overlapping end is secured by pressing velcro pads 20 together. A felt pad 28, mounted on the tube provides the string-contacting surface. The guitar player can slide the mute along the guitar neck to contact the strings at any desired 1ocation.mDWM

4,754,683

43.75.Hi HIGH TENSION DRUMHEAD

4,753,146

43.75.Tv PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DRUM SET

David J. Townsend and Robert B. Carson, assignors to Remo, Incor- porated

5 July 1988 (Class 84/413); filed originally 19 January 1984

The tension adjustment of this drumhead uses an O-ring 30 between ring 27, carried on tension adjustment screws 103, and hoop 100 (surround-

ing drum shell 20)to which the edge 16 ofdrumhead 10 is secured by epoxy 15. When nuts 25 are tightened to increase tension in the drumhead, a dual

action occurs. Hoop 100 lowers, and O-ring 30 compresses laterally against skirt 21 of the drumhead material. The deformation of the O-ring also re- duces the tendency for the bond between the drumhead material and the epoxy to loosen under tension.mDWM

Brock Seiler, New York, NY 28 June 1988 (Class 84/1.01); originally filed 4 December 1984

Drummer 12 uses drumsticks 13 to pla• upon electronic drum trans- ducer units 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28 that are impulse-responsive pickup units buckled to the legs or waist of the drummer or mounted upon or within his shoes. The units worn on the shoes may also be actuated by foot impact upon the floor or ground. Outputs of the transducers are transmitted by

wire or wireless to synthesizer 14 that can be programmed to generate dif- ferent musical percussion sounds in response to different transducers worn by the musician. The synthesized percussion sounds are amplified and re- produced by loudspeaker 16.--DWM

4,756,225 43.75.Mn KEYBOARD OF PIANOS AND SIMILAR KEY INSTRUMENTS

Lars G. Carlsson, Motala, and Staffan Sjostrand, Norrkoping, Sweden

12 July 1988 {Class 84/434); filed in Sweden 17 January 1985

Conventional piano playing keys rest upon a keyboard frame and keybed made of wood. The keys of this patent rest upon a keyboard frame 10, which is on extruded aluminum section having three parallel grooves 11, 12, and 13 in which strands 14, 15, and 16 of a vibration-absorbing material run throughout the entire groove length. The vibration-absorbing material extends above the walls of the groove so that the keys rest upon strand 14 at

14A and the short key 21 and long key 35 strike against strands 15 and 16, respectively, at the end of the playing stroke. Balance pin 15 and guide pins 19 and 20 perform their usual function. This assembly provides a stable base for the keyboard and reduces keyboard action noise. To the extent that such noise is part of the sound expected when the piano is played, this keyboard may be lacking.•DWM

4,7'57,737

43.75.Tv WHISTLE SYNTHESIZER

Ugo Conti, Cerrito, CA 19 July 1988 (Class 84/1.12); filed 27 March 1986

The patent points out that electronic music synthesizers have been provided f0•r keyboard players, for wind instrument players, for string in- strument players, and for singers, but not for the amateur musician who is only able to whistle. Accordingly, the patent describes control of a hand- held synthesizer 17 by input signals derived from the fundamental frequen- cy and amplitude of whistling sounds picked up by microphone 15 mounted on the synthesizer. The frequency of the synthesizer output can be in a normal musical range by passing the whistling signal through frequency dividers. The patent mentions that the waveform 0fa whistle sound is nearly sinusoidal, making frequency division easier than when the input signal is of

2307 J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 84(6), Dec. 1988; 0001-4966/88/122307-02500.80; (D 1988 Acoust. Soc. Am.; Patent Reviews 2307

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