US3048262A

US3048262A - Musical instrument case

Info

Publication number: US3048262A
Application number: US825580A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pascucci Vito
Original assignee: G LE BLANC CORP
Current assignee: G LE BLANC CORP
Priority date: 1959-07-07
Filing date: 1959-07-07
Publication date: 1962-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 1979-08-07

Description

1962 v. PASCUCCI 3,048,262

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CASE Filed July 7, 1959 5 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,d48,252 Patented Aug. 7, 1962 3,048,262 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CASE Vito Pascucci, Kenosha, Wis., assignor to G. Le Blane Corporation, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed July 7, 1959, Ser. No. 825,580 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-13) This invention relates generally to musical instrument cariying cases and especially to a musical instrument carrying case that is adapted to contain two different musical instruments.

As means of transportation constantly improve populations become more mobile and carrying cases for various items of personal equipment become more popular. Because of their convenience and the protection that they afford, musical instrument carrying cases have achieved Wide acceptance. Students use them in transporting their instruments to and from their lessons; and musicians use them in transporting their instruments to and from their professional engagements.

Heretofore, it has been a common practice to house but a single musical instrument in a carrying case. Obviously, this scheme imposes a substantial inconvenience on musicians who perform with more than one instrument. Such is particularly true in the case of dance band musicians who frequently double or play two different instruments. Doubling in Woodwinds, for example saxophone and clarinet, is particularly common since the embouchure is substantially the same for these instruments.

Therefore, a general object of the present invention is to provide an improved musical instrument carrying case which overcomes the limitations of the prior art by housing two different musical instruments in a single carrying case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a standard size saxophone carrying case which is adapted to receive further'a clarinet.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument carrying case which more efficiently utilizes the space defined by its outside dimensions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument carrying case which is characterized by a high degree of convenience.

Additional objects and features of the invention pertain to the particular structure and arrangements whereby the above objects are attained.

The invention, both to its structure and mode of operation, will be better understood by reference to the following disclosure and accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a musical instrument carrying case in accordance with the invention, showing the cover swung open to reveal the details of the interior;

FIG. 2 is a view through the section 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view through the section 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view through the section 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the clarinet tray shown in FIG. 1.

A musical instrument carrying case constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a cover mounted to a case body 12 by means of hinges 14. According to conventional practice, case body 12 has a luggage handle 16 affixed thereto while cover 10 is securable to case body 12 by means of springtype latches 18. In further accord with conventional practice, cover 10 and case body 12 are lined with velvet or some other suitable fabric, cushions and padding being provided in appropriate locations.

It is important to point out that the carrying case embodied in cover 10 and case body .12 is intended to be of standard carrying case dimensions.

While case body 12 may be divided to lodge any large woodwind instrument, a preferred embodiment of the invention reveals case body 12 divided to lodge an alto saxaphone. Accordingly, a saxophone-bell-positioning partition 20 and an upper-joint-positioning partition 22 are arranged, as shown in FIG. 1, to define a bell-and joint compartment 24. Partition 20 also serves to define a neck-and-mouthpiece compartment 26, whereas partition 22 further defines a miscellaneous storage compartment 28.

In order to provide more complete support for the saxophone bell and upper joint, a bolster 30 is secured to the back wall of case 12 to extend into compartment 24. Additionally, the floor of compartment 24 is appropriately provided with a pad 32. In like manner, partition 20 incorporates a pad 34 which faces into chamber 24 and partition 22 has afiixed thereto a pad 36 which likewise faces into the chamber 24.

According to an important feature of the invention, a clarinet-holding structure or tray 38 is mounted to the back wall of casebody 12 as by hinges 40 to depend into the compartment 24. The axis of hinges so is preferably disposed parallel to the axis of hinges 14.

So arranged, tray 38 may be easily swung in the direction of cover 10 to avoid obstructing access to compartment 24. Tray 38 includes a rigid platform element 42 which defines a barrel-and-upper joint recess 44, a belland-lower joint recess 46 and a mouthpiece recess 48. The platform element 42 also displays a cutaway end portion 50 which permits a soprano clarinet bell 52 to depend into the chamber 24 so as to be supported by a rest 54 that is appropriately secured to the sidewall of case body 12 beneath the end portion 50. Advantageously, a portion 56 of the fabric liner may be extended to bridge the end portion 50.

