, sept. 9, 1969
A, A. MALDACKER
3,465,695`
MuLTIHEADEn MALLETS
Filed April 22, 1964
INVENTOR.
ANTA/_ AMALDACKER
United States Patent O ” lCC
1
Patented Sept. 9, 1969
2
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the
3,465,635
invention;
MULTIHEADED MALLETS
Antal A. Maldacker, 102 Balmoral Ave.,
Toronto 7, Ontario, Canada
Filed Apr. 22, 1964, ser. No. 361,664
Claims priority, application Canada, Apr. 25, 1963,
874,045
Int. Cl. G10d 13/00
U.S. Cl. 84-422
3,465,635
3 Claims
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A mallet arrangement for percussion instruments hav~
ing a plurality of heads of which at least one is rigidly
ñXed, the remaining heads being movable by selective op
eration of members afñxed to the handle portion of the
mallet.
FIGS. 5a and 5b are partial cross-sections of the second
embodiment along the line B---B;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of one of the control
sledges of the second embodiment along the line C-C.
The mallet of FIG. 1 has three heads, the two outer
heads being -movable along a half circle into a position a
half step to the right whereas the middle head is ñXed in
relation to the body of the mallet.
The mallet illustrated in FIGS. l, 2 and 3 comprises a
handle 1, and crossbar 1’ equipped with three heads 2,
3 and 4. The heads 3 and 4 are eccentrically mounted on
shafts 7 and 8, respectively, by means of stems 5 and 6.
In the normal position head 3 is two whole-steps, head 4
one and one half steps apart from the fixed head. When
used in this position, called the normal position, the mallet
will strike a major triad (2--«11/2 intervals).
The heads 3 and 4 can be moved separately or simul
This invention relates to multiheaded mallets some 20 taneously a half step to the right, forming a diminished,
heads of which are movable in relation to the others, and
an augmented or minor triad respectively (11/z-11/2,
used with different types of musical instruments.
It is a well known fact that the sounding elements of the
percussion instruments are arranged like the keys of the
standard keyboard of the piano. The majority of such in
2_2, or 11/2-2 intervals). The moving of the heads
from the normal position to a new one is accomplished
by pulleys 13, 14, 17 and 18 which are turned by strings
15 and 16. Since the construction and function of both
sides of the mallet is identical I will describe the opera
tion of the left side. String 15 is wound over pulley 13
of the western civilization. These sounding elements, if
which is iìrmly attached to the hollow shaft 11. Shaft 11
arranged according to the pitch, have half musical inter
is turnable on the handle portion 1 yand is actuated by
vals throughout the whole range of notes. But, unfortu 30 the operating member 10 which is firmly attached to it.
nately, the sounding elements are placed according to the
The operating member 9, which belongs to the system
C major scale, that is with unevenly distributed musical
of the other movable head 4, protrudes over the operating
intervals. The most important consequence of said ar
member 10 and stays normally in the same plane as mem
rangement is that for every type of chord a different
ber 10. In order to operate the mallet the player holds
mallet with the proper spacing of the heads should be 35 the handle iirmly in the hand and does not touch the cranks
used, and since they should be many times and quickly
when playing major chords. To play other chords (minor,
changed during the performance of a musical selection
diminished or augmented triads as well as double notes of
struments are ñtted out with twelve sounding elements
per octave, corresponding to the notes used in the music
the technique of playing would be impractical, in fact in
different intervals) he pushes, with his thumb, the member
conceivable.
9 or 10 or both, as the case may be. The arrangement of
The mallets used so far have thus in the majority of 40 the operating members 9 and 10 makes the operation
cases only single heads, and using two mallets of this
somewhat easy to carry out since the thumb first touches
kind merely a tune having no more than two notes in the
the proper member or both of them together and then
same instant can be played. This is the reason that the
pushes it or them. When the members 9 and 10 are re
Xylophone-like instruments are not very popular: the im
leased the springs 19 and 20 will return the heads 3 and 4
possibility to play chords makes them inferior to most 45 to their normal position.
of other musical instruments.
The mallet o-f FIG. 4 has five heads 22-26, the middle
I found that if the mallets are provided with more than
one 22 being fixed, the others 23-26 movable in planes
one head, and some of them are movable in respect to
the others, chords can be played, since only simple move
ments of the lingers are required to control the levers 50
which position the heads of the mallet.
perpendicular to the plane formed by the crossbar 21 and
the handle 39.
The heads 23 and 24 form a set of heads at the left
side, heads 25 and 26 a set at the right side of the mallet.
One head of each of said sets is at any given moment in
The mallet of the invention is of a T-form with the
upper part serving as the base of the heads, and the stem
said plane formed by the crossbar 21 and the handle 39,
as the handle of the mallet. The number of heads, ac
the other head of each of said sets is above the same.
cording to this invention, can vary, the most practical be 55 The movable heads 23-26 are each attached, through
ing three heads. The positioning of the heads during the
stem 35, to a lever having two arms 27 and 30. The lever
performance of a musical selection will be carried out by
is pivotally mounted on a supporting shaft 28 attached t0
a combination of levers, springs, pulleys, shafts etc. In
the crossbar 21. The stems 35 are mounted on one arm
the following description I will set forth the construction
27 of the two-armed lever, the other arm 30 being forced
and use of two embodiments of the invented mallet, one 60 by springs 31 to be in steady contact with the contoured
with three heads and one with iive heads. They are exam
ples of typical solutions of moving the heads into the
desired positions.
