US3420132A

US3420132A - Reeds for woodwind instruments

Info

Publication number: US3420132A
Application number: US521353A
Authority: US
Inventors: John G Backus
Original assignee: JOHN G BACKUS
Current assignee: JOHN G BACKUS
Priority date: 1966-01-18
Filing date: 1966-01-18
Publication date: 1969-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1986-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1969 J- G. BAcKus 3,420,132

REEDS FOR WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS Filed Jan. 18,1966 7 Sheet 01 2 Join a 50M;

mvmv'ron, WHANN 6 McMAN/GAL 11/ army: for I ill-0m Jay. 7, Y J. G. BACKUS REEDS FOR WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS Filed Jan. 18'. 1966 Sheet 2 of 2 M a 5m,

United States Patent 3,420,132 REEDS FOR WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS John G. Backus, 2233 Via Guadalana, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. %274 Filed Jan. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 521,353 US. Cl. 84-383 Int. Cl. Gltld 9/02 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to reeds for musical instruments, and particularly relates to a composite reed for either clarinets or saxophones requiring single reeds or oboes or bassoons which utilize double reeds.

conventionally, reeds for woodwind instruments are made of cane having longitudinal fibers therein. The best cane from which reeds are usually made is considered to be that which grows in France. Experience has shown that reeds made of cane are not reproducible. Hence, not every reed made even of the same batch of cane is suitable for playing a woodwind instrument. On the other hand, no satisfactory substitute for cane has yet been found.

One of the reasons for this is that it has not heretofore been known just what properties a reed must have to perform satisfactorily in a woodwind instrument. However, I have done considerable research :on the behavior of woodwind instrument reeds, and have found that it is the mechanical and elastic properties of the extreme tip of the reed, comprising about one-quarter to three-eighths of an inch of the length, that determine the vibration properties of the reed, and hence the quality of the tone produced.

Various reeds have been suggested in the past which are made of two different materials. Thus, a reed has been proposed which is made of bamboo having a base portion and a tapered portion. The base portion is covered with a flexible material such as cork or rubber to seal the base against leakage. It has also been proposed to provide a reed having sections which are joined and cemented together. However, these joints are at the thick body portion of the reed, and do not affect the properties of the flexible tip or tongue of the reed, whose vibrations determine the quality of the tone of the instrument.

In addition it has been suggested that a reed made of cane or wood be impregnated with nitrocellulose or coated with a similar material such as celluloid. This is to prevent absorption of water by the porous material of the reed and has no effect on the vibration of the flexible tip of the reed.

Reeds are being made of unidirectionally extending fibers formed of a plastic material and impregnated with resin. Such synthetic reeds are supposed to imitate the physical properties of a reed made of cane. However, such reeds still do not permit control of the sound qualities of the woodwind instrument.

Various other schemes have been proposed embodying slotting or otherwise shaping the tapered portion of the reed, or embedding reinforcing material therein. However, none of these modifications extend to the extreme tip of the reed and so do not affect the vibrations of this tip. Such modifications will, therefore, have no influence on the tone quality produced by the reed.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved reed suitable for a woodwind instrument such as a clarinet, saxophone, oboe or bassoon which permits control of the tone quality and which is reproducible in manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a'reed for a woodwind instrument wherein the physical properties of the vibrating tip of the reed are controllable by making the reed of two or more different materials.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved reed which permits control of the abruptness of closure of the reed, its impact with the mouthpiece, and leakage of air between the reed and the mouthpiece, by properly shaping the reed.

In accordance with the present invention a reed for a woodwind musical instrument comprises a first member or core which has a conventional shape. This member, hence, conventionally includes a relatively thick body portion and a tapered portion joined thereto at its thick end. The thin end of this tapered portion terminates in a very thin tip portion or tongue having two substantially flat surfaces. This thin tip portion comprising about onequarter inch of the length of the thin end of the reed, is the part of the reed that vibrates within the musicians mouth, and hence determines the tone of the instrument. In accordance with the present invention a second relatively thin member covers one of the surfaces of the tip portion of the first member. This permits the control of the stiffness, the mass and the damping of the vibrating tip of the reed and hence permits control of the quality of the tone produced. Furthermore, by curving, twisting or otherwise shaping the tip of the reed, the abruptness of closure of the reed with the mouthpiece, the leakage of air and the impact with the mouthpiece can be controlled.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a mouthpiece for a clarinet with a conventional reed;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a preferred reed embodying the present invention having the second member or layer on the flat surface of the first member;

