US3165963A

US3165963A - Reeds for musical instruments

Info

Publication number: US3165963A
Application number: US187780A
Authority: US
Inventors: Burns John Keith Anthony
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-05-04
Filing date: 1962-04-16
Publication date: 1965-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1982-01-19
Also published as: CH396597A; NL277867A; AT241949B; BE617247A; FR1320521A; GB952766A

Description

Jan. 19, 1965 J BURNS 3,165,963

REEDS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed April 16, 1962 ByJ/ww MM .4 Home y United States Patent r 3,165,963 r REEDS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS John Keith Anthony Burns, Rapley Green, Eastiiarnpstead, Brachnell, England Filed Apr. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 187,734) Qlaims priority, applicationGr-eat Britain, May 4, 1961,

, l6,222 /61 l (Ilaim. (Cl. tie-83) This invention relates to reeds for musical instruments, such as Clarinets, oboes, saxophones and the like,

Reeds in present day use are fabricated from cane. Being susceptible to moisture they rapidly deteriorate from the moisture of a performers mouth in use and require frequent replacement. Moreover, the quality and characteristics of the canes from which they are made varies, and it is extremely difficult to ensure that two reeds made to the same dimensions and intended for the same purpose in the same instrument will have the same musical quality and characteristics.

The object of the invention is to provide reeds free from the aforesaid limitations and defects of known cane reeds, and With this end in view the invention consists in a reed for a musical instrument comprising a root portion running to a comparatively thin tip portion, the whole being formed of synthetic resin having reinforcement embedded therein.

It has been found that a reed made of synthetic resin only is not very satisfactory, but that the provision of embedded reinforcement renders it satisfactory. A preferred reinforcement is a netting of fibre glass, and this may be embedded in an epoxy resin, ora polyester resin, or other suitable synthetic resin. The outer end of the reed is preferably of tapered wedge section, and terminates at a short distance from the tip at a discontinuity such as a transverse step or groove. If desired more than one discontinuity may be provided, e.g. two spaced parallel steps or grooves. The rear portion of the reed may be of conventional shape, with the upper surface of the root rounded to facilitate gripping by a ligature which secures it in a musical instrument. The reinforcement may extend throughout the reed which may be fabricated from a preformed sheet or rod of reinforced synthetic resin, or may be made by moulding the synthetic resin to the reinforcement.

Save for the aforesaid features the reed may be substantially of the known shape and dimensions of cane reeds which they are to replace.

The invention will be clearly understood from the following description of forms (given, however, merely by way of example) which it may assume, and this description will be more readily followed by reference to the accompanying drawings herewith, wherein FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent respectively plan view, opposite end elevations and a side elevation of a reed according to the invention suitable for a musical instrument such as a clarinet; and

FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 represent like views of an oboe reed according to the invention.

Referring to the aforesaid drawings a reed according to the invention for a musical instrument comprises a strip forming a root portion 1 leading to a tip portion 2, the undersurface of the reed being substantially flat or slightly curved, and the upper surface of the root being rounded, or chamfered at the sides, in conventional manner to facilitate the securing of the reed by a ligature in a musical instrument. From approximately its mid-point the reed is tapered in thickness or of wedge section to the tip 2. The upper surface of this wedge portion may be flat, or slightly concave as at 3. At a short distance from the tip 2 the wedge has a discontinuity such as a step 4 or a weakening notch or groove extending transversely 3,165,963 Patented Jan. 19, 1965 of the reed, and in plan view the edge of the tip 2 is rounded off, as shown in conventional manner.

The oboe reed shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 is of the same construction as described above, except that the wedge-portion widens out to a spade-like shape, as required in a musical instrument of this type.

Reeds of the shape described above may be formed, eg, by fabrication or moulding, from a synthetic resin, e.g. and epoxy resin or a polyester resin, with a reinforcement embedded therein. While it is believed that the main beneficial effect of such reinforcement is derived from ii res of the reinforcement extending longitudinally of the reed (and while constructions of that kind are not excluded from the scope of the invention), a preferred reinforcement is in the form of. netting 5 of longitudinal and transverse fibres, which may be interwoven. Preferably the reinforcing fibres are of glass, and woven fibre glass may be embedded in the reed during moulding from synthetic resin, or in a preformed sheet or strip of moulded resin from which the reed is fabricated.

Reeds such as indicated herein have been satisfactorily produced by taking a sheet of synthetic resin in which is embedded a fibre-glass net, the sheet being of the thickness required at the root of the reed, and cutting from this sheet, e.g. by a saw, strips of the desired length and breadth. Each strip is then machined by grinding to the required shape and dimensions, (e.g. as shown in FIGURE 5). Alternatively the correct contours may be formed, cg. by grinding, on the sheet of material which may then be cut into strips of correct length and breadth to form reeds (e.g. as shown in FIGURE 1).

Reeds such as described above are unaffected by moisture, and have a long life in use. Moreover, the quality and dimensions of the materials used can be accurately controlled to conform with prearranged standards, and uniform musical characteristics therefore ensured in reeds intended for the same purpose.

It will be seen, therefore, that the invention provides highly satisfactory reeds for musical instruments, having a longer life and greater reliability than reeds heretofore in use, but it should be understood that the invention is not limited solely to details of the form described above which may be modified, in order to meet various conditions and requirements encountered, without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

A woodwind reed comprising a root portion, an intermediate forwardly-tapering portion of substantial length terminating at a sharp step extending transversely the full width of the reed, said step substantially reducing the thickness of the reed to a thin tip portion extending forwardly and being of progressively smaller thickness forwardly of said step, the maximum thickness of said tip portion being at the bottom of said step, the said root portion, intermediate portion and tip portion being integrally formed of synthetic resin having embedded therein reinforcing glass fibers extending longitudinally of the reed and running to the tip of the reed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,770,966 7/30 Arthur 84-383 2,2 87,529 6/42 Maccaferri 84--3 83 2,919,617 1/ 60 Brilhart 84-383 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,121,053 4/56 France.

LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

ARNOLD RUEGG, Examiner.