Drumhead tensioning device and method

1. A drum, comprising:

a shell having a first mouth at a first end and a second mouth at a second end, the second end being opposite the first end along a radial axis of the shell;

a drumhead covering the first mouth, the drumhead having a rim about its outer edge, the rim being positioned outside the shell;

a tuning ring positioned over the drumhead, the tuning ring having an opening therein shaped to receive the first end of the shell and to prevent the rim from passing through the tuning ring;

a plurality of elongated links having first and second ends, the first end of each of the links being coupled to the tuning ring, the links extending from the tuning ring into the shell through a plurality of holes in the shell;

a connector member positioned inside the shell, the second end of each of the links being coupled to the connector member;

a retaining member positioned within the shell on the side of the connector member toward the second end of the shell, the retaining member being coupled to the shell to remain longitudinally fixed with respect to the radial axis of the shell;

a tuning linkage threadedly coupled between the retaining member and the connector member such that rotation of the tuning linkage moves the connector member longitudinally with respect to the radial axis and, as a result, adjusts the tension of the drumbead; and

a motor having a drive shaft selectively operable to rotatably drive the tuning linkage with respect to the retaining member to tune the drumbead.

2. The drum of claim 1, further comprising:

a user operable switch communicatively coupled to provide an actuation signal to the motor.

3. The drum of claim 1, further comprising:

a user operable switch communicatively coupled to provide an actuation signal to the motor, the user operable switch having at least three states including a first state in which the actuation signal causes the motor to rotate the drive shaft in a clockwise direction, a second state in which the actuation signal causes the motor to rotate the drive shaft in a counterclockwise direction and a third state in which the actuation signal causes the motor to not rotate the drive shaft.

4. The drum of claim 1, further comprising:

a transducer positionable to detect vibration of the drumhead, the transducer producing a vibratory output signal corresponding to at least a frequency of vibration of the drumbead; and

a tuning circuit having an input coupled to the transducer to receive the vibratory output signal from the transducer and having an output to supply an actuation signal proportional to a difference between a frequency of the vibratory input signal and a reference frequency.

5. The drum of claim 1, further comprising:

a transducer positionable to detect vibration of the drumhead, the transducer producing a vibratory output signal corresponding to at least a frequency of vibration of the drumbead;

a tuning circuit having an input coupled to the transducer to receive the vibratory output signal from the transducer and having an output to supply an actuation signal proportional to a difference between a frequency of the vibratory input signal and a reference frequency; and

a motor controller having an input coupled to the output of the turning circuit to receive the actuation signal and having an output coupled to the motor to provide a motor control signal corresponding to the actuation signal.

6. The drum of claim 1, further comprising:

a transducer positionable to detect vibration of the drumhead, the transducer producing a vibratory output signal corresponding to at least a frequency of vibration of the drumbead;

a tuning circuit having an input coupled to the transducer to receive the vibratory output signal from the transducer and having an output to supply an actuation signal proportional to a difference between a frequency of the vibratory input signal and a reference frequency; and

a user operable reference frequency input coupled to the tuning circuit to select the reference frequency for the tuning circuit.

7. The drum of claim 1, further comprising:

a transducer positionable to detect vibration of the drumhead, the transducer producing a vibratory output signal corresponding to at least a frequency of vibration of the drumhead;

a tuning circuit having an input coupled to the transducer to receive the vibratory output signal from the transducer and having an output to supply a first actuation signal at a first time, the first actuation signal proportional to a difference between a frequency of the vibratory input signal and a reference frequency; and

a user operable switch communicatively coupled to provide a second actuation signal at a second time, the user operable switch having at least three states including a first state in which the actuation signal causes the motor to rotate the drive shaft in a clockwise direction, a second state in which the actuation signal causes the motor to rotate the drive shaft in a counterclockwise direction and a third state in which the actuation signal causes the motor to not rotate the drive shaft; and

a motor controller having an input coupled to the output of the turning circuit and to the user operable switch to receive the first actuation signal at the first time and the second actuation signal at the second time, the motor controller further having an output coupled to the motor to provide a series of motor control signals respectively corresponding to the first and the second actuation signals.

8. The drum of claim 1 wherein the motor is mounted at least partially within the shell.

9. A stand for retaining a drum and tuning a drumhead on the drum, the drum having a first coupling that is movable to adjust the tension of the drumhead, the stand comprising:

a number of legs;

a drum engagement member coupled to the legs, the drum engagement member dimensioned to supportingly engage at least a portion of the drum;

a second coupling movably supported by the legs and dimensioned to detachably engage the first coupling of the drum when the drum is supportingly engaged by the drum engagement member; and

a motor having a drive shaft drivingly coupled to the second coupling, the motor selectively operable to move the second coupling with respect to the legs.

10. The stand of claim 9 wherein the motor is selectively operable to move the second coupling with respect to the legs by rotatably driving the second coupling about a radial axis of the drum.

11. The stand of claim 9 wherein the motor is selectively operable to move the second coupling with respect to the legs by rotatably driving the second coupling about a radial axis of the drum and wherein the second coupling is selectively movable between an operative position in which the second coupling will engage the first coupling when the drum is retained by the stand, and an inoperative position in which the second coupling will not engage the first coupling when the drum is retained by the stand.

