CA1145978A

CA1145978A - Drum hoop

Info

Publication number: CA1145978A
Application number: CA000363519A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Robert Andre; Alfred J. Lemert
Original assignee: Ludwig Industries Inc
Current assignee: Ludwig Industries Inc
Priority date: 1979-10-30
Filing date: 1980-10-29
Publication date: 1983-05-10
Also published as: DE3039000A1; FR2478354A1; GB2071388A; MX148569A; FR2478354B3; JPS56102890A; GB2071388B

Abstract

Abstract A drum hoop for a musical drum, at times referred to as a "counter hoop", which hoop includes a reinforcing channel member and a reinforcing rim.
The drum counter hoop retains a drum head with an associated locking member, or ring, by fastening lugs or the like secured to the drum shell and by suitable fastening means such as threaded bolts with nut-type heads thereon, sometimes referred to as tension screws, or rods which engage with the hoop. The lugs are internally threaded or provided with extensions for threads to engage with the bolts. The drum hoop and drum shell are, therefore, provided with means for adjusting or changing the tension of the drum head by tightening or loosening the bolts which changes the position of the hoop and the drum head locking mem-ber with respect to the drum shell. The reinforced construction permits the drum head to be provided with a very high tension without bending or breaking the drum hoop.

Description

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BACKGROUND OF 'IHE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and improved hoop construction for musical drums, which hoop construction is adjustable with respect to the shell of the drum, so as to vary the tension of the drum head which is struck by the player usually by drum sticks or the like in order to produce drum sounds.
Drum hoops have been used for many years for this purpose. However, the modern musician playing drums is desirous of tightening the drum head to an extent not previously generally used in order to provide a different and louder drum beat or sound. The result of this very high tension with the hoops now used is that the hoops are not of sufficient strength to withstand the enormous pressures placed upon them, and, as a result, ~hey are bent out of shape, with the result that the hoop becomes useless for providing its intended purpose and must be replaced at considerable cost.
SUMMARY OF TilE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved drum hoop for a percussion type musical drum which is stronger tha-n previous hoops and is not only inexpensive to construct but also adapted to be used with drum tightening devices which permit the user of the drum to tighten the drum head to a very high degree of tension.
It is also an object of the inven-tion to provide a reinforced drum hoop construction of the type referred to, wherein the hoop is designed so that various hole patterns may be utili~ed with the same hoop for the insertion of a different number of bolts to cooperate with the drum hoop and with drum lugs secured to the shell of the drum. The hoop is generally a metal casting.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved and stronger drum hoop than ~hose available in the prior art in an inexpensive and '~

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expedient manner.
The present invention accordingly provides a counter hoop for a musi-cal drum, said drum comprising a flexible and tensionable drum head including a peripheral edge, a locking ring secured to the peripheral edge of the drum head, a shell having at least one surface with which said drwm head contacts and against which it is held tightly when the drum is assembled, and adjustable head tensioning means for varying the tension of the dr~m head by drawing it over said shell contact surface, said hoop comprising a main body portion, including an inner channel, and an outer channel formed by a pair of extensions extending from the main body portion, said outer channel comprising a smooth outer surface substantially free of protuberances extending therefrom, one of said extensions together with a surface of said counter hoop and the drwn shell being in substantial surface contact with three sides of said locking ring to prevent rotation of the same when tension is applied to said tensioning means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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Figure 1 is a partial sectional perspective view of a drum hoop secured to a drum shell and illustrates the invention;
Figures 2, 3 and ~ are plan views of the drum hoop looking upwardly showing the location of an "8" hole pattern, a "10" hole pattern, and a "12"
hole pattern, respectively;
Pigure 5 is a partial perspective vi.ew of the top drum hoop looking upwardly with respect thereto; and Figure 6 is a partial perspective view of the same hoop looking downwardly thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Numeral 1 designates the shell of the drum which is shown in partial perspective in Figure 1, which shell may be formed of any suitable material such ,.
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' 37l3 as wood, metal or plastic, for example. A drum head generall~ indicated at 2 may be formed of a material known by the trademark MYLAR which is a trademark of E. I. Dupont de Nemours ~ Co. Other materials may he used and skins of animals suitable for this purpose are sometimes used for the drum head. The drum head

2 is strong, stretchable, and tensionable. Peripheral edges 21 of the dru~ head 2 are retained in a locking ring 3 in a manner, for example, such as that illustrated in Ludwig United States Patent No. RE. 26,~15 assigned to Ludwig Industries, the assignee of the present invention, and IIOW expired.
A drum hoop 4, sometimes referred to as a counter hoop, usually formed of a single metal casting partially surrounds and overlays and engages the lock-ing ring, or hoop, 3, of generally rectangular shape, and forces it downwardly with respect to the shell 1, as shown in ~igure 1. It is unders-tood that some drums have a top and bottom drum head 2 and that the same construction as illustrated in the present drawings is also usable at the bottom of the drum shell as well as the top thereof. The drum hoop ~ is secured in position to drum lugs 7, which in turn are secured to the drum shell 1 by any standard construction and are provided with an internally screw-threaded bore 15 in the lug 7 to receive a bolt 6 threaded at its lower portion which extends through holes, or apertures, 18 in the body portion 9 of the drum hoop ~. The body portion 9 is provided with a flat surface 11 with which a head, 5 which is part of bolt 6, engages. The head, 5 and the bolt 6 are at times re:Eerred to as tension-screws, or rods, and comprise tensioning means. ~otation of the tension rods moves the drum hoop 4 relative to the shell 1 and to the ring 3. The drum hoop 4 is also provided with an upwardly extending strengthenlng rim S, integral with hoop ~ and is provided with horizontal and vertical surfaces forming an inner channel 12 which engages wi~h said ring 3 so that the ring is engaged on three sides by solid members including the drum shell, which preven~ tilting ~5~

