CN110070844B

CN110070844B - Direct drive percussion instrument pedal system

Info

Publication number: CN110070844B
Application number: CN201910066104.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 理查德·A·西克拉
Original assignee: Drum Workshop Inc
Current assignee: Drum Workshop Inc
Priority date: 2018-01-24
Filing date: 2019-01-23
Publication date: 2024-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 2039-01-23
Also published as: CN110070844A

Abstract

The present application relates to a direct drive percussion instrument pedal system. A drum pedal system is disclosed that may include separate pedal and beater portions connected by a connecting portion. The connecting portion may be flexible such that the position of the striker portion is adjustable relative to the position of the pedal portion. The pedal portion and the striker portion can be separated from each other to improve transportability. A direct drive pedal system is also disclosed that may include separate pedal and striker portions connected by a direct drive connection portion having a rigid connection.

Description

Direct drive percussion instrument pedal system

The present application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/621563 entitled "DIRECT DRIVE Percussion PEDAL SYSTEM (direct drive percussion pedal system)" filed on 1/24 of 2018, which pertains to Sikra; and claims priority benefits of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/623315 entitled "DIRECT DRIVE Percussion PEDAL SYSTEM (direct drive percussion instrument pedal system)" filed on 1/29 in 2018, to Sikra. The present application is a continuation of the section entitled "Percussion PEDAL SYSTEM (percussion instrument pedal system)" filed on 1 month 18 of 2018, which pertains to Sikra, U.S. patent application No. 15/409428, which claims the benefit of priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/281089, entitled "Percussion PEDAL SYSTEM (percussion instrument pedal system)" filed on 20 of 2016, which pertains to Sikra. Each of these applications is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to percussion instruments, and more particularly, to a percussion instrument pedal system.

Background

Many forms of instruments and devices have been used to create notes. Percussion instruments, i.e., those that produce sound by striking, causing the production of chuck and/or vibration, are sometimes known as the oldest type of instrument. There are many types of percussion instruments; the drum is considered as a typical example of a percussion instrument.

The drum may be made to sound by striking some portion of the drum by hand. Some drums may also produce different tones when struck with a beater, mallet, or stick. Some musical genres utilize a variety of different percussion sounds and tones to evoke different sensations to the listener; in this way, different types of beater and drummer hands can be used to produce various tones from a given drum.

Depending on the type of music being played, different sound qualities of the instrument may be more desirable. For example, a work of the French style may emphasize different pitch and tone relationships between notes than a music of the jazz style. Some musical compositions employ different chords (slackening and/or reconciliation) and non-chords (tension and/or clash) between the key (central note of chord or musical composition) and other notes in the musical composition. Thus, different strikers or hand and striker combinations may be required for some drums.

Some drums use foot operated devices (sometimes referred to as "drum pedals" or "drum pedal assemblies") to operate and/or control a beater (also referred to herein as a "hammer") that strikes the drum. The drum pedal may be operated with the hands of the drummer so that the drum may be played by hand to produce one tone and the drum pedal/beater produces another tone without the drummer having to remove and replace the beater in their hand. Such an arrangement allows faster performance and allows the drummer to perform more complex/technical works.

The variation in drummer technology means that it is very difficult to design a single system to meet the needs of each drummer and style of performance. These variations may include the drummer style of performance and the area of the drum that the drummer typically strikes with a hand or a beater. The hand/beater combination performance is typically used with a box drum (a percussion instrument, typically in the shape of a hollow box). Examples of bin drums are described and illustrated, for example, in commonly assigned U.S. patent No. 9,087,497 to crohn et al and U.S. digital encryption standard patent application No. 29/552,167 to Chandontrikit, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. One specific example of a box drum and pedal system designed to allow a box drum performance by hand and a beater is described in commonly assigned U.S. patent No. 7,365,258 to Lombardi, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The adjustable pedal may provide the customization needed to achieve some or all of the drummer's desired pedal characteristics, as well as placing the beater in a position that will produce the desired tonal characteristics from the drum, without interfering with the drummer's hand striking the drum. Some pedals with adjustable features are described in U.S. patent nos. 5,301,592 and 8,455,746 to Johnston, 6,590,147 to Kassabian, and 2015/0082968 to Sikra, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The adjustment mechanisms provided in the related art may be cumbersome, which may increase the difficulty of the user, and/or may lack adjustability of the changes independent of other changes, thus reducing the amount of customization available through adjustment. Furthermore, many related art systems merely adapt a drum pedal designed for one type of drum to another drum pedal, which may not provide the drummer with proper placement of the beater/hammer for playing in a comfortable manner. This can lead to reduced performance and/or injury/discomfort to the drummer.

Disclosure of Invention

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to percussion instrument beater systems and components thereof, wherein the pedal portion and the beater portion are remote from each other and separated by a connector, such as a cable, that allows actuation of the pedal to cause movement of at least a portion of the beater portion.

One embodiment of a percussion instrument beater system according to the present disclosure includes a pedal portion having a drum pedal and a beater portion having a beater bar support. A connecting portion comprising a flexible coupling member connects the drum pedal portion and the beater portion such that actuation of the drum pedal causes movement of the beater bar support.

One embodiment of a drum pedal assembly according to the present disclosure includes a base plate and a pedal located on the base plate, a drive shaft located on a front portion of the base plate, an arm between the drive shaft and an underside of the pedal, and a roller between the arm and the underside of the pedal.

One embodiment of a beater assembly according to the present disclosure includes a main body and a beater bar support, and a drive shaft therebetween. The connector is operably coupled to the drive shaft such that movement of the connector causes rotation of the drive shaft.

One embodiment of a percussion instrument pedal assembly according to the present disclosure includes a base with a pedal on the base and a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft on the base and in front of and behind the pedal, respectively. The assembly further includes a rigid link connecting the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft.

One embodiment for a direct drive joint piece in a percussion instrument system includes an elongated body having a first end defining a first aperture and a second end defining a second aperture. The first post is positioned in the first aperture and the second post is positioned in the second aperture, the distance that the first and second posts extend from their respective apertures being adjustable.

