US1103555A

US1103555A - Wood wind instrument.

Info

Publication number: US1103555A
Application number: US751444A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nicholas Alberti
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1911-08-05
Filing date: 1913-03-01
Publication date: 1914-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1931-07-14

Description

N. ALBERTI.

' WOOD WIND INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION r IIIII AR.1.. 1913.

1,103,555. Patented July 14,1914,

INVENTOR 5 NICHOLAS ALBERTI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WOOD WIND INSTRUMENT;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Original application filed August 5, 1911, Serial No. 642,447. Divided and this. application filed March 1,

. provide means for simultaneously changing the pitch of the notes produced by the opening of the different valves.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device which is comparatively simple in its construction for accomplishing the first-named objects, and which is not liable to get out of order.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the device, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inner tube, the end piece being removed and Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the relative positions of the openings in the sleeve and the inner tube.

In explanation of the purpose of the device, I may say that there is in use in this country and in others what is known as concert pitch and international pitch, the latter being approximately one-half tone lower than the former. Many times musicians are obliged to make use of both of these pitches, or they are compelled to transpose the music, which is a very difficult thing to do, and can only be done after one becomes an expert. It is customary with some musicians tohave instruments of different pitch, but this is expensive and necessitates the carrying of an extra instrument.

My purpose as stated above, is to provide a device which may be quickly changed by a semitone.

This application is a division of a prior application, #642,447, filed August 5, 1911.

Referring now to Fig. 2 I have shown a Serial No. 751,444.

mouth piece A secured to the end member A of an inner tube or sounding pipe B. The latter is provided with a series of openings b the distance between these openings representing a half tone. Near the end mem ber A the tube B is provided with four small openings Z), the distance between these openings also corresponding to a half tone.

A sleeve D is provided with openings d which are made progressively longer from the end nearest the mouth piece to the opposite end and which are arranged to register with the openings in the tube or sounding pipe B when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. On the opposite end of the tube B from the end member A is secured an end member C as shown in Fig. 3. The tube B. is provided with a longitudinal guide slot 6 in which a guide pin d carried by the sleeve D projects to guide the sleeve in its movement on the tube. The openings (Z in the sleeve D are covered by valves V which are arranged to be operated in any suitable manner. In the drawing I have shown only part of these valves, but it will be understood that each of the openings (Z in the sleeve D is to be covered by a valve. Two smaller valves V are intended to cover the four small openings 1) in the tube B as will be hereinafter explained. It will be noted that there is only one set of valves for this instrument, and that this one set of valves serves for operating the instrument in either pitch.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device the operation thereof may be readily understood.

If it is desired to vary the pitch by half a tone the sleeve D is moved relatively to the tube or pipe B so that the openings in the sleeve D now register with the openings adjacent to those with which they formerly registered. This will result in the changing of the pitch of all of the notes of the instrument half a tone. The first and second small valves V (counting from the left end of Fig. 1) will cover the first and third small holes 6* respectively, in the normal position of the sleeve D. In the shifted position of the sleeve D these valves will cover the second and fourth openings respectively.

It will be apparent that only one set of valves is necessary since all of the valves are shifted simultaneously. The mechanism is simple and is not likely to get out of order like those instruments in which one set of valves are put into or out of commission and a new set of valves is used.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a flute, it will be obvious that it is equally applicable to a reed instrument such as a clarinet in which the different tones are produced by covering or uncovering openings in the sounding pipe. I therefore do not consider the invention limited to a flute, but consider it is applicable to any device in which the tones are produced by uncovering and covering the openings in the sounding pipe.

I claim:

1. In a Wood wind instrument, a soundingpipe provided with a single set of openings, the distance between the openings corresponding to a semitone, a sleeve mounted on said sounding pipe and having a single set of valve openings arranged to register with some of the openings in said pipe, a single set of valves arranged to close the valve openings in said sleeve, said sleeve being movable longitudinally of said pipe, the movement of said sleeve serving to bring each valve into registration With the opening in the pipe adjacent to that with which it first registered.

2. In a wood wind instrument, a sounding pipe provided with a single set of openings, the distance between the openings corresponding to a semitone, a sleeve mounted on said sounding pipe and having a single set of valve openings arranged to register with some of the openings in said pipe, a singl set of valves arranged to close the valve-openings in said sleeve, said sleeve being movable longitudinally of said pipe, the movement of said sleeve serving to bring each valve into registration with the opening in the pipe adjacent to that with which it first registered, and means for guiding the sleeve in its movement, said means comprising a pin carried by the sleeve and arranged to extend in a slot in the pipe.

3. In a wood wind instrument, a sounding pipe provided with a single set of openings, the distance between the openings corresponding to a semitone, a sleeve mounted on said pipe and having a single set of valve openings arranged to register with some of the openings in said pipe, a single set of valves or keys arranged to close the valve openings in said sleeve, said sleeve being movable on said pipe in a longitudinal direction, the movement of said sleeve serving to vary the registration of all the openings in the sleeve with the openings in the said pipe so that when the sleeve is moved toward the mouth piece its valve openings will register with openings of the said pipe that will be a half tone higher than when the said sleeve is moved and set in its position away from the mouth piece.

4. In a wood wind instrument, a sounding pipe provided with a single set of openings, the distance between said openings being progressively greater from one end of the pipe to the other, said distance between the openings corresponding to a semitone, a sleeve mounted on said sounding pipe and having a single set of openings of progressively greater length and arranged to register with some of the openings in said pipe, a single set of valves to close the openings in said sleeve, said sleeve being movable longitudinally of said pipe, to bring each valve into registration with the opening adjacent to that with which it is registered.

NICHOLAS ALBERTI.

Vvitnesses:

JosnrH MienroNroo, ALFREDO MANTINI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). O.