WO2001031626A1

WO2001031626A1 - Improvements to saxophones for enhancing the accuracy of its c sharp notes

Info

Publication number: WO2001031626A1
Application number: PCT/FR1999/002584
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jérôme SELMER
Original assignee: Henri Selmer & Cie
Priority date: 1998-04-28
Filing date: 1999-10-25
Publication date: 2001-05-03
Also published as: FR2778010B1; FR2778010A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a saxophone wherein: the orifice emitting C sharp, provided with closure plate, has an opening section smaller than that of the corresponding orifice in standard saxophones, so as to enhance the accuracy of its treble C sharp, when it is in open position simultaneously with the octave modifying orifice; a second C sharp emitting orifice, provided with a closure plate (9) urged into open position by an elastic return element, is arranged on the instrument body, at the same level as that of the usual C sharp orifice, so that when they are simultaneously in open position, with the octave modifying orifice is closed, the medium C sharp note emitted by them is improved.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS TO SAXOPHONES, WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING THE JUSTNESS OF THE SOUND OF DO DIESE NOTES.

The present invention relates to improvements made to saxophones of all types, with a view to improving the accuracy of the sound of sharp notes.

We know that the emission of the note of C sharp medium corresponds, on the saxophones, to a position of the fingering of actuation of the keys for which no key is actuated, which means that all the orifices used for the emission of the different notes, are open, the sound of the sharp note being then emitted by the hole in the body of the instrument closest to the jar.

For the sharp sharp note, the fingering remains the same and the corresponding sound is always emitted by the same hole of the instrument, but the so-called octave key is manually operated, which, as the name suggests, allows the instrumentalist, with the same skill, to change the octave.

In practice, we unfortunately encounter, for the emission of the sharp pound, a problem of homogeneity of the sound, because the sound of the medium sharp pound is a little too low, compared to the desired sound, while the sound of the sharp pound acute is significantly too high.

This problem is encountered with all types of saxophones, but it is particularly manifest with alto saxophones.

The present invention aims to remedy this serious drawback and to propose a saxophone in which the sounds of the notes of middle sharp and sharp sharp are much more accurate than with the saxophones of the prior art.

Indeed, the Applicant has established that the defect in accuracy of the medium sharp pound is due to the fact that the opening section of the emission hole of the sharp pound is too small, while the defect of accuracy of the sharp sharp p comes from too large an opening section of the same emission hole.

To make these structural causes coective apparently contradictory, the Applicant proposes to provide on the saxophone two emitting holes for the C sharp, instead of one, the two holes being simultaneously open for the emission of the C sharp medium, while only one of the two holes , remains open for the emission of the usual sharp, but with an opening section smaller than that of the usual hole,

The subject of the invention is therefore an improved saxophone, comprising, in the usual manner, on the body of the instrument, a hole for emitting sharp notes equipped with a closing plate, operable manually using 'a control key to be brought into the closed position against an elastic return member and, on the jar of the instrument, an octave change orifice equipped with a closing plate which closes normally, this plate being manually operable using an octave key to be brought into the open position against an elastic return member, this saxophone being characterized in that: - the hole emission of the C sharp has a smaller opening section than that of the corresponding hole of the usual saxophones, in order to improve the accuracy of the sound of the sharp C sharp, when it is in the open position at the same time as the octave change orifice; - a second hash emission hole, equipped with a closing plate urged in the open position by an elastic return member, is provided on the body of the instrument, at the same level as the usual hole, the section d total opening of the two holes being greater than that of the usual sharp hash hole, so that, when they are simultaneously in the open position, with the octave change orifice in the closed position, the accuracy of the sound of the sharp hash medium they emit is improved;

- the mechanism for actuating the closing plate of the second emission orifice for the sharp note is such that this plate is driven into the open and closed position at the same time as the closing plate of the usual orifice by the double fa control key, even with the octave key actuated simultaneously, while the closing plate of the second emission hole of the sharp hash is kept in the closed position under the stress of the octave key, when the latter is actuated, independently of the position of the closing plate of the usual orifice for emitting the sharp p.

