US1620564A

US1620564A - Attachment for saxophones

Info

Publication number: US1620564A
Application number: US15097A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles W Mcelroy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-03-12
Filing date: 1925-03-12
Publication date: 1927-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1944-03-08

Description

March 8 1927. 1,620,564

c. w. MCELROY awucmmuw FOR SAXOPHONES Filed March 12, 1925 Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES CHARLES W. MCELROY, OF ?I-IILADELPZ-IIA, IPENNSYLVAHIA.

ATTACHMENT FOB SAXOPHONZES.

Application filed March 12,1925. Serial No. 15,037.

This invent-ion relates to an attachment forsaxophones, and the objectis to simplify the fingering of the G-sha-rp key.

On all makes of saxophones the pads operated by the first, second and third fingers of the left hand are hinged on the left hand side of the instrument, while the :G-sharp key operated by the little finger of the left hand is hinged on the right hand side of the instrument almost opposite to where the pads are hinged. This greatly retards the manipulation of the instrument by causing the little finger to work at a different angle from the other fingers of the left hand while operating the Gr-sharp key.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of that portion of a saxophone including the G-sharp pad and actuating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates the body of the saxophone, and 2, the G-sharp pad, mounted for oscillation upon a rocker-arm 3 secured to a rock-shaft 4: pivotally mounted upon

suitable trunnions

5, 5. The numeral 6 indicates a second rock-shaft mounted upon suitable trunnions 77. An arm 8 secured at the lower end of the rock-shaft 7 is adapted to engage the under side of the rearwardly projecting end 3 of the rockarm- 3, which carries the G-sharp pad 2.

The rock-shaft 7 is provided with a fingering key 9. The rock-shaft 4 upon which is mounted the pad 2 is engaged by a needle spring 10, one end of which is secured to one of the trunnions 5, the opposite end engaging a projection 11 on the rock-arm 3 adapted normally to hold the pad in an open position. The rock-shaft 7 is engaged by a similar needle spring 12, one end of which is secured to one of the trunnions 7 its free end engaging a projection 13 on the rockshaft 7, whereby the arm 8 and the rearwardly projecting end 3 of the arm 3 are held in engagement with each other. The tension of this spring 12 is suflicient to close the pad 2 against the tension of the needle spring 10.

Thus far I have described the usual construction of the actuating mechanism of the iG-shitrlp My attachment preferably consists of the following construction The numeral 15 indicates a rock-shaft supported upon suitable trunnions 16-16. Extending laterally from the rock-shaft 15 .is an :arm 17, adapted to engage and overlittle finger to work at the same angle as the other fingers of the left hand, while operating the G-sharp key and does not interfere with the regular G-sharp key, but permits it to be used in the usual way to facilitate the passing from the lower notes to G-sharp. This attachment works in unison with the old lever: when the old lever is pressed down, the needle spring 20 causes the finger-piece 19 to go down with it.

I claim:

1. In a saxophone having a pivoted G- sharp vent pad, a pivoted actuating key therefor, a spring to hold it normally in engagement with the G-sharp vent pad and hold it closed, and an auxiliary pivoted key arranged opposite the first-mentioned actuating key and communicating therewith for actuating the G-sharp vent pad.

2. In a saxophone having a pivoted G- sharp vent pad, a spring for normally holding it open, a pivoted actuating key, adapted to engage said vent key, a spring engaging said actuating key adapted normally to hold said vent pad closed, an arm extending from said pivoted actuating key, and an auxiliary pivoted key provided with an arm adapted to engage the arm of the actuating key, whereby the latter may be actuated from a different point.

3. In a saxophone having a pivoted G- sharp vent pad, a spring for normally holding it open, a pivoted actuating key, adapted to engage said vent key, a spring engaging said actuating key adapted normally to hold said vent pad closed, an arm extending from said pivoted actuating key, an auxiliary rocker-shaft arranged opposite said actuating 'key and provided with an arm adapted to engage the arm extending from the firstmenlioned actuating key, and afinger lever extending inwardly from the auxiliary rockshaft to a point adjacent the first-mentioned actuating-key.

4:. In a saxophone having a pivoted Grsharp vent pad, a spring for normally hold-i ing it open, an actuating key compressing a pivoted rock-shaft, an arm extending therefrom adapted to engage said vent pad, a spring engaging said rock-shaft adapted normally to hold the vent key closed, an actuating key extending from said rock-shaft, a rock-arm extending laterally from said rock-shaft, and an auxiliary pivoted key arranged adjacent the first-mentioned actuating key from a difierent point.

20 5. In a saxophone having a pivoted G- sharp vent pad, a spring for normally holding it open, an actuatlng key compris ng a pivoted rock-shaft, an arm extending therefrom adapted to engage said vent pad,

a spring engaging said rock-shaft adapted w normally to hold the vent key closed, an actuating key extending from said rock-shaft, a rock-arm extending laterally from said rock-shaft, and an auxiliary rock-shaft, ar-

ranged opposite the first-mentioned rockshaft, a rock-arm extending laterally therefrom adapted to engage the laterally-extending 'arm of the first-mentioned rock-shaft, and an actuating key extending inwardly from the auxiliary rock-shaft to a point ad-