Abstract: Disclosed herein is an enhanced drum stick. The drum stick includes a grip attachment defining a closed loop which is secured to the drum stick by a bracket. The closed loop can be rigid or relatively flexible.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument having an elongate neck and a body which may have a resonant cavity at one end and a head at the other end thereof. Strings extend across the neck and, when vibrated, generate musical sounds. The invention relies upon fingerboards which are removable so that one type of fingerboard may be substitutable for another type of fingerboard in order to generate sounds of different timber or of different qualities. Thus, fretted fingerboards are substitutable for non-fretted fingerboards. Moreover, and in a preferred embodiment, the fingerboards are inserted onto the neck of the instrument and can be slid into and out of interlocking elements from one longitudinal side of the neck of the instrument. In one embodiment of the invention, dovetail projections are formed on the neck of the musical instrument and corresponding notches or grooves are formed on the underside of the fingerboard to permit an interlocking arrangement of the fingerboard on the neck of the musical instrument.

Abstract: A simulated stringed musical instrument practice device having integrally formed longitudinal ridges simulating strings is herein disclosed. The present invention generally comprises an elongated section of material that is similar in shape to the neck of a conventional stringed instrument. The elongated section has a flat surface fashioned thereon having transverse ridges simulating frets as well as longitudinal ridges integrally attached thereto simulating strings. The frets are spaced progressively longer distances apart in order to more accurately simulate the fret board of a conventional stringed instrument. Optionally, the present invention may also provide utility as a computer keyboard wrist rest. Non-slip footings are provided for attachment to the flat surface in order to provide for secure placement adjacent the keyboard of a computer in a manner similar to conventional wrist rests.

Abstract: A shoulder supported percussion musical instrument carrier and vibration isolation support assembly providing support for a plurality of percussion musical instruments on a person while standing, walking, or marching. Each of the percussion musical instruments is detachably secured between upper and lower plates of an instrument support frame utilizing one or more tension element casings located about the circumference of each instrument. The instrument support frame, in turn, is secured to a supporting vest including vibration isolated shoulder straps. A special bushing is used in conjunction with the tension lugs of the percussion instrument to reduce friction coefficient and to maintain the alignment of the tension lugs.

Abstract: A noise attenuation panel used to attenuate noise in aircraft engines includes a cellular core and a facing sheet formed with an array of holes. The holes are laser drilled to provide: (i) hole size variation over the facing sheet; (ii) non-circular hole cross section; (iii) polygonal hole cross section; (iv) hole locations not contiguous with walls of the cellular core; and (v) inclined holes passing through the facing sheet in a direction inclined to the normal to the facing sheet.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument, which has a neck assembly, a body, and a plurality of strings. The neck assembly having a structure made of wood and composite materials of graphite/carbon fiber, and epoxy resins. Which is of sufficient strength and stiffness to withstand, without deformation, the entire load imposed upon the neck assembly by the tension of the strings. The neck assembly will include one structural load bearing wooden core, laminated with the composite external skin structure and epoxy resins, and will extend completely along the length of the neck assembly. The use of wood as a core structural material will enable the instrument to retain the response and tonal qualities of stringed instruments, which is common to a traditional wooden neck assembly. A fingerboard of wood is bonded to the composite external structure and a non-structural, non-load bearing two way string orbit relief adjustment mechanism is installed in the node region along the longitudinal axis of said neck assembly.

Abstract: The fine jet control type sound absorption system of this invention, aimed at absorbing low-frequency sound with both discrete frequency and broadband frequency to the same degree as already existing acoustic lining can do, is composed of two parts. One is a barrier wall covering an air space in which the concerning low-frequency sound propagates and having a multiplicity of small holes formed therein. The other is the means for causing a fine jet passing through these small holes into or out from the air space. This sound absorption system realizes a fine jet in the vicinity of the barrier wall for the purpose of canceling the sound inside the air space by means of the interference of the sound with the fine jets. Any of or a combination of shape of small holes, jet ejection angle or suction angle, amount of jet flow, thickness of a barrier wall back layer and air flow angle at which secondary air flows into the barrier wall back layer is selected.

Abstract: An improved tuning peg construction 10 for applying selective tension on a string 101 of a musical instrument 100 wherein the construction includes a tuning peg member 20 having a threaded shaft 21 adapted to engage the toothed gear 103 on a tuning peg 102 attached to one of the string 101 of a musical instrument; wherein, the outboard end of the tuning peg member 20 is provided with a contoured post 20 that is received in a reciprocating fashion in a contoured recess 34 formed in a tuning knob member 30 which is normally spring biased into a free-wheeling spaced relationship with the tuning peg member 20 until such time as the musician desires to change the tension on the string 101 of the instrument 100.

Abstract: A sounding block for a drum including a block which is generally rectangular when viewed from a front side and curved when viewed from a top side and an attachment device for adjustably attaching the block to a periphery of a drum. The curvature of the block substantially corresponds to a curvature of a periphery of a drum to which the block is to be attached.