The foregoing summary has outlined rather broadly some of the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described below. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same or similar purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the teachings of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

Drawings

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a percussion instrument pedal system according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a pedal portion of a system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a striker portion of a system according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 and 5 illustrate one embodiment of a drum that may be used in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6-9 illustrate additional views of one embodiment of a system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 and 11 illustrate illustrations of one embodiment of a system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of some of the components from fig. 11.

Fig. 13-15 illustrate one embodiment of a percussion instrument pedal system according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 16-18 illustrate the embodiment of the percussion instrument pedal system shown in fig. 13-15 with potentially alternative or alternative component embodiments according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

SUMMARY

Music and musical compositions such as songs are often composed and/or combined to evoke the emotion and/or feel of a listener. Music presentations combine tones and harmonics (also referred to as "overtones") to tell a story. Many different types of instruments (e.g., string instruments, percussion instruments, wind instruments, etc.) may be used, alone or in combination, to present an artist's interpretation of feel and/or emotion through auditory stimuli.

The potential tones, rhythms, and/or "beats" of a musical composition are typically provided by a percussion instrument (e.g., a drum). One particular type of drum (known as a "box drum") is popular in the folangry dance, jazz, cop and peru music. Although discussed herein with respect to a box drum, the system described herein may be used with other percussion instruments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The box drum is nominally a six-sided box instrument in which the drummer or player sits on top of the box drum and beats the front, back and/or sides of the instrument with the palm or fingers. The surface of the drum can also be struck with a stick, striker, mallet, brush or other tool to produce a different sound or to produce a beat that is faster than would be done by hand alone.

Since players often sit on top of the box drum, using the bass drum pedal can be difficult because the pedal of the bass drum is designed to be directed away from the players. Therefore, using a typical bass drum pedal when playing a chest drum creates an awkward playing position. Further, since the bass drum pedal is designed to strike the bass drum at approximately the same height as the hands of the chest drum player, playing the chest drum using the bass drum pedal in addition to the hand/finger performance typically restricts some form of musical instrument.

The detailed description set forth herein in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the various concepts. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to help avoid obscuring these concepts.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "on" … …, "attached to," "connected to" another element or the like, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In addition, when an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present as would be understood by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, relative terms such as "inner," "outer," "upper," "top," "above," "lower," "bottom," "below," "beneath," and the like may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element. Terms such as "higher," "lower," "wider," "narrower," and similar terms may be used herein to describe angles and/or relative relationships. It should be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the element or system in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions and/or sections, these elements, components, regions and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region or section from another. Thus, unless explicitly stated otherwise, a first element, component, region or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region or section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the illustration as a schematic diagram. Thus, the actual thickness of the elements may be different and variations from the illustrated shapes are desired, e.g., due to manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances. Thus, the elements shown in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

System diagram

Fig. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a percussion instrument pedal system according to the present disclosure.

The system 100 includes a pedal portion 102, a connecting portion 104, and a striker portion 106. The pedal portion 102 may be positioned in a comfortable and/or customizable position on the user's foot while the striker portion 106 is positioned adjacent to a drum or other percussion instrument. The connecting portion 104 is flexible and/or movable relative to the pedal portion 102 and the striker portion 106 such that the relative positions of the pedal portion 102 and the striker portion 106 can be changed and/or varied.

The pedal portion 102 may include a pedal 108, a roller 110, and a drive shaft 112. The pedal 108 may include a hinge 114 and optionally a heel plate 116. When the pedal 108 is depressed, the pedal 108 rotates about the axis of the hinge 114. Depressing the pedal 108 also moves the other end of the pedal 108 toward the base 118 of the pedal portion 102, the pedal 108 engaging the roller 110. The roller 110 moves along a bottom surface of the pedal 108 (e.g., a surface opposite where a user's foot may engage the pedal 108) and rotates or otherwise engages the drive shaft 112. When the drive shaft 112 rotates, the connecting portion 104 engages and moves. The rollers 110 may rest in grooves on the pedal 108, on raised portions of the pedal 108, or on any surface of the pedal 108 to provide a particular feel and/or performance action to the drummer. The drive shaft 112 may also be coupled closer to the hinge 114 or may be adjustable relative to the distance between the drive shaft 112 and the hinge 114 to customize the height of the pedal 108 when the pedal 108 is in the rest position.

The roller 110 provides smooth movement of the drive shaft 112. This smooth movement of the wheel 110 over the pedal 108 provides a better "feel" or "play action" for the drummer playing the drum when the system 100 is employed. The diameter of the roller 110 may be selected to provide large movement of the drive shaft 112 with small movement of the pedal 108 or may be selected to provide linear movement of the drive shaft 112 with movement of the pedal 108. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the roller has a diameter of between about 0.25 inches and 2 inches, and/or a diameter of between about 0.5 inches and 1 inch, and/or a diameter of about 0.75 inches, all in one package. Many possible relative movements of the drive shaft 112 relative to the movement of the pedal 108 are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Further, the roller 110 may have a cam or elliptical, oval, or other non-circular shape, and the spindle of the roller 110 may be adjusted relative to the rest position of the pedal 108 to customize the movement of the pedal 108 as motion is produced in the striker portion 106.

As the drive shaft 112 moves, the connecting portion 104 (which may be a cable such as a jacketed cable) also moves. For example, but not limiting of, the drive shaft 112 may rotate and pull a cable (a portion of the connecting portion 104) coupled to the striker portion 106, which may then move a portion within the striker portion 106. The connection portion 104 may be a coupling, a putter mechanical connector, or other actuator and/or device to transfer motion into the striker portion 106. While the embodiment shown in fig. 1and described below relates to a "cable," it should be understood that any coupling member may be used, such as a rope, wire, chain, rigid device, or the like.

The striker portion 106 may include a bracket 120, a rod 122, a drive shaft 124, and a striker rod holder 126. At least a portion of the bracket 120 may be placed under the drum and/or box drum to position and/or retain the striker portion 106 adjacent the drum and/or box drum. The carrier 120 may be shaped to accommodate drums of various different shapes, such as circular, square, crescent, partial crescent, etc., without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Further, some embodiments of the present disclosure do not include a bracket.

