US706557A - Clarinet. - Google Patents

Description

No. 706,557. Patented Aug. l2, I902.

W. HECK EL.

CLARINET.

(Application filed Aug. 27. 1900.) (No Model.)

' a g ,6 Z3522 i/'zz ans 5 flaw/e L107 $4224 @124, zaz-z/uzm/amz VILIIELM HECKEL, OF

GLARI PATENT OFFICE.

BIEBRICII, GERMANY.

NET.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 706,557, dated August 12, 1902.

Application filed August 27, 1900.

T0 in whom it ntcty concern! Be it known that I, WILHELM IIEOKEL, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor,and a resident of Biebrich-on-the-Rhine, Province of Hesse-Nassau, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful ln1- provements in Clarinets, of which the following is an exact specification.

My invention consists in improven'lents in clarinets in which two octave holes are opened or kept open by the pressure upon a single-octave key. In thegenerally-employed instruments belonging to the class of the clariinets-as alt clarinets, bass Clarinets, contrabass clarinetsthe octave-key is also used for the B key, so that from the same hole the tone B is obtained. The arrangement of double openings hitherto known was such that a second hole (octave-hole) was only opened when the octave-key and another key were simultaneously pressed down. It was not known hitherto to arrange the octaveholes in such a manner that the divided air column can freely pass through them, as is the case in my invention.

The purpose of my invention is to obtain absolutely clear duodecims of the clarinet, which purpose is fulfilled by the arrangement hereinafter described, by which means the B key presses automatically upon an auxiliary key and opens thus an auxiliary hole.

In the clarinet instruments hitherto employed the duodecims are obtained by the arrangement of a bigger hole through which the air column is pressed and which is arranged underneath the key a. If this hole is too small, then the duodecims are still ob tained; but the high C, as well as the whole high register, is too deep. If the hole is big enough, the high O is obtained; but the duodecims, as well as the tones upward from the high D, are much too high.

By means of the present invention it is possible to obtain absolutely clear duodeoims, since the hole of the auxiliary key compensates for all unevenness of theintonation, because, as already mentioned, the divided air column is allowed to pass freely in two directions and is not forced to pass through one hole. V

In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a front view of a clarinet Serial No. 28,242. (No model.)

with my new arrangement. Fig. 2 is a rear View of the clarinet, showing a part of the mechanism diagrammatically. Fig. 3 is a modified form of construction.

a is an octave-key which is also used for the B key. The hole b is arranged sideward upon the clarinet. The arrangement of the levers is already known and not shown on the drawings. By pressing down the key a the hole I) of the clarinet is opened. The key 0 being arranged underneath the key a is therefore also pressed down, and consequently the hole (Z is simultaneously opened. The arrangement of the hole (I in connection with the keys is shown in Fig. 2 out of position for the sake of better comprehension of this arrangement. It will be easily understood that the hole (Z is arranged upon the clarinet on the opposite side of the hole I).

In Fig. 3 a modification is shown in which the auxiliary key 0 is not arranged underneath the key a, but 011 the side of the same, so that the player will be able with one finger simultaneously to press down both keys a and c. Evidently this arrangement is more convenient than the arrangements heretofore described.

Having thus fully described the nature of this invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A clarinet or like instrument having two octave-holes 19,61, arranged at the same height,

,t'. a, at the same distance from the mouthpiece, and opposite to each other, and means forsimultaneously opening and closing said holes.

2. A clarinet or like instrument, provided with two octave-holes arranged at the same height, 2'. 6., at the same distance from the mouthpiece, and opposite to each other, in combination with a key adapted when pressed down to open one of said holes, and a second key arranged relatively to the first key, whereby when the latter is pressed down, the said second key will be operated to open the other hole simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NILHELM IIECKEL.

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