slides 29a and 29b (FIGS. 5a, 5b). The contoured slides
are movable in grooves provided in the crossbar 21 (see
FIG. 6) and are operated by actuating levers 34 and 35
pivotally mounted on the handle portion 39. The actuat
appear from the following description taken in conjunc 65 ing levers 34 and 35 are connected to contoured slides
tion with the accompanying drawings, in which:
29a and 29h, respectively, and are operated by two operat
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the first embodiment of the
ing members 32 and 33 mounted in a groove in the handle
invention;
portion 39. When pressure is applied to the operating
FIG. 2 is a cross section of the same along the line
members the contoured slides 29a and 29h will corre
A--A;
70 spondingly be moved in the groove of said crossbar there~
FIG. 3 is a portion of the handle of the same showing
by causing movement of the heads 23-26. When the pres
the configuration of the operating levers;
sure on the operating members 32 and 33 is released the
Other features and advantages of this invention will
3,465,685
3
4
springs 36 and 37 pull back the actuating levers 34 and 35
thereby returning the heads 23-26 to their normal posi
the finger of a performer, mounted on said handle por
tion and operatively connected to said pulley means for
tion.
In the normal position arms 30 of the movable heads
means returning said outer heads to one of said selected
-
controlling the position of said outer heads; said biasing
23 and 25 are resting on the ridges 38 and 38' of the con
Ul positions when said operating members are released.
toured slides 29a and 2911 as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5 b;
3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said crossbar
the respective heads as well as the fixed head are then in
has five heads mounted thereon, each of said heads having
the plane formed by the crossbar 21 and the handle 39
stem means, said heads being arranged in a line parallel
to said crossbar with the middle head of said five being
and the distance between them is 2 and 11/2 steps, corre
sponding to the intervals of the major triad. In order to
get other combinations the contoured slides 29a and 2919
have to be moved beneath the arms 30 lifting or lowering
the respective heads by means of the operating members
32 and 33, as fully explained hereinabove.
Both embodiments of the invented mallet are supposed
to be used by the left hand, which plays the accompani
ment written mostly in double notes and chords. The right
fixedly mounted, the remaining heads of said tive being
movably mounted in a plane perpendicular to the plane
of said mallet, there being a ñrst set of two heads mounted
on the left side of said crossbar and a second set of two
heads mounted on the right side of said crossbar; and
wherein said operating means comprises: a pair of main
levers; a pair of contoured slides; secondary lever means
attached to each of said movable heads; a first biasing
means cooperating with said main levers; a second biasing
means cooperating with said secondary lever means; each
of said main levers being in contact with a contoured slide
which controls the movement of said secondary lever
hand plays the melody composed normally of single or
double notes. Playing the melody needs thus a mallet of
only two heads to strike one bar or two bars of a minor
or major triad and mallets of this type are known in the
art.
means and in turn said movable heads; whereby a per
former may raise one head of each set of said movable
Mallets with three heads may be used by the right hand
but the levers of them must be rearranged in such a man
heads above the plane of said crossbar by applying pres
ner as to become the mirror image of the left hand mallets 25 sure to said main levers; said first and second biasing
described herein.
means acting to restore said main levers and secondary
It will be realized that whereas I have described and
lever means to a position wherein all of said heads are in
illustrated practical and operative devices, nevertheless
the same plane.
many changes may be made in the size, shape, number
References Cited
and disposition of parts.
30
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A mallet arrangement for percussion instruments ,
comprising: a handle portion; a crossbar añixed to said
handle portion; a plurality of heads mounted on said cross 35
bar, at least one of said heads being fixed, the remaining
heads of said plurality being movably mounted; and
means for operating said movable heads whereby a player
controls the relative distance between said heads and
thereby the musical intervals.
40
2. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein said crossbar
has three heads mounted thereon, each of said heads hav
ing stem means, said heads being arranged in a line par~
allel to said crossbar with the middle head of said three
being fixedly mounted, the outer heads being movably
UNITED STATES PATENTS
474,242
5/ 1892
Hafner ____________ __ 84-478
706,002
8/1902
Allen _____________ __ 84-478
770,864
996,935
1,696,901
2,020,150
2,085,363
2,117,345
2,133,712
2,284,868
2,943,527
9/ 1904
7/1911
1/ 1929
11/1935
6/1937
5/1938
Kolander __________ __
MacMaster ________ __
Bostelman _________ __
Ludwig ____________ __
Hultsch ___________ __
Miessner __________ __
10/1938
Musser ____________ __ 84-403
6/ 1942
Heaney ___________ __ 84-478
7/ 1960
775,813
45
1,761,245
1,876,870
84-478
84---480
84-478
84-403
84-403
84-403
Hanert ____________ __ 84-403
Forander __________ __ 84-422
6/1930
9/1932
Vitto _____________ __ 84-422
Dollhoff ___________ __ 84-422
2,791,930
5/ 1957 Soderberg __________ __ 84-422
mounted to a plurality of selected positions; and wherein
2,905,043
9/ 1959 Soderberg _______ __ 84-404 X
said operating means comprises a shaft means eccentrical
ly attached at one end to said stem means of each of said
RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner
movable heads; pulley means attached to the outer end of
said shaft means; biasing means operatively connected to 50 S. A. WAL, Assistant Examiner
said pulley means; and operating members engageable by