US2033772A - Clarinet - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 1936. A. LO OMIS 2,033,772

CLARINET Original Filed March 20, 1933 iNVENTOR memf BY foul L6 WW ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARINET Indiana Refile for abandoned application Serial No.

661,676, March 20, 1933.

This application July 27, 1934, Serial No. 737,306

11 Claims.

This invention relates to wind instruments of the clarinet type although certain parts of the invention are susceptible of general application to wind musical instruments of other types.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved bearing mount for the key shafts of a wind instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bearing mount for key shafts which will function without binding when the shafts become distorted or bent, or the bearings themselves become disaligned through accident.

Another object is to provide a key shaft bearing construction which will be readily adjustable to take up wear and insure silence of operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a. new method of installing key shaft hearing posts in the body of a wind instrument and to lock the same against turning movement.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing, in which the invention is shown as applied to a soprano Boehm clarinet,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a clarinet embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section of the key mecha-- nism and is taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on line 'I---! of Fig. 6;

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Figure 9 is a transverse section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1;

Figure 10 is a plan view of the key shown in Fig. 9;

Figure 11 is a section taken on the line ll-ll of Fig. 10; and

Figure 12 is a plan view of the key shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, the numeral I indicates the body of a clarinet which is substantially cylindrical and which is formed in two sections joined together at 2 in a conventional manner.

In the drawing, in order to avoid confusion, only such keys and tone holes have been shown which are necessary to illustrate the invention. The conventional springs which serve to sustain the respective keys in the positions shown have also been omitted. The respective keys are mounted upon key shafts or hinge rods 3 which are in the form of solid rods supported between bearing posts 4 mounted in opposed relation on' the outer surface of the instrument.

The bearing posts shown more clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 comprise a threaded stem 5 which is screwed into the wood and which depends from a base 6 upon which is mounted a ball end or head 1 which is drilled and threaded for the reception of a pivot screw 8 formed with a conoidal bearing end 9 for engagement within the end of the hinged key shaft 3. The key shafts have their ends reamed out as shown in Fig. 4 to provide a straight tapered or conoidal hole IO within which the conoidal bearing 9 rests. A set screw l I, engaging the screw 8 serves to lock the latter against displacement.

The operation and advantage of the novel key shafts bearing mount is illustrated in Fig. 4 which has been slightly exaggerated for the purpose of clearness. During the use of a clarinet, or other like instrument, it is quite common for one or more of the hinged key shafts to become bent or sprung, thus throwing the reamed ends out of line with each other.

In previously used structures this would result in a binding at the bearings and very often a breakage of the parts. On the other hand the bearing posts themselves may become twisted or bent, in which event the bearing screws would become disaligned and cause trouble. Such disalignment of the parts is automatically taken care of with the present construction due to the conoidal hearing so that if the shaft becomes bent while the screws 8 remain in alignment, the relative motion will be about the axis I 2, whereas, if the screws get out of alignment, the movement will be about the axis [3. Ready adjustability of the pivot screw 8 compensates for the smaller bearing contact due to the conoidal bearmg.

In order to prevent turning of the bearing posts 4, and to insure proper alignment of the opposed bearing screws carried by the respective pairs thereof, I have devised an improved method of installing these posts and a means for locking them in position. In installing the bearing posts,

Cir

a hole I4 is drilled into the wooden body and is then counterbored and routed out at [5 to the shape of the outline of Fig. 3. The stem 5 is then screwed into the bore l4 until the base 6 is firmly seated in the counterbore l5, and then the head I is drilled and tapped for the reception of the pivot screw 8 and set screw II and is faced on one side to clear the end of the key shaft. The bearing post is then removed and flat surfaces l6 are milled or filed on either side of the base 6 soas to shape the same to fit snugly into the jaws of a notched locking plate I1, the latter being of a shape to fit within the countersink l5.

The bearing post is then screwed into the clarinet body and the lock plate I! is inserted into the countersink with the jaws thereof snugly fitting the flat sides N5 of the base 6. A screw 18 serves to securely fasten the lock plate in position. The angle between the flat faces IE on the base of the bearing post may be varied, or the base of the post may be notched for the reception of a tongue on the locking plate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

With further reference to the key shaft and shaft bearing structure illustrated in Figures 2 and 4 it will be apparent that the .great advantage therein inheres in the combination conoidal bearing-screw point 9 and the combination therewith of the straight tapered key shaft bore l0, and to a lesser degree in any equivalent thereof, such as, for example, the combination of a perfect conoidal bearing screwpoint with a key shaft bore which is bell-mounted and provided with a curved tapernot illustrated. In the practical application of my improved key shaft bearing the point 9 of the screw 8 engages the surface of the shaft bore H) at a relatively narrow surface band thereof with clearance throughout the remainder of the overlapping portion thereof, said clearance increasing in degree, or amount, as the distance from the contact band increases.

