Concertina Rest

[Alan Day]

A little idea for you to think about.

 

A Concertina rest in three parts

The first part is a U (upside down)shaped rest that will fit over the knee or leg with a lug on the top with a hole in to take the Arm.(Part three). As an option it could have a velcro strap to secure it underneath.

 

The second part is a padded hexagonal clamp in two halves that will fix on the end of the concertina where the bellows finish.On the underneath of the bottom part of the clamp will be another lug similar to that on the knee rest, but at the bottom of the lower half of the clamp..

 

The third part would be an arm fixed by a wing nut to the knee rest and at the other end to the concertina clamp.The arm would be hinged in the middle with another wing nut.All three nuts can be adjusted for maximum comfort and height that you wish to play at.

 

The advantages would be that it would eliminate bellows wear as no part of the bellows is being touched.

It would assist those players with arthritis or hand difficulties as the weight of the concertina is being taken up by the rest.It would improve posture as the concertina could be played at a comfortable height. The design would lend itself for clamping at either end of the concertina to suit left handed or right handed players.

 

Like all my ideas if you wish to shoot it down in flames be my guest.Eventually you will like one.

Al

[mike averill]

Well the weight of my concetina is taken by the rest, my upper thighs, and the bellows are untouched as I only every rest the ends on my thighs. For playing sat down this is a good height. Not really sure why the velcro and clamps are needed. The hands are strong enought to squeeze or they arent. Clamps and velcro wont help that.

 

Standing up I tend to play stood on one leg with the other raised as a support.

 

Puzzled by what you mean as left or right handed players, as a two handed instrument it makes little difference. Im happy resting on either leg or both. Not sure handedness comes in to it, more a case of rest on one side till it becomes sore then swap to the other.

 

Stands and the like have been tried in the accordian world and rejected by the majority. As long as the 'tina is light enough to not cause circulation problems in the legs, as is the case with big sqeezes, no problem.

[m3838]

It is about English, right?

Anglo bellows usually is not stretched far, and can be fanned out-in. Fanning eliminates wear completely, unless it is not done right and there is fair amount of drag.

With the English, if the bellows are not with many folds, fanning will be useless. Even with Morse, 6 folds, fanning doesn't open enough. Fine if you play folk tunes, where bellows reversals are OK, but not so fine for classical music or when you use chords.

A drawing would be good to look at.

[Alan Day]

It is not just for an English concertina it would be suitable for any type of concertina.It is purely a device for supporting the concertina instead of resting the concertina on the knee. The rest fits on the knee the arm enables you to adjust the height you are playing at and the device is clamped onto the concertina.The arm could be made telescopic instead of being hinged.When playing all one would see is a pillar going down from the concertina to the knee at one end.

Al

[cplayer]

It is not just for an English concertina it would be suitable for any type of concertina.It is purely a device for supporting the concertina instead of resting the concertina on the knee. The rest fits on the knee the arm enables you to adjust the height you are playing at and the device is clamped onto the concertina.The arm could be made telescopic instead of being hinged.When playing all one would see is a pillar going down from the concertina to the knee at one end.

Al

hi alan

would we be able to get one on the NHS?

all the best

cplayer

[Alan Day]

It is not just for an English concertina it would be suitable for any type of concertina.It is purely a device for supporting the concertina instead of resting the concertina on the knee. The rest fits on the knee the arm enables you to adjust the height you are playing at and the device is clamped onto the concertina.The arm could be made telescopic instead of being hinged.When playing all one would see is a pillar going down from the concertina to the knee at one end.

Al

hi alan

would we be able to get one on the NHS?

all the best

cplayer

They may assist you with the erection.

Al

[cplayer]

It is not just for an English concertina it would be suitable for any type of concertina.It is purely a device for supporting the concertina instead of resting the concertina on the knee. The rest fits on the knee the arm enables you to adjust the height you are playing at and the device is clamped onto the concertina.The arm could be made telescopic instead of being hinged.When playing all one would see is a pillar going down from the concertina to the knee at one end.

Al

hi alan

would we be able to get one on the NHS?

all the best

cplayer

They may assist you with the erection.

Al

now your talking.

[Robin Madge]

Minimalist version.

How about a pair of velcro patches sewn on the upper surface of your trouser legs and corresponding patches on the bottom of the concertina ends? Both ends supported and you get mobility therapy as you open and close the bellows!

 

Robin Madge

[Alan Day]

Minimalist version.

How about a pair of velcro patches sewn on the upper surface of your trouser legs and corresponding patches on the bottom of the concertina ends? Both ends supported and you get mobility therapy as you open and close the bellows!

 

Robin Madge

Does a Zimmer Frame come as an additional extra?

 

Not the response I was expecting on this suggestion,but I have been offered a job at the local clinic,

so I was not completely wasting my time.