It has proved desirable to secure a bearing plate 58 to the sidewall of case body 12 opposite to the rest 54. So affixed, plate 58 is capable of supporting tray 33 as by confronting the adjacent end portion of platform 42. It should be noted that, when cover 10 is closed as for example when the case is readied for carrying, the bell 52 additionally rests against the pad 60 which is disposed in the cover 10.

The method of use of the invention will become apparent from the foregoing descriptions.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown, it should be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications may be made; and it is, therefore, contemplated to cover by the appended claims any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. In a saxophone carrying case having a cover mounted to a case body by hinges, the combination comprising: a clarinet tray swingably mounted to said case body, said tray including a rigid platform having recesses for receiving a disassembled clarinet and including a cutaway end portion adapted to lodge the clarinet bell; a clarinet-bell rest secured to one end of said case body beneath said cutaway portion; and a bearing plate secured to the other end of said case body in supporting relationship to said tray.

2. In a saxophone carrying case having a cover mounted to a case body by hinges and having a saxophone belland-join-t compartment defined Within said case body, the combination comprising: a clarinet tray swingably mounted to said case body to pivot about an axis parallel to the axis of said hinges and to depend into said compartment, said tray including a rigid platform having recesses for receiving a disassembled clarinet and a cutaway end portion adapted to lodge the clarinet bell; a clarinet-bell rest secured to one end of said case body beacaaeaa 3 neath said cutaway portion; and a vertical bearing plate secured to the other end of said case body in supporting relationhip to said tray.

3. A musical instrument case carrying both a saxophone and a clarinet and or" substantially the size and configuration normally used to carry only a saxophone; said case being relatively long and narrow with a predetermined longitudinal dimension, a transverse dimension substantially less than said predetenmined longitudinal dimension, and a height less than the said transverse dimension; said case comprising a relatively deep upwardly open box-like bottom having dividers therein defining storage compartments for components of the saxophone with one compartment having a portion of its width substantially coextensive with the transverse dimension of the case receiving the bell-and-joint component of the saxophone, a relatively shallow downwardly opening lid complementary to said bottom and hinged to the bottom along mutually confronting adjacent edges of the lid and bottom, interlocking latch means on the lid and bottom along mutually confronting adjacent edges, and a relatively shallow clarinet supporting tray connected to said case along an upper edge thereof and disposed in its position of clarinet support at least partially within said bottom and overlying only a portion of said one compartment and leaving a substantial portion of the bottom uncovered by the tray and lying closer to the underface of the lid than to the upper surface of the bottom permitting the smaller cross-sectioned portions of the bell-and-joint component to underlie the said tray, said tray having depressions therein receiving components of the clarinet, and the interior of said top and bottom and the top of said tray being padded to protect the saxophone and clarinet.

4. A musical instrument case as claimed in claim 3, wherein the clarinet supporting tray is relatively long and narrower than the transverse dimension of the bot- 4 tom with a hinge connection along an upper longitudinal edge of said case.

5. A musical instrument case as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tray has a cutaway end portion lodging the clarinet bell.

6. A musical instrument case carrying both a saxophone and a clarinet and of substantially the size and configuration normally used'to carry only a saxophone; and comprising a case body, a cover hingedly mounted on said body along a predetermined hinge axis, partition means in the case body defining a storage compartment receiving the bell-and-joint component of the saxophone, a relatively shallow supporting tray receiving the component parts of the clarinet, said tray being mounted on said case body for hinging movement along an axis parallel to said predetermined axis for movement between an open position and a supporting position overlying a portion of the bell-and-joint component of the saxophone, said tray having at one end thereof a cutaway portion through which the bell of the clarinet passes beneath the level of the bottom of said tray, means in said case body adjacent an exterior Wall thereof providing an abutment for said tray in supporting position to prevent the said tray from engaging the adjacent underlying portion of the bell-andjoint component of the saxophone, and a fabric liner for said tray flexibly bridging the cutaway portion at the end of the tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 286,399 Distin Oct. 9, 1883 1,715,913 Halk June 4, 1929 1,888,927 Lang Nov. 22, 1932 1,988,718 Cook Jan. 22, 1935 2,290,307 Wicker July 21, 1942 2,584,435 Doerr Feb. 5, 1952 2,804,197 Popkess et a1 Aug. 27, 1957