FOLDABLE PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

• US 3,776,091 A
• Filed: 08/11/1972
• Issued: 12/04/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shigeo Suzuki
• Original Assignee: Shigeo Suzuki
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkinson, Richard B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US05/279,760
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 84/402,403,404
• US Class Current: 84/403
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 13/08 Multi-toned musical instruments with sonorous bars, blocks, forks, gongs, plates, rods or teeth

Abstract

A percussion musical instrument includes a first support frame for holding one group of tone bars and a second support frame for carrying another group of tone bars. The second support frame has both of its longitudinal ends connected rotatably to the corresponding longitudinal ends of the first frame in such a manner that the tone bars carried on the second support frame are made collectively to rotate between the first position horizontally aligned with the tone bars of the first support frame and the second position where the tone bass of the second support frame spatially face those of the first support frame, whereby the instrument can be easily set in the first position for performance and to the second position convenient for the whole musical instrument to be carried by the player himself.

Claims

1. A foldable percussion musical instrument comprising a first support frame carrying one group of tone bars, said one group of tone bars being held substantially in one flat plane, a second support frame holding another group of tone bars, said another group of tone bars being held substantially in another flat plane, and connecting means for rotatably joining said first and second support frames, said connecting means comprising a first connecting member extending from said first support frame in a direction substantially perpendicular to said one flat plane, a second connecting member extending from said second support frame in a direction substantially perpendicular to said another flat plane, said first and second connecting members each having two opposite end portions, one of said end portions of said first connecting member being fixed to said first support frame, one of said end portions of said second connecting member being fixed to said second support frame, and a fulcrUm rotatably connecting said first and a second connecting members at the other of said end portions of said first and second connecting members, the distance between said fulcrum and said first support frame being greater than the distance between said fulcrum and said second support frame, so that said second support frame is capable of being positioned above said first support frame.

2. The musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said second support frame can rotate about said connecting means through an angle of substantially 180* between a position wherein said first and second support frames are arranged substantially in side-by-side relation to each other and a position superposed thereon.

3. The musical instrument according to claim 5 wherein said second support frame has at least one downward projecting support leg and said support leg is fitted to the wall set up at the longitudinal end of the musical instrument.

4. The musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein each of said connecting means is formed of a substantially L-shaped plate having a bent portion at the one end portion of said connecting member, and said first and second support frames are mounted on said bent portions of said connecting members respectively.

5. The musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said first and second support frames are each formed of two walls set up at both longitudinal ends of the musical instrument and two longitudinal frame members bridging said end walls at a predetermined space, with both groups of said tone bars mounted on said frame members in a floating condition, said connecting means being provided between the walls of said first and second support frames.

6. The musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means has a fulcrum disposed substantially halfway through the height of the tone bars on the second support frame.

7. The musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said second support frame has at least one downward projecting support leg.

8. The musical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said at least one support leg is rotatably fitted at one end to the second support frame so as to assume two opposite projecting positions with respect to the second support frame, whereby said leg serves as a support for the second support frame at one of said two projecting positions and as a spacer between the first and second support frames at the other of said two projecting positions.

9. The musical instrument according to claim 8 wherein said support legs are each covered at said other end with a cap of resilient material.

10. The musical instrument according to claim 8 wherein said support leg is provided with a bent portion at the other end thereof, said bent portion having a substantially U-shaped notch, said notch being engageable with a screw projectively provided on the top surface of said first support frame.

11. The musical instrument according to claim 8 wherein said support leg has at the other end a substantially U-shaped notch cut out therein and engages a screw projectively provided on the side surface of said first support frame.

12. The musical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said support leg comprises an elongate plate-like member which is perforated at the longitudinal center with an elongate hole to slide vertically along one side of the second support frame, and means for holding said plate-like member at any sliding position, said holding means being inserted in said elongate hole, said plate-like member assuming two opposite projecting positions with respect to the second support frame, whereby said member serves as a support for the second support frame at one of said two opposite projecting positions and as a spacer between the first and second support frames at the other of said two opposite projecting positions.

13. The musical instrument according to claim 11 wherein said support leg has at least one of the both ends covered with a cap of resilIent material.

14. The musical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said leg is linearly slidably supported by said second support frame so as to take two opposite projecting positions with respect to the second support frame, whereby said leg serves as a support for the second support frame at one of said two projecting positions and as a spacer between the first and second support frames at the other of said two projecting positions.

15. A foldable percussion musical instrument comprising a first support frame carrying one group of tone bars, a second support frame carrying another group of tone bars, and connecting means for rotatably joining said first and second support frames, said connecting means having a fulcrum disposed substantially halfway through the height of the tone bars on the second support frame.

16. A foldable percussion musical instrument comprising a first support frame carrying one group of tone bars, a second support frame carrying another group of tone bars, and connecting means for rotatably joining said first and second support frames, said second support frame having at least one downward projecting support leg, said support leg being rotatably fitted at one end to the second support frame so as to assume two opposite projecting positions with respect to the second support frame, whereby said leg serves as a support for the second support frame at one of said two projecting positions and as a spacer between the first and second support frames at the other of two projecting positions.

17. The musical instrument according to claim 16 wherein said support legs are each covered at said other end with a cap of resilient material.

18. The musical instrument according to claim 16 wherein said support leg is provided with a bent portion at the other end thereof, said bent portion having a substantially U-shaped notch, said notch being engagable with a screw projectively provided on the top surface of said first support frame.

19. The musical instrument according to claim 16 wherein said support leg has at the other end a substantially U-shaped notch cut out therein and engages a screw projectively provided on the side surface of said first support frame.

20. A foldable percussion musical instrument comprising a first support frame carrying one group of tone bars, a second support frame carrying another group of tone bars, and connecting means for rotatably joining said first and second support frames, said second support frame having at least one downward projecting support leg, said support leg comprising an elongate plate-like member which is perforated at the longitudinal center with an elongate hole to slide vertically along one side of the second support frame, and means for holding said plate-like member at any sliding position, said holding means being inserted in said elongate hold, said plate-like member assuming two opposite projecting positions with respect to the second support frame, whereby said member serves as a support for the second support frame at one of said two opposite projecting positions and as a spacer between the first and second support frames at the other of said two opposite projecting positions.

21. The musical instrument according to claim 20 wherein said support leg has at least one of the both ends covered with a cap of resilient material.

22. A foldable percussion musical instrument comprising a first support frame carrying one group of tone bars, a second support frame carrying another group of tone bars, and connecting means for rotatably joining said first and second support frames, said second support frame having at least one downward projecting support leg, said leg being linearly slidably supported by said second support frame so as to take two opposite projecting positions with respect to the second support frame, whereby said leg serves as a support for the second support frame at one of said two projecting positions and as a spacer between the first and second support frames at the other of said two projecting positions.