While a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated and described, and while it is shown as appliedto a particular type of clarinet, which has a non-metallic body, it will be understood that various modifications in construction may be resorted to, or that the invention may be applied tooth'er'instruments without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

-1. In a key shaft construction for musical instruments, the combination of a key shaft having a conical bore in each end thereof, a bearing post mounted on the body of the instrument adjacent each end of said shaft, an a'bearing screw mounted in each of said bearing posts having conoidal end portions fol-engaging in the conical bores in the ends of said key shaft.

2. In a key shaft mounting for wind instruments, a pair of bearing posts mounted in spaced relation on the body of said instrument, a bearing screw adjustably mounted in each of said posts, said screws being formed with conoidal bearing ends in opposed relation, and a key shaft mounted between said posts, said key shaft having a conical bore formed in each end thereof for the reception of said conoidal end portions of said bearing screws.

3. A structure according to claim 2, and said bearing screws having a plain cylindrical surface formed intermediate the ends thereof, and a set screw threaded into said bearing post and engaging said cylindrical surface.

4. A bearing post for key shafts of wind instruments comprising a stem threaded into the body of said instrument, a base having a flattened portion on opposite sides thereof, said instrument having an elongated countersunk portion for receiving said base at one end thereof, and a locking plate filling the remainder of said countersink, said plate having a notch at one end thereof shaped to the contour of said base and having jaws engaging the flat sides thereof.

5. In a key shaft construction for wind musical instruments, the combination of a bearing post mounted on the body of the instrument, a key shaft provided with a tapered bore in one end thereof, and a bearing screw adjustably mounted in said bearing post, said bearing screw being provided with a tapered point which engages the surface of said key shaft tapered bore at a narrow surface band thereof and having clearance throughout the remainder of the overlapping portion, said clearance increasing in amount as the distance from said band increases.

6. In a key shaft and key shaft bearing construction for wind musical instruments, the combination of a bearing post provided with a stem which is threaded into the body of the instrument, said stem being provided with a base portion having a flattened portion on opposite sides thereof, the body of said instrument having an elongated countersunk portion for receiving said base at one end thereof, a locking plate filling the remainder of said body countersink, said plate having a notch at one end thereof shaped to the contour of said base and having jaws engaging the flat sides thereof, a bearing screw adjustably mounted in said bearing post and provided with a conoidal end, and a key shaft provided with a conoidal bore in one end thereof which is arranged adjacent said bearing post, said key shaft conoidal bore being engaged by the conoidal point of said bearing screw.

7. In a keyshaft and key shaft bearing construction for wind musical instruments, the combination of a bearing post provided witha stem which is threaded into the body of the instrument, said stem being provided with a base portion having a flattened portion on opposite sides thereof, the body of said instrument having an elongated countersunk portion for receiving said base at one end thereof, a locking plate secured in the remainder of said body countersink, said plate having a notch which is shaped to the contour of said base and provided with jaws in engagement with the flat sides of said stem base, a bearing screw adjustably mounted in said bearing post and provided with a conoidal end, and a key shaft having its end arranged adjacent said bearing post, said key shaft end being provided with a tapered bore, thesurface of said key shaft bore being engaged by said bearing screw conoidal end at a narrow surface band thereof andhaving clearance throughout the remainder of the overlapping ortion, said clearance increasing in amount as the distance from said band increases.

8. In a key shaft construction for musical instruments, the combination of a key shaft having a conicalbore in one end thereof, a bearing post mounted on the body of the instrument adjacent one end of said shaft, and a bearing screw mounted in said bearing post having a conoidal end portion for engaging in said key shaft conical bore.

9. In a key shaft construction for musical instruments, the combination of a bearing post pin connection between said shaft and post to effect a rocking movement of said shaft.

11. In a key shaft bearing construction for wind musical instruments, the combination of a bearing post provided with a stem which is rotatably secured to the body of the instrument, said post stem being provided with a base portion, a loclging plate secured to the instrument body adjacent said post stem base, and a complementary boss and recess connection between 10 said locking plate and the post stem base portion.

ALLEN LOOMIS.

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