US2394143A - Valve key assembly - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 5, 1946. 'M s. BROCKMAN 2,394,143.

VALVE KEY AS SEMBLY Filed July 26, 1944 F1315 INVENTR yaf/Mw Patented Feb. 5, 1946 VALVE KEY ASSEMBLY Morton S. Broekman, Cleveland, Ohio, assigner to Grossman Music Co., Cleveland, Ohio Application July 26, 1944, Serial No. 546,597 11 Claims. (Cl. 84380) This invention relates to keys and particularly to valve keys used on a musical wind instrument, such as the clarinet, flute or saxophone.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a key which utilizes a combined'pintle pin and spring and which is quickly and easily mounted on the instrument lbody, and which may be quickly and easily removed therefrom for replacement or repair.

A further object is to use in a valve of this type a unique spring which utilizes its lateral tension for retaining the pintle pin portion in place and its vertical tension for engaging and retaining the key member in its normal position.

Another object is to provide a substantially hollow key body which pivots on and practically conceals the fulcrum post on which it is mounted and which body is very durable and is in a Shape which lends itself to unusual ornamentation and design. y

'I'hese and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description and claims, together with the accompanying drawing in which like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a musical wind instrument showing this novel key mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional View of a part of the wind instrument and showing a side of the body portion of the novel key and its combination pin and Spring mounted thereon;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the body portion of the key member;

.Figure 4 is a bottom view of the body portion of the key member taken along the line and in the direction of the arrow 4--4 of the Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view of the key member taken along the line and in the direction of the arrow 5-5 of the Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the body portion of the key member and its combination pin and spring, the view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrow 6-6 of the Figure 2;

Figure "I is a plan view of the combination unique pin and spring member;

Figure 8 is an end view of the pin and spring member shown in the Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a side view thereof;

Figure 10 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of the musical wind instrument and showing a side view of a modified form of key and its combination pin and spring mounted thereon;

Figure -11 is a bottom view of a. portion of the 2| which is hollow and modified form of the key and combination pin and spring used therewith, the View taken along the line and in the direction of the arrow l of the Figure 10; A

Figure 12 is a side View of the modified form of the combination pin and spring member;

Figure 13 is a plan view of the modified form of spring;

Figure 14 is an end view thereof; and

Figure 15 illustrates the four major steps of assembling the key and the combination pin and spring, and automatically mounting the same on the instrument.

It should be noted at the outset that this novel key is intended to be formed or molded out of plastic material and is designed for use on a wind type musical instrument, such as the one partly shown and indicated by the reference character |19 in the Figure l of the drawing. This instrument has a series of tone holes of which tone hole I6 only is shown. Spaced a short distance from the tone hole I6 there is mounted or made integral therewith the fulcrum post I8. The fulcrum post I8 may be rectangular in cross section and should have a rounded top to permit this key to laterally rock thereon. The fulcrum post I8 should also have a small hole or perforation |'I' therethrough for the hereinafter described mounting pin.

The key member 20 has a central body portion open at its bottom. The inside top of the hollow 24 should also be rounded in order to smoothly engage the rounded top of the fulcrum post |8. The two side walls of the body portion 2| 'should have aligned holes 26 therethrough and which should match and align with the lateral perforation of the fulcrum post. The bottom of the body member 2|, and especially the inside edges adjacent to the hollow portion-24, should be flared as indicated by the reference character 25. The flared edges permit the key member to rock on the fulcrum post and also facilitate the quick and easy mounting of the key as hereinafter described.

Extending forwardly from one end of the body member 2| there is shown an arm portion 22 on the end of which is a closure or cap for the tone hole |6. Extending in the other direction from the bodygmember 2| there is the finger lever 23 for operating the key. It should be noted at this point that the closure arm and operating lever may be on the same side of the body member 2|, if desired.

The outer parts of the aligned holes 26 in the body portion side walls are flared, as indicated by the reference character 21. Extending down- Wardly and through to the outer bottom side edges of the body member there are small channels or grooves 28 and extending rearwardly along the bottom edges and connecting with the vertical channels 28 are substantially horizontal channels 29.

The combination pin and spring used with the preferred form of key, and the one illustrated in the Figures 7, 8 and 9, is a simple wire spring which is capable of being spread or opened as shown in the Figures 7 and 8. Its tension is such that it resists lateral distortion or deformation at its central point or the point where the two aligned side portions unite. The longitudinally aligned pin portions 3| which are separable may be separated as indicated by the dotted lines marked by the character 3|a. When so separated, the two inner ends of the pin portion 3| which normally meet inside the perforated fulcrum post may be clipped or mounted in the vertical grooves 28 of the body member 2|. The two aligned pin portions 3| are made to abut on a bias as shown in the Figures 6, 7 and 8, instead of straight end to end. This is made so that the sides 32, 33 and 34 must be spread farther' apart in order to insert or to remove the tapered pin or pivot portions 3|. There is less likelihood, therefore, for the pin-spring to be accidentally removed or lost. The two aligned vertical and horizontal portions 32 and 33 of the spring form elbow-like portions Whichnt in the grooves 28 and 29 of the key, as shown when finally assembled in the Figures 1, 2, 6 and l5.

