EP0240426B1 - Device for mounting a key pad of a musical wind instrument - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to wind musical instruments of the key type, such as saxophones, clarinets, bassoons, flutes or the like, this being more particularly relating to the adjustment of the pads of the keys for these instruments.

Wind musical instruments of the aforementioned type have chimneys arranged along their bodies, the height of a sound emitted being a function of a specific combination associating open and closed chimneys. The opening and closing of said chimneys are ensured by buffers housed in bowls fixed to the ends of brass keys articulated on the body of the instrument. Each tampon consists of a felt washer mounted on a cardboard sole, both wrapped in thin skin, stretched by riveting in the center of the tampon. For better acoustic performance, the pads generally include rigid washers called resonators and arranged on the visible face of said pads.

In traditional manufacturing, the keys and the buffers are mounted on the instrument, the buffers then being adjusted in a position capable of ensuring a good seal when the chimneys are closed. This delicate adjustment is ordinarily carried out by successive deformations of the key until the buffer comes to apply perfectly at all points from the edge of the corresponding chimney.

According to inevitable wear, certain keys undergo a progressive deformation due to the forces exerted permanently on these by the musician, while the pads start to swell more or less depending on the amount of moisture absorbed, all of the aforementioned deformations resulting in a deregulation of the inclination of the buffers and, therefore, by a leak in the closing of the chimneys. Because of the frequent, precise and tedious nature of the adjustment of the position of inclination of the pads, the intervention of a specialized technician proves necessary, causing for the musician movements constituting a waste of time, an immobilization of the instrument and high fees.

• - une cuvette susceptible d'être reliée fonctionnellement à ladite clef,
• - un tampon en matériau compressible tel que feutre, fixé sur une semelle rigide,
• - un rivet servant de support central audit tampon, et
• - une articulation à composants mâle et femelle, reliant le centre du tampon au centre du fond de la cuvette, permettant audit tampon de prendre, grâce à un jeu de débattement angulaire universel, une quelconque position d'inclinaison par rapport à la cuvette.

To remedy these drawbacks, it has been proposed by US-A-1702962 BUESCHER, a device for mounting a pad actuated by the key of a wind musical instrument to close off a chimney of said instrument, said device including:

• - a bowl capable of being functionally connected to said key,
• - a pad of compressible material such as felt, fixed on a rigid sole,
• a rivet serving as a central support for said buffer, and
• - An articulation with male and female components, connecting the center of the pad to the center of the bottom of the bowl, allowing said pad to take, by virtue of a universal angular clearance play, any position of inclination relative to the bowl.

• a) la conception de l'articulation BUESCHER est telle, comme cela est expressément indiqué dans ce brevet, que l'amplitude du débattement angulaire du tampon 6 ne peut être que faible, quelle que soit la distance ménagée entre le fond de la cuvette 1 et la semelle 8 du tampon 6, ceci étant dû, entre autres, au blocage de l'extrémité supérieure de la douille 5 par la naissance de l'organe convexe 3 ;
• b) lorsqu'on sait qu'une cheminée a un bord extérieur normalement tranchant, qui laisse une empreinte de profil complémentaire sur le tampon 6, et que l'étanchéité doit se faire au niveau de cette empreinte, il est impératif que le contact entre le tampon et la cheminée se fasse toujours rigoureusement au même endroit. Or, étant donné qu'un tampon n'est en pratique jamais parfaitement centré par rapport à la cheminée qu'il contrôle et que, selon BUESCHER, le tampon tourne librement autour de l'organe convexe 3, il est clair que l'empreinte se décale constamment et qu'il s'ensuit un défaut d'étanchéité.

