Abstract: A drumhead includes a membrane with ferrous responsive material printed onto a surface or otherwise incorporated into it. The ferrous responsive material is detectable by an electromagnetic sensor such that striking the membrane causes vibration that is detected by the sensor, which may initiate an acoustic sound via a sound module. The drumhead may thus be used in an electronic drumming system without requiring fixation of a foreign object to a surface of the membrane.

Abstract: A reduced volume drumhead has a layer of porous material and a ring of compressible material. The ring of compressible material is fixed to the underside of the layer of porous material in a substantially centered or coaxial position with the porous material stretched across a hoop in tension. The ring may be formed of a foam or similar material with compressibility and stretchability under tension and defines an open central area of the drumhead for striking. The ring may be formed of segments and thus include one or more circumferential breaks with spacing. The drumhead provides natural tonal characteristics and has a natural feel when struck.

Abstract: A synthetic reed for use with a woodwind instrument includes a synthetic resin matrix with randomly distributed suspended cane particles. Synthetic fibers, which may comprise one or more different material filaments, may also be impregnated within resin matrix. The cane particles can be present in a concentration of approximately 0.5-10% by volume and at least a majority of the cane particles in the resin matrix can be less than 100 micrometers. The matrix may be formed from two components including an epoxy resin component and a hardener component. The reed exhibits improved strength properties usually provided by synthetics with the warmer sonic properties associated with natural cane reeds and preferred by musicians.

Abstract: An exercise device for compression exercises is adjustable in height and in compression force. The device includes a central housing and a plurality of plungers extending from a top side. A support member is attached to the housing on a bottom side. The support member is movable longitudinally relative to the housing and plungers from a fully retracted position to a fully extended position and is lockable in a plurality of intermediate longitudinal positions to vary the height of the device. Each plunger is operatively associated with an internal bias member that biases the plunger away from the housing. Resistance force on a plunger is adjustable via changing tension of the associated bias member with an adjustment knob to finely adjust tension. An installed bias member is removable and replaceable with a different bias member to coarsely adjust tension.

Abstract: An adjustable and reusable electrical assembly has an electrical unit, such as a plug unit or light unit, configured to engage with a cable. The electrical unit has a body that defines a channel connecting opposite pass-through openings. A first contact member and a second contact member are positioned with at least a portion in the body, each contact member having a piercing member. The cable is engageable with the plug unit extending through the channel with one piercing member in conductive contact with one wire and the other piercing member in conductive contact with the other wire. The cable can be disengaged from the plug unit and re-engaged at a different transverse position to change the length of the assembly.

Abstract: A snare unit formed from film material includes a plurality of slots that define segments. The snare unit is attachable relative to a drumhead with a surface of the film flat against a surface of the drumhead. In the attached position, one or more of the segments vibrates against the drumhead when the drumhead is struck to produce a snare-like audible sound. In a drumhead with reduced volume, the snare unit is positioned flat against one or more layers of a porous material to define a drumhead and attached such that a portion of the snare unit vibrates against a surface of the porous material when the drumhead is struck, thereby producing a snare-like sound having a volume reduced relative to a standard drumhead.

Abstract: An exercise device includes a housing and one or more receptacles for receipt of a jointed body part, positioned to the outside of the housing, wherein each of the receptacles is biased toward the housing and independently repositionable away from the housing against a substantially constant bias force at all positions relative to the housing. In the disclosed finger exercising embodiment the housing includes a base defining a front surface for engagement with the fingers during retraction of the finger receptacles and an inner surface over which the cords pass toward the finger receptacles. A joint isolation element, such as a flexible band, is positioned at the front surface of the base, whereby the user keeps one or more fingers engaged with the housing while one or more other fingers can be extended against resistance.

Abstract: A pivoting plug adapter provides a conductive connection between first and second plugs. The adapter includes a pair of sub-assemblies attached to one another in a pivotal mechanical connection with each sub-assembly housing conductive elements. One plug extends from one sub-assembly and the other plug extends from the other sub-assembly. A central conductive sleeve extends between the respective sub-assemblies coaxial to the axis of rotation. A bias member is positioned between sub-assemblies to bias them away from one another. Another bias member is positioned within a sub-assembly as a member of the conductive path between the plugs. One or more of the bias members may be wave washers. The sub-assemblies are pivotal about the central axis to vary the position of the plugs relative to one another while maintaining conductive communication.

