Abstract: For use in actuating a cymbal or the like, there being an upright support stand and an upright rod associated with the stand and attached to the cymbal to move it vertically, and there being a foot activated pedal unit remote from the stand comprising a frame associated with the stand, and a connector unit associated with the frame, the rod connected with the connector unit to be moved upwardly and downwardly by the unit; a flexible cable extending between the pedal unit and the connector unit, the cable having opposite ends, one end of the cable operatively connected with the pedal unit and the other end of the cable removably connected with the connector unit, to move the connector unit upwardly and downwardly in response to foot actuation of the pedal unit; and a sheath extending about the cable between the pedal unit and the frame, the cable movable endwise within the sheath; whereby the cable can be disconnected from the connector unit, and removed endwise from the sheath, for cleaning and lubrication th

Abstract: A hand-held percussion musical instrument includes a swinging tone-generating plate, which is hinged and moved when being played. The tone plate is sounded by impact with the body of the instrument, which includes a resonator and impact member located at the point of contact with the tone plate. The tone plate swings on a hinge, which is a flexible elastomeric joint that secures the tone plate to the resonator. A pleated, accordion-type elastomeric member is affixed between the end of the tone plate and body of the instrument to control the lateral movement of the tone plate and limit its backswing.

Abstract: In a sound board assembly for a musical instrument, a plurality of straight-grain wood veneers are joined together in a plane to form a plate unit having front and rear surfaces. Each of the wood veneers has two lateral sides which extend in a direction along the grain of the wood veneer. The lateral sides of the wood veneer serve respectively as a pair of abutments. One of the pair of abutments of one of each pair of adjacent wood veneers is abutted against and joined to one of the pair of abutments of the other wood veneer. A plurality of voids are formed inside of the plate unit. Substantially, the voids are formed along a neutral plane of the plate unit which is in the middle of the two surfaces.

Abstract: In a musical percussion instrument where percussion elements are arranged side-by-side, support for the percussion elements which includes a base member grooved to receive the percussion elements and matching hook-and-pile self-fastening fabric elements on both the base member grooves and the percussion elements to hold the latter in place on the grooves in spaced relation with the surface of the grooves.

Abstract: A noise making device for creating selective clapping sounds comprised of a pair of section halves of molded plastic construction, each section including a handle portion and an elongated flat blade portion extending therefrom together with locking elements for joining the section halves together along a planar mating surface, which locking elements are provided internally to define a smooth handle portion.

Abstract: A musical cow-bell is provided with a striking ridge of high impact plastic. The ridge provides versatility in playing, protection against damage to the bell or drumstricks and improved tone.

Abstract: Clacker apparatus includes a base portion, including a handle, and one or two clacker elements secured to the base element. The clacker elements are secured by means of a rivet or the like, and the elements are freely movable relative to each other to allow the clacker elements to contact the base element over substantially the entire area. The bottom of the base element may include an aperture for receiving streamers or a chain.

Abstract: A series of substantially horizontally disposed and extended chimes are mounted upon a bracket and positioned to interrupt the fall of rain adjacent a building. The impact of rain or other precipitation upon the chimes gives forth a pleasing sound which is soothing and in many cases soporific for the individuals within the building. The chime means may be of various shapes and arrangements and a transmission apparatus may be provided to conduct the sound of the chimes into the building structure, although the sound of the rain will normally be conducted through an open window or the like into the interior during the sleeping or resting periods of individuals within the building.

Abstract: A musical instrument of substantially conical shape that has a rim and spokes, the rim being substantially circular. The spokes number at least three and are of equal length, emanating from a second rim. The second rim is not in the same plane that is defined by the rim but shares the same axis with the first rim. The instrument can be played by striking it with a stick or another instrument. The sound the instrument gives can be changed by varying the diameter of the rim or the number of spokes, the orientation of the instrument, the material of which the instrument is made, or by loosely attaching a cymbal to the interior of the cone defined by the instrument's configuration.

Abstract: A hand-held percussion device which can make different sounds when shaken, struck, or scraped is now available. The device comprises a frame that is made of two sound boards interconnected and separated by a top block on one end and joined on the other end. Between the top and bottom of the device, a bridge interconnects and separates the sound boards thereby determining their length and tension. The bridge also creates at least two separated sound chambers in the frame. A top plate is placed over the upper side of the sound boards and a lower plate is placed over the bottom side of the sound boards. The top plate and bottom plate, respectively, can be separated from the sound boards by use of spacers. Filler materials such as "BBs" or other bead-like materials can be placed within one or more of the chambers thereby allowing the device to make noise when vibrated.

Abstract: A percussion instrument comprises an oblong plastic block having a generally rectangular block portion with a front face and top and bottom surfaces, and a flange extending outwardly from the sides and rear. An elongated slot in the front face extends rearwardly to the rear flange, and laterally between the side flanges. The block has a raised ridge on the top face adjacent the front face for striking. In addition, landings are formed in the flanges which, together with a cooperating bracket assembly, act as a means for mounting the block.