FIG. 3 is a plan or bottom view of the reed of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the reed of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of another embodiment of the first member or core for a reed, said core having longitudinal slots;

FIG. 6 is a plan view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating another modified reed wherein a second layer or tape does not cover the entire vibratory tongue;

FIG. 7 is a side view of still another embodiment of a reed of the invention having the second member or layer disposed on the outer side of the reed:

FIG. 8 is a side view similar to FIG. 7 showing a second layer which does not extend to the end of the tip of the reed;

FIG. 9 is another side view similar to that of FIG. 7 but showing the second layer disposed on the inner side of the reed, the tape not extending to the end of the tongue thereof;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a reed having a second layer which does not extend to any of the edges of the reed;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a reed covered with two different materials disposed adjacent to each other;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on line 1212 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a side view of another modified reed having two thin layers of different materials disposed one on top of the other; and

FIGS. 14 through 16 are end views of different reeds in accordance with the invention having different transverse curvatures or a twist to prevent complete closure between the reed and the mouthpiece.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a conventional mouthpiece 15 suitable particularly for a clarinet to which is secured a reed 16 by a known circular clamp 17 having the usual pair of wing clamping screws 18.

The reed 16 has the usual relatively thick base or body portion 20, a tapered portion 23, and a thin vibrating tip portion 21, the extreme end of which may be as thin as 4 mils. It should be noted that the flat side 22 of the reed is adjacent the mouthpiece 15. The outer surface of the tapered portion 23 is slightly curved, while the outer surface of the vibrating tip portion 21 is nearly flat. A gap or aperture 24 is formed between the reed tongue 21 and the mouthpiece.

The present invention is the result of investigations which have shown that the tone of a woodwind instrument and the important mechanical properties of the reed are determined by the physical properties of the vibrating tip portion or tongue 21. The player inserts the tip of the mouthpiece and reed assembly of FIG. 1 and blows air through the aperture 24. This causes the reed to vibrate at a frequency determined by the length of the air column of the instrument to which the mouthpiece is attached. The stiffness of the tip of the reed is an important physical property which determines how much air pressure is required to make it vibrate. This fact is well known to woodwind players, and hence it is common practice to alter this stiffness by scraping and trimming the reed.

However, it has also been found in accordance with:

this invention that the mass of the tip of the reed is another important physical property which affects the tone. This property is not adjustable by the player in conventional reeds. Therefore, in accordance with the present invention the tip of the reed is provided with the proper mass for best tone quality.

A third important physical property of the reed tip is the amount of damping supplied by the material of the tip. This damping is related to the inherent resistance to motion of the material, and is important in reducing the amount of undesirable higher harmonics in the vibration of the reed. Accordingly, the reed of the present in vention provides the proper amount of damping for the tip of the reed.

Another physical property which is important is the tip separation, that is, the gap 24 between the outer tip of the reed and the mouthpiece. This, of course, is determined by the longitudinal bend or curvature of the reed, and affects the ease of playing the instrument. Furthermore, the abruptness of the closure between the reed tip or tongue 21 and the mouthpiece is important in determining the tone quality. Thus, if the reed tip has a bend or a twist, the reed does not close so quickly and abruptly. Similarly, the air leakage at the closure gap 24 is of importance; this determines how much air will leak through between reed and mouthpiece even when the reed is closed. Thus, the reed may provide a tight seal or a less tight seal. Finally, every time the reed closes there is a mechanical impact. This impact is transferred through the teeth of the player and, hence, by bone conduction to the ears. As a result, the player hears a buzz when there is too much of an impact. This can be highly annoying to the player although it may not be audible to the listener.

In accordance with the present invention these seven factors, namely, the stiffness, mass, damping, the tip separation, the abruptness of closure, the leakage at the closure and the impact can all be controlled by a proper design of the reed, by its physical shape and by the proper selection of the material of the bulk of the reed and of a relatively thin member or tape covering substantially one of the surfaces of the vibrating tip portion of the reed.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 4 there is illustrated a preferred reed in accordance with the present invention. This reed has an elastic core or skeleton 25 consisting of a suitable material. For example, the core 25 may consist of fiberglass, that is, glass fibers impregnated with polyester or epoxy resin, or it may also consist of a suitable metal, such for example, as stainless steel. The core 25 has the usual body portion 26, the tapered portion 23, and the vibrating tip or tongue 27. The flat surface 22 of the core is disposed adjacent the mouthpiece. The elastic core 25 is properly shaped to duplicate essentially the longitudinal and transverse stiffness of a conventional cane reed.

