US638385A - Saxophone. - Google Patents

Description

No. 638,385. Patented Dec. 5, I899. P. EVETTE.

SAXOPHONE.

(Applicition filed Kay 20, 1897.)

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P. EVETTE.

SAXOPHONE.

(Application filed ILy BO, 1897.)

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WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL EVETTE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SAXOPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,385, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed May 20,1897. Serial No. 637,402. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL EVETTE, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Saxophones, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention has been patented in France, No. 260,754, dated October 26, 1896, and in Belgium, No.124,200, dated October 26, 1896.

My invention relates to improvements in Saxophones, with the object, first, of enabling the player to perform more easily than hitherto the notes high E and high F; second, of facilitating the transition from E-fiat key to other keys; third, of enabling the player to perform the low notes B-flat, B, and C-sharp by means of the medium of the right hand.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, I refer to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper part of a saxophone constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the device for facilitating the transition from the E-flat key to other keys. Fig. 3 shows a sectional view on the line A B of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows the device for enabling the player to perform the low notes B-fiat, B, and O-sharp by means of the medium of the right hand. Fig. 5 shows a sectional view on the line C D of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side view of the whole instrument. Fig. 7 is an elevation with the lower part of the tube in section.

First. In the ordinary saxophone the note high E is obtained by the simultaneous use of three keys 1 2 3, Fig. 1, which are respectively the keys of D, Iii-flat, and E. The note high F is obtained by the simultaneous use of the four keys 1 2 3 4, which are respectively the keys of D, E-flat, E, and F. Moreover, the plate 7, which serves to play the note C, must be closed to secure the note high F. There is no apparent reason for this; but it is a result of experience. The consequence of this is that there results a great difficulty in playing these notes in the arpeggios. My new key 5, Fig. 1, avoids all these difficulties. This key is pivoted on a bearing 6, and its object is to lift the lever 4: While it lowers at the same time the plate 7. The same effect may be produced by opening another hole F near the key 4say 5the lever 5 having then the form shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 1. The said lever does not operate the lever 4:. It uncovers simply the hole 5 and lowers the plate 7. In this case the result is the same.

Second. At the present time the note E-flat an octave below the E-fiat referred to above is produced in the saxophone by means of a special key, called key of E-fiat. In many cases the transition from this key to others is difficult, and several arrangements have been tried in order to avoid this. I believe that I have obviated this inconvenience by producing the note E-flat through the hole of E by means of a device (shown in Figs. 2 and 3) which is applicable to saxophones of any pitch. This device is constructed as follows: The plate 8, which generally is whole, is provided with a hole 9; a lever 10 is cast with the plate 11, which covers the hole 9, and, finally, the small plate 12 is cast with the plate 8 and draws along the small plate 13 in its descent. The plate 13 serves to play the note F. It results that when the finger lowers the plate 12 the plate 11, under the action of a spring 14, keeps lifted up, and the note E-flat is produced by the hole 9 in the plate 8.

Third. In the ordinary saxophones the low notes B-fiat, B, and O-sharp are obtained by means of keys played by the small finger of the left hand or in some systems by the small finger of the right hand. My arrangement allows the performer to play these notes with the medium of the right hand by means of the device shown in Figs. 4 and 5. To play the low notes B-flat, B, and O-sharp, all the keys must be closed, and it requires ordinarily all fingers of the artist except the thumb of the right hand and the littlefinger of the left one. The thumb being placed behind the instrument is unable to be used. It serves merely to maintain this latter. There remains only the little finger of the left hand, which should actuate the lever 15 for playing the low note B-fiat, the lever 16 for playing the low note O-sharp, and the lever 17 for the low note B. Of course this action is difficult; but with a saxophone of the above description one finger of the right handfor instance, the little one-is sufficient to maintain closed the plates 8, 11, and 13 by operating the plate 1H,

hand.

My device for enabling the player to perform the low notes B-flat, l3, and G-sharp by means of the medium of the right hand and by operating, respectively, the shafts 15 17*, and consists in providing each of these shafts with another lever 1.5 17 16, having each a finger-piece which can be operated by the medium of the right hand, the lingerpieces and 1tbeing located above plate 13 and the finger-piece 1'? above plate 3. The little finger of the left hand remains free for another use.

The levers 15 10 when depressed do not carry down the plate 18 any more than does the lever 17 depress the plate 12 when operated. There is a space large enough between the levers and the said plates so that the vers can be depressed Without reaching the plates. (See 5.)

The fingers that will be ordinarily used in playing the nev. keys are key 5, middle left finger; key 10, little right linger; keys l5" 16 17, middle right linger. By lowering the lever 10 the note played is l).

l clain1- 1. A saxophone comprising a lever 5 capable of being operated by the left index-finger to uncover an opening 5 and the C-plate 7 arranged to be closed by the said lever simultaneously with the uncovering of said opening for the purpose of producing the note high F, substantially as described.

2. A saxophone comprising a lever 5 capable of being operated by the left index-finger, the F-cover arranged to be lifted by the said lever and the C-plate 7 arranged to be simultaneously closed for the purpose of producing the note high F, substantially as described.

In a saxophone the combination of the plate 8 having the hole 5) therein, the lever 10 having the plate 11 covering said opening and th plate 12 cast with the plate 8, substantially described.

In a saxophone,the combination of means for producing the low notes B-flat, B and C- sharp, by the middle right linger comprising respectively the linger- pieces 15, 17 and 16 in addition to the linger- pieces 15, 17 and 16, operating the same shafts 15, l7, l6", and the lever 10, controlling the low note D, said additional linger-pieces being located above and adjacent to said lever 10, substantially as de- SOi'lbQtl.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing \vitnesses.

PAUL lG VETTE.

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