This mounting device has never been applied in practice because the means proposed do not make it possible to achieve the aim pursued, for the following reasons:

• a) the design of the BUESCHER joint is such, as is expressly indicated in this patent, that the amplitude of the angular movement of the buffer 6 can only be small, whatever the distance provided between the bottom of the bowl 1 and the sole 8 of the buffer 6, this being due, inter alia, to the blocking of the upper end of the sleeve 5 by the birth of the convex member 3;
• b) when it is known that a chimney has a normally sharp outer edge, which leaves an imprint of complementary profile on the pad 6, and that the sealing must be done at the level of this imprint, it is imperative that the contact between the buffer and the chimney are always rigorously in the same place. Now, given that a tampon is never in practice perfectly centered with respect to the chimney it controls and that, according to BUESCHER, the tampon turns freely around the convex member 3, it is clear that the imprint is constantly shifting and that there is a leak.

In addition, the articulation proposed by BUESCHER which involves a pivot point with a random location, as well as a diversity of friction zones, presents risks with regard to noises, tactile sensations or accidental snagging likely to impair proper functioning. of the instrument.

Another attempt for the automatic adjustment of the buffers is represented by patent US-A-3205752 CARRUTHERS which proposes, him, a device operating without formation of imprint, in which the distribution of the compressible and rigid materials intervening in the plugging of the instrument is reversed, which alters the acoustic behavior of the chambers that constitute the chimneys once closed by their respective buffers, and consequently, the timbre itself of the instrument. This defect is further aggravated by the elastomeric constitution of said compressible materials.

In addition, the CARRUTHERS system involves a modification of the instrument itself.

• a) assurant, sans contrainte de frottement ou de flexion, un réglage automatique permanent de la position d'inclinaison des tampons,
• b) assurant la conservation de la bonne position du tampon,
• c) assurant le maintien en bonne correspondance du bord de cheminée avec son empreinte sur le tampon,
• d) permettant l'échange instantané du tampon par l'utilisateur, et
• e) s'adaptant facilement sur un instrument déjà existant.

The aim of the present invention is to remedy the drawbacks of the prior art and, in particular to provide a device for mounting the pads in the bowls:

• a) ensuring, without friction or bending constraint, a permanent automatic adjustment of the tilting position of the pads,
• b) ensuring the preservation of the correct position of the buffer,
• c) ensuring that the chimney edge is in good correspondence with its imprint on the pad,
• d) allowing instant exchange of the buffer by the user, and
• e) easily adapting to an already existing instrument.

These objectives are achieved in that the device according to the invention comprises means provided to prevent relative rotation of the tampon with respect to the bowl.

Thus, the edge of the chimney always comes into contact, in the same place, with the buffer and there is only a single imprint in it.

In a first embodiment of the invention, said means provided for preventing rotation of the tampon appear in the structure of the joint with male and female components.

Generally, these means comprise a lug and a slot, said lug penetrating into said slot and being partially blocked therein, any one of these two means belonging to the structure of the male component of the joint, while the the other belongs to the structure of the female component of said joint.

In another embodiment, said means provided to prevent rotation of the tampon relative to the bowl belong to the tampon and to the bowl.

Generally, these means comprise a nipple and an opening, said nipple penetrating into said opening and being partially blocked therein, any one of these two means appearing in the tampon, while the other appearing in the bowl. .

• - la figure 1 est une vue en section transversale montrant le montage d'un tampon suivant l'invention, dans une cuvette d'une clef de saxophone, la clef elle-même n'étant pas représentée pour plus de clarté, et
• - la figure 2 est une vue en perspective partiellement éclatée d'un dispositif similaire à celui de la figure 1, mais montrant une autre possibilité d'exécution des moyens d'immobilisation du tampon en rotation.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description given below, without implied limitation, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting of a tampon according to the invention, in a bowl of a saxophone key, the key itself not being shown for clarity, and
• - Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of a device similar to that of Figure 1, but showing another possibility of execution of the means for immobilizing the rotating tampon.

Referring to Figure 1, reference 1 designates a chimney of the instrument. This chimney is closed by a movable pad designated as a whole by the reference 2, mounted in a bowl 3 itself fixed to a key end (not shown) articulated on the body of the instrument and actuated by the musician to open and close the chimney 1.

According to the invention, a plate 4 carrying at its center a sphere 5 is welded to the center of the bottom of the bowl 3, so that said sphere 5 protrudes towards the inside of the bowl 3. Preferably, the support assembly -sphere 4.5 is made in one piece obtained by turning.