It is clear that by providing on the body of the instrument two emitting openings of the C sharp, which are simultaneously open, for the emission of the C sharp medium, with a total opening section greater than that of the orifice of the usual sharp, and only one of which is open, for the emission of the sharp sharp, namely the orifice corresponding to the usual orifice, but with an opening section smaller than that of the latter, it is possible to simultaneously improve the accuracy of the sound of the medium sharp and that of the acute sharp.

Various mechanisms for driving the closing plate of the second emission orifice of the sharp number, in response to the request of the control key of the closing plate of the usual orifice and the octave key, can be designed and made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The mechanism which will be described below in more detail therefore has only an exemplary value and is in no way limiting.

In this description, reference is made to the appended schematic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side perspective view of an alto saxophone of a usual type;

FIG. 2 is a view on a larger scale of a portion of the part A of the saxophone of FIG. 1, improved in accordance with the invention, this view being limited to the two emitting orifices of the C sharp, to their trays closing and synchronization drive mechanism of these plates;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the drive in synchronization of the two trays for closing the emission openings of the C sharp, when the octave key is not requested, by the usual spatula for controlling the closing plate of the only usual emission orifice of the do sharp;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustrating the drive and locking in the closed position of the tray of the second emission orifice of the sharp, under the stress of the octave key, while the key control of the plate of the usual emission orifice for the sharp has not been requested and that this plate is in the open position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing the plates of the two emitting openings of the C sharp in the closed position under the joint stress of the octave key and the control key of the orifice plate usual;

FIG. 6 is another view of the portion A of the saxophone of FIG. 1, illustrating the new function imparted to the octave key of the instrument.

We will first refer to Figure 1, which shows a common saxophone, where the jar is designated by the reference 1, the body of the instrument by the reference 2, the flag by the reference 4, and the elbow joining the body 2 and flag 4 by reference 3.

The sole purpose of this FIG. 1 is to show the part A which is the subject of the invention, in which there is a plate 5 for controlling the closing of the usual orifice for emitting the sharp, this plate 5 being normally stressed in open position by an elastic return member and capable of being driven into the closed position by the control spatula 6, manually requested by the player.

There is also a distinction, on the jar 1, the plate 7 for closing the octave change orifice, this plate being normally biased in the closed position by an elastic return member and which can be brought into the open position by the '' instrumentalist, to change octave, in manually operating the octave key 8.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 6, the saxophone according to the invention no longer has one, but two orifices for emitting the C sharp, both naturally arranged at the same level on the body 2 of the instrument. One of these orifices occupies the usual location of the sharp orifice and is provided with the usual shutter plate 5, but it has a smaller opening section than that of the usual orifice, so as to emit a lower sharp, and therefore fairer than the usual sharp pound sound, when open only. The second emitting orifice of the C sharp, provided with a shutter plate 9, which is biased in the open position by an elastic return member, has an opening section such that, when the two orifices are open simultaneously, their total opening section is greater than that of the usual orifice, so as to emit a high sharp C-tone and therefore, more just than usual. The plate 5 is secured to a lever 10 (called "tip" in the art), itself secured to a rotation axis 11, which is pivotally mounted on end bearings fixed to the body 2 (not shown ), against a return spring, which normally maintains it in a position such that the plate 5 is in the open position. The control spatula 6, rigidly secured by a lever 13 of the axis 11, allows the player to drive the axis 11 in rotation, by manually pressing the spatula 6, to bring the plate 5 in the closed position. The plate 9 is, in a similar manner, integral in rotation by a "point" 16 of an axis 17, parallel to the axis 11, mounted pivoting with respect to bearings not shown and biased by a return spring in such a way that the plate 9 is normally in the open position.

The tip 10 is extended by an arm 14, which requests the end of a lever 15 integral in rotation with an axis 18, perpendicular to the axes 11 and 17 and mounted to pivot relative to bearings. A pendulum 19 is also attached to this axis in rotation, disposed on either side of the axis 18 and of which a first end requests a lever 20, integral in rotation with the axis 17, so as to drive this axis in rotation, at the same time as the axis 11, under the stress of the spatula 6. It is thus possible to bring the plates 5 and 9 simultaneously in the closed position (see FIG. 3, where the arrows indicate the movements of the various organs).