Abstract: A snare system for use with a drum has a snare assembly with snares extended longitudinally between opposite end plates. The end plates define a slot from a top surface to a bottom surface with obliquely extending walls. Two connectors, each with a strap carrying a latch member, are attached to opposite sides of the drum via its strap with latch member within the drum rim. Each latch member includes a flange with oblique configuration complimentary to the oblique slot in the end plates. The snare assembly is attached via sliding engagement of the respective flanges into the respective slots with the surfaces of each in surface-to-surface contact so that the connectors maintain the snare assembly attached to the drum. The snare assembly is removable quickly by reverse sliding of the flanges from the slots to interchange with a different snare assembly having end plates with a common configuration.

Abstract: A telescopically adjustable board for mounting musical instrument pedals includes a first inner rail-outer rail pair. The outer rail has a tubular shape defining a hollow track and the inner rail is slidably received within the hollow track with the outer rail circumscribing the inner rail. Each of the inner rail and outer rail is configured to fixably attach to a musical effects pedal. The board may include a second inner rail-outer rail pair substantially parallel to and spaced from the first inner rail-outer rail pair. The inner rails are slidable relative to the outer rails between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position to adjust the longitudinal length of the board.

Abstract: An adjustable capo for a stringed musical instrument includes a front jaw with a top arm and a rear jaw with a bottom arm. The rear jaw is pivotally attached to the front jaw about a first axis with the top arm biased rotationally in a direction toward the bottom arm about the first axis. The bottom arm is attached to a rear handle in a pivotal relationship about a second axis that is independent from the first axis. An adjuster is configured to adjust the pressure applied by the top arm on the strings of a musical instrument when the instrument neck is clamped between the top arm and bottom arm.

Abstract: A wooden drum shell that is treated by direct heating by exposure to a flame to alter the state of fibers in an outer layer of the drum shell relative to the untreated drum shell or inner fibers below the outermost layer. A method of manufacturing a treated drum shell includes selecting a wooden starting material, forming an untreated drum shell from the starting material, and exposing the drum untreated drum shell directly to a flame.

Abstract: A multi-functional finger exercise device includes mechanisms for both compression exercises and extension exercises. The compression exercises are provided by a plunger biased away from a central housing. The extension exercises are provided by an elastic member with an anchor exposed from the housing. The tension provided by each of the compression mechanism and extension mechanism is adjustable.

Abstract: A drumstick has a conventional tip and tapered shank, but the handle portion on the shaft has a wavy profile, with a nominal diameter and with the peaks rising above the nominal diameter and the valleys recessed below the nominal diameter. Whether or not the drumstick has a wavy handle, the outer surface of the drumstick has a tack which increases with increasing moisture of the drumstick outer surface, e.g., the tack increases between an initial condition of a drummer's dry skin against a dry drumstick surface and a play condition of a drummer's moist skin against a moist drumstick.

Abstract: A percussive instrument mallet includes a molded head, a shaft having an optionally threaded nose, and a rigid insert fixed completely within the head. The insert has an inner profile including threads or other protrusions that mate with the nose of the shaft, and an outer profile that is embedded in the mold material. An outer portion of the insert includes a weighting ring that is also embedded in the mold material. The method includes selecting a tool with an optionally threaded nose and a central bore, threading or otherwise securing an insert onto the nose of the tool, supporting a weight ring on the insert; placing the threaded insert and weight ring in a mold, molding the head while over-molding the weight ring and insert, drawing air out of the head through the central bore, disengaging the tool from the insert, and attaching a mallet shaft into the insert.

Abstract: A signal cable comprising a plurality of plug parts forming a plug that is operatively connected to signal and ground conductors at one end of a coaxial cable, wherein the plug parts and the end of the coaxial cable are held together only by an insulating overmold material. The assembly has four operatively connected plug parts (12, 20, 24, 30); a signal conductor at one end (42) of a coaxial cable (40) conductively connected to one of the plug parts (12); and an overmold (54) encapsulating the end of the cable and a conductive connection between a cable ground sleeve and another plug part (30).