To one surface of the vibrating tip or tongue of the reed, such as the flat inner surface 22, there is attached a layer of material such as a tape 30 to adjust the mass and the damping of the reed. This layer of material 30 may, for example, consist of a layer of cellulose acetate such as is known in the trade as Scotch tape, or else a polyvinyl tape or some other plastic material may be used. After the two materials have been properly secured to each other, the reed may be provided with a desired longitudinal curvature as clearly shown in FIG. 2. This, of course, will determine the tip separation or gap 24 as previously explained.

Furthermore, the tip or tongue 27 may be given a transverse curvature as shown in FIG. 4 to adjust the abruptness of closure of the reed. It should be noted that the longitudinal and transverse curvatures of the reed as depicted in the drawings are exaggerated for purposes of illustration.

Subsequently, the layer 30 may be shaped to adjust the leakage. Thus, an indentation, as shown at 31, may be punched into the layer 30 so that when the reed closes there will be still some leakage of air. Alternatively, the air leakage may be controlled by artificially increasing the roughness of the inner surface of the reed tongue.

Finally, a cushion shown at 32 consisting of a suitable elastic material such as rubber may be secured to the bottom of the tip 27 of the reed. This, of course, controls the impact of the reed.

Thus, it will be seen that by a suitable selection of the basic material of the core 25 the stiffness may be controlled. The mass may be varied by the shape, thickness and the type of material of which the layer 30 consists.

Referring now to FIG. 5 there is shown a modified core 25 for a reed which may, for example, consist of metal such as stainless steel. The vibrating tip or tongue 27 has been provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots 34. This, of course, controls the transverse elastic properties of the reed, and is also a way to control the stiffness, for example, in the longitudinal direction. These longitudinal slots may also be used to adjust the mass of the vibrating reed tip.

As shown in FIG. 6 the layer of material 30 need not extend to the edge of the tip portion 27. Thus, the layer of material 30 is spaced from the outer edge of the tip portion 27, as clearly shown in FIG. 6. Thus, the tape 30 still covers substantially the tongue 27, that is, the major portion of the tongue but not the entire surface thereof.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 the layer of material 30 may be disposed on the outer surface 23 of the elastic core material 25. In that case it will be appreciated that the layer of material 30 is in contact with the lips of the player.

As explained previously, it is not necessary that the layer of material 30 extends to the very end of the tip of the tapered portion 27. This has been illustrated in FIG. 8. It should also be noted that in the construction of FIG. 8, the layer of material 30 does not cover the entire body or base portion 26. A similar construction is shown in FIG. 9 where, however, the layer of material 30 is again disposed on the flat inner surface 22 which is to be disposed adjacent the mouthpiece. Here again the layer of the material does not extend entirely to the tip 27 nor does it entirely cover the body portion 26 of the core 25. Similarly, in FIG. 10 the layer of material 30 is spaced from the entire outer edge of the core and tongue 27. It should be noted that what is shown in FIG. 10 is the fiat surface 22 which is to be disposed adjacent the mouthpiece.

Instead of providing a single layer as explained in connection with FIGS. 2 through 10, it is also feasible to use two separate layers and 36 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 disposed adjacent to each other. The two

layers

35 and 36 may either consist of different materials or of the same material of different thickness. Thus, one of the layers may serve the purpose of adjusting the mass while the other provides the required degree of damping.

Another construction is illustrated in FIG. 13 where two

layers

37 and 38 are disposed one on top of the other over the core 25 including the tongue 27. Again one of the layers may supply the damping while the other one adjusts the mass. It will, of course, be understood that it is also feasible to put one layer on the outer surface 33 and the other. one the inner or lay side surface 22.

It will also be understood that it is feasible to interchange the functions of the layers. For example, the core 25 of the reed shown in FIG. 2 may be constructed of material to provide the proper mass and damping, while the stiffness is provided by a layer 30 in the form of a thin sheet of metal covering the vibrating tip of the reed. This layer may be attached to the flat side 22 of the core, or alternatively to the curved side 33, or to both.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 through 16 there are shown alternative arrangements for the transverse curvature of the tip of the reed. Thus, while the curvature in FIG. 4 is convex with respect to the mouthpiece, that shown in FIG. 14 is concave. Similarly, FIG. 15 illustrates an end view of the tip 27 and layer 30 having a double curvature. Finally, FIG. 16 shows a construction where the end of the tongue or tip portion 27 is twisted.

