122results about "Saxophones" patented technology

A hybrid wind musical instrument is a combination between an alto saxophone and an electronic system so that a player can perform a music tune selectively through acoustic tones and electronic tones; although various parts and accessories are assembled into the alto saxophone, a bell brace makes it possible to sustain a control unit of the electronic system without damage of alto saxophone and undesirable influence on acoustic characteristics of the tubular instrument body.

A saxophone is equipped with a supporting system, and the supporting system assists a player in performance on the saxophone; the supporting system includes pressure sensors respectively adhered to the keys of the saxophone, torque motors provided in association with the keys for exerting assisting force on the keys and a controller for adjusting a driving signal to a certain amount corresponding to the pressure; since a conversion table is stored in the controller, the controller looks up the amount of driving current to be adjusted in the conversion table, and supplies the driving signal to the torque motor, whereby the keys are depressed by the total of finger force and assisting force.

A mouthpiece assembly for a woodwind musical instrument comprising a mouthpiece body defining an air conduit extending therethrough, a reed placement surface defined on the mouthpiece body adjacent said air conduit, a pair of extensions, integral to and extending from the body of the mouthpiece on opposed sides of the reed placement surface with respect to an opening of the air conduit, and a mechanism for selectively applying a compressive force to a reed placed over the opening of the air conduit, with respect to the body of the mouthpiece, generating to a tensile force applied to each of said pair of extensions, to selectively retain the reed in position. The present design provides advantageous acoustic properties for the mouthpiece, and further provides for advantageous placement of an electronic pickup for receiving the output of the instrument.

An associated method of construction and fabrication of organ windpipes and wind musical instruments utilizing composite materials. The fiber reinforced composite construction is a combination of fibers and resinous material. The fibrous material, maybe Carbon fibers, and / or Kevlar fibers, and / or Fiberglass fibers, and / or Wood Veneer(s) and / or core material, or any combination thereof, which is oriented and layered to create a laminate. The fibrous material can be pre-impregnated with a resinous material or impregnated with a resinous material. The acoustical resonance properties of the fiber reinforced composite wall material or laminate resonates with the generated pressure wave of the wind musical instrument, thereby providing improved tonal and acoustic performance.The lightweight fiber reinforced composite wind instrument, produces richer and more brilliant tones, as well as multiple harmonics. In the preferred embodiment, there are minimal dimensional changes unfavorably affecting the musical sound qualities, such as shrinkage or elongation from adverse environmental conditions.

A hybrid wind musical instrument is a combination between an alto saxophone and an electronic system so that a player can perform a music tune selectively through acoustic tones and electronic tones; although various parts and accessories are assembled into the alto saxophone, a bell brace makes it possible to sustain a control unit of the electronic system without damage of alto saxophone and undesirable influence on acoustic characteristics of the tubular instrument body.

Apparatus and methods for its use are provided that relate to an octave / register key for musical wind instruments that combines (i) a vent formed by alignment of an opening of a core and a sidewall aperture of a sleeve, wherein the core is slidably and coaxially mounted within the sleeve, or a vent formed by alignment of sidewall apertures on an inner chamber slidably mounted within an outer chamber, and (ii) the mechanism to open and close such a vent. The device, upon actuation, vents the wind instrument air column to remove the fundamental pitch frequency, and can be mounted anywhere on the body of a musical wind instrument or onto any existing tone hole key of the instrument.

A mouthpiece for a woodwind instrument, such as a saxophone has a tubular body, with a front and a rear portion, each having a respective passage. The front portion has an opening that is at least partially covered by a reed. The front passage is wider then the opening. The front passage also has a bottom wall that descends toward the rear portion. The bottom wall has three zones, including a first zone disposed at a shallow angle with respect to the reed, a second zone with sharper angle then the first, and an end zone. The resulting mouthpiece generates smoother and fuller sounds then the prior art mouthpieces while at the same time projecting sounds more effective.