Al

[m3838]

Here's my addition to the idea.

You know those jointed supports for computer professionals. You rest your elbow on the bracket and move your mouse, but the weight of the arm is supported by this rugged plastic contraption.

So why not use the same pricipal for making concertina support. The idea is both ends are supported by the Concertina Rest, and your arms are only stretching/compressing the bellows. The ends are free to go out-in, and rotate outward-inward.

They can't rotate down-up though. The bellows are not touching anything and the whole thing is relatively free from movement restrictions.

 

The blue balls are ball-in-socket flexible joints.

[Alan Day]

Here's my addition to the idea.

You know those jointed supports for computer professionals. You rest your elbow on the bracket and move your mouse, but the weight of the arm is supported by this rugged plastic contraption.

So why not use the same pricipal for making concertina support. The idea is both ends are supported by the Concertina Rest, and your arms are only stretching/compressing the bellows. The ends are free to go out-in, and rotate outward-inward.

They can't rotate down-up though. The bellows are not touching anything and the whole thing is relatively free from movement restrictions.

 

The blue balls are ball-in-socket flexible joints.

Interesting option and many thanks for this suggestion and it would work, but would it be costly to produce?

Using your sketch.

Just in case any of you have not yet got it,

From "C" a straight telescopic adjustable rod up to A.The leg rest is how I first imagined it ,but it could just be a velcro strap around the leg from the point "C" with a smaller rest than you have drawn it and likewise a velcro strap around the concertina at point A.For those that play on the right leg, or left leg, or central then you just clamp it at either end of the concertina that suits you . It could be made to suit any size of concertina and be suitable for any length of body eg. suitable for a very tall,or short person, or child.

It is possible m3838 that your suggestion may suit a person with the use of one hand and possible partial use of the other.

Thanks

Al

[m3838]

A velcrow will work, but may cause problems with circulation in the leg.

Combersome strapping may inhibit the idea as well. A concertina has this advantage of been just snatched from the desk and be in playing position.

Telescopic arms may not work, because they are not designed to withstand lateral forces, unless you are talking about some serious ingeneering, with internal lubrication - speaking about cost.

A plastic arm is readily available and suitable for modifications, but I haven't seen them in stores, and don't know about their cost.

But the whole thing has doubtful usefulness. I think most people who played Concertina and can't anymore, are put off by arthritis in joints. No contraption helps with this. Another potential problem with concertinas is small diameter of buttons, which may provoke nerve inflammation. Anglos have dangerous arm rests, that press right in the middle of the palm, where the nerve knot is. Been there, dropped out of Anglo because of sharp pain in the palm.

So better design of arm rest and weaker springs, but larger buttons, or some sort of button extentions of larger diameter and soft top may do the good.

If you care about one armed players, simple clamp of one end with a paddle like extention, held between the knees will do nicely. Of course the instrument must have Duet based keyboard.

The picture is coming. It takes time to upload by some reason.

 

Or:

The arm rest is called Ergo Rest and can be purchased online here.

The cost is $200 a pair.

Instead of clamping the instrument to the bracket, you can use the brackets as is, placing your WRISTS on them and clamping the brackets to the wood or plastic piece, that is connected to the knee rest or to Velcrow strip, going around yout leg.

This way you'll support heavy, say, 80 button Duet, with your knee, like an accordion, with bellows not touching anything, and have virtually any freedom you want.

Problem solved. Thank you Alan, for bringing this up.

Brilliant!

PS

The Knee Rest can be made of termo bent plexiglass, and anything can be glued to it with acetone or screwed into position (wich I prefer.)

Again, the pic will come tomorrow.

Edited October 22, 2007 by m3838

[m3838]

Here are two pictures:

One illustrates additions to buttons for making the buttons larger without altering the instrument

The other shows contraption for person, whose one arm cannot be used. Note that the right end of concertina may be connected to the Knee Rest by the flexible joint, allowing fanning out the bellows without having to support heavy end of a Duet by one arm, that too, may be weakened by age or illness.

 

Another drawing shows your typical concertina player in playing position, while supporting both wrists on a pair of Ergo Rests, clamped to U-shaped bracket, attached to larger upside down U-shaped Knee Rest. Both brackets can be easily cut from a sheet of plexiglass and bent, using heat gun. The whole construction may look very attractive and appealing.

Again, as I understand it, it mainly works for those with weakened wrists and joints, and for those, who are paranoyed about wearing the bellows off. Sorry for somewhat unclear depiction of the contraption, but I provided close-up.

[Robin Madge]

Just had an alternative idea based upon the zimmerframe remark.

Instead of supporting the concertina from below suspend it from above. Have an add-on frame atached to a zimmerframe or your wheelchair arms etc. and hang both ends of the concertina from that.

Are there disability aids out there that work on this principal already?

 

Robin Madge