Tiltable Drummer's Seat

Abstract

A stool having a horizontal plate constrained to a horizontal position and a similarly shaped seat plate hinged to the horizontal plate at its forward edge, and a cushion mounted on the seat plate, with adjusting screwbolts extending threadably through the rear portion of the horizontal plate to engage and tilt the seat plate to any desired angle within the range provided.

Description

Besides playing a drum, the drummer in a band actuates various pedals with his feet. By having his seat tilted in a forward direction he is not only made more comfortable but he can actuate the pedals with reduced muscular effort.

Tiltable seats in general are known in the prior art, but they are complicated structures and their adjustment is attained in a series of step positions spaced from each other with no provision for positioning the seat between such stepped positions. The present invention provides what may be termed an "infinite" number of tilted positions between the horizontal and the maximum angle of tilt within the range of the structure. This is desirable since even minute adjustments in the tilt angle in many cases make a substantial difference in the feeling of comfort to the individual drummer.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a drummer's stool showing the cushioned seat tiled forward at an angle to the horizontal.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevational view of the stool of FIG. 1, with parts broken away and partly in section.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the cushioned seat per se as viewed along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlargement of FIG. 1, partly broken away and partly in section.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a representative type of support for a drummer's swivel seat, which support includes a member or collar 11 rotatably mounted on the standard 18 thereof. A horizontal plate 12, hereinafter termed the fixed plate, is secured to the collar 11. The essential feature insofar as the present invention is concerned, is merely that the plate 12 is constrained to a horizontal plane, whether it is itself solely a seat, as in the usual drummer's stool, or whether it is part of the combination described below. In other words, the instant invention may be applied to any common type of drummer's stool, whether of the swiveling or nonswiveling type.

A substantially similarly shaped plate 13, hereinafter termed the seat plate, is superimposed on the fixed plate and has its forward end or edge pivoted to the corresponding end or edge of the fixed plate by means of a hinge 14. Mounted on the seat plate 13 is a cushion 15 which may be cemented or otherwise fixed to the plate.

Spaced equidistantly from the axis of the standard 18 and a substantial distance from each other near the rear edge of the fixed plate 12, are a pair of internally threaded holes 16 extending through the plate, and elongated screwbolts 17 which are preferably metallic and may be of the wing type shown, register threadably in the holes 16.

As far as now described, it is obvious that the seat plate 13 may be tilted forward to any desired angle within the range of the device, by screwing the bolts 17 upward against the seat plate 13. However, in order to protect the underside of the seat plate from wear by the tips of the bolts as well as to prevent slippage of the seat plate and to provide lateral stability thereof, the following added structure is provided: Secured to the underside of the plate 13 in the paths of the bolts 17, are buffers 19 which may be in the form of metallic plates and which are provided with recesses 20 in alignment with the bolts, in which recesses the tips of the bolts engage. The buffers may, however, be formed integral with the seat plate, especially if the whole is made of a sturdy plastic material, and even the bolts may be made of such plastic.

The cushion 15 is preferably built up of layers which may be cemented together; an example of such a layered structure is shown in FIG. 5. Preferably the cushion should have a slight constant slope upward in a forward direction, as shown. The bottom layer 21 is shown extending across approximately the forward one-third of the seat plate 13, an intermediate layer 22 is shown extending across approximately the forward two-thirds and overlapping the layer 21, while a top layer 23 surmounts all. When so built up in layers, a cover 24 conceals the layers; or a cover, not shown, may extend around the plate 13 to conceal the latter also.

It is thus apparent that by adjusting both bolts 17 to the same degree either upward or downward, the angle of tilt of the seat plate may be altered minutely to attain the most suitable angle for the individual drummer.

The fixed plate 12 and the seat plate 13 obviously need not have the noncircular conformation shown in the drawing, for they may have any desired conformation including circular. In the latter case the forward edge would be that where the hinge is located.

As to the holes 16 in the plate 12, especially where this plate is made of wood or plastic, they may be reinforced by an internally threaded bushing or by a nut imbedded in the plate. Since such an expedient is common and well known it is believed unnecessary to illustrate it in the drawing or to describe it in detail.

Claims

What I claim is as follows:

1. In a stool having a standard supporting a first plate constrained to a horizontal position, a second plate having substantially the same conformation as said first plate superimposed on said first plate, a hinge connecting said first and second plates at the forward edges thereof, a cushion on said second plate, said first plate having two spaced threaded holes therethrough positioned near but spaced from the rearward edge thereof, elongated screwbolts threadably registering in said holes and having the upper ends thereof engaging the bottom of said second plate.

2. In a stool according to claim 1, said cushion having a thickness which increases progressively in a direction from said rearward edge of said second plate to said forward edge thereof.

3. In a stool according to claim 2, said cushion being composed of a plurality of layers including a bottom layer extending across approximately the forward one-third of said second plate, an intermediate layer extending across approximately the forward two-thirds of said second plate and overlapping said bottom layer, and a top layer surmounting the rearward one-third of said second plate and all of said intermediate layer.

4. In a stool according to claim 1, said second plate including spaced buffers on the underside thereof positioned in the paths of said bolts.

5. In a stool according to claim 4, said buffers having recesses therein in which the upper ends of said bolts register.

6. In a stool according to claim 5, said cushion having a thickness which increases progressively in a forward direction.