The Figure 15 shows the various steps in assembling the instrument. The disassembled parts are shown in the Figure 15. At the stage indicated by the letter B, the rcombination pin and spring 30 is spread or opened and the two inner ends of the longitudinally aligned pintle pins 3| are snapped on the key body somewhere in the vertical groove 28 below the holes 26 and above the channels 29. The assembled key and pin spring is then placed over the fulcrum post |8,

as shown in the stage indicated by the letter C.

As soon as the elbows formed by the junctions of the portions 32 and 33 strike the top surface of the instrument proper, the pins 3| which are under lateral tension move upward and into the nared portion 2`| of the opening 26. The lateral tension of the spring then causes the two pins 3| to move inward and upward in the beveled or flared portion 2'! and then to automatically fit into the holes 2S and of the key and fulcrum post respectively. The tensional portion 34 ol the pin-spring then abuts the outer surface of the instrument. The design of the pin-spring is such that it also resists vertical distortion and deformation at the elbows, and therefore tends to retain the key in the normal or closed position. The Figure l5 shows the key and pinspring completely mounted. Here the elbow portion 552-33 is shown fitting into the channels 23S- 29.

When the lever 23 is pressed downward or toward the body I9, the key member assumes the alternate position indicated by the reference character 2B@ of the Figure 2 and the tension of the spring Sil is brought to bear in the channel 29 against the rear bottoms of the side portions of the key member'.

The modified form of valve key shown in the Figures l to 14 inclusive is substantially the same as the preferred form except that it does not have the vertical and horizontal channels or grooves 28 and 29 therein and does not have the fiared opening 26. Its opening 26 is straight.

The combination pin and spring 40 is similar to the preferred form of combination pin and spring 30. It also utilizes lateral spring tension to keep the pintle pins 4| in their closed position inside the fulcrum post and also utilizes vertical tension to provide pressure to keep the nger lever 23 up and the closure portion tightly over the tone hole I6. The modified form of spring, however, does not have the elbow portions heretofore referred to. In the modied form of key assembly, the pin or forward portion of the pinspring, indicated by the reference characters 4| and 42, is stationary and does not turn or rotate with the key as do the analogous parts of the preferred form of key.

In the Figure 10, the open or alternate position of the key is indicated by the reference character 20a and the alternate position of the vertically tensional portion 43 of the spring is indicated by the reference character 43a. In the Figure 11 the respective spread or open positions of the split pins 4| are indicated by the dotted lines lla.

Having thus described the invention in its preferred forms, it is to be understood that the embodiments thereof described and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as there undoubtedly are other forms, modications or adaptations of the invention which may also be considered to be within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a fulcrum post thereon, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member having a body portion mounted on the aforesaid post, and a spring member having a pintle portion connecting the said body portion to the post and a tensional portion engaging the instrument and the key member in a manner whereby the latter is retained in a normal position.

2. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a fulcrum post thereon, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member having a body portion including walls mounted on and beside the aforesaid post, and a spring member having a pintle portion connecting the said body portion to the post and a tensional portion engaging the instrument and the key member in a manner whereby the latter is retained in a normal position.

3. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a tone hole therein and a fulcrum post adjacent thereto, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member having a body portion mounted on the aforesaid post, the said key member having integral therewith a closure portion normally closing the aforesaid tone hole and a lever portion spaced from the said instrument, and a spring member having a pintle portion connecting the said key member to the post and a tensional portion engaging the instrument and the lever portion in a manner whereby the closure portion is retained in its closed position.

4. A device of the kind defined in claim 3` and further characterized by the body portion having grooves therein for receiving the spring member.

5. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a perforated fulcrum post thereon, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member having a body portion mounted on the aforesaid post, the said body portion having a lateral hole therein aligned with the perforated fulcrum post, and a spring member having a pintle portion through the said lateral hole and the perforated fulcrum post and also having a tensional portion engaging the instrument and the key member in a manner whereby the latter is retained in a normal position.

6. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a perforated fulcrum post thereon, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member having perforated side walls about the aforesaid perforated fulcrum post, and a spring member having a pintle portion through the said perforated side walls and the perforated fulcrum post and also having a tensional portion engaging the instrument and the key member in a manner whereby the latter is retained in a normal position.

'7. A device of the kind defined in claim 6 and further characterized by the key member side walls having grooves therein for receiving the spring member.

8. In a musical wind instrument of the type having a tone hole therein and a perforated fulcrum post adjacent thereto, a valve, comprising in combination, a key member having a body portion mounted on the aforesaid post, the said body portion having depending walls beside the post, the said walls having holes therein aligned with the perforation in the post and also having vertical and horizontal grooves on the outside thereof, the said key member also having a tone hole closure portion and a lever portion integral theremember having a split pintle portion projecting through the said aligned holes and perforation, an elbow portion extending through the said vertical and horizontal grooves and a. tensional portion engaging the instrument and the said lever portion in a manner whereby the closure portion normally closes the said tone hole.

9. A device of the kind defined in claim 8 and further characterized by the side wall holes being flared to facilitate the insertion of the split pintle portion.

10. In a valve device, a key, consisting of, a body member including arm and lever portions and having side wall portions, the said side wall portions having aligned holes therethrough and channels on the outside thereof connecting with the said holes.

11. In a valve device, a spring, consisting of, a, length of resilient material bent at a central portion to substantially form laterally aligned side portions and elbow portions and also bent to form longitudinally aligned pintle portions, the said side portions being capable of resisting vertical deformation at the said elbows and capable of resisting lateral deformation at the said central portion.

with, and a spring MORTON S. BROCKMAN.

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