Abstract: A stringed instrument with a compliantly suspended sound board allows for deeper, richer sound in s smaller sized instrument. The compliant suspension of the sound board allows for greater acoustic excursions at the edges of the sound board. The resonance set up between the compliance of the sound suspension and the mass of the sound board may be placed below and near the Helmholtz resonance of the instrument to effectively create a broader, lower-frequency Helmholtz resonance than would typically be achievable in instruments of similar size.

Abstract: A woodwind instrument has a key mechanism provided on a tube, and a player selectively closes and opens holes formed in the tube through a fingering; the key mechanism includes keys corresponding to the holes, and each of the key has an automatic regulator for uniformly pressing a pad washer to a pad received in a pad cup so that, even if the pad cup is inaccurately fixed to a linkage of the key mechanism, the hole is surely closed with the pad.

Abstract: A noise attenuation panel used to attenuate noise in aircraft engines includes a cellular core and a facing sheet formed with an array of holes. The holes are laser drilled to provide: (i) hole size variation over the facing sheet; (ii) non-circular hole cross section; (iii) polygonal hole cross section; (iv) hole locations not contiguous with walls of the cellular core; and (v) inclined holes passing through the facing sheet in a direction inclined to the normal to the facing sheet.

Abstract: A catalytic muffler includes a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of catalyst coated serially stacked perforated cups through which exhaust flows and is acoustically attenuated and catalyzed.

Abstract: An adjustable retaining device for a bass drum has a positioning plate securely engaged with the base, a first clamping plate pivotally connected with the position plate and a second clamping plate selectively engaged with and movable relative to the first clamping plate. A torque device engaged with the second clamping plate and having at least two rods securely extending out. The at least two rods slidably extend through the second clamping plate to allow the second plate to move with respect to the first clamping plate so as that a position of the second clamping plate is changeable with respect to the first clamping plate.

Abstract: A vibraphone provided with at least one series of sound bars with resonance tubes provided thereunder, while above at least a number of the resonance tubes a shaft extends, provided with a series of fans, while driving means are provided for rotation of the or each shaft about its longitudinal axis, such that the fans rotate above the respective resonance tubes, while at least one slip coupling is provided, positioned such that a couple that can be transferred by the driving means to the shaft and/or a fan is limited.

Abstract: A holder for a single musical instrument reed provides the proper pressures upon a reed being held therein, to assure that a moist reed will dry properly without warping after use. The present holder has a laterally bowed, outwardly convex first panel and an opposite flat second panel, with the reed fitting therebetween. A pair of longitudinal ribs extend along the inner surface of the first panel and bear against the curved surface of the reed stored therein, to hold the opposite flat surface of the reed securely against the flat inner surface of the second panel and assure that the reed cannot bend or warp within the holder. The holder is preferably formed of a polyethylene plastic material, which allows the sides to be flexed inwardly to bow the first panel away from the reed, thereby allowing the reed to be withdrawn from the holder.

Abstract: The speaker diaphragm of the present invention includes a nonwoven fabric impregnated with at least a thermosetting resin composition, molded, and cured. The nonwoven fabric is formed of a fiber material containing protein fibers. The thermosetting resin composition contains an unsaturated polyester resin as a main component. The speaker diaphragm of the present invention has excellent acoustic characteristics and is produced with high production efficiency.

Abstract: A sound-producing device includes an acoustical generator associated with a rigid acoustical waveguide. The waveguide has a first section aligned with the exit and a second section aligned with the entry and the two sections are connected by a curved reflecting surface having the shape of part of a conic section surface.

Abstract: A drum muting system is provided to be removably mounted on a drum which muffles the natural sound produced by the drum, thereby allowing the tone of the drum to be controlled. The drum muting system includes an outer frame, a muting element, an inner muting assembly, a drum mounting structure, and an adjustment mechanism. The outer frame supportably engages the inner muting assembly which includes the muting element and a muting element support member. The inner muting assembly is maintained in an operative position relative to the outer frame by a suspension assembly which includes at least one but preferably a plurality of biasing elements secured to the outer frame and inner muting assembly by biasing element anchors. The adjustment mechanism permits the muting element to be selectively positioned relative to the outer surface of the drum head to permit an increase or decrease in the muting effect achieved.

Abstract: A versatile walking cane adapted to be used alternatively as a stringed musical instrument. The cane has a handle portion, a tip portion and an elongate, preferably cylindrical body portion therebetween. The body portion has a plurality of tuning pegs rotatably mounted thereon adjacent the handle portion, a nut rigidly mounted near the tip portion and a bridge rigidly mounted between the tuning pegs and the nut. One end of each of a plurality of strings are spaced from one another and attached to the nut while the opposing ends of the strings are attached to the tuning pegs such that the strings contact the bridge and the nut and are spaced from the portion of the body portion therebetween. The portion of the strings between the bridge and the nut overlie a plurality of frets rigidly attached to the portion of the body portion between the nut and the bridge. The body portion, which is preferably hollow, may further include a hole therein disposed between the bridge and the nut.