Tap-shoe tap-sound amplifying device

• US 5,001,852 A
• Filed: 10/02/1984
• Issued: 03/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard Schwartz
• Original Assignee: Richard Schwartz
• Inventors: Schwartz, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Schroeder, Werner H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Meyers, Steven N.
• Application Number:
  US06/656,904
• Time in Patent Office: 2,366 Days
• Field of Search: 36/8.3, 36/136, 36/139, 36/8.5, 381/87, 381/122, 179/157, 455/100, 168/4
• US Class Current: 36/139
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/12 Dancing shoes

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment, a pair of tap shoes each having toe and heel taps, associated with each tap there being an audio-pickup transducer mounted one adjacent each tap, connected by signal-carrying wiring to a common electronic radio-wave transmitter and power-source mechanism that receives and sends the signal received from the respective transducers to a radio-wave receiver and amplifying and speaker mechanism spaced-away from the tap shoes such that tapping sounds of the taps on a hard surface are received, amplified and broadcast through speakers.

Claims

1. A tap-shoe device comprising in combination:

a shoe-like element mountable on the foot of a human being, and a audio-pickup transducer mounted on said shoe-like element positioned thereon such that when the shoe-like element is tapped or struck upon a hard surface as to produce a tap-noise, the tap-noise will be picked-up by said audio-pickup, and an electronic radio-wave transmitter and power-source means connected to said audio-pickup transducer adapted to send-out a signal pick-up by the audio pickup transducer; and

operatively connected to the audio pickup transducer, and spaced-from said electronic radio-wave transmitter and power-source a radio-wave receiver, amplifier and speaker means for receiving and amplifying and reproducing sound from said signal.

2. A tap-shoe device of claim 1, including a pair of said shoe-like element, one shaped and adapted for a left foot and another shaped and adapted for a right foot, each with a separate said transducer.

3. A tap-shoe device of claim 2, including at-least one tap mounted on each said one and said another shoe-like elements, and at least one of said transducer mounted in juxtaposition to each said one tap to pickup tapping sounds therefrom, each transducer being operatively connected to transmit signal to said electronic radio-wave transmitter and power source means.

4. A tap-shoe device of claim 3, in which each said transducer includes a piezo-electric-type flattened tape.

5. A tap-shoe device of claim 4, including one tap at a toe position of each shoe-like element with a first said transducer in juxtaposition thereto, and including another one tap at a heel position of each shoe-like element with a second said transducer in juxtaposition thereto.

6. A tap-shoe device of claim 1, in which said transducer includes a piezo-electric-type flattened tape.

7. A tap-shoe device of claim 6, including circuitry means for carrying electrical signals from each said transducer to said electronic radio-wave transmitter and power-source means.

8. A tap-shoe device of claim 5, including circuitry means for carrying electrical signals from each said transducer to said electronic radio-wave transmitter and power-source means.

9. A tap-shoe device comprising in combination:

a tap suitable for mounting on a tap-shoe and a receiver and amplifier means of radio signal sendable by an audio-pickup transducer means, and said audio-pickup transducer means adapted for mounting in contact with said tap, such that a tap-sound from a tapping of the tap is picked-up by the audio-pickup transducer means and transmitted to and received and amplified by the receiver and amplifier means.