Folding marimba

• US 10,643,590 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jim Melhart Piano And Organ Company
• Original Assignee: Jim Melhart Piano And Organ Company
• Inventors: Melhart, Jimmie Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Horn, Robert W
• Application Number:
  US16/443,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20190304416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 13/08 Multi-toned musical instruments with sonorous bars, blocks, forks, gongs, plates, rods or teeth

Abstract

A foldable idiophone musical instrument may have two frames to support accidental tone bars on the first frame and natural tone bars on the second frame. Connecting members may attach to opposite ends of the frames. The connecting members may allow the frames to rotate from 0° to 180° from a horizontal position to collapse or fold the instrument. The connecting members may have a riser portion and a stop block portion. The riser portion may elevate the accidental tone bars above the natural tone bars. The stop block portion may prevent the frames from rotating to less than 0° from the horizontal when in a performance position.

Claims

1. A musical instrument comprising:

a first frame;

a first group of tone bars supported by said first frame;

a second frame spaced apart from said first frame;

a second group of tone bars supported by said second frame;

first and second blocks mounted to said first frame, said first and second blocks being spaced apart from each other; and

first and second hinges respectively connecting said first and second blocks to said second frame;

wherein said first and second frames are rotatably configurable about said hinges in a performance position in which said first and second groups of tone bars face in a first direction, and a folded position in which said first and second groups of tone bars face substantially away from each other.

2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said first and second groups of tone bars partially overlap one another in said performance position.

3. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said first and second blocks prevent over-rotation of said frames beyond said performance position when said frames are rotated from said folded position.

4. The instrument of claim 1 wherein each of said blocks comprises a riser portion to which a base member of said first frame is attached.

5. The instrument of claim 1 wherein at least one of said frames comprises two longitudinally opposed parallel stringers.

6. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said blocks are mounted to respective ends of said first frame.

7. A musical instrument comprising:

a first frame;

a first group of tone bars supported by said first frame;

a second frame spaced apart from said first frame;

a second group of tone bars supported by said second frame;

first and second blocks mounted to said first frame, said first and second blocks being spaced apart from each other; and

first and second hinges respectively connecting said first and second blocks to said second frame;

wherein said first and second frames are rotatably configurable about said hinges in a performance position in which said first and second groups of tone bars face a common direction, and a folded position in which said first and second groups of tone bars face substantially away from each other;

wherein said first and second groups of tone bars partially overlap one another in said performance position;

wherein said first and second blocks prevent over-rotation of said frames beyond said performance position when said frames are rotated from said folded position.

8. The instrument of claim 7 wherein each of said blocks comprises a riser portion to which a base member of said first frame is attached and a stop block portion configured for engagement with said second frame in said performance position.

9. The instrument of claim 8 wherein each of said hinges comprises a first leaf attached to one of said blocks and a second leaf attached to said second frame, and wherein said stop block portion partially overlaps said second leaf in said performance position.