US2545227A - Saxophone - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1951 F. E. COMER 2,545,227

SAXOPHONE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1949 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY5 F. E. COMER SAXOPHONE March 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15, 1949 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 13, 1951 SAXOPHONE Floyd E. Comer, Bristol, Ind., assignor to Buescher Band Instrument Company, Elkhart, Ind.

Application November 15, 1949, Serial No. 127,367

1 Claim.

This invention relates to saxophones.

An object of this invention is to provide a saxophone which includes means for producing at least two additional high notes which are two octaves above middle C, and which may be sounded without unduly complicating the fingering. In the producing of the extra high notes or tones, the length of the instrument from the mouthpiece to the bell is retained, but the column is lengthened and the removable neck is correspondingly shortened to thereby retain the overall length of the instrument. The problem of providing convenient keys for the pads is simplified by disposing the keys in a position to be operated by the first finger of the right hand.

The first of the high keys is F-sharp, and the next is G. In producing the F-sharp tone, one key is depressed, whereas in producing the high G tone, both the F-sharp and G keys are. depressed through the medium of abridge between these keys.

In the conventional or prior Saxophones, the neck was secured to the tone column by means of a frictional telescoping fit, but in the improved instrument herein disclosed a screw coupling is provided between the neck and the tone column, thereby providing a shorter and at the same time a more secure connection between these parts.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a detail side elevation of a saxophone constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, with certain keys and pads now presentin the instrument being eliminated,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device,

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, showing the key mountings for the pads,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral Ill designates generally an elongated tubular body forming the tone member which tapers downwardly. The body ID has secured to the lower end thereof a tubular U-shaped member II, and an upwardly and outwardly directed bell I2 extends from the U-shaped member H.

A neck 13, having a downwardly curved forward portion I4 is removably secured to the upper end of the body 10, as will be hereinafter described. The upper end of the body 10 has fixed thereto s4-ss5) as by soldering or the like, an annular collar l5 which is formed with an annular flange I6 having internal threads 57. The flange 16 forms a shoulder IS, the purpose for which will be hereinafter described.

The forward or lower end of the neck l3 has fixed thereto a sleeve is which. is formed with upper and lower annular ribs 20 and 21 respectively. The lower end of the sleeve I9 is adapted to engage on the shoulder l8 and is tightly held thereon by means of a swivelled nut 22 having external threads engageable with the threads 11. An annular knurled flange or rib 23 is formed with the nut 22 and provides a means whereby the nut 22 may be rotated to tighten .or loosen the same with respect to the threaded socket formed by the internally threaded flange It. In the present instance the tubular body ill which forms an alto saxophone is extended at the upper end thereof above the dotted line indicated by the numeral 24.

In order to provide for the necessary tonal qualities throughout the length of the body III, the air column provided by the neck 13 and the body 10 is held to the conventional length by reducing the length of the neck 13 in an amount substantially equal to the distance from the dotted line 24 to the upper end of the body ID. The provision of the threaded connection between the neck l3 and the body It] permits a more firm connection between these members, eliminating the usual sliding fit between the members and 'at the same tim permitting the extension of the body [0 and the shortening of the neck l3.

Within the extension area 25 above the dotted line 24, I have provided a pair of openings 26 and 21 which are normally covered by a pair of pads 28 and 29 respectively. The pad 28 is carried by a longitudinally bent lever arm 30, and the pad 29 is carried by a bent lever arm 3|. The lever arm 30 is fixed to a tubular bearing member 32 which loosely engages a shaft or pin 33 which is fixed between a pair of supporting posts 34 and 35 which ar fixed to the tubular member Ill. The lever arm 3| is fixed to a tubular bearing member 36 which loosely engages about the shaft or pin 33, extending downwardly from the bearing 32.

A second tubular bearing 31 is connected with the bearing 32 in alignment therewith, by means of a pair of laterally projecting arms 38 and 39 which are connected together by a tubular connecting member 40. The bearing member 31 has fixed thereto a substantially L-shaped key lever 4! which extends downwardly and is disposed in the lower mid-portion of the tubular member IE1 in a position for contact by the first finger of the right hand of the player.

The key lever 4| has fixed thereto a key member 42. The tubular bearing member 36 has fixed thereto a substantially L-shaped key lever 43 and this lever 43 extends downwardly and has fixed to the lower longitudinal side thereof a key member 44 which is positioned a short distance above the key member 42. The key member 44 has fixed thereto a downwardly extending bridge 45 which underlies the key 42 so that when key 42 is depressed, key 44 will also be depressed.

Key 44 which is connected with pad 29 produces the F-sharp note, wherea when key 42 is depressed both pad 28 which is connected therewith and pad 29 will be raised to open position so as to produce the G note, the two notes F-sharp.

and G being in the third octave above middle C. By providing the operating keys for the pads 28 and 29 in the lower mid-portion of the instrument, the operation of these keys is simplified and can readily be effected by the first finger of the right hand.

In saxophones which have been heretofore constructed, it has been impossible to provide for increased range without increasing the length of the instrument and at the same time without increasing the tonal characteristics of the instrument. However, in the present instance this has been accomplished by the means hereinbefore described which include the threaded connection between the neck and the tubular body at the upper end thereof where this body is smallest.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

In the claim A saxophone comprising an elongated tubular tone column terminating at one end in a flared bell, a relatively short longitudinally curved neck member, an annular collar fixedly secured to the 4 end of the tone column opposite said bell, and having an internal horizontal shoulder against which the top of the tone column abuts, a horizontal shoulder on said collar, a vertical internally threaded annular flange extending upwardly from the periphery of said shoulder, a sleeve having an internal shoulder fixed abutting the lower rim of said neck member, and secured thereto whereby a smooth, projection free inner surface in the neck and tone column is provided, upper and lower horizontally disposed annular exterior ribs on said sleeve, said lower rib seating in said first mentioned shoulder whereby said sleeve is spaced inwardly from said flange, and a nut member including a depending externally threaded flange, an internally ofiset shoulder engageable with said upper rib and a knurled external annulus, said flange extending between said upper and lower ribs and into the space between said sleeve and said collar whereby to provide releasable threaded engagement between said tone column and said neck.

FLOYD E. COMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,480,039 Alpers Jan. 8, 1924 ,745,430 MacDonald Feb. 4, 1930 2,061,928 Albrecht Nov. 24, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 646,633 France July 17, 1928

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