The rod 122 may be coupled to the bracket 120 and may include a standard diameter rod for percussion instrument design and/or manufacture, if desired. For example, but not limited to, the rod 122 may be a 1/2 inch diameter rod such that the drive shaft 124 may be coupled to the rod 122 using readily available mounting hardware.

The striker portion 106 is coupled to the connection portion 104 such that movement (e.g., rotation) of the drive shaft 124 is initiated by movement of the pedal 108. Movement of the pedal 108 by pressure of the drummer's foot may be transferred to the drive shaft 124 through the connection portion 104. When the drive shaft 124 moves due to the connection 104 (relative to the pedal 108 and drive shaft 112), the drive shaft 124 imparts motion to the striker rod bracket 126. The beater bar mount 126 is configured to receive a beater (and/or mallet) for beating the drum and/or the box drum.

Pedal portion

Fig. 2 illustrates a pedal portion 102 of a system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that many other pedal portions may be used as part of a system according to the present disclosure, such as the pedal and components described in commonly assigned U.S. patent publication 2015/0082968 to Sikra, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the pedal portion 102 may also include a roller arm 200 (or other type of arm or connector) that couples the roller 110 to the drive shaft 112. The drive shaft 112 is coupled to the arm 202 and secured to the arm 202 with a nut 204. Arm 202 is also coupled to a chain 206 or another type of connector, which may be rigid, flexible (e.g., rope, strap, etc.), or otherwise, and then coupled to cable 208 at connector 210. It should be appreciated that the cable 208 may be directly connected to the arm 202 and/or the drive shaft 112 without the use of the chain 206. The cable 208 may pass through a housing 212, the housing 212 being coupled to a plate 214 by a nut 216. After passing through the housing 212, the cable 208 may enter a housing or sheath 218 that may be part of the connection portion 104, although the housing/sheath 218 is not strictly necessary (but has the benefit of providing environmental protection to the cable 208). The pedal 108 may optionally include a stop 220 to prevent the roller 110 from disengaging from the pedal 108 and/or to set a maximum actuation position of the pedal 108.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, pedal portion 102 may be operated by depressing pedal 108 in direction 222. Pressure on the tread 108 in direction 222 moves the roller along the tread 102 toward the hinge 114, which moves the roller arm 200 attached to the roller 110. As the roller arm 200 moves, the drive shaft 112 rotates, which rotates the arm 202. Rotation of arm 202, i.e., clockwise in the perspective of fig. 2, pulls chain 206 away from hinge 114. This movement of the chain 206 also moves the cable 208. The other end of the cable 208 is coupled to the striker portion 106, as will be described below.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the engagement of the drive shaft 112 may be adjusted by adjusting one or more nuts 224 coupled to the housing 212. As the nut 224 moves relative to the plate 214, the relative tension on the cable 208 may be adjusted to adjust the position at which the drive shaft 112 engages during movement in the direction 222. Similarly, the relative coupling angle between the roller arm 200 and the drive shaft 112, and/or the coupling angle between the arm 202 and the drive shaft 112 may also affect the engagement point of the pedal 108 with respect to the movement of the cable 208. These angles may also be adjusted, such as loosening the nut 204 (for the arm 202, although the same or similar system may be applied to the arm 200), adjusting the angle of the arm 202 relative to the drive shaft 112, and re-tightening the nut 204. In addition, the length of chain 206, the size of roller 110, the length of roller arm 200 (i.e., between roller 110 and drive shaft 112) may also be adjusted to vary the engagement point of pedal 108 based on the movement of cable 208.

Adjustment of the engagement point of the foot pedal 108 is important to the drummer because different engagement points will raise or lower the height of the foot pedal 108 relative to the base 118. In such adjustment, the angle that the drummer's ankle must take to keep the pedal 108 from moving the cable 208 (and thus the beater bar support 126) can be changed, and the amount of movement of the pedal 108 that must be made in the direction 222 to produce sound from the drum coupled to the beater portion 106 can be changed. These adjustments allow the system 100 to be customized for each individual drummer and different types of drums without producing several different types of systems 100.

The connecting portion 104 may be removed from the pedal portion 102 by loosening the nuts 216 and removing the plate 214 from the base 118. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a plurality of nuts 224 may be used to maintain tension of the cable 208 relative to the arm 202. Nuts 204 and 216, and other nuts used in system 100, may be standardized, if desired, with respect to other hardware used in the drum/percussion instrument. As such, the wrench 226 may be installed in a clip or otherwise attached to the base 118 or elsewhere in the system 100 to facilitate removal of the pedal portion 102 from the connecting portion 104. The connection between the plate 214 and the housing 212 may comprise any type of connection known in the art. In one embodiment, magnetic coupling and/or male/female coupling are used.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the advantage of disassembly within the system 100 allows for easier portability of the system 100 and also allows for installation of one or more portions of the system 100 in a particular location. For example, and without limitation, pedal portion 102 may be mounted on a plate, beater portion 106 may be mounted on a drum or the like, and system 100 may still be assembled and/or disassembled in a relatively quick and easy manner. Furthermore, a portion of the system 100 is not permanently tied to other portions and therefore may be interchanged with other embodiments of the system component, if desired. For example, the striker portion 106, the connecting portion 104, and the pedal portion 102 may be separated by loosening and removing the plate 214 and the arm 202, or by other methods. Without limitation, the striker portion 106 of one system may be used with the pedal portion 102 of another system without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

Beater portion

FIG. 3 illustrates a striker portion of a system in one aspect of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 3, the striker portion 106 is coupled to the connection portion 104 at a connector 300. As described with respect to fig. 1 and 2, a cable 208 or another motion transfer device may couple the pedal portion 102 to the striker portion 106 through the connection portion 104. As described above with reference to fig. 2, the connector 300 or some other portion within the striker portion 106 may provide additional disconnection points within the system 100 as desired.

The connection portion 104 is coupled to the drive shaft 124 by a connector 300 in a similar manner as shown in fig. 2, such as a chain, cable, connector, etc., although other methods associated with transferring motion are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Shaft 302 is further coupled to pin 304. Pin 304 is coupled to spring 306, and spring 306 is coupled to cam 308. Cam 308 is coupled to striker rod bracket 126. As the cable 208 moves within the connecting portion 104, the drive shaft 124 rotates, which pulls and/or pushes the striker rod bracket 126. As the beater bar mount 126 rotates, a beater coupled to the beater bar mount 126 will hit a surface, such as a surface of a percussion instrument.

To control the strength and/or backswing of the striker rod bracket 126, the cam 308 rotates, which pulls and/or pushes the spring 306. The position of the pin 304 may be adjusted to control the tension on the spring 306, which will control the amount of reverse tension on the striker rod bracket 126. In addition, the rest position of the connection between the spring 306 and the cam 308, such as the position of the pin 328, may be adjusted. For example, the position of the pin 328 or other connector may be adjusted within the aperture 330 of the cam 308 to adjust the angle of repose of the striker rod bracket 126. Similar adjustment devices that may be used in embodiments of the present disclosure are described in commonly assigned U.S. patent publication 2015/0082968 to Sikra and U.S. patent application 62/281,089 to Sikra, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The striker rod 310 is coupled to the striker head 312, and the striker rod 310 may be inserted into the striker rod holder 126. The nut 314 is attached to the striker rod bracket 126 such that the height 326 of the striker head 312 is adjustable relative to the bracket 120. The axes of rotation of the striker rod bracket 126 and cam 308 are positioned to have a low axis of rotation (also referred to herein as a "fulcrum") that is slightly different from the typical axis of rotation/fulcrum of the drum pedal for bass drums.

For example, and without limitation, the axis of rotation of the beater bar support 126 can be between about 0.5 inch and 6 inches from the floor, and/or between about 0.5 inch and 4 inches from the floor, and/or between about 1 inch and 3 inches from the floor, and/or less than about 2 inches from the floor, and/or less than 3 inches from the floor (which can be the same plane as the bottom of the system 100, and/or the same plane as the bottom surface of the bracket 120, or the bottom plane of the beater portion 106), while the axis of rotation of the beater bar support can be 7 inches from the floor in a bass drum pedal. Because the system 100 may be used with different types of drums (e.g., box drums) and such drums have different positions to hit to produce the desired sound, the desired position of the rotational axis of the beater bar support may be below the floor, as shown and described with respect to fig. 3. However, the rotational axis position may still be adjusted within the system 100, for example by changing the height attachment between the body 316 and the stem 122.

Further, in one aspect of the present disclosure, the low fulcrum may also be the rotational axis of the drive shaft 124, allowing for a different point of contact with the drum surface than the typical natural point of contact of a drummer's hand or other beater. For example, but not by way of limitation, the beater head 312 configured with the system 100 can be arranged to hit the surface of the tank drum at a particular point, while the hands of the drummer hit the surface of the tank drum at a height above the point of contact of the beater head 312. Thus, the beater head 312 does not interfere with the drummer's hand, and the drummer can thus produce specific beats, sounds and tones from the chest drum without changing the specific preferred style of performance used by the specific drummer.

The nut 314 may also adjust the attachment point between the striker rod holder 126 and the striker rod 310, which adjusts the height 326 and/or the position of the striker head 312 relative to the surface to be struck. By varying the distance between the shaft 302 and the cam 308, a greater moment arm is created that varies the relative velocity of the beater head 312 with respect to the surface to be beaten. Thus, as described above, the amount of movement of the pedal 108 for striking a surface with the striker head 312 may be tailored by varying the tension on the spring 306 and/or the attachment point between the striker rod 310 and the striker rod holder 126 and/or the angle of the striker rod holder 126.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the rotation controller 318 controls the angle at which the body 316 is coupled to the lever 122. By releasing the rotation control 318, which may be a threaded coupling between the body 316 and the stem 122, the entire striker portion 106 may be rotated through an angle 320 relative to the bracket 120. The controller allows the beater bar mount 126 to rotate and, thus, the beater head 312 to rotate relative to a surface to be beaten by the beater head 312. Such a rotational control provides additional clearance or adjustment between the position of the beater head 312 against the beating surface relative to the position where the hands of a drummer or other beater may hit the same surface. Further, small variations in rotation of the rotation controller 318 may provide tuning of the drum (e.g., box drum) by changing the position at which the beater head 312 strikes the box drum. The rotational controller 318 may be loosened and/or tightened to fix a particular angle between the beater portion 106 and a particular drum, and then repositioned to fix a different angle between the beater portion 106 and another drum, thereby further expanding the customizable features of the system 100 of the present disclosure. The rotational controller 318 may also control the distance between the beater head 312 and the surface to be beaten, as the rotational controller 318 may also move the connection point between the body 316 and the stem 122. This movement between the bodies 316 (and thus the beater heads 312) can change the angle at which the beater heads 312 strike the drum surface, thereby further changing the tone produced.

For example, and without limitation, when placed in a first position on the stem 122, the beater head 312 can hit the surface of the drum when the beater stem 310 is at a 90 degree angle relative to the floor measurement. When the rotary controller 318 is released and the main body 316 moves away from the to-be-struck surface of the drum, the beater head can strike the surface at an angle exceeding 90 degrees, such as angle 322 shown in fig. 3. Because the connecting portion 104 may be coupled to the beater portion 106 at or near the arm 324 (coupled to another point of the drive shaft 124), rotation of the body 316 and movement toward and/or away from the carriage 120 may only minimally affect the "feel" of the beater to the pedal 108, and/or may only minimally affect the tonal quality of the beating of the beater head 312, rather than those characteristics selected by a particular beater when the system 100 is set for a given drum.

Box-drum system connection

Fig. 4-5 illustrate drums that may be used in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the bin drum 400. The box drum may be played by sitting on top of the box drum 400 (shown at the top of fig. 4) and beating the surface of the box drum 400 with the user's hand. A particular user may tap the surface of the drum 400 with their left hand in area 402 and tap area 404 with their right hand because these areas may produce different tone qualities from the drum 400. However, the carriage 120 of the system 100 of the present disclosure may be placed under the box drum 400 at the edge 408, and the player may adjust the system 100 of the present disclosure to hit the box drum 400 anywhere within the region 406 (e.g., by adjusting via the rotation control previously described along the direction 320) so that the beater may produce a different tone quality than the hand beating in the regions 402 and 404 and/or may hit the box drum 400 in a region relatively far from the natural beating region of the hand.

The dimensions and/or regions described with respect to regions 402-406 should not be considered limiting; as described herein, the system 100 of the present disclosure may be customized and/or adjusted in any manner to strike the pod drum 400 or any percussion instrument without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, and without limitation, the bracket 120 may be used to attach the system 100 to the rim 410 of the tank drum 400, and then the movement of the pedal 108 may cause the beater head 312 to strike the tank drum 400 from the top of the tank drum 400, rather than from the bottom, in a different area, or may be attached to the tank drum 400 on one side or curved surface of the tank drum 400, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 illustrates a tank drum according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

The drum 400 includes a sound hole 500 that allows a viewer, other musicians, and/or drummer to hear a reverberation of a hand/beater striking the drum 400. In one aspect of the present disclosure, the system 100 may be partially installed within the box drum 400 such that the beater head 312 strikes an inner surface of the box drum 400, rather than a drummer striking surface. Since the cradle 120, body 316, beater head 312, and other portions of the system 100 can be internal to the tank drum 400 (or other percussion instrument), these portions of the system 100 are shown in phantom in fig. 5. In one embodiment, a bracket such as bracket 120 is not included, which may allow for easier placement of the striker portion 106 within the bin drum 400.

Since the beater portion 106 can be removed from the pedal portion 102, the connecting portion can be sized to allow the bracket 120 to be mounted on the bottom, sides, and/or any surface of the tank drum 400 such that the beater head 312 can hit any surface of the tank drum 400. Further, because the rotational controller 318 allows for movement of the body 316, the striker portion 106 can be easily moved, positioned, and/or removed from the bin drum 400 and mounted to a separate bracket 120 for use with another drum and or bin drum. The size of the beater portion 106 can also be adapted to the tank drum 400, such that portions of the beater portion 106 fit within the sound holes 500 and can fit within the tank drum 400, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Because the rotation controller 318 allows the body 316 to be removed from the stem 122, the body 316 may be mounted on other stems for use with drums and/or other percussion instruments. For example, in one embodiment, the striker portion 106 may be used with a box drum that includes an internal rod (e.g., an L-rod), which may be similar to the rod 122, but mounted within the box drum and/or within an area as part of the box drum to enable mounting and driving of the inner surface of the box drum. Thus, the body 316 may be removed from the bracket 120 and the lever 122 and reattached to the inner box drum lever (or other mounting device). As another example, but not by way of limitation, the body 316 may be mounted on a leg of a floor drum (floor tom) or may be mounted on a bracket coupled to a tambour or other cymbal such that movement of the pedal 108 will allow the beater head 312 to strike any percussion instrument. For example, a floor drum may produce a different sound when struck with a stick than when struck with a beater head 312, and thus, in such an application, the sound quality that a drummer may produce with a given drum and/or drum kit may be increased and expanded through use of the system 100.

Other System views

Fig. 6-9 illustrate additional views of a system according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 shows a top perspective view of the system 100, which also illustrates the effect of the longer and/or shorter roller arm 200 on the movement of the pedal 108.

Fig. 7 illustrates a side perspective view of the system 100, further illustrating the effect of longer and/or shorter roller arms 200 on pedal 108 movement. Since roller arm 200 includes a greater length (i.e., the distance between drive shaft 112 and roller 110), roller 110 engages a different portion of pedal 108. For the same diameter roller 110, the height of the pedal 108 (i.e., the distance between the pedal 108 and the base 118) will be greater as the roller arm 200 becomes longer.

Fig. 8 illustrates a side perspective view of the system 100, showing some of the angles 322 that may be struck by the striker head 312. By adjusting the distance between the body 316 and the bracket 120, the angle 322 may be changed.

Fig. 9 illustrates a front perspective view of the system 100 showing the plate 214 coupled to the bracket 900. In one aspect of the present disclosure, the bracket 900 may allow linear movement of the plate 214 to allow further adjustment of the connection between the pedal portion 102 and the connecting portion 104. Such connection between the bracket 900 and the plate 214 may be a male-female connection, a slot-tab connection, a spring loaded pin connection, a magnetic connection, and/or other fixed and/or variable connections that may provide disconnection between the pedal portion 102 and the connecting portion 104 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and/or may be a combination of any of these types of connections. Similar connections between the connecting portion 104 and the striker portion 106 may be provided in other aspects of the present disclosure.

Insert picture

Fig. 10-11 illustrate illustrations of systems according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 shows an illustration 1000 of the system 100. As shown in the inset 1000, to disconnect the connecting portion 104 from the pedal portion 102, the nut 216 may be loosened to reduce the pressure between the bracket 900 and the plate 214. In one embodiment, the nuts 216 may be loosened such that the position of the plate 214 relative to the bracket 900 may be adjusted, and then the nuts 216 may be tightened to lock the plate 214 in place relative to the bracket 900. Another connection between the connection portion 104 and the pedal portion 102 is an arm 202 that is coupled to the drive shaft 124 at a connection body (interface) 1002. Although the connector 1002 is shown as a square mortise through the arm 202, other shapes of connectors may be employed, such as hexagonal, octagonal, circular, oval, etc., without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, nut 204 may or may not be used to secure arm 202 to drive shaft 124.

The insert 1000 also shows additional details of the drive shaft 124. The drive shaft 124 may include, for example, a shaft 1004 and one or more bearings 1006. Shaft 1004 may be shaped on one end to couple to arm 202 and may have a similar or different shape to couple to roller arm 200.

Dashed line 1008 illustrates the coupling between plate 214 and bracket 900. Dashed line 1010 illustrates the coupling between arm 202 and shaft 1004. Because the distance between arms 202 (where chain 206 is coupled to arms 202 at point 1012) can be adjusted by nuts 224, removing connecting portion 104 as shown in fig. 10 does not significantly alter any adjustment by a particular user because the adjustment remains somewhat constant when arms 202 and plates 214 are removed. While nuts 216 may be used to couple bracket 900 and plate 214, other coupling mechanisms may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure, such as spring-loaded detents, pin holes in plate 214, and pins that may be inserted through bracket 900 and plate 214, etc.

FIG. 11 illustrates an illustration 1100 of the striker portion 106 in one aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the body 316 is not shown and/or included. Connector 300 is shown coupled to a rod 1102, rod 1102 being coupled to a body 1104 of striker portion 106. Similar to the connection described with respect to pedal portion 102, cable 208 is exposed from connector 300 through bushing 1106 and nut 1108. One end of the cable is coupled to a connector 1110, and the connector 1110 is coupled to a chain 1112. The chain 1112 is then coupled to an arm 324, the arm 324 being coupled to the drive shaft 124. Movement of the arm 324 moves (e.g., rotates) the drive shaft 124, which moves the striker rod bracket 126.

Also shown in fig. 11 is the coupling between body 1104 (which may be coupled to body 316 as depicted in fig. 3) and stem 122. A portion 1114 of the body 1104 is coupled about the rod 122 and a bushing 1116 with an optional washer 1118 is shown. The rotation controller 318 is coupled to the bushings 1116, and by loosening and securing the bushings 1116 to the rods 122 with the rotation controller 318, the angle of the main body 1104 may be adjusted relative to the brackets 120 (and thus relative to the surface of the drum that is located adjacent to the brackets 120). The tightening rotation controller 318 (not shown) applies pressure to the lever 122, thereby minimizing the movement of the set rotational position of the main body 1104 with respect to the surface to be struck during performance. Other attachment hardware and/or arrangements (including attachment hardware/arrangements included as part of the drum, such as within a bin drum as described above) may be employed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

If desired, a second striker rod holder may be coupled to arm 324 to provide two strikers in a single striker portion 106. The two drivers in the two driver bar holders 126 may have different driver heads so that the two drivers produce two different tones from the same percussion instrument substantially simultaneously.

Further shown in fig. 11 is a location 1118, which may be a second attachment point of the lever 122 to the bracket 120. As such, the second pedal portion 102 and the second connecting portion 104 may be attached to the second striker portion 106 at location 1120. In such an aspect of the present disclosure, the system 100 may provide two pedals to strike two drum surfaces (whether the same drum or different drums), drum surface and tambourine, and/or any two percussion instruments independently. For example, and without limitation, the second beater portion 106 can be arranged to hit a surface of a tambourine, and the first beater portion 106 can be arranged to hit a surface of a box drum. In such an aspect of the present disclosure, a drummer may access both the hi-hat and bass drums of a drum set having a much smaller arrangement of components. Furthermore, this arrangement is easier to transport and takes up less space on the stage and/or during transport.

Fig. 12 shows an alternative body 1204 that may be used in place of the body 1104 of fig. 11. Body 1204 also includes a portion 1114, and many other components that are identical to body 1104. However, the main body 1204 includes a connection portion 1204a different from the connection portion 1104a in fig. 11. Portion 1104a allows rod 1102 to pass through, rod 1102 being connected to member 1107. The portion 1204a includes a hole that can be easily inserted into the part 1206, 1208 to be inserted (where the part 1206, 1208 replaces the function of the part 1107, 1109, and the rod 1102 in fig. 11). The components 1206, 1208 may then be held in place by screws (such as drum key screws 1210 and set screws 1212), respectively (although both may be drum key screws, both may be set screws, drum key screws and set screws may be switched, or other types of fasteners may be used). The member 1206 may include an extension 1206a for mounting into a hole of the connection portion 1204a, and the extension 1206a may include a planar surface 1206b. The flat surface 1204b may allow the rotation angle of the member 1206 to be set, such as by a screw or by the shape of a hole. Setting the angle such that it is easily changeable may allow the angle employed by the cable 104 to be set to an angle that does not result in wear and tear or more severe breakage; and can help prevent the performance of the percussion instrument system from being delayed. The member 1208 may similarly include an extension 1208a having a planar surface 1208 b.

Substitution system

A. Exemplary alternative System architecture

Fig. 13-18 illustrate a system 1300 that is similar in some respects to the system shown in fig. 1-3, but with certain different components. Many of the components may be similar or identical, such as the bracket 120, the lever 122, and the pedal 108. However, instead of using a flexible member such as a cable to connect the pedal and the striker portion, the system 1300 utilizes a direct drive assembly 1304 to connect the pedal 1302 of the system to the striker portion 1306 of the system. The components of the system 1300 from the body 1204 (or in some embodiments, the body 1104) toward the remainder of the striker portion 1306 may be the same or similar to those previously described with respect to the other embodiments.

Beginning with pedal portion 1302, pedal portion 1302 includes a base 1310. Base 1310 may be longer than conventional pedal assembly bases to accommodate additional components. For example, in some embodiments, base 1310 may be longer than 12 inches, 15 inches or more, 18 inches or more, or may be between 12 inches and 30 inches long, between 15 inches and 24 inches long, or may be about 18 inches long (full-pack). In other embodiments, standard length mounts may be used.

Pedal portion 1302 may include a drive shaft 112 having an arm 202 (for simplicity, not shown but there will be components connecting drive shaft 112 to pedal 108). However, rather than being coupled to a chain as in system 100, arm 202 may be coupled to linkage 1314, for example, through connector 1312. The linkage 1314 may have a length similar to, slightly shorter than, or slightly longer than the length of the base 1310. In some cases, linkage 1314 may be longer than 12 inches, or between 12 inches and 30 inches, between 15 inches and 24 inches, or about 18 inches long (full pack). Link 1314 is rigid. However, in other embodiments, it may be flexible, such as a chain or rope, to provide more play and hysteresis. As will be discussed in greater detail below, linkage 1314 may connect the front of pedal 108 and/or drive shaft 112 to components behind pedal 108. The component may be on the base 1310, which may be accomplished due to the extended length of the base 1310.

