US1200578A - Clarinet. - Google Patents

Description

H. BETTONEY.

CLARINET.

APPLICATI'OH FILED NOV. 9. 1914.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916..

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HARRY BETTONEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLARINET.

To oZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY BETTONEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massav chusetts, have invented an Improvement in Clarinets, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to clarinets of the Boehm system and has for its object to provide an improved construction by which an A-flat, B-flat trill can be produced by the simple operation of covering and uncovering the A-natural hole by the second finger of the left hand and without the neces sity of manipulating any fingers of the right hand.

In the ordinary clarinet made in accordance with the Boehm system, the usual way of producing the B-fiat tone in the clarion register is by covering the B-natural hole, closing the B-flat pad and opening the A- natural hole, but the operation of closing the B-flat pad while the A natural hole is open has necessitated the depression by one of the fingers of the right hand of the rings associated with the apertures in the lower joint of the clarinet so that the operation of producing the A-fiat, B-flat trill requires the simultaneous operation of fingers on the right and left hand in opposite directions This is a very diflicult thing to accomplish perfectly, and as a result, it is almost impossible, even for an experienced clarinet player, to get a clear sharp change from the A-flat to the B-flat.

My invention provides a. novel construe-- tion by which the B-flat pad can be controlled from the Gr-sharp key, which, according to the Boehm system, is located to be operated by the little finger of the left hand, and as a result the B-flat tone can be produced by simply covering the B-n'atural and Gnatural holes and depressing the G- sharp key, thereby closing the B-fiat pad, while leaving the A-natural hole open, and the A-flat tone can be produced by simply covering the A-natural hole while leaving the G-natural hole covered and the G-sharp key depressed by the third and fourth fingers of the left hand. Thus the change from A-fiat to B-flat can be produced by holding the Gr-sharp key depressed and maintaining the B-natural and G-natural holes covered with the first and third fingers Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 9, 1914..

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Serial No. 870,980.

of the left hand and then by alternately covering and uncovering the i i-natural hole with the second finger of the left hand.

This trill can thus be produced by the simple manipulation of one finger, and as result a clear change will be produced without any confusion of sound, as is almost inevitably the case when the B-fiat tone is produced 'by the method now commonly in use.

In order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the drawing some selected embodiments thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a portion of a clarinet made in accordance with the Boehm system; Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of the clarinet at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1 with, however, certain of the keys omitted to better show the feature of my invention; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 0000, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a modification'of the invention.

I have shown at 1 a clarinet 0f the Boehm type, it having the usual keys and apertures including the B-natural aperture 2, the A- natural aperture 3, the (Er-natural aperture 4, the G-sharp key 5 which controls the G- sharp pad 6 that covers the G-sharp opening, and the B-flat pad 7 covering the B-flat opening. The B-flat pad 7 is normally raised and is carried on the usual rockshaft 8 journaled in suitable bearings and having connected thereto a ring 19 associated with the A-natural opening 3, so that when the A-natural opening is closed by the second finger of the left hand the engagement of the finger with the ring l9 will close the B-flat pad. The clarinet is also provided in the lower joint or section with a series of openings and keys which are fingered by the right hand and among these arethe openings '9, l0 and 11 which have associated therewith rings 12 carried 7 by a rock-shaft 13 so that the covering of any one of the openings 9, 10 and 11 will cause the corresponding ring to be depressed and the rock-shaft 13 to be turned. In clarinets of this type means are provided whereby the turning of the rock-shaft 13 will operate to turn the rock-shaft 8 so that by covering one of the holes .9, 10 or 11 and thereby depressing the corresponding ring 12 the B-flat pad 7 may be closed.

This means is herein shown as an arm 14 extending laterally from the end of the rock-shaft 13 and underlying a corresponding arm 15 extending from the rock-shaft 8 so that the turning movement of the rockshaft 13 will raise the arm let which by its engagement with the arm 15 will turn the rock-shaft 8.

The parts thus far described are such as are commonly found in clarinets of the Boehm system and hence do not need any further explanation.

The common way of producing A-flat in clarinets of this type is by covering the holes 2, 3, and by the first, second and third fingers of the left hand and depressing the (Er-sharp key by the little finger of the left hand. In order to produce Bflat however, the openings 3, and 4 must be uncovered and the (Er-sharp pad 6 and the B- fiat pad 7 must be depressed. The Gr-sharp pad can be closed by simply raising the little finger of the left hand, and the B-flat pad has usually been closed by depressing one of the rings 12 with one of the fingers of the right hand thereby operating the rock shaft 8 through the arms let and 15. The change from A fiat to B-flat, therefore according to the above described method involves the alternate raising and lowering of one of the fingers of the rigl'it hand to operate the rock-shaft 13 and thereby the rockshaft 8 and the simultaneous lowering and raising of the second, third and fourth fingers of the left hand to cover and uncover the apertures 3 and 4t and open the pad 6 and these two opposite but simultaneous movements of the fingers of the right and left hand must be in exact unison in order to produce a clear A-flat, B-fiat trill. It is, however, almost if not quite impossible for even a trained clarinet player to manipulate his fingers in the above manner in absolute timed relation to each other to obtain perfect accuracy in the tones. By my invention, however, I am able to produce this clear accurate A-fiat B-fiat trill by the simple manipulation of the second finger of the left hand, and I accomplish this by providing means whereby the depression of the Gr-sharp key 5 will operate to depress the B-fiat pad. I have shown herein two ways of accomplishing this. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the G-sharp key is provided with a later ally-extending projection 16 which extends under the arm 15 so that the depression of thereby closes the B-flat pad. In Fig. 4 a

construction is shown whereby the rockshaft 8 is provided with an arm or projection 17 extending forwardly therefrom, and the end of which underlies the Gr-sharp key 5 so that when this key is depressed it acts on the arm 17 and thereby rocks the shaft 8 to depress the B-flat pad 7. In both embodiments of the invention the'B-fiat pad 7 can be depressed by depressing the G- sharp key 5 and hence the A-flat B-fiat trill can be produced by holding the G-fiat key depressed thereby closing the B-flat opening and then by merely raising and lowering the second finger of the left hand to open and close the aperture 3, it being understood, of course, that the B-natural aperture 2 is held closed by the first finger of the left hand, and the G-na-tural aperture 4 is held closed by the third finger of the left hand. This simplifies very much the producing of the A-fiat B-flat trill and provides a construction whereby a perfect trill can be produced.

I claim:

1. The combination with a clarinet body having toneholes including the A-natural hole, B-natural hole and G-natural hole, of a rock shaft mounted on the body, a normally-raised B-fiat pad carried by the rock shaft, a G-sharp key, and means to cause the rock-shaft to be turned to depress the B-flat pad by the depression of the (it-sharp key whereby the A-flat-B-fiat trill can be produced by holding the G-sharp key de pressed, and the B-natural and (Er-natural holes covered and then alternately covering and uncovering the A-natural hole.

2. The combination with a clarinet body having tone holes including the A-natural hole, B-natural hole and (Er-natural hole, of a rock shaft mounted on the body, a normally-raised B-flat pad carried by the rock shaft, a G-sharp key, and a connection between said key and said rock shaft by which depression of the key will turn the rock shaft to depress the B-flat pad whereby the A-flat-B-flat trill can be produced by holding the G-sharp key depressed and the B- natural and fir-natural holes covered and then alternately covering and uncovering the A-natural hole.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY BETTONEY.

WVitnesses:

LoUIs 0. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

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