Portable hand drum device

The device according to claim 9, wherein:

• said first drum shell has a spring hole extending through said outer wall of said first drum shell;
• said spring hole is positioned between said second cable hole and said second end of said first drum shell having said spring hole being aligned with said second cable hole;
• said device includes a biasing member being coupled to said secondary portion of said beater rod such that said biasing member extends through said spring hole in said outer wall of said first drum shell;
• said device includes a spring block being coupled to an inside surface of said outer wall of said first drum shell;
• said spring block is aligned with said spring hole in said outer wall of said first drum shell;
• and
• said biasing member is coupled to said spring block such that said biasing member biases said beater rod into a home position having said secondary portion being oriented parallel to said outer surface of said outer wall and having said primary portion being oriented parallel to said first drum head.

A portable hand drum device being playable with hands of a user to produce a variety of percussive sounds, said device comprising:

• a first drum shell being comprised of an acoustically resonant material wherein said first drum shell is configured to amplify sound waves that travel through said first drum shell, said first drum shell having a first end and a second end and an outer wall extending between said first end and said second end, each of said first end and said second end being open wherein each of said first end and said second end are configured to pass air through said first drum shell such that sound waves can pass through said first drum shell, said first drum shell having a plurality of sound holes each extending through said outer wall of said first drum shell wherein each sound hole of said plurality of sound holes is configured to pass air through said outer wall, said plurality of sound holes including a central hole and a plurality of outer holes being distributed around said central hole, said plurality of sound holes being centrally located between said first end and said second end of said first drum shell, said first drum shell having a first cable hole extending through said outer wall, said first cable hole being located closer to said first end than said second end, said first drum shell having a second cable hole extending through said outer wall, said second cable hole being positioned on an opposite side of said outer wall with respect to said first cable hole having said second cable hole being aligned with said first cable hole, said first drum shell having a spring hole extending through said outer wall, said spring hole being positioned between said second cable hole and said second end of said first drum shell having said spring hole being aligned with said second cable hole, said first drum shell having a lever hole extending through said outer wall, said lever hole being positioned closer to said second end of said first drum shell than said first end of said first drum shell, said lever hole being positioned between said plurality of sound holes and said second end of said first drum shell;
• a shoulder strap being attached to said first drum shell wherein said shoulder strap is configured to be worn over a shoulder of a user thereby positioning said first drum shell on a front side of the user's upper body such that hands of the user can touch said first drum shell, said shoulder strap having a primary end and a secondary end;
• a pair of retainers, each retainer of said pair of retainers being attached to a respective one of said primary end and said secondary end of said shoulder strap, each retainer of said pair of retainers having an annular hoop being formed into a respective retainer;
• a pair of strap mounts, each strap mount of said pair of strap mounts being attached to an outer surface of said outer wall of said first drum shell, each strap mount of said pair of strap mounts being spaced from a respective one of said first end and said second end of said first drum shell having said pair of strap mounts being aligned with each other, each strap mount of said pair of strap mounts including a hoop being movably attached to a respective strap mount;
• a pair of annular rings, each annular ring of said pair of annular rings extending through said annular hoop of a respective retainer and said hoop of a respective strap mount such that said shoulder strap is movably attached to each strap mount of said pair of strap mounts;
• a first drum head being removably attachable to said first drum shell, said first drum head being comprised of a resonant material wherein said first drum head is configured to produce an audible sound when said first drum head is struck;
• a plurality of drum lugs, each drum lug of said plurality of drum lugs being attached to said outer surface of said outer wall of said first drum shell, said plurality of drum lugs being spaced from said first end of said first drum shell, said plurality of drum lugs being evenly spaced apart from each other and being distributed around a full circumference of said outer wall of said first drum shell;
• a first drum hoop being positionable on said first end of said first drum shell such that said first drum hoop extends around a full circumference of said first end, said first drum hoop having a plurality of first tabs each extending laterally away from said first drum hoop, said plurality of first tabs being evenly spaced apart from each other and being distributed around a full circumference of said first drum hoop, said first drum hoop being oriented on said first end such that each first tab of said plurality of first tabs is aligned with a respective one of said plurality of drum lugs, said first drum head being positioned between said first drum hoop and said first end of said first drum shell such that said first drum hoop retains said first drum head on said first end;
• a plurality of first tension screws, each first tension screw of said plurality of first tension screws extending through a respective one of said plurality of first tabs on said first drum head and into a respective one of said plurality of drum lugs for tightening said first drum hoop onto said first end of said first drum shell thereby tensioning said first drum head when each first tension screw of said plurality of first tension screws is tightened in said respective drum lug, each first tension screw of said plurality of first tension screws having a head which compresses against said respective first tab on said first drum hoop to inhibit each first tension screw of said plurality of first tension screws from passing through said respective first tab when said plurality of first tension screws is tightened in said respective drum lug;
