Percussive response unit
OwnerAlan T. Snyderinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A percussive response unit, and percussion instruments with same, including a rod having a rod shaft and a first retaining element, such a first head, disposed at a first rod end and having a first head width. At least a first striker set of at least one striker is disposed along a first portion of the rod shaft and is positionable near the first head. Each striker defines an opening that is larger than the outer diameter of the rod shaft to enable at least one direction of movement. A second retaining element such as a second head is connected to the second rod end to secure the first striker set on the rod shaft. Other embodiments include percussion instruments with multiple internal resonance cavities, internal resonance members, and internal and/or external strikers.
Claims20
A percussive response unit suitable for installation on an acoustic resonator of a percussion instrument, the response unit comprising:
- a rod having a rod shaft with a first rod end and a second rod end, and a first retaining element disposed at the first rod end and having a first head width, the shaft having an outer shaft diameter;
- a first striker set of at least one striker disposed along a first portion of the rod shaft and positionable near the first head, each striker defining an opening that is larger than the outer shaft diameter to enable movement in at least one direction;
- and
- a second retaining element connected to the second rod end to secure the first striker set on the rod shaft.
A percussion instrument comprising:
- an acoustic resonator defining at least a first passageway having a first passageway diameter and extending between a first resonator surface and a second resonator surface;
- at least a first percussive response unit including:
- (A) a rod positioned in the first passageway, having a rod shaft with a first rod end and a second rod end, having a rod longitudinal axis, and having a first retaining element disposed at the first rod end and having a first head width, the shaft having an outer shaft diameter that is accommodated by the first passageway diameter;
- (B) a first striker set of at least one striker positionable along a first length of the rod shaft and near the first retaining element, each striker defining an opening that is larger than the outer shaft diameter and smaller than the first head width;
- and (C) a second retaining element connected to the second rod end to secure the first striker set on the rod shaft;
- and
- wherein an air gap is established along at least a portion of the rod shaft to enable at least one striker to move at least one of (i) transversely to the rod longitudinal axis and/or (ii) axially along the rod longitudinal axis.
A percussion instrument having multiple internal resonance cavities, comprising:
- an acoustic resonator defining at least a first passageway having a first passageway diameter and extending between a first outer wall having a first external surface and a second outer wall having a second external surface;
- at least one internal resonance member extending transversely to the first passageway and having (i) a first resonator surface defining a first resonance cavity between the first outer wall and the first resonator surface and (ii) a second resonance surface bounding a portion of a second resonance cavity;
- a rod having a rod shaft extending along the first passageway and having a first rod end and a second rod end;
- and
- at least a first internal striker positioned along the rod shaft and in the first resonance cavity or in the second resonance cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.