All of these constructions, of course, will control the abruptness of closure and the leakage of the closure. The impact is controlled most efficiently by the cushion 32. It should also be noted that it is feasible to roughen the tip portion adjacent the mouthpiece to control the leakage of the closure. Cane is naturally somewhat rough and allows a certain amount of air leakage.

There has thus been disclosed an improved reed for woodwind instruments. The reed is particularly adapted for clarinets but may also be used for other woodwind instruments such as saxophones, and with appropriate modifications may be used as well for oboes and bassoons. In accordance with the present invention it is possible to control the stiffness, the mass and the damping by the use of a relatively thin layer of material such as tape covering at least a part of the tip portion of the reed. It is immaterial whether this material is disposed on one surface or on the other of the tongue of the reed. Furthermore, by the proper shaping of the reed, that is, by the transverse or longitudinal curvature, the tip separation can be controlled as well as the abruptness of closure, the air leakage at the closure and the impact noise. Since the reed of the present invention is preferably made from some artificial material rather than natural cane it is feasible to provide reeds having reproducible qualities. It is well known that a large percentage of commercially obtainable reeds are not actually usable even though all the reeds have been made in the same manner.

The invention and its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof or sacrificing its material advantages, the arrangement hereinbefore described merely by Way of example and I do not wish to be restricted to the specific form shown or uses mentioned except as defined in the accompanying claims, wherein various portions have been separated for clarity of reading and not for emphasis.

I claim:

1. A composite reed for a woodwind musical instrument adapted to be disposed adjacent a mouthpiece and comprising:

(a) a first member having a relatively thick body portion, a tapered intermediate portion, and a thin vibratory tip portion with two substantially flat surfaces; and

(b) a second, relatively thin member covering at least a portion of one of the surfaces of said vibratory tip portion, there-by to control the stiffness, the mass and the damping of the vibrating tip portion of said reed.

2. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein said tapered intermediate portion and said tip portion are given a longitudinal curvature.

3. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein said vibrating tip portion has a transverse curvature.

4. A composite reed as defined in claim 3 wherein said transverse curvature is convex with respect to the mouthp1ece.

5. A composite reed as defined in claim 3 wherein said transverse curvature is concave with respect to the mouthpiece.

6. A composite reed as defined in claim 3 wherein said vibrating tip portion is provided with a double curvature.

7. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein said vibrating tip portion is twisted.

8. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein said second member covers at least a portion of the inner one of the surfaces of said tip portion adapted to be disposed adjacent the mouthpiece.

9. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein said second member is disposed on the outer surface of said tip portion which is adapted to be disposed opposite the mouthpiece.

10. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein said second membercovers a part of the vibratory tip portion but does not extend to the outer edge thereof.

11. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein said second member covers a portion of one of the surfaces of said tip portion, and wherein there is provided a third relatively thin member covering substantially the remainder of said one of the surfaces of said tip portion, whereby said second and third members control the mass and the damping of the tip portion of said reed.

12. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein there is provided a third relatively thin member covering at least a portion of the width of said second thin member, whereby said second and third members control the mass, stiffness, and damping of the tip portion of said reed.

13. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein said second member is provided with a hole adjacent the outer tip of said tip portion.

14. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein there is provided a cushion of elastic material disposed on the outer edge of said tip portion, thereby to control the closure and impact between said reed and the mouthpiece.

15. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 wherein the vibrating tip portion of said first member is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots.

16. A composite reed as defined in claim 1 in which 7 8 the second relatively thin member extends to the very 2,230,933 2/1941 Caire et a1. 1- 84383 end of said vibrating tip portion. 2,342,836 2/ 1944 Brilhart 84383 2,456,298 12/1948 Miller 84383 References C'ted 2,456,299 12/1948 Miller 84-383 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,919,617 1/1960 Brilhart 84-383 1,667,836 5/1928 Brockman 84-383 1,779,522 10/1930 Widmayer STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Plzmary Exammel. 2,224,308 12/1940 Maccaferri 84-683 LAWRENCE R. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner.