Tympani stick

Application filed November 6, 1931. Serial No. 573,311.

The sticks now used for beating kettle drums consist: of handies inserted through the center of cushions in the form of thick disks, so that contact may be made with the ⁵ membrane of the drum at any point around a disk or head. One of the objections to a stick of this kind is that it does not strike a sharp blow that will produce a clean cut tone; but all of the blows, therefore the tones ¹⁰ resulting therefrom, are muffled.

The object of the present invention is to produce a stick which will give all of the advantages resulting from blows struck by a cushion and, at the same time, will cause a ¹³ sharply defined tone to be obtained upon striking the drum membrane.

With the ordinary stick, the effect of a blow is about the same as would result from the use of a head or striker having a flat ²⁰ striking surface of considerable area, so that the force of the blow is distributed over a considerable area of the membrane of the drum. In accordance with my invention, while retaining the cushioning effect, I pro-³ duce more nearly a point contact between the stick and the drum head, thereby causing a sharper, clearer tone to be created.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will herein³⁰ after be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with ³³ the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a stick embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is an end view, on a larger scale, looking at the left hand or head end of the stick as it appears ⁴⁰ in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3—3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a cross section through the handle of the stick.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a stick of any usual or suitable size and shape. ⁴⁵ Fastened on one end of the stick is a head in the form of a thick flat slab or block lying in a plane at right angles to the stick and almost entirely on one side of the stick. This head comprises a core 2 of hard mate^s0 rial in the form of a stake or finger. Inclos ing the core throughout the greater portion of it® length is a pad 3 of comparatively hard cushioning material that covers and extends along two opposed edges and one end of the core. The periphery of the head is formed ⁵³of a thick strip 4 of comparatively soft cushioning material. The core may conveniently be made of wood, the pad 3 of compacted . felt, and the strip 4 of soft felt. The handle is connected to the finger or core at what ^eomay be termed the upper end of the head, namely at a point remote from the covered end. What may be termed the lower half of the head is preferably in the form of a disk whose center is at the point of the cov- ⁶⁵ered end of» the core.

- The core may project from the head proper to the opposite side of the stick and be shaped to form, a secondary head. Sometimes a composition calls for the striking of ⁷⁰wood on the drum, in which case the handles of the sticks have heretofore been employed. However, by projecting the core of my improved stick and forming them into an auxiliary head, a blow may be struck by wood ⁷⁵through the mere turning of a stick in the hand about the long axis of the stick and without shifting the stick end for end.

The head of the stick may be weighted and the balance of the stick modified by provid- ⁸⁰ing the secondary head with a hole into which may .be inserted a block 6 of lead or other suitable material.

The wooden core may be provided with a contracted portion or neck just below the ⁸⁵secondary head 5. The two ends of the felt strip 4 may be carried up past this neck and the strip be fastened to the head by means of a cord or thread 7 wrapped around the ends of the strip and the interposed neck ⁹⁰portion of the core. When the felt strip becomes worn or soiled, it may quickly and easily be replaced by a new strip, as all that is necessary is to cut the cord or thread to leave the strip free to be removed. ⁹⁵

The head may be fastened to the handle in any suitable way. In the arrangement shown; one end of the handle is screw threaded; the screw threaded portion of the handle is passed through a hole in the core; ¹⁰¹

1,892,416 and a nut 8, is applied to the projecting screw threaded end of the handle and locks the head to the handle.

The handle may be of any desired size and 5 shape, as heretofore explained. In some instances it may be advantageous to have it more or less flattened in the zone where it is gripped in the hand, and thereby enable the user always to point the core of the head 10 in the direction in which the blow is to be struck. Thus, for example, the handle may be oval shaped in cross section as indicated at 10 in Figure 4.

It will thus be seen that, because the head 15 of my improved stick contains a hard core that is pointed at the end opposite the striking point on the periphery of the head, the force of a blow struck by the head will be transmitted to the membrane of the drum ββ through a small or concentrated area thereof, whereby a clear sharply-defined tone results. It will also be seen that my stick is extremely simple, and that the striking surface may be replaced or renewed readily and at little 85 cost.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated •® and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.