A conically shaped, keyless plastic wind instrument with eight holes, consisting of a single body and a detachable a mouthpiece. The instrument is fully chromatic and capable of playing in any of the traditional twelve keys of Western music-producing notes through a player's vibration of a single reed affixed to a soprano saxophone type mouthpiece, and through the opening or closing of a plurality of tone holes along its length by use of the fingers. The instrument is one of a family of keyless saxophones which can be pitched in the alto, soprano, and soprano range by the lengthening or shortening of the body and by changing the location of the eight finger holes. By opening or closing the finger holes, the standing sound wave-created inside the instrument by the player's vibration of the reed affixed to the mouthpiece-is intersected at locations along the length of the body producing a vibration at a determined musical pitch, the scale of which is tuned to A=440, standard concert tuning. All members of this instrument family have the same fingering patterns, which are based on recorder (or vertical flute) fingerings.

A handrest for musical instruments includes a fastening loop attached to the instrument, a handrest handle attached to the fastening loop that shifts the weight of the instrument from the player's thumb to the fold between the player's thumb and index finger, the handrest handle including an upper end for resting on the players fold, a palm portion extending downwardly from the upper end for contacting the player's palm, and a turning joint at a plam point of the lower palm portion, the palm point spaces downwardly from the upper end.

A device for keeping the D# (D Sharp) tone hole open hence corresponding pad cup of a saxophone drier is described. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the device is a key clamp for holding down the D# key such that the D# pad cup can be kept open when the saxophone is not being played. The device is made of a continuous wire having a first segment having a first end, and a second segment having a second end, said first segment and said second segment are oriented substantially perpendicular to each other but non-coplanar, wherein said first segment has a form of an unsymmetrical S-shape, and said second segment has a form of a substantially closed loop.

This invention relates to a muffler or mute for saxophone and other wind instruments comprising a muffling bag (10) with a durable external vinyl layer (12) and an internal layer of sound absorbing material (14). The saxophone (16) is entirely ensconced inside the saxophone muffler (except for the mouthpiece), and is securely held therein by an internal carriage assembly (30). The carriage assembly spaces and positions the saxophone, and hence the sound emanating from the keys as well as the bell of the saxophone is muted equally efficiently. Pockets (20) provided on the two sides of the saxophone enable the saxophonist to have access to the keys of the saxophone. A second hard-shell embodiment also functions as a mute and doubles as a saxophone carrying case.

A device relieves the weight on the thumbrest of a woodwind instrument that does not have a curved neck near the mouthpiece, thereby avoiding muscular strain and soreness in the right hand and thumb of the instrument player without altering negatively the instrument playing in the conventional ways. This device includes a strap 20 that suspends on the player's chest an enclosure 30 housing a constant-force spring 34 coupled with a coil of cord 40 which terminates outside of this enclosure in a snap-hook 60 that is secured onto the thumbrest ring 70 of the instrument. In usual playing positions that point the instrument to the ground, the device creates a physical force component on the thumbrest in line with but opposite to the weight of the instrument on the thumbrest and thus diminishes in a perceivable manner the stress of the instrument weight on the right-hand of the player.

A pad for musical wind instruments with improved acoustic qualities. The acoustical improvement is achieved by providing a superior sound reflecting surface on the film or skin of the pad that engages with the tonehole.A lubricant for the sealing surface of the pad to prevent the pad from sticking to the tonehole rim.An outer retaining ring used to fasten the film to the pad while an inner collar supports the film and helps to create a smooth pad with a flat surface.

A conically shaped, keyless plastic wind instrument with eight holes, consisting of a single body and a detachable a mouthpiece. The instrument is fully chromatic and capable of playing in any of the traditional twelve keys of Western music-producing notes through a player's vibration of a single reed affixed to a soprano saxophone type mouthpiece, and through the opening or closing of a plurality of tone holes along its length by use of the fingers. The instrument is one of a family of keyless saxophones which can be pitched in the alto, soprano, and soprano range by the lengthening or shortening of the body and by changing the location of the eight finger holes. By opening or closing the finger holes, the standing sound wave-created inside the instrument by the player's vibration of the reed affixed to the mouthpiece-is intersected at locations along the length of the body producing a vibration at a determined musical pitch, the scale of which is tuned to A=440, standard concert tuning. All members of this instrument family have the same fingering patterns, which are based on recorder (or vertical flute) fingerings.

A slanted bore mouthpiece has a central axis running through the mouthpiece, a tone chamber within the mouthpiece, a generally rectangular window exposing the tone chamber and extending from a front end of the window adjacent a first end of the mouthpiece along the mouthpiece to a rear end of the window at a table disposed on an outer surface of the mouthpiece and configured to engage a reed and a mouthpiece bore passing through the mouthpiece from a second end of the mouthpiece opposite the first end to the tone chamber at the rear end of the window. The mouthpiece bore extends along a mouthpiece bore axis, and the central axis and the mouthpiece bore axis are divergent axes.

A supporting system is provided on a saxophone for offering assistance to the player, and includes pressure sensors monitoring the touch pieces of the keys, power assisting units equipped with torque motors provided for the keys and a controller connected to the pressure sensors and the power assisting units; a conversion table for depressed touch pieces and another conversion table for released touch pieces are prepared in the controller, and different relations between the finger force and the amount of current to be supplied to the torque motor are respectively defined in the conversion tables, respectively; the amount of current to be supplied is read out from the conversion tables depending upon the increase and decrease of finger force so that the player quickly closes the tone whole with the padded cup without curious key touch.

An acoustical reflector (10) formed by a pair of assembled panels (17, 18), each of which including one or more mouths (45) spaced from one another in ring-like fashion about a centrally disposed opening (27) for the reflector (10), the panels (17, 18) rotatably adjustable independently of one another. Each pair of mouths (45) between the panels (17, 18) cooperate to provide a channel (47) through the panels (17, 18) in the adjustability of the panels. Channel (47) is variable in its capacity for transmitting sound through the reflector (10) and for reflecting sound by utilizing the reflecting surface of one of the outer panel faces (either 21 or 22) with a portion of a facing surface (either 23 or 24) of the alternate panel to reflect back the sound to its source or instrument player's ear(s) for a determination of tonal blend, accurate pitch, or volume balance. A grommet 33 is mounted in the centrally disposed openings (27) of the reflector (10) and about which the panels (17, 18) rotate or orient to one another to adjust the enlarging or reducing of the variable capacity of the channel (47) formed by the adjusted mouths (45). A spacer ring (40) on grommet (33) prevents the panels (17, 18) from scratching one another and projections (43) secured on a panel (17) eliminates wobbling, rotation, and scratching of the panels.

A method of manufacturing a saxophone mouthpiece that has a complex interior chamber with tolerances of 0.005″. The present invention aims to make a mouthpiece in two parts via CNC machining, solder them together, and further CNC machine the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is machined to have complex inner shapes that have tolerances of 0.002″ and 0.005″ over all other surfaces.

A method of improving the tonal characteristics of a woodwind instrument. The method includes identifying a position on the woodwind instrument, wherein placement of a tonal material thereto causes a lowering of overtone amplitude during play, by observing overtone characteristics during play; positioning the tonal material to the woodwind instrument; measuring the overtone amplitude; playing the woodwind instrument; and repositioning the tonal material to optimal overtone amplitude position; and attaching the tonal material to the woodwind instrument, at the optimal overtone amplitude position. The tonal material comprises one of the group consisting of: garnet, jasper, agate, aventurine, carnelian, citrine, fluorite, hematite, malachite, obsidian, onyx, tiger's eye, turquoise, unakite, moonstone, peridot, jade, alexandrite, amethyst, chalcedony, quartz, aquamarine, lolite, rhodolite, opal, topaz, tourmaline, tanzanite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, ceylon sapphire, ruby, woodwind, other metals, and combinations thereof.

A mouthpiece includes a mouthpiece member having a bore, a flat upper portion, an air conduit formed by an inclined bottom wall, and a reed attached to the flat upper portion for partially shielding the air conduit, a barrier plate is extended from the front end portion for forming an included angle between the barrier plate and the inclined bottom wall, and for forming an air passage between the barrier plate and the flat upper portion, and for forming a tone-altering compartment between the barrier plate and the inclined bottom wall, and for forming a tone-altering chamber behind the barrier plate and for altering the tone or for echoing purposes. A partition may be extended between with the barrier plate and the inclined bottom wall.

