior to immersing within the resinous binder solution.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the additive comprises a colorant, dye or coating.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the wood fibers range in sizes from wood flour to wood chips.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the wood chips have dimensions up to ¼ of an inch.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the resinous binder solution comprises a polyester resin liquid, an epoxy resin liquid, or a polyurethane resin liquid in combination with a catalyzing agent.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the polyester resin liquid is mixed with a methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) catalyst.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein the MEKP catalyst is present in an amount of 0.5% to 2.0% with the remainder comprising the polyester resin liquid.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the epoxy resin liquid is mixed with an amine catalyst in a 1:1 ratio.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the monolithic composite drum shell is a contiguous solid structure devoid of openings.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of immersing the wood fibers within the resinous binder solution fills openings and porous cavities within the wood fibers to avoid openings in the monolithic composite drum shell.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the drum shell liquid composition comprises, by volume, 30% to 80% of the wood fibers and the remainder being the resinous binder solution.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the drum shell liquid composition comprises, by volume, 40% of the wood fibers to 60% of the resinous binder solution.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the drum shell liquid composition comprises, by volume, 60% of the wood fibers to 40% of the resinous binder solution.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further including the steps of curing the drum shell liquid composition at a temperature ranging from ambient temperature up to 220° F., at pressures ranging from atmospheric pressure to 80 PSI, and durations ranging from approximately 1 hour to 24 hours.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A monolithic drum shell for a musical instrument made in accordance with the method of claim 1.