If you use something like Google patents... They have hot links to citations and references in every patent.
The citations are other older patents or art the inventor thinks is related. The references are other inventors that cited the current patent in their later applications.
This will link you around to a lot of related art. (some of the links weren't working in google today, but if the link is broken you can just paste in the pat # in search area).
Another thing you can do is look at all the patents in that general reference category but they may range a bit far afield.. as it is you will find congas and toy cardboard drums in the related art.
I recall decades ago actually going to Arlington, VA and doing a patent search by looking through the "shoes" (drawers) full of paper patents.
note: membranophone is the fancy word for drum.
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As you probably know drums are kind of messy from a strict physics standpoint. The laws of physics are fine, just the drums are not very round, rigid, regular...
On paper everything works...until you try it.
:roll:
JR