Abstract: A musical instrument such as a jingle, a tambourine or a tomtom is provided with two or more hollow resonators arranged in the vicinity of at least one tone generator such as a pair of jingle discs or a head and preferably selectively closable by means of a slider coupled movably to the body of the instrument. Presence of a plurality of resonators, preferably different in resonance characteristics, assures colorful and rich resonance of tones generated by the tone generator and use of the slider enables easy and free finger control on the mode of resonance.

Abstract: In construction of an idiophone such as a tambourine having paired metallic jingles idly supported by carrier rods in respective windows formed transversely through an elongated shell, each carrier rod is fixed at both ends by inner ridges of the shell and the end of each shell project inwards beyond walls of the shell. Multiple phased collisions between the jingles, between the jingles and the ridges and between the jingles and the walls enable generation of colorful musical tones with rich acoustic variety and tone quality.

Abstract: A noise generating device which has a pair of plastic elongated blades pivotally secured at their distal ends to each other and interconnected intermediately. A spacer is interposed between the blades between the distal and interconnected intermediate portions of the blades. The clapper being used by an operator grasping the ends of the blades and shaking the blades to produce a clapping sound. An improved method of producing the device.

Abstract: A cymbal made of bronze which contains primarily copper and tin. Tin is present in the range of 13 to 18 percent by weight. This cymbal permits an advance into a totally new sound dimension or sound effects.

Abstract: A suspended idiophone is described in which a plate of sonorous material is formed along an axis in a manner by which the plate will be capable of expanding and contracting resiliently to produce an acoustical vibrato. The musical sound produced by the present idiophone will resemble that produced by a standard cymbal or gong with the addition of vibrato afforded through the particular configuration due to resiliency of material along an axis. When sounded, the resilient material will oscillate axially to produce the vibrato effect.

Abstract: In construction of a laminated FRP sound bar for percussive musical instrument, isolated pores are formed in FRP components of the lamination in order to raise bonding strength between the adjacent FRP components.

Abstract: In construction of a percussive musical instrument such as a wood block having at least one striker head and an internal resonator chamber for resonation of vibrations generated at the striker head, at least one round striker head is arranged along at least one slit formed in communication with the resonator chamber for exact and easy generation of intended musical tones regardless of the swing mode of a stick.

Abstract: In construction of a FRP sound bar preferably by lamination for percussive musical instruments, 30 to 80% by volume of reinforcing fibers are oriented in a resin matrix at least in the longitudinal direction of the sound bar and a plurality of longitudinal pores are almost uniformly distributed over the entire cross section of the sound bar, for easy and low cost production with ideal sound extension.

Abstract: A percussion noisemaker capable of two distinctive noise effects comprises a pair of thin, flat, elongated wooden clapper arms having handle ends mounted together so that the two arms form a narrow V with flat surfaces of the arms facing each other; a fulcrum member is interposed between the arms near their handle ends. A pair of wood clapper knobs are mounted opposite each other on the inside of the V at the ends of the clapper arms remote from their handle ends, and two funnel shaped molded plastic sounding members are mounted on the outside of the V in alignment with the clapper knobs.

Abstract: In construction of a FRP sound bar preferably by lamination for percussive musical instruments, 30 to 80% by volume of reinforcing fibers are oriented in a resin matrix at least in the longitudinal direction of the sound bar and a plurality of longitudinal pores are almost uniformly distributed over the entire cross section of the sound bar, for easy and low cost production with ideal sound extension.

Abstract: A glass harmonica with a plurality of quartz cups of different sizes coaxially arranged on a spindle which is rotated by a variable speed motor. The cups are held on the spindle by intermediate mounting members which are slidable along the axis of the spindle. End mounting members, which are mounted on the spindle, clamp the cups so that they rotate with the spindle. A range of musical tones are produced when the rims of the rotating cups are touched by a player's fingertips, either the fingertips are moistened or the edges of the cups are moistened by a moisturizer.

Abstract: The cymbals of a high-hat have a closed state where the cymbals are in contact and an open state where the cymbals are separated. For adjusting the pressure of the cymbals in the closed state, an adjusting nut or bolt on a support body moves the holding rod for the top cymbal to adjust the pressure. In an alternate embodiment, a support to which the holding rod is also secured is movable over large distances to move the cymbals between the open and closed states.

Abstract: A noisemaker formed of molded plastic material having a central body portion with a projection extending from one end thereof and preferably a pair of paddle portions each having a projection extending from an end thereof, with the paddle portions being disposed on opposite sides of the body portion, with the paddle portions including flexible hinge sections adapted for providing for pivotal movement of the paddle portions relative to the body portion, and a separate handle member having a recess receiving therein the projections on the body and paddle portions to hold such portions in generally adjacent relation, with means for locking the handle member to the body and the paddle portions. The paddle portions are adapted to pivot into and out of impacting relation to the body portion upon shaking of the noisemaker by the handle member, thus creating a hand-produced rhythmic-like noise.

