PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT

Abstract

 The present invention relates to musical instruments and is a percussion instrument comprising a sound generation element in the form of a bell body, a swinging type striker secured within the said bell body, a striker displacing drive provided with an arm, a base. A bell body vibrations muffle, a turntable mounted on the said base and a striker gripping means, arranged on the said striker displacing drive arm are provided in the said instrument, the said muffle and the said striker displacing drive arm are being mounted on the said turntable with an angular displacement possibility.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to acoustics and may be used for sound generation by percussion instruments such as bell sound both on bell towers and in orchestras.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A sound generating device, disclosed in US Patent

5150097 is known and comprises a sound generating element in the form of a bell body, a swinging-type striker secured within the said body, a driver, provided with an arm, displacing the said striker, and a striker displacing drive operated through a transducer by pressure element.

[0003] The closest analogue of the present invention is a percussion instrument comprising a sound generating element in the form of a bell body, a swinging-type striker, secured within the said body, a drive, provided with an arm, displacing the said striker, and a base ( Germany Patent

1022939).

[0004] As a result of analysis it should be noted that the above-mentioned device is not capable to perform a wide spectrum of melodies, in a number of cases a quality of the melody sounding is not high because the possibility of sound sharp interrupting is not provided as required in accordance with the performed melody.

[0005] The constant one-point contact between the said bell body and the said striker decreases the sounding quality and bell service life.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Technical objects of using of the present invention are:

a) the broadening of the melodies performance possibility;

b) the improving of the performance quality;

c) the increasing of the sound instrument service life.

[0007] These objects are attained in consequence of providing into the device a design of the kind described of a bell body vibrations muffle, a turntable, mounted on the base, and a striker gripping means, arranged on the striker displacing drive arm being mounted on the turntable with the angular displacement possibility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0008] Fig. 1 is a common view of the percussion instrument.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0009] A percussion instrument of the invention comprises a bell body 1, a swinging and turning type striker 2, secured within the said bell body 1, and a base 3, provided with a turntable 4, mounted on the said base 3.

[0010] A muffle 7 and an arm 8 are mounted on the said base by means of axes 5 and 6.

[0011] A striker gripping means 9 are provided on the said arm 8. The said arm 8 and the said muffle 7 may be turned about the said axes 5 and 6 by means of drives (not shown), mounted on the said base 3 and the said turntable 4.

[0012] A turntable discrete tuning drive and the said arm 8 and muffle 7 turning drives aren't a subject of the invention and aren't disclosed in the said patent application being well-known designs.

[0013] The control of the said drives may be carried out by different ways: manually, by means of railway track automatic system, but the most wide sound spectrums and high sound quality may be attained when controlling computers are used.

[0014] To put into effect the sound generation by the said percussion instrument the base 3 is disposed under the said bell body in such a way as to provide interaction of the said muffle 7 with the said bell body and of the said arm with the said striker.

[0015] When the controlling computer is used as the control system, the required melody is selected from a control desk and control actions are transmitted to arm, muffle and turntable turning drives by means of control system ( not disclosed).

[0016] The said device of the kind described is operating in the following way.

[0017] The arm 8 carries out the turning motion about the said axis 6 and while catching the said striker 2 by the said gripping means 9 accelerates the said striker up to predetermined velocity, thereafter being disengaged with the said striker at the specified point and proceeded with a motion from force of inertia comes in contact with the said bell body wall with an impulse of force, equal to a product of the striker mass by the velocity thereof As a result of the said contact the bell utters the sound.

[0018] After striking against the said bell body the said striker returns to the starting point. The said arm 8 displaces the said striker 2 to the said gripping means 9 after the said striker being passed a lowest position and guides the said striker to the bell body wall again. Then the cycle rounds a loop.

[0019] In the case of realization of double striking the said arm 8 alter being disengaged with the striker deflects to a greater angle than in the first case. In such case while the said striker is being in reverse motion it is overtaken by the said arm 8, which accelerates the said striker in the direction of other bell body wall. The disengaging of the said striker from the said arm puts to effect before the said striker comes to contact with the said bell body wall (such as in the first case).

[0020] In the process of sound reproduction the said turntable 4 is turned to a determined angle by means of the said drive after each strike. It enables to enlarge a zone of contact between the said striker and the said bell body and in consequence to increase bell service life and sound quality.

[0021] At the predetermined moment (if it is necessary for reproducible melody) the said muffle turning drive is actuated and the said muffle is turned about the said axis 5 until the said muffle comes into contact with the said bell body wall, this enables to dampen the sound quickly.

[0022] To reduce of electric power of arm electrodrives another embodiment of musical tune performance may be used ( without changing of the said device design). In such case the said striker 2 is deflected by the said arm 8 to the extreme position (for instance left) and is held at this position.

[0023] At a predetermined moment of time the said arm disengages from the said striker, which begins the motion from left to right position by gravity.

[0024] In the process of the said striker motion the said arm overtakes the said striker and begins to accelerate the said striker up to a disengaging point at the right position, thereafter the said striker moves from force of inertia until it strikes against the percussion instrument body wall.

[0025] After the strike being put in effect the said striker moves in the opposite direction. On passing the disengaging point the said arm overtakes the said striker and follows it until the said striker stops at the extreme left position without striking against the bell. Further the cycle rounds a loop.

[0026] In case of need to carry out the strikes both in the left and in the right positions the operating cycle puts into effect in a following way.

[0027] The strike moves, for instance, to the right until being struck against the said bell body (the acceleration of the said striker by the said arm is carried out just as in the first case). When the said striker moves in the opposite direction after passing the disengaging point, the said striker is caught and is accelerated by the said arm with disengaging at the disengaging point, thereafter the said striker being moved from force of inertia strikes against the said bell body at the opposite point. Further the cycle rounds a loop.

[0028] The striking frequency, striking force, a supply and a withdraw of the said muffle from (to) a bell body wall enable to reproduce a high fidelity wide melody's spectrum.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

[0029] As results from the above the realization of the present invention is based on using of common-type technology and enables to improve the percussion instrument quality.

Claims

1. A percussion instrument comprising a sound generating element in the form of a bell body, a swinging-type striker, secured within the said bell body, a striker displacing drive, provided with an arm, a base, characterized in that a bell body vibrations muffle, a turntable, arranged on the said base and a striker gripping means, arranged on the said striker displacing a drive arm, are provided in the said instrument, the said muffle and the said striker displacing drive arm are being mounted on the said turntable with an angular displacement possibility.

Drawing