Drum hoop

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 member 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

RELATED APPLICATION

beak break before the bolt 6 is broken by the pressure applied by the tightening tool for the nuts 5.

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.

Various modifications may be made in the form of the inventions without departing from the principles disclosed in the foregoing. It is our intention therefore that the accompanying claims be construed as broadly as possible consistent with the prior art.

Claims

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,

adjustable head tensioning means for varying the tension of the drum head by drawing it over said shell contact surface, said loop 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 flat surface contact with three sides of said head channel 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 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. 4. A counter hoop as claimed in claim 3 9 wherein a nut-like members are member is secured to the top of each of the bolts and include includes a lower, substantially flat surface and a corresponding substantially flat surface formed on said main body portion of the hoop with which said flat surfaces surface of said nut-like members engage member engages.

5. A counter hoop as claimed in claim 3 wherein said apertures are positioned so as not to pass through

said reinforcing means. 6. A counter hoop as claimed in claim 2 9 said outer channel reinforcing means comprises a plurality of cross connections which are case integrally therewith.

7. 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.

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. 9. A musical 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, said drum head lying in contact with said one surface and held tightly thereagainst when the drum is assembled,

adjustable head tensioning means for varying the tension of the drum head by drawing it over said one shell contact surface, comprising:

a counterhoop comprising an annular main body having first and second radially spaced annular extensions extending from said main body in the same axial direction, said first and second extensions and a first portion of said main body defining an outer channel, said second extension and a second portion of said main body defining an inner channel,

said first extension having a smooth outer surface substantially free of protuberances extending therefrom,

said second extension, together with said second main body portion and the drum shell being in substantial flat surface bearing engagement with three sides of said locking ring to prevent rotation of the same when tension is applied to said tensioning means, and

reinforcing means extending in said outer channel between said first and second extensions thereof at circumferentially spaced positions about said hoop, a plurality of holes formed in said first 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 shell, said reinforcing means being circumferentially spaced one from the other so that holes equally spaced one from the other about said hoop and numbering eight, ten or twelve may be provided without interfering with said

reinforcing means. 10. A counter hoop as claimed in claim

9 wherein the number of apertures is eight. 11. A counter hoop as claimed in claim 9 wherein the number of apertures is ten. 12. A counter hoop as claimed in claim 9 wherein the number of apertures is twelve.