Abstract: A sizzler construction which is usable in combination with a conventional cymbal element and the like to provide a sizzle effect in the sound produced upon impact of the cymbal element. The sizzler includes a chain which overlies the upper surface of the cymbal and which preferably comprises a plurality of loosely interconnected independent metallic ball elements. When the cymbal element is impacted with a drumstick or the like the ball elements independently bounce or vibrate on the upper surface of the cymbal element to provide the desired sizzle effect in the sound produced.

Abstract: This invention relates to improved percussion musical bars for xylophones, marimbas, bar bells, orchestra bells, vibraphones etc. Traditionally, music played on a marimba, for example, is of one type in the lower octaves denoted by a longer sustained sound, and of a different type in the upper octaves, where a smooth sustained sound is difficult or nearly impossible to maintain due to the rapid decay of the sound emanated from the bars in that range. In this invention, vibraile musical bars made of dissimilar materials, such as wood and metal, wood and rubber, metal and plastic, metal and rubber etc., in the form either a composite or laminations to control the decay period of sounds originating from various bars and to obtain a nearly uniform decay period for all tonal elements in a multi-octave instrument. The proportionate thickness of each dissimilar material in the improved musical bars depends on the shape and cross-section of the bar, the tone-element of concern and the desired decay period.

Abstract: This invention relates to a cowbell type of musical instrument with a plurality of sound producing ribs resonantly positioned on one side thereof to allow staccato sounds to be selectively produced intermittently during the play of the bell.

Abstract: An elliptical cymbal or gong. The cymbal structure has a platelike configuration bounded by a continuous edge defining opposite elliptical areal surfaces about its periphery. The foci of the boundary ellipse are visually indicated at the outer surface of the cymbal or gong to guide the user in striking the cymbal at one of these locations.

Abstract: A hand-held percussion instrument. A hollow, elongate cylindrical member has a plurality of musically-pleasing sound producing beads disposed therein, in free-flowing disposition so that oscillation or other movement of the member causes said beads to impinge upon the internal walls of the instrument, thereby producing said sound.A pair of symmetrically positioned convex walls are juxtaposed mid-length of the instrument, interiorly thereof, and therefore define a bi-convex-shaped volume therebetween. A plurality of circumferentially spaced ports open the volume defined by the walls to atmosphere so that sounds generated by the impinging of said beads against said convex walls flows to the listener through said ports.The instrument preferably has opposed frusto-conical ends and a support stand adapted to releasably engage either of said ends is provided.

Abstract: A novel percussion instrument that may be adjusted to selectively provide well-known cymbal tones and snare drum tones, as well as many other tones which may be a combination or variation of cymbal and snare drum tones. The instrument comprises a tubular casing of rigid material, such as thin metal or plastic, having one end supported on a base and its opposite end open. A thin metal diaphragm overlies the open end of the casing with its peripheral portion in overhanging relation. Means are provided to support the diaphragm intermediate its peripheral portion, and further means are provided to hold the diaphragm against the rim of the casing to provide snare drum tones, or to hold the diaphragm spaced from the rim casing to provide cymbal tones.

Abstract: A musical percussion instrument combining in a single instrument the striking tones of a clave, the jingling of a tambourine, and the rhythmic grating of a guiro. A wooden handle, doubling as a clave when struck by a striker element, is rigidly attached to a wooden carrier assembly containing apertures for loosely mounting jingles, thereby producing tambourine-like sounds when shaken. A serrated surface of the carrier assembly produces sounds similar to a guiro when the striker element is drawn across it.

Abstract: A musical instrument for producing slapping sounds occurring at an audibly distinct asynchronous rate. A rigid slat member has a plurality of flexible slat members disposed adjacent thereto on at least one side and connected at one end to form a gripping handle. The flexible slats are increasingly weighted away from the rigid slat member such that when the rigid slat is rapidly accelerated through a swinging motion by gripping the handle the outermost slats will be flexed a greater distance than the inner slats. Consequently, the time for unflexing when the swinging has stopped is greater for the outer flexible slats whereby they strike in a slapping motion at a sufficiently delayed time to be audibly distinguishable.

Abstract: On a Hi Hat cymbal stand the upper cymbal is one of conventional design and the lower cymbal is a cupless cymbal with four small air release holes through its central portion, each hole being about 1/2 inch in diameter.