The sphere 5 is elastically fitted into a housing in the portion of a sphere, formed in the flat head of a rivet 6 made of polyethylene or other plastic material with a low coefficient of friction.

The head of the rivet 6 has a frustoconical peripheral surface 7 engaged in an opening of complementary shape formed in a circular flat sole 9 of thin metal, on the underside of which is glued a covered felt washer 10, as known per se , skin 11.

The pad 2, formed as a whole by the felt washer 10, the skin 11 and the sole 9, is held on the head of the rivet 6 by means of the usual resonator 12 comprising a central opening engaged on the rod 8 of the rivet 6, said rod 8 being sectioned flush with the resonator 12 and melted hot to form a peripheral bead 13 intended to retain the resonator 12 and the pad 2 on the head of the rivet 6.

The articulation comprising the sphere 5 and the head of the rivet 6 is such that the pad 2 can carry out, freely but without unnecessary play, a movement of universal angular movement relative to the bowl 3, the distance j formed between the bottom of the the bowl 3 and the sole 9 of the pad 2, determining the position of maximum inclination that the pad 2 can take relative to the bottom of the bowl 3. This maximum inclination is shown in phantom in the drawing.

According to one of the characteristics of the invention, the pad 2 is immobilized in rotation relative to the bowl 3, around the axis of the articulation 5,6, by a lug 14 fixed on the support plate 4, said lug 14 extending in the direction of the pad 2, parallel to the axis of the bowl 3 and its vicinity, to enter a slot 15 provided for this purpose in the head of the rivet 6. Said slot 15 is oversized with respect to the 'lug 14 so as not to hinder the angular movements of the buffer 2. It is understood that the immobilization in rotation of the buffer 2 prevents any shift, by this route, of the imprint 1a of the chimney edge 1.

Optionally, to absorb a possible shock from the periphery of the sole 9 on the bottom of the bowl 3, the latter comprises in the vicinity of its periphery a circular groove 16 in which is housed an elastomeric rod 17, this groove 16 is located to the right of the periphery of the sole 9.

According to another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the pad 2 is immobilized in rotation by a stud 14a integrated into the sole 9 of the pad and extending radially from the periphery thereof, said stud 14a being capped with 'a silent elastomeric cap 14b for operating inside the opening 15a made on the peripheral skirt of the bowl 3. Said opening 1.5a is oversized with respect to the stud 14a capped with its cap 14b, so as not to hinder them angular movements of the tampon 2.

This arrangement has the advantages, compared to the previous embodiment, on the one hand, of being easily achievable, on the other hand, of visually and materially facilitating the establishment and disassembly of the pad 2, with however for disadvantage, a slight aesthetic modification of the instrument.

• a) si la clef, la cuvette 3 ou le tampon 2 subissent des déformations suivant l'usure normale de l'instrument, le tampon 2 prend de lui-même et conserve la position d'inclinaison voulue par rapport à la cuvette 3 pour s'appliquer librement et uniformément en tous points du bord de la cheminée 1, afin d'assurer dans toutes les conditions une fermeture étanche de celle-ci, étanchéité en outre garantie par les moyens 14,15 ou 14a,15a d'immobilisation en rotation du tampon 2 ;
• b) le montage de l'articulation 5,6 par emboîtement élastique permet l'échange instantané du tampon 2 par l'utilisateur-même ;
• c) le tampon 2 étant identique aux tampons connus (hormis la semelle) alors que le principe du bouchage des cheminées reste inchangé par rapport à l'art connu, aucune altération des caractéristiques sonores de l'instrument n'est à craindre ;
• d) l'esthétique de l'instrument n'est pas modifiée ;
• e) le fonctionnement de l'articulation à composants sphériques 5,6 n'engendre aucune sensation tactile spécifique ;
• f) un jeu faible entre les organes sphériques 5,6 de cette articulation, garantira une absence totale de bruit spécifique, sans en compromettre la liberté de mouvement ;
• g) la très faible modification apportée, sur le plan matériel, à la structure classique de l'instrument entraîne un faible coût d'investissement pour les fabricants ou les utilisateurs.

