Musical Instrument Support

Abstract

A device for supporting a musical instrument on a chair upon which a musician is sitting. The instrument supporting device includes an extended rod having channels formed therein and passing around a peripheral boundary of the rod. A first instrument grasping mechanism is mounted to the rod member and an appendage of the musical instrument. A second instrument grasping mechanism is mounted to the instrument and the rod member and threadedly engages a thumbscrew. The thumbscrew passes through a clamp of the second grasping mechanism and is insertable within a channel formed on the rod for fixedly positioning the support device with respect to the instrument.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of support devices for musical instruments. In particular, this invention pertains to the field of musical support devices which transfer the instrument weight load to a chair upon which a musician is sitting.

2. Prior Art

Supports for musical instruments are known in the art. However, some of the prior devices mount the musical instruments to the musician. In such devices, such as neck straps, the instruments still may bear on the body of the musician. This may cause an unnatural force to be placed on the musician's body, thus possibly affecting breath control.

In certain other prior support devices, specifically with respect to bassoons, seat straps are utilized in order to mount the instrument to the seat. However, the bassoon extends below the player's chair, making use of a strap at the bottom possible.

Other prior devices provide support stands mounted to a chair in which the musician sits. However, such stands are inherently part of the seat and not portable. This restricts the musician to the utilization of a particular seat when playing the instrument, thus causing some general inconvenience.

Some prior support devices include adjustable instrument supports. However, such devices bear against the floor and not on a seat upon which the musician is sitting. The extended length of such support stands provide added structural insecurity as well as not permitting accurate positioning of the instrument with respect to the musician's body. Furthermore, such instruments suitable for use with floor-supported stands are those which come much closer to the floor through their normal construction, as base clarinets, cellos etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the subject invention is to provide a new and improved musical support stand for instruments, particularly wind instruments having bottoms ending relatively high with respect to the player's body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a support for musical instruments which is portable and easily attachable to the musical instruments.

A still further object of the instant invention is to provide an instrument support which would prevent the weight of the instrument from pressing against the diaphragm of a musician's body when the instrument is being played.

Another object of the subject invention is to provide an instrument support whereby the weight of the instrument being played is transferred to a surface of a chair seat upon which the musician is sitting.

A device for supporting a musical instrument on a chair upon which a musician is sitting. The device comprises an extended rod member being removable from and interfacing with a portion of a base surface of the chair. A first instrument grasping mechanism is mounted to the musical instrument and the rod member. A second instrument grasping mechanism is movably secured to the rod member along the rod extension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the musical instrument stand in operating use showing the positional relation between the stand and a musician drawn in phantom lines; and,

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the musical stand substantially broken along the lines of the musical stand and instrument interface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown musical instrument stand 5 for supporting musical instrument 2 on chair seat 4. In particular, device 5 permits support of instrument 2 in a manner such that instrument 2 does not rest or otherwise interface with the diaphragm of musician 1. Additionally, device 5 provides musician 1 with a completely portable mechanism for maintaining instrument 2 in a predetermined playing position. As shown in FIG. 1, instrument 2 is represented as a baritone horn, however, device 5 is applicable to a wide range of instruments including but not restricted to tubas, tenor tubas, euphoniums, single B flat tubas, etc. These types of wind instruments, when played sitting down, tend to rest their weight against the stomach and diaphragm of player 1. The relief of the weight of instrument 2 from these body areas is of use to serious musicians who wish to maintain the maximum breath control as well as to young students who may be bothered by the physical weight of instrument 2.

In general, device or musical stand 5 for supporting musical instrument 2 on chair seat 4 upon which musician 1 sits, includes extended rod member 6 which when in operation takes up the load weight of instrument 2. First and second instrument grasping mechanisms 8, 9 and 11, 12 respectively, transfer the instrument load weight to rod member 6 which in turn directs the instrument load to chair seat 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, musician 1 while using stand 5 in relation to the class of instruments previously described may sit on chair seat 4 supported by chair legs 3. Musician 1 may straddle rod member 6 to permit member 6 to interface with a portion of the base surface of the chair. In use, rod member 6 passes substantially in an upward direction and is mounted to instrument 2 through grasping mechanisms 8, 9 and 12. At the end of extended rod 6 that is nearest to chair seat 4, there is mounted thereon frictional engagement member 10. Engagement member 10 engages seat 4 on an upper surface thereof and is formed of a material having a high coefficient of friction. This material, which may be rubber or some like composition prevents slipping of rod member 6 with respect to the base surface of chair seat 4 after musician 1 has properly positioned instrument 2.

Engagement member 10 may be substantially spheroid in geometric contour as shown, or may be of any cap shape for insertion of an end of rod member 6. Additionally, member 10 may be mounted to rod 6 through a force fit, adhesive, or like technique not important to the inventive concept as herein detailed. Rod 6 may be constructed of metal such as aluminum, steel, or of a plastic or like material. The only restriction placed on the material of rod 6 being that the rod member 6 have sufficient structural integrity to withstand the weight loading imposed by instrument 2.

First instrument grasping mechanism 8, 9 includes upper rod guide 8 and upper instrument clamp 9. Rod guide 8, as shown in FIG. 2, passess around the peripheral boundary of rod member 6 and permits a sliding fit threrewith. Guide 8 helps align the rod 6 and takes side loads. Upper instrument clamp 9, which is a band member, passes around one appendage or part of instrument 2 and is rigidly fastened to guide 8. In this manner, band member 9 is secured to guide 8 and passes around a portion of instrument 2. This permits the transference of side structural loads (from any tendancy of the instrument to turn with respect to the rod) from member 9 to guide 8 to rod 6 and finally to chair seat 4. Band 9 is formed of a rigid material in order to grasp instrument 2 firmly. In particular, band 9 and guide 8 in use have been successfully formed of metals similar in nature to those of the instruments they are being used on. Guide 8 and band 9 may be connected each to the other in a loose rivet connection or in some like manner so as to allow angular movement between members 8 and 9 so that the mechanism map be applied to instruments of different dimensions. It has been found satisfactory and is preferred for members 8 and 9 to be secured in fixed fashion each to the other through bolting, or some like technique or by being integrals at some predetermined angular orientation with respect to each other.

Second instrument grasping mechanism 11, 12 is movably secured to rod member 6 and fixedly fastened to a portion of instrument 2. Second grasping mechanism includes lower instrument clamp 11 which is rigidly mounted to instrument 2 by bolting, welding or some like technique. Clamp 11 passes around rod member 6 as is shown in FIG. 2, and threadedly engages thumb screw 12. Clamp 11 passing around rod 6 defines an internal diameter slightly greater than the dimension of rod 6 to allow relative motion therebetween. Thumb screw 12 may be turned to engage rod 6 and provide relative immobility of mechanism 11, 12 with respect to rod member 6.

Rod member 6 further includes a plurality of channels, grooves, recesses or serrations 7 formed therein as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Channels 7 are formed around the peripheral boundary of rod 6 and pass in a plane substantially normal to the extension direction of rod 6. Recesses 7 provide an insert for thumb screw 12 and provide for fixed positioning of mechanism 11, 12 with respect to rod 6 once screw 12 is inserted therein. In the manner described, second instrument grasping mechanism 11, 12 in combination with recesses 7 details in adjustment mechanism for positioning musical instrument 2 at a predetermined height above the base surface of chair seat 4. This mechanism 11, 12 transfers both side and vertical structural loads from instrument 2 to rod 6 and then to seat 4.

The thumb screw 12 is loosened to permit the rod 6 to slide until the extension thereof from the instrument is adjusted to the satisfaction of the player 1. It is then tightened.

The clamp 11 is suitable for permanent affixation to an instrument. The band 9 is suitable for either permanent or removable affixation to an instrument. Both the upper and lower elements (8, 9 and 11, 12 respectively, in the embodiment shown) may be either bands like 9 or pads like 11. Also, a band may be the lower member and a pad the upper member. The band is secured to the instrument by any known clamping means, as a set of screws to tighten it. A cork or similar lining may be provided between a band and the instrument to distribute the clamping load and avoid marring the instrument.

It is apparant that many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A device for supporting a wind musical instrument of the type which tends to rest weight against the musician's diaphragm, on a chair upon which a musician is sitting, comprising:

a. An extended generally vertical rod member being removable from and interfacing with a portion of a base surface of said chair between said musician's legs including means for frictionally engaging said rod member and said base surface of said chair, said frictional engagement means being mounted on one end of said rod member and engaging said chair base surface and said frictional engagement means is formed of a material having a high coefficient of friction for preventing slippage of said rod with respect to said base surface of said chair,

b. first instrument grasping means mounted to said musical instrument and slidably receiving said rod member, including

1. a guide member slidably receiving said extended rod, and permitting said rod to freely pass therethrough without selective securement to said rod and,

2. a band member secured to said guide member and passing around a portion of said musical instrument,

c. second instrument grasping means securely fastened to said instrument and displaced generally vertically from said first grasping means, slidably receiving and selectively secured to said rod member along said rod extension, including adjustment means for positioning said musical instrument at a predetermined height above said base surface of said chair, said adjustment means including means for securing said second instrument grasping means to said extended rod member at predetermined distances along said rod extension, said securing means including set screw means insertable selectively within any one groove of a plurality of equally spaced parallel grooves formed within and passing around the peripheral boundary of said rod member, each said groove lying substantially in a plane substantially normal to said extension of said rod member.