When the spatula 6 is not stressed, the two plates 5 and 9 normally return both to the open position (see FIG. 2), under the stress of the return springs, for the emission of the do sharp medium. In order to be able to open only the plate 5, while keeping the plate 9 closed, for the emission of the sharp sharp, it is provided, according to the invention, that, when the octave key 8 is actuated, that -this then opposes the return of the plate 9 to the open position under the stress of its return spring, even when the spatula 6 is not stressed by the instrumentalist.

To this end, in accordance with the invention, when the instrumentalist requests the octave key 8, which is also a spatula, this one, in addition to the octave change mechanism, drives in rotation, against d 'a return spring, the axis 21 of which it is integral and which is parallel to the axes 11 and 17. A lever 21, integral with the axis 22 and projecting laterally with respect thereto, thus comes to press on the second end of the pendulum 19. The second end of this pendulum then moves, as previously driving the lever 20, which rotates as already described the axis 17, to bring the plate 9 in the closed position. In this situation, the plate 5 remains in the open position, but can be actuated normally by the spatula 6, and the arm 14 no longer requests the lever 15.

The invention therefore provides a simple means to remedy to the defects of accuracy of the notes of middle C sharp and of sharp C sharp of the saxophones and to confer on these instruments a range of accuracy of sound acceptable for the whole of the tessitura.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Improved saxophone comprising, in the usual way, on the body (2) of the instrument, a hole for the emission of sharp notes equipped with a closing plate (5), which can be actuated manually using a control key (6) to be brought into the closed position against an elastic return member and, on the jar (1) of the instrument, an octave change orifice equipped with a closure (7) which normally closes it, this plate being manually operable using an octave key (8) to be brought into the open position against an elastic return member, this saxophone being characterized in that:

-the emitting hole of the C sharp has a smaller opening section than that of the corresponding hole of the usual saxophones, in order to improve the accuracy of the sound of the sharp C sharp, when it is in the open position at the same time than the octave change port; a second emitting hole for the C sharp, equipped with a closing plate (9) urged in the open position by an elastic return member, is provided on the body of the instrument, at the same level as the usual hole, the total opening section of the two holes being greater than that of the usual sharp hash hole, so that when they are simultaneously in the open position, with the octave change orifice in the closed position, the accuracy of the sound of the do the medium sharp they emit be improved;

the mechanism for actuating the plate (9) for closing the second orifice for issuing the sharp note is such that this plate (9) is driven into the open and closed position at the same time as the plate (5 ) closing the usual opening by the key (6) for controlling the double fa, even with the octave key (8) actuated simultaneously, while the plate (9) for closing the second emission hole of the do sharp is maintained in the closed position under the stress of the octave key (8), when the latter is actuated, regardless of the position of the plate (5) for closing the usual orifice for issuing the sharp.

2. Saxophone according to claim 1, in which the mechanism for actuating the plate (9) for closing the second orifice for emitting the C sharp under the stress of the key (6) for controlling the closing plate (5) of the usual orifice of the sharp hash and the actuation mechanism of said plate (9) under the stress of the octave key (8) both comprise levers integral with axes mounted pivoting against return springs , this saxophone being characterized in that:

the mechanism for actuating said plate (9) by the octave key (8) comprises a balance (19) integral in rotation with an axis (18), one end of this balance (19) being attacked by a lever (21) integral in rotation, against a return member, an axis (22) driven by the octave key (8), while the other end of the balance (19) attacks a lever (20) integral in rotation, against a return spring, with an axis (17), of which is integral in rotation said closing plate (9);

a lever (15), integral in rotation with the axis (18), of which the balance (19) is integral, is attacked by an arm (14) rigidly integral in rotation, against a return spring , an axis (11), which is integral in rotation with the plate (5) for closing the usual orifice for emitting the sharp, the position of the lever (15) being such that, when the octave key (8) is actuated, this lever (15) is independent of the arm (14).