Whatever the embodiment chosen, we understand that:

• a) if the key, the bowl 3 or the pad 2 undergo deformations following normal wear and tear of the instrument, the pad 2 takes on its own and retains the desired tilt position relative to the bowl 3 to apply freely and uniformly at all points on the edge of the chimney 1 , in order to ensure under all conditions a leaktight closure thereof, leaktightness further guaranteed by the means 14, 15 or 14a, 15a for immobilizing the pad 2 in rotation;
• b) the mounting of the articulation 5,6 by elastic interlocking allows the instantaneous exchange of the buffer 2 by the user himself;
• c) the buffer 2 being identical to the known buffers (except the sole) while the principle of plugging the chimneys remains unchanged compared to known art, no alteration of the sound characteristics of the instrument is to be feared;
• d) the aesthetics of the instrument are not changed;
• e) the operation of the articulation with spherical components 5,6 does not generate any specific tactile sensation;
• f) a small clearance between the spherical bodies 5,6 of this articulation, will guarantee a total absence of specific noise, without compromising the freedom of movement;
• g) the very slight modification made, on the material level, to the conventional structure of the instrument entails a low investment cost for the manufacturers or the users.

Claims (10)

1. A device for fitting a pad actuated by the key of a wind musical instrument so as to close a chimney (1) of said instrument, said device including:

- a cup (3) operationally connectable to said key,

- a pad (2), made from a compressible material such as felt, fixed to a rigid backing plate (9),

- a rivet (6) serving as central support for the pad (2), and

- a hinge with male and female components (5, 6) connecting the center of the pad (2) to the center of the bottom of the cup (3), so that the pad (2) may assume, through a universal angular free movement, any slanted position with respect to the cup (3), characterized in that it includes means (14, 15 or 14a, 15a) provided for preventing relative rotation of the pad (2) with respect to the cup (3).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said means (14, 15) provided for preventing rotation of the pad (2) belong to the structure of said hinge with male and female components (5, 6).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said means (14, 15) include a spur (14) and a slit (15), said spur (14) penetrating into said slit (15) and being partially locked therein, any one of these means belonging to the structure of the male component (5) of the hinge (5, 6), whereas the other belongs to the structure of the female component (6) of said hinge.

4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pad (2) is secured against rotation with respect to the cup (3), about the axis of the hinge (5, 6), by a spur (14) fixed on a support plate (4), said spur (14) extending in the direction of the pad (2), parallel to the axis of the cup (3) and in the vinicity thereof, so as to penetrate into a slit (15) provided for this purpose in the head of the rivet (6), said slit (15) being overdimensioned with respect to the spur (14).

5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said means (14a, 15a) provided for prevendting rotation of the pad (2) belong to the pad (2) and to the cup (3).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said means (14a, 15a) include a stud (14a) and an opening (15a), said stud (14a) penetrating into said opening (15a) and being partially locked therein, any one of these two means (14a, 15a) belonging to the pad (2), whereas the other belongs to the cup

7. Device according to any one of claims 1, 5 or 6, characterized in that the pad (2) is secured against rotation by a stud (14a) integrally formed with the backing plate (9) of the pad and extending radially from the periphery thereof, said stud (14a) being capped with an elastomer muffler cap (14b) for fitting inside an opening (15a) formed in the peripheral skirt of the cup (3), said opening (15a) being overdimensioned with respect to the stud (14a) capped with its cap (14b).

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the male component of said hinge (5, 6) is a sphere (5).

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the sphere (5) of said hinge (5, 6) is fitted resiliently into its complementary housing formed in the head of the rivet (6) which is made form a plastic material with a low friction coefficient.

10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, in which a distance (j) is provided between the bootom of the cup (3) and the backing plate (9) of the pad (2), characterized in that this distance (i) determines the maximum slanted position whisch the pad (2) may assume with respect to the bottom of the cup (3).

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