An inspection apparatus and method of inspection enable an inspector to conduct visual inspection of film carrier tapes for mounting electronic components in a natural sitting position regardless of the magnification of a magnifier. The inspection apparatus is compact to permit effective use of the space inside the inspection room. The inspection apparatus includes a feed reel and a take-up reel adjacent to each other, and an inspection part that is located so that the adjacent feed and take-up reels are in the order of the feed reel and the take-up reel in relation to the inspection part. A film carrier tape from the feed reel is transported in a substantially vertical direction to the inspection part and is inspected with a magnifier along a substantially vertical direction.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method including rotating a rotatable surface with an object positioned thereon to a plurality of angular positions. The method also includes capturing, via an x-ray microtomography device at each of the plurality of angular positions, a tomograph of the object. The method also includes summing each tomograph of the object to create a three-dimensional image of the object. The method also includes using an additive manufacturing machine to create a three-dimensional replica of the object using the three-dimensional image of the object.

Apparatus for providing teeth position guide for single-reed woodwind music instruments are disclosed. The apparatus includes a mouthpiece patch containing top and bottom sides with at least two thickness layer formed therebetween. The bottom side is a flat surface having an adhesive means configured thereon. The top side is a split-level surface containing first and second levels having different thicknesses. A ledge is formed between the first level and the second level, whereby the ledge is configured as a position guide for upper incisor teeth of a player of woodwind instruments, when the mouthpiece patch is attached to a mouthpiece.

A mouthpiece for a woodwind instrument, such as a saxophone has a tubular body, with a front and a rear portion, each having a respective passage. The front portion has an opening that is at least partially covered by a reed. The front passage is wider then the opening. The front passage also has a bottom wall that descends toward the rear portion. The bottom wall has three zones, including a first zone disposed at a shallow angle with respect to the reed, a second zone with sharper angle then the first, and an end zone. The resulting mouthpiece generates smoother and fuller sounds then the prior art mouthpieces while at the same time projecting sounds more effective.

A saxophone (10) has a complicated key mechanism (16) for selectively closing and opening tone holes (11A), and fingering on touch buttons and keys (15) is not easy for children, handicapped persons and old players; a supporting system (24) is combined with the saxophone (10) so as to assist a human player in fingering, and includes sensors (23), actuators (24a) and a controlling unit (25); while the human player is fingering on the touch buttons and keys (15), the sensors (23) inform the controlling unit (25) of changes of the depressed touch buttons and depressed keys, and the controlling unit (25) supplies driving signals (S2) to the actuators (24a) associated with the tone holes (11 A) to be closed so as to permit the human player easily and quickly to play music tunes.

A saxophone has a complicated key mechanism for selectively closing and opening tone holes, and fingering on touch buttons and keys is not easy for children, handicapped persons and old players; a supporting system is combined with the saxophone so as to assist a human player in fingering, and includes sensors, actuators and a controlling unit; while the human player is fingering on the touch buttons and keys, the sensors inform the controlling unit of changes of the depressed touch buttons and depressed keys, and the controlling unit supplies driving signals to the actuators associated with the tone holes to be closed so as to permit the human player easily and quickly to play music tunes.

A saxophone neck system uses interchangeable component parts to modify and optimize sound and resistance. The saxophone neck system may allow a saxophone player the ability to change components to achieve variations in sound and to use the components with various manufacturers' instruments and mouthpieces. With the use of various internal shapes and dimensions placed in a specific combination, the player can create a desired sound. Additionally, the saxophone neck system may eliminate neck cork compression discrepancies from different manufacturers by offering different diameters of the body of the initiator portion of the saxophone neck system to fit any saxophone mouthpiece.

The invention relates to a device for carrying a wind instrument. The device comprises a Y-shaped frame having two arms (2, 2') extending upward, which are arcuate at the free ends (9) of the arms, and a third arm extending downward, which forms a support (4). The two arms (2, 2') and the support (4) converge in a connecting element (3) and are connected to each other there. The arms (2, 2') can be designed as one piece together with the support (4) and the connecting element (3) in order to form a unit, or the arms (2, 2') can be connected to the connecting element (3) in an insertable or pivotable manner. A retaining element (5) for hanging the wind instrument (17) is provided on the connecting element (3).