Linkage 1314 may be connected to auxiliary drive shaft 1320, such as through arm 1316 and connector 1318, although many connection means are possible. The drive shaft 1320 may be located behind or behind the pedal 108. The drive shaft 1320 may be mounted on a drive shaft housing 1321, and the drive shaft housing 1321 may be coupled to the base 1310. Drive shaft 1320 may include an axis and be coupled (e.g., via connectors 1322, 1324) to direct drive assembly 1304. In other embodiments, a single connector may be used instead of connectors 1322, 1324. The connectors 1322, 1324 may be coupled such that when the connector 1322 rotates with the drive shaft 1312, there is a direct and rigid rotational connection with the connector 1324. That is, while the coupling between the connectors 1322, 1324 may not be rigid in each direction, when the connector 1322 is rotated in the direction shown in fig. 13 and 14, the connection may be rigid and cause immediate movement; this may be achieved by, for example, a pin and hole connection, which may allow non-rigidity in other directions. The connectors 1326, 1328 on the striker side of the direct drive assembly 1304 may operate in a similar or identical manner. Similarly, the connection between the pedal-side drive shaft 1320 and the connector 1322 and between the striker-side drive shaft 124 and the connector 1328 may also be rigid to immediately or virtually immediately transfer motion from one component to another. It should be appreciated that some connector pairs or other sets of connectors may be combined (e.g., combination connector 1324 and connector 1322, or combination connector 1328 and connector 1326).

The coupling 1350 may include a body 1352 that may be elongated. The body 1352 may include a hole (or in some cases one large connection hole therethrough, such as an axial hole) on its end from which the post 1354 extends. In some embodiments, the extent to which post 1354 protrudes from body 1352 is adjustable. For example, posts 1354 may be held in place within their respective holes by brackets or fasteners 1356 (e.g., drum key screws). When the stand 1356 is released, the distance that the post 1354 extends out of the body 1352 can be changed, and then the stand 1356 can be tightened to lock the post 1354 in place. Post 1354 may provide a rigid connection to pedal portion 1302 and striker portion 1306. The post may have many different shapes and cross-sections. For example, the posts may have triangular, square, rectangular, hexagonal, or other cross-sections with one or more flat sides that facilitate rigid connection. In the particular embodiment shown, the holes of both the post 1354 and the body 1352 have square cross-sections, but many different embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, post 1354 may protrude from body 1352 by 1/16 inch or more, or between 1/16 inch and 3 inches, or between 1/8 inch and 1 inch, or between 1/8 inch and 3/4 inch, or between about 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch (fully-enclosed). It should be appreciated that embodiments outside these ranges are possible.

Many different lengths of the body 1352 are possible. In some embodiments, the body 1352 is greater than 1/2 inch, or between 1/2 inch and 10 inches, or between 1 inch and 6 inches, or between 2 inches and 5 inches (fully-enclosed). Many different embodiments are possible. For example, fig. 15-16 illustrate additional bodies 1360, 1362, wherein the bodies 1352, 1360, 1362 all have different lengths. For convenience of the user, the same percussion instrument pedal system may be provided for different bodies; for example, percussion pedal systems may be equipped with 2 inch, 3 inch, and 4 inch versions. Embodiments outside the above range are possible.

It should be appreciated that a single post is also possible through the entire length of the body 1352, with the single post having an adjustable or non-adjustable length. Additionally, the post 1354 may be non-adjustable, may be fixed and/or rigid, or may be part of the body 1352. In other embodiments, the length that the post may extend from the body may not be locked into place by the bracket, but rather, the maximum extent is set, such as by the internal geometry and connection of the post and the hole (e.g., a portion of the post cannot pass through a portion of the hole). Many different embodiments are possible.

Additionally, while system 1300 is shown configured for a right-foot user, as can be seen in fig. 13-15, system 1300 may also be reconfigured by the user for a left-foot user for his or her selection. For example, linkage 1314 and other components between linkage 1314 and drive shafts 112, 1320 may be detached (e.g., by unscrewing the accessory) and moved to the left side of base 1310 where they may be reattached using the same attachment mechanism. Similarly, the direct drive assembly 1304 may be moved to the right of the drive shaft 1320. The pedal portion 1302 may be used with a separate beater assembly configured for left foot performance, or the beater portion 1304 may also be configured as reversible. For example, the direct drive assembly 1304 may be separated from the illustrated side of the drive shaft 124 and attached to the other side, with the striker rod 126, spring 306, and other components also switching sides to exchange sides with the direct drive assembly 1304. The striker portion 1306 may also be moved to a different stick (e.g., stick 122), which may be preferred by a left foot user.

B. Exemplary alternative System operation and advantages

A typical operation of a percussion instrument pedal system (e.g., system 1300) utilizing the components shown in fig. 13 is described below. It will be understood that variations are possible, and that certain components that are not present may be substituted for components that are present, components may be added, components may be removed, etc., as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. It should also be appreciated that certain components of the system may be "reversed" to achieve the same result; for example, instead of forward movement of linkage 1314 causing striker rod holder 126 to rotate forward, the system may be arranged such that rearward movement of linkage 1314 causes the same movement. The present disclosure encompasses such rearrangements, substitutions, combinations, removals, etc., and the following operations are merely one example of the operation of a system according to the present disclosure.

When the user presses the pedal 108, the drive shaft 112 is actuated and rotated. The rotation engages the arm 202, moving the linkage 1314 forward toward the front of the base 1310. This motion, in combination with arm 1318, arm 1318 rotates drive shaft 1320 in the direction shown in fig. 13 and 14. This rotation is transferred to the coupling 1350, causing the post 1354 and the body 1352 to rotate in the same direction, which in turn causes the drive shaft 124 to rotate in the same direction. This rotation causes forward rotation of the beater bar mount 126, which can cause the beater to strike a drum head or surface (e.g., a box drum surface). Spring 306 may then urge the elements of the system back to their rest position.

In the illustrated embodiment, each connection from the drive shaft 112 to the drive shaft 124, and in some embodiments, from the pedal 108 to the striker rod bracket 126, is rigid. Thus, depressing the pedal 108 causes all other connections between the pedal and the striker rod support to move, i.e., or almost immediately. This may have significant advantages over flexible connections (such as those using chains, ropes, cords, wires, cables, etc.), although it should be appreciated that for some style of performance, a user may prefer a flexible connection). For example, the system 1300 may be such that there is little or no lag time between actuation of the pedal and movement of the beater, which is preferable and/or necessary for accurate performance.