• a striking rod being pivotally attached to said first drum shell wherein said striking rod is configured to be depressed by a respective one of the user's hands when the user is wearing said shoulder strap;
• a beater rod being pivotally coupled to said first drum shell, said beater rod being in mechanical communication with striking rod, said beater rod being in mechanical communication with said first drum head such that said beater rod strikes said first drum head when said striking rod is depressed wherein said first drum head is configured to produce the audible sound when the user depresses said striking rod;
• a striker pivot being attached to said outer surface of said outer wall of said first drum shell, said striker pivot being positioned between said first cable hole and said second end of said first drum shell having said striker pivot being positioned closer to said first cable hole than said second end, said striking rod being pivotally attached to said striker pivot such that said striking rod is oriented parallel to said outer surface of said outer wall of said first drum shell when said striking rod is in a ready position wherein said striking rod is configured to be depressed by the user, said striking rod being positioned in said striker pivot such that a first end of said striking rod is aligned with said first end of said first drum shell wherein a portion of said striking rod that extends between said striker pivot and a second end of said striking rod is configured to be pressed upon by the user, said striking rod being pivotable into an actuating position having said second end of said striking rod being urged toward said outer wall of said first drum shell and having said first end of said striking rod being urged away from said outer wall of said first drum shell;
• a striking sleeve extending around said striking rod, said striking sleeve being positioned between said striker pivot and said first end of said striking rod;
• a beater pivot being attached to said outer surface of said outer wall of said first drum shell, said beater pivot being positioned between said second cable hole and said second end of said first drum shell having said beater pivot being positioned closer to said second cable hole than said second end of said first drum shell;
• wherein said beater rod has a primary end and a secondary end and a bend located between said primary end of said beater rod and said secondary end of said beater rod, said bend defining a primary portion of said beater rod being oriented perpendicular to a secondary portion of said beater rod, said primary end of said beater rod being associated with said primary portion, said secondary end of said beater rod being associated with said secondary portion, said bend being positioned closer to said primary end of said beater rod than said secondary end of said beater rod, said secondary portion being pivotally attached to said beater pivot such that said secondary portion is oriented parallel to said outer surface of said outer wall and said primary portion extends partially across said first end of said first drum shell;
• a beater sleeve extending around said secondary portion of said beater rod, said beater sleeve being positioned between said beater pivot and said bend in said beater rod;
• a biasing member being coupled to said secondary portion of said beater rod such that said biasing member extends through said spring hole in said outer wall of said first drum shell;
• a spring block being coupled to an inside surface of said outer wall of said first drum shell, said spring block being aligned with said spring hole in said outer wall of said first drum shell, said biasing member being coupled to said spring block such that said biasing member biasing said beater rod into a home position having said secondary portion being oriented parallel to said outer surface of said outer wall and having said primary portion being oriented parallel to said first drum head;
• a beater having an outer surface being coupled to said primary end of said beater rod, said beater having a bottom surface being spaced from and being oriented parallel to said first drum head when said beater rod is in said home position, said bottom surface of said beater striking said first drum head when said beater rod is urged into a beating position having said beater rod being pivoted in said beater pivot wherein said first drum head is configured to produce the audible sound when said bottom surface of said beater strikes said first drum head;
• a cable extending through each of said first cable hole and said second cable hole, said cable having a first end being coupled to said striking sleeve, said cable having a second end being coupled to said beater sleeve, said beater rod being urged into said beating position when said striking rod is urged into said actuating position such that said bottom surface of said beater strikes said first drum head, said striking rod being urged into said ready position when said biasing member biases said beater rod into said home position;
• a second drum shell being coupled to said first drum shell, said second drum shell being perpendicularly oriented with said first drum shell wherein said second drum shell is configured to be accessible to a respective hand of the user when the user is wearing said shoulder strap, said second drum shell being comprised of an acoustically resonant material wherein said second drum shell is configured to amplify sound waves that travel through said second drum shell, said second drum shell extending laterally away said outer surface of said outer wall of said first drum shell, said second drum shell surrounding said plurality of sound holes in said outer wall of said first drum shell, said second drum shell having a distal end with respect to said outer wall, said distal end being open wherein said second drum shell is configured to pass air through said distal end and said plurality of sound holes, said second drum shell being oriented such that said distal end lies on a plane being oriented parallel an axis extending through said first end of said first drum shell and said second end of said first drum shell;
• a second drum head being removably attachable to said second drum shell wherein said second drum head is configured to be struck by a respective one of the user's hands when the user is wearing said shoulder strap, said second drum head being comprised of a resonant material wherein said second drum head is configured to produce an audible sound when said second drum head is struck by the user's respective hand having the audible sound traveling through said plurality of sound holes in said outer wall of said first drum shell such that said first drum shell can amplify the audible sound produced by said second drum head, said second drum shell being located proximate said second end of said striking rod wherein said second drum shell is configured to be positioned such that the user can strike said second drum head or depress said striking rod with the same hand;