Abstract: Stemware of goblets secured in adjoining positions on a mounting board in vertical and horizontal rows, with adjacent goblets rim rubable by one hand, with the goblets in the horizontal rows arranged in tones for basic chords; for example, a first row in IV chord (subdominant), the next row is V.sub.7 chord (dominant) and the third row is I chord (tonic). The goblets are tuned by a partial filling of water, and the water level and the produced note are marked on the glass. The sounding board is marked for the positioning of the tuned goblets to permit the forming of the chords and easy playing by rim rubbing the stemware glasses.

Abstract: A musical instrument having an adjustable elongated member supported in an upright position on a collapsible base. A flat flexible sheet of metal, or other suitable materials capable of producing a musical tone when struck, is adjustably mounted on the upper end of the elongated member. An operator lever, pivotally mounted on the collapsable base, is connected to the flat flexible sheet by a cable. An actuator pedal on the operator lever enables it to be conveniently manipulated so as to selectively flex the flat flexible sheet when it is being struck by a percussive implement thereby producing variations in tone. A further variation in tone can be achieved by drawing a conventional violin bow across the edge of the flat flexible sheet as it is being flexed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing sound, particularly unusual sound effects, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one diaphragm and a spring attached to the diaphragm, having a lowest resonance frequency less than 18 hertz. The apparatus includes a resonator affixed to the diaphragm.According to the method of the invention, sounds are produced on an instrument having a spring and a diaphragm connected to the spring by exciting an echophone frequency of the spring by either activating longitudinal motion of the spring, jerking at least one end of the spring in a longitudinal direction, longitudinally displacing and releasing a section of the spring, and moving at least one end of the spring longitudinally in a rhythmic motion to excite an echophone frequency.

Abstract: A musical instrument or other similar article comprised of a generally tubular, hollow casing having a reduced geometry at one end thereof and being filled with popcorn kernels or other sound generating kernels, pellets or the like that generates musical or other tones when shaked by the user.

Abstract: A foot operated percussion musical instrument is provided by the present invention in which two pairs of cymbals are mounted in an adjustable framework one above the other, and are movable in unison by operation of a single foot pedal.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pickup device for use in a tone generator of an electronic piano includes a plurality of vibratory reeds and pole pieces of pickups which are so shaped that each reed and pole piece are opposed to each other in a range from the neutral position of the reed to a position within its maximum vibrating amplitude at one side. In output signals of the pickups, the balance of fundamental and odd- and even-numbered harmonics is improved to generate a tone which is close to that of a normal string piano.

Abstract: A percussion instrument provides a plurality of substantially horizontally disposed hollow tubes having rattle elements therein. A handle providing a gripping surface connects the tubes and the connection orients the tubes in a substantially parallel orientation towards one another. In the preferred embodiment, the handle is comprised of two substantially vertical tubular members attached to the upper hollow tube, there being two substantially horizontal arms attached to the bottom portion of the vertical tubes, with the second hollow tube being attached at substantially right angles to the lower arms.

Abstract: A board with a handle, has several distinct rows of holes in it, each row having a plurality of holes which are separated by hubs which extend into the passageway between the holes from opposite sides, and a pair of jingle discs between each pair of hubs.

Abstract: A percussion instrument includes a sound chamber having a cavity therein with at least one opening thereinto, support means secured to the chamber within the cavity, a resilient, elongated member disposed within the cavity of the chamber, one end of which is free-standing and the other end of which is coupled to the support means, a knocker secured to the free end of the resilient member, and a vibratory, elongated rod which is secured to the sound chamber. The rod includes a handgrip along one portion of its length for imparting sustained vibrations to the resilient member and, in turn, the knocker, so that the knocker will strike the walls of the sound chamber to thereby produce a percussion sound. The instrument is particularly suitable for simulating the sound of a jawbone percussion instrument, used for Latin American music.

Abstract: A cymbal has a first mounting aperture generally centered on the cymbal and second mounting aperture laterally offset from the first mounting aperture, and has different characteristic tones when mounted to a support stand by the first and second apertures respectively.

Abstract: A musical instrument of the percussion type which includes a body member having walls converging from a relatively large open end so that the internal volume of the body member diminishes from one end of the instrument to the other. The instrument is played by striking its top surface with the hands or sticks and sound is amplified and emitted from the open end.

Abstract: A multiple bladed clapper-noisemaker is provided with a stiff central blade and adjacent thinner blades of flexible sheet material whose lower ends are held in closely juxtaposed stacked relationship by the user and whose upper ends are free to flex and bend as the user imparts flapping movement to the device. The flexible outer blades rhythmically swing away from the stiff central "drum" blade and swing back to strike it briskly with a sharp impact. The multiple impacts of the plurality of flexible blades are employed by the user to create a wide variety of different sounds, ranging from soft brushing or rattling sounds to louder multiple clapping sounds of all varieties. When the handle portions are secured together by a single grommet fastener, the multiple blades may be fanned out angularly to form an air displacing fan or an attractive decoration for horizontal or suspended display.