In addition, system 1300 is less prone to wear than systems using cables or wires. Cables or wires, especially when bent to unusual or unnatural positions, may wear and/or break, and the rigid components of the system 1300 are more reliable in this regard.

The use of drive shaft 1320 and/or housing 1321 may also have significant advantages. The amount of force through the system may be very high upon user actuation, particularly under professional drummer actuation. The connection from drive shaft 112 to drive shaft 124 without a strong intermediate point such as drive shaft 1320/housing 1321 may be prone to failure, such as by component removal, because such a system would include all components off the ground and be less stable. The inclusion of the drive shaft 1320/housing 1321 supported by the base 1310 reduces the likelihood of such accidental removal and/or prevents such accidental removal.

There are also significant advantages to making the connection from pedal portion 1302 to striker portion 1306 through the rear of pedal portion 1302 and/or behind pedal 108 (as opposed to the front, such as directly through drive shaft 112 to striker portion 1306 without linkage 1314 being connected to a component of the rear of pedal 108). The system 1300 is generally used to play musical instruments such as box drums, where the user sits on the drum and also plays the surface of the box drum by hand. The components of the rear running system through pedal portion 1302 allow pedal 108 itself, and thus the user's foot, to be in a more natural position generally forward of the front surface of the drum, rather than a position where some or all of the pedal is rearward of the front surface of the drum. The use of a base 1310 that is longer than a typical base is also beneficial because it allows the pedal 108 to be in a more forward position. Embodiments of the present disclosure may include adjustable length mounts and/or links that may be used to further customize positioning.

Head of beating device

Fig. 16-18 illustrate striker heads 1370, 1372 that may be used in embodiments of the present disclosure. Each striker head 1370, 1372 has a substantially flat rear portion, each of which may be attached to a striker rod, as shown in fig. 17. The striker head 1370 includes a planar side surface, a curved front surface from the top of the planar rear surface to the bottom of the planar rear surface.

The striker head 1372 also includes a planar side surface, and a surface that curves from the top of the planar rear surface and the bottom of the planar rear surface. However, instead of a front surface that curves from the top of the flat rear portion to the bottom of the flat rear portion, the striker head 1372 also includes a flat front surface 1372a. Flat front surface 1372a may contact a drum, such as a bass drum head or a chest drum, having a larger surface area than a typical beater head, thereby producing a fuller and louder sound. Flat front surface 1372a may have a surface area of, for example, 0.25 square inches to 6 square inches, 0.5 square inches to 4 square inches, or 0.75 square inches to 2 square inches, all-in-one, and embodiments outside of these ranges are possible. Any of the beater heads 1370, 1372 may be used in any embodiment of the present disclosure in place of conventional beater heads.

It should be understood that various attributes and elements from any one embodiment may be included in other embodiments as well. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred configurations thereof, other versions are possible. The actual scope of the disclosure encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the disclosure. The above detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed above or to the particular field of use mentioned in the disclosure. Although specific embodiments of, and examples for, the disclosure are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. Furthermore, the teachings of the present disclosure provided herein may be applied to products and systems other than head restraint.

Claims

1. A percussion instrument pedal assembly comprising:

A base;

a pedal positioned on the base;

a first drive shaft in front of the pedal and on the base;

A second drive shaft located on the base behind the pedal; and

A rigid link connects the first drive shaft to the second drive shaft.

2. The percussion instrument pedal assembly of claim 1, wherein the base is greater than 12 inches long.

3. The percussion instrument pedal assembly of claim 1, wherein the base is 15 inches or longer.

4. The percussion instrument pedal assembly of claim 1, wherein the base is 18 inches or longer.

5. The percussion instrument pedal assembly of claim 1, wherein the linkage is greater than 12 inches long.

6. The percussion instrument pedal assembly of claim 1, wherein the linkage is 15 inches or longer.

7. The percussion instrument pedal assembly of claim 1, wherein the linkage is 18 inches or longer.

8. The percussion instrument pedal assembly of claim 1, wherein the first drive shaft is located on a first drive shaft housing connected to the base, and wherein the second drive shaft is located on a second drive shaft housing connected to the base.

9. A percussion instrument pedal system comprising:

A pedal assembly of a percussion instrument,

A striker assembly; and

A direct drive connector assembly interposed between the percussion instrument pedal assembly and the beater assembly;

Wherein the percussion instrument pedal assembly comprises a pedal operatively connected to a rigid linkage, and wherein actuation of the pedal causes direct, rigid translational and/or rotational movement of the rigid linkage and each other assembly operatively between the pedal and a beater support.

10. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 9, wherein the connection from the direct drive connector assembly to the percussion instrument pedal assembly, the connection from the direct drive connector assembly to the beater assembly, and all connections within the direct drive connector assembly are rigid connections.

11. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 9, wherein the percussion instrument pedal assembly further comprises:

the pedal is positioned on the base;

a first drive shaft in front of the pedal and on the base;

A second drive shaft located on the base behind the pedal; and

A rigid link connects the first drive shaft to the second drive shaft.

12. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 11, wherein the direct drive connector assembly is connected to the second drive shaft.

13. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 11, wherein actuation of the pedal causes translational movement of the rigid linkage.

14. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 9, wherein the percussion instrument pedal assembly further comprises a second drive shaft behind the pedal, and wherein the direct drive connector assembly is connected to the second drive shaft.

15. The percussion instrument pedal system according to claim 9, the direct drive connector assembly comprising a coupler comprising:

An elongate body having a first end defining a first aperture and a second end defining a second aperture;

A first post located in the first aperture; and

A second post located in the second aperture;

Wherein the distance that the first and second posts extend from their respective apertures is adjustable.

16. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 15, wherein the body is shaped to define two brace apertures along its length and is configured such that a brace passing through the brace apertures can hold the first and second posts in place, respectively.

17. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 15, wherein each of the first post, second post, first hole, and second hole has a cross-section that includes at least one flat side surface.

18. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 15, wherein each of the first post, second post, first hole, and second hole has a cross-section that includes at least two flat sides.

19. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 15, wherein each of the first post, second post, first hole, and second hole has a cross-section that includes at least four flat sides.

20. The percussion instrument pedal system of claim 15, wherein each of the first post, second post, first hole, and second hole has a square cross-section.