• a second drum hoop being positionable on said distal end of said second drum shell such that said second drum hoop extends around a full circumference of said distal end, said second drum hoop having a plurality of second tabs each extending laterally away from said second drum hoop, said plurality of second tabs being evenly spaced apart from each other and being distributed around a full circumference of said second drum hoop, said second drum head being positioned between said second drum hoop and said distal end of said second drum shell such that said second drum hoop retains said second drum head on said distal end of said second drum shell;
• a plurality of snare wires, each snare wire of said plurality of snare wires being attached to said second drum hoop such that each snare wire of said plurality of snare wires extends across said second drum hoop, said second drum head resting against said plurality of snare wires wherein said plurality of snare wires is configured to produce a snapping sound when said second drum head is struck by the user's respective hand;
• a plurality of second tension screws, each second tension screw of said plurality of tension screws extending through a respective one of said plurality of second tabs and extending into said outer wall of said first drum shell for tightening said second drum hoop on said distal end of said second drum shell when each second tension screw of said plurality of second tension screws is threaded into said outer wall of said first drum shell thereby tensioning said second drum head, each second tension screw of said plurality of second tension screws having a head which compresses against said respective second tab when said second tension screws are threaded into said outer wall to inhibit each second tension screw of said plurality of second tension screws from passing through said respective second tab when each second tension screw of said plurality of second tension screws is threaded into said outer wall of said first drum shell;
• a lever being pivotally attached to said first drum shell wherein said lever is configured to be pivoted with a respective one of the user's hands when the user is wearing said shoulder strap, said lever having a first end and a second end and a pair of bends being located between said first end and said second end of said lever to define a middle portion of said lever extending between and being perpendicularly oriented with each of a first portion and a second portion of said lever, said first portion being associated with said first end of said lever, said second portion being associated with said second end of said lever, said middle portion of said lever extending through said lever hole in said outer wall of said first drum shell such that said first portion is positioned outside of said first drum shell and said second portion is positioned inside of said first drum shell;
• a pivot block having a front surface and a back surface, said pivot block having a hole extending through said front surface and said back surface, said back surface being coupled to said outer surface of said outer wall of said first drum shell having said hole in said pivot block being aligned with said lever hole in said outer wall of said first drum shell such that said pivot block is located between said second end of said first drum shell and said second drum shell having said primary portion of said lever extending toward said second drum shell wherein said primary portion of said lever is configured to be located such that the user can pivot said lever and strike said second drum head while their hands are in a natural position, said middle portion of said lever extending through said hole in said pivot block, said pivot block having a pivot point being located in said hole in said pivot block, said middle portion of said lever being pivotally coupled to said pivot point;
• a grip having a coupled end being coupled to said first end of said lever such that said grip is oriented colinear with said first portion of said lever wherein said grip is configured to be gripped by a respective one of the user's hands when the user is wearing said shoulder strap such that the user can pivot said lever toward said first drum shell;
• a handle having a coupled end being coupled to an outside surface of said grip, said handle being oriented to angle away from said grip wherein said handle is configured to restrain the user's respective hand between said grip and said handle such that the user can pivot said lever away from said first drum shell;
• a shaker being coupled to said lever such that said shaker is positioned within said first drum shell, said shaker having a rear wall being spaced from a front wall, a rear surface of said rear wall being attached to said second portion of said lever at a point being aligned with said second end of said lever, said shaker having a plurality of dividers, each divider of said plurality of dividers extending between said front wall and said rear wall of said shaker to define a plurality of chambers within said shaker, said plurality of dividers being spaced apart from each other and being distributed between a top wall of said shaker and a bottom wall of said shaker;
• and
• a plurality of beads, each bead of said plurality of beads being positioned within said shaker, said plurality of beads striking against said shaker when said lever is pivoted wherein said shaker is configured to produce an audible sound when said lever is pivoted, each bead of said plurality of beads being located within a respective one of said plurality of chambers within said shaker, each chamber of said plurality of chambers limiting a distance that each bead of said plurality of beads can travel within said shaker when said lever is pivoted such that each chamber of said plurality of chambers minimizes a duration of time between said lever being pivoted and said plurality of beads striking against said shaker wherein said shaker is configured to produce the audible sound as soon possible when said lever is pivoted, each bead of said plurality of beads being comprised of a rigid material wherein each bead of said plurality of beads is configured to enhance an intensity of the audible sound produced by said plurality of beads striking against said shaker.