movement of the ring 3 when the tensioning means is tightened. The drum hoop is usually circular in shape, although other shapes ~nay be and are at times used. The body portion 9 of the drum hoop 4 is provlded with a pair of exten-sions 13 and 14, which provide a groove, or outer channel 10 for strengthening purposes. As best shown in Figures 2-5, the extensions 13 and 14 are provided with a plurality of internal and connecting reinforcing members 16 cast integral-ly with the extensions 13 and 14 to add further strength to the hoop 4 and particu~arly to the extensions 13 and 14.
As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, ~he reinforcing connecting members 16 are so spaced around the periphery of the hoop that holes for various size drums or patterns may be provided without interfering with the reinforcing member 16 or vice versa. Figure 2 shows a drum hoop 4 with eight holes 18, Figure 3 a drum hoop with ten holes 18, and Figure 4 with twelve holes 18. These are the usual patterns for different types of drums.
As shown in Figure 1, the top of the drum shell 1 is provided with a pair of inclined surfaces 17 and 19 which join in an upwardly extending bearing surface 21, which surface is at the intersection of the surfaces 17 and 19 and is engaged by the drum head 2. The same construc~ion may be provided at the bottom of the drum.
After the drum shell 1 is formed with the inclined surfaces 17 and 19 and the bearing surface 21 for the head 2, the head 2 with the locking ring 3 which is already assembled is placed on the drum shell and the hoop 4 is then positioned to engage the drum head ring 3. The bolts 6 are threaded :into the threaded bores 15 in lugs 7, the bolts 6 being of sufficient length to extend through openings 18 in the channel 10 and the body 9 of the hoop 4 and into the threaded bores. The drum bolts 6 at all of the positions around the periphery of the hoop 4 are then tightened, usually by use of a special tool provided for _~ _ .,~

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this purpose. The force applied by the tool, and therefore to the drum bolts 6 will determine the force with which the hoop ~ forces the locking ring 3 down-wardly as shown in Figure 1 and will increase or decrease the tension o~ the head 2 as it is drawn over the bearing surface 21 of the drum shell 1.
With the construction disclosed, the player of the drum is enabled to apply extremely high tension to the head 2, so that louder and different notes may be sounded when the head 2 is struck by a drum stick or other suitable object. Since the drum hoop 4 is provided with the heavy reinforced construc-tion, including the extensions 13 and 14 which form the channel 10 and the cross reinforcing members 16, it is extremely strong and ordinarily ~ill not bend or break before the bolt 6 is broken by the pressure applied by the tightening tool for the bolts 6.
Since it is very important in the use of the drum in modern times to have the drum head 2 extremely tight for some purposes, the invention provides for such extreme tightening without failure of the drum hoop, which is expensive to replace and also renders the drum practically useless if it bends or breaks while the user is tightening the drum hoop preparatory to or during the use of the drum.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that we have provided a drum hoop of improved construction which will withstand excessive or extremely high stresses and strains without bending or breaking so that the tension on the drum can be extremely high if the player so desires.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A counter hoop for a musical drum, said drum comprising a flexible and tensionable drum head including a peripheral edge, a locking ring secured to the peripheral edge of the drum head, a shell having at least one surface with which said drum head contacts and against which it is held tightly when the drum is assembled, and adjustable head tensioning means for varying the tension of the drum head by drawing it over said shell contact surface, said hoop comprising a main body portion, including an inner channel, and an outer channel formed by a pair of extensions extending from the main body portion, said outer channel comprising a smooth outer surface substantially free of protuberances extending therefrom, one of said extensions together with a surface of said counter hoop and the drum shell being in substantial surface contact with three sides of said locking ring to prevent rotation of the same when tension is applied to said tensioning means.

2. A counter hoop as claimed in Claim 1 wherein reinforcing means are provided for said outer channel.

3. A counter hoop as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a plurality of apertures are formed in the body portion of the hoop through which a plurality of threaded bolts extend to engage a like plurality of threaded members which are fixed relative to the drum shell.

4. A counter hoop as claimed in Claim 2 wherein a plurality of apertures are formed in the body portion of the hoop through which a plurality of threaded bolts extend to engage a like plurality of threaded members which are fixed relative to the drum shell.

5. A counter hoop as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said apertures are positioned so as not to pass through said reinforcing means.

6. A counter hoop as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said outer channel reinforcing means comprises a plurality of cross connections and which are cast integrally therewith.

7. A counter hoop as claimed in Claim 4 wherein nut-like members are secured to the top of the bolts and include a lower, substantially flat surface and a substantially flat surface formed on said body portion of the hoop with which said flat surfaces of said nut-like members engage.

8. A counter hoop as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said hoop is formed with an integral reinforcing member extending outwardly therefrom in a direction generally opposite to said pair of extensions.