12. The stand of claim 9 wherein the second coupling projects upward when in an operative position such that lowering the drum into the stand when the second coupling is in the operative position will result in engagement between the first and second couplings.

13. The stand of claim 9 wherein the second coupling is pivotable between an operative position and an inoperative position.

14. The stand of claim 9, further comprising:

a user operable switch communicatively coupled to provide an actuation signal to the motor.

15. The stand of claim 9, further comprising:

a user operable switch in the form of a foot pedal communicatively coupled to provide an actuation signal to the motor.

16. The stand of claim 9, further comprising:

a transducer positioned to detect vibration of the drumhead when the drum is retained by the stand, the transducer producing a vibratory output signal corresponding to at least a frequency of vibration of the drumhead; and

a tuning circuit having an input coupled to the transducer to receive the vibratory output signal from the transducer and having an output to supply an actuation signal proportional to a difference between a frequency of the vibratory input signal and a reference frequency.

17. The stand of claim 9, further comprising:

a transducer positioned to detect vibration of the drumhead when the drum is retained by the stand, the transducer producing a vibratory output signal corresponding to at least a frequency of vibration of the drumhead;

a tuning circuit having an input coupled to the transducer to receive the vibratory output signal from the transducer and having an output to supply an actuation signal proportional to a difference between a frequency of the vibratory input signal and a reference frequency; and

a user operable reference frequency input coupled to the tuning circuit to select the reference frequency for the tuning circuit.

18. A tuning assembly for a drum having a drumhead retained thereon by a tuning ring, the tuning assembly comprising:

a connector member sized and shaped to be positioned inside the drum, the connector member being attachable to the tuning ring by a plurality of linkages extending from the tuning ring into the drum such that longitudinal movement of the connector member with respect to the drum will change the tension of the drumhead; and

a motor having a drive shaft coupled to the connector member, the motor selectively operable such that rotation of the drive shaft longitudinally moves the connector member with respect to the drum and, as a result, will adjust the tension of the drumbead.

19. The tuning assembly of claim 18 wherein the drive shaft is directly connected to the connector member to rotate the connector member therewith.

20. The tuning assembly of claim 18, further comprising:

a tuning linkage coupled to the drive shaft for rotation therewith and threadedly coupled to the connector member such that rotation of the tuning linkage longitudinally moves the connector member with respect to the drum.

21. The tuning assembly of claim 18, further comprising:

a tuning linkage mounted for longitudinal translation with respect to a radial axis of the drum and fixed to the connector member to translate the connector member therewith; and

a gear coupled to the drive shaft to rotate therewith, the gear capable of drivingly engaging a portion of the tuning linkage to transmit rotation of the drive shaft to the tuning linkage.

22. The tuning assembly of claim 18 wherein the motor is sized and shaped to be received at least partially inside the drum.

23. The tuning assembly of claim 18 wherein the motor is mounted to a stand configured to support the drum.

24. The tuning assembly of claim 18, further comprising:

a tuning linkage coupled to transmit movement to the connector member; and

a stand configured to support the drum and to which the motor is mounted, wherein the stand has a detachable coupling to selectively couple the motor to the tuning linkage when the drum is supported by the stand.

25. In combination a drum and a stand for retaining the drum, the drum having a shell and a drumhead retained thereon by a tuning ring, the combination comprising:

a plurality of elongated links having first and second ends, the first end of each of the links being coupled to the tuning ring, the links extending from the tuning ring into the shell through a plurality of holes in the shell;

a connector member positioned inside the shell, the second end of each of the links being coupled to the connector member;

a first coupling received in the shell for movement with respect therewith and coupled to the connector for transmitting movement thereto;

a motor mounted to the stand, the motor having a drive shaft; and

a second coupling sized and dimensioned to drivingly engage the first coupling, the second coupling coupled to the drive shaft of the motor for being moved thereby.

26. The combination of claim 25, further comprising:

a user operable switch communicatively coupled to provide an actuation signal to the motor.

27. The combination of claim 25, further comprising:

a transducer positionable to detect vibration of the drumhead, the transducer producing a vibratory output signal corresponding to at least a frequency of vibration of the drumhead; and

a tuning circuit having an input coupled to the transducer to receive the vibratory output signal from the transducer and having an output to supply an actuation signal proportional to a difference between a frequency of the vibratory input signal and a reference frequency.

28. The combination of claim 25, further comprising:

a transducer positionable to detect vibration of the drumhead, the transducer producing a vibratory output signal corresponding to at least a frequency of vibration of the drumhead;

a tuning circuit having an input coupled to the transducer to receive the vibratory output signal from the transducer and having an output to supply an actuation signal proportional to a difference between a frequency of the vibratory input signal and a reference frequency; and

a motor controller having an input coupled to the output of the turning circuit to receive the actuation signal and having an output coupled to the motor to provide a motor control signal corresponding to the actuation signal.

29. The combination of claim 25, further comprising:

a transducer positionable to detect vibration of the drumhead, the transducer producing a vibratory output signal corresponding to at least a frequency of vibration of the drumhead;

a tuning circuit having an input coupled to the transducer to receive the vibratory output signal from the transducer and having an output to supply an actuation signal proportional to a difference between a frequency of the vibratory input signal and a reference frequency; and

a user operable reference frequency input coupled to the tuning circuit to select the reference frequency for the tuning circuit.