US2224308A - Reed - Google Patents

Description

Dec. l0, 1940. M MACCAFERRl 2,224,308

REED

Filed Jan. 2, 1940 l Z5@ Zw g' a 1NVENT0R.

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. l0, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to reeds for musical wind instruments, and more particularly has for its object to provide an artificial reed which will take the place of cane reeds.

While cane reeds have given excellent results in the vibratory qualities of the reed and in the depth of tone obtained, the objection thereto is that they are unhygienic in that the saliva adhering to the cane reed permeates the fibers or cells thereof and cannot be readily cleaned from the reed. This moisture in such reeds,

when not in use, impairs their usefulness..

Various attempts have been made to use other than cane reds, as other vegetable matter, or as plastic or metal, but such substitutes have not been successful in that while they followed the form of cane reeds, they did not have the inherent resiliency of the same.

The making of reeds of this kind of such substituted material overcomes many disadvantages of the cane reeds, in that such metal or plastic material reeds may be cleaned, but the objection to these is that they are not sufficiently pliable and therefore refrain from vibrating with such freedom as is required by the musical instruments to which such reeds are intended to be attached. Attempts to make such substitute reeds more flexible by the provision of longitudinal grooves have, however, failed in that such grooves affect the vibrations.

The present invention is based upon a certain principle discovered by me. I have found in the operation of reeds that it is necessary that the longitudinal margins of the reed must be much denser or stiffer than in the central portion, and the longitudinal central portion forms the active vibratory part of the reed, instead of the entire reed both longitudinally and transversely considered. This closer density in the marginal portions compared to the central portion enables the central portion to freely vibrate and the denser portion to restA upon the walls of the mouthpiece. Furthermore, dependent upon the cohesion of the molecules of the material of which the improved reed is made, variations in curvature, in depth of the vibratoryA membrane, in thethickness of the marginal walls, and in the tone chamber of the improved reed, require consideration.

Recognizing this principle of operation, I have provided a reed of a suitable material which gives the greatest freedom to vibration forces at its central portion both longitudinally and transversely considered, with lesser freedom to vibration forces at the longitudinal marginal portions of the improved reed, and -I have provided these marginal portions with shoulders or the like to rest upon the walls of the mouthpiece. In addition to the utilization of the principle so applied, I have found that by providing a cavity at the bottom of the reedthe incoming air which serves to vibrate the tip of the reed, moves along the bottom of the reed longitudinally of the reedand in this cavity. The vibrations of the reed are enhanced by including overtone or harmonic vibrations to be translated to the adjacent air, which, in turn, sets into operation the Vibration of the air within the mouthpiece.

The invention will be more fully described hereinafter, embodiments thereof Will be shown in the drawing, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a part of a mouthpiece having my improved reed applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is aplan view of the bottom of my improved reed;

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figures 5, 6, '7, 8 and 9 are transverse sections taken on lines 5 5, 6 6, 1 1, 8 8 and 9 9 of Figure 4;

Figure is a transverse section corresponding to the section 8 8 of Figure 4, but showing a modified form of the reed;

Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of a modified form;

Figure 12 is a longitudinal section of another modified form;

Figure 13 is a transverse section of another modified form;

Figure 14 is modified form;

Figures l5 and 16 are plan views of the bottom of the reeds of different cut-out shapes than that shown in Figure 3; and

a transverse section of another reed rod showing the method of cutting the reed blank from the cane.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a mouthpiece generally indicated by I5, having a cylindrical bore I0 and a tapering front Wall l1, the upper surfaces I8 and I9 being shaped to re- Figure 17 is a transverse section of a cane ceive a reed. Attaching means of known construction indicated by I9 and 20 embrace the mouthpiece I5 in a manner to hold a reed upon the mouthpiece with the rear portion 2I of the reed held in clamped relation to the mouthpiece and with the front portion 22 of the reed held in a position in respect to the mouthpiece so as to have the front portion free to vibrate, the mouthpiece shown and the attaching means being of conventional character and no claim of invention is made to the same.

Referring now to Figure 1'1, a cross section of a cane reed rod 23 is there shown and this rod, having a hollow bore 24, is cut vertically by the vertical direction lines 25 and 29. It is cut horizontally along the horizontal line 21, and when the material between the two vertical lines 25 and 26 and the horizontal line 21 is removed from the cane reed rod 23, the basic blank of a reed is thereby formed. The contour of such a blank is like the transverse section shown in Figure 9, and such a contour extends along the entire length of the blank. Such a blank is then subjected to a cutting or grinding action to taper one end along its outer portion and the bottom is left entirely flat. The end result is the known cane reed generally used. Its marginal portions have a greater density than the central portion along the tapering end. Such is the shape of the known cane reed.

It will be particularly noted that due to the fact that the horizontal line 21 has its ends adjacent to the peripheral contour of the rod, the grains of the wood are closer to each other than along the central part of the horizontal line 21. This density of fiber structure makes the lateral portions of the blank so out out relatively hard and stiff, and the consequent reed, when it has been shaved down into reed form, is rigid, relatively along the marginal portions and of less vibratory character at such margins than at the central portion thereof which is transversely and longitudinally relatively free to vibrate.

The improved reed shown in Figures 3 and 4 provides shoulder portions 28 and 29v at each longitudinal margin of the improved reed 30. The depths of these shoulders 23 and 29 increase from the tip 3I of the reed 39 to the point indicated at about 32; the bottom parts of these shoulders are flat and in the same plane. Between these tapering shoulders there is a membrane portion which is thin, and while it tapers slightly for ease of manufacture, may be without a taper. Transversely considered, from tip to about the point 32, the outer contour and inner contour is the same or nearly symmetrical. Longitudinally considered, a curved portion 33 is provided, and along the longitudinal axis 34 of the reed, the space becomes deeper until, due to the curved line 35, it diminishes merging with the at bottom. There is thereby formed between the two shoulders 23 and 29, a space which in transverse sections increases from the tip 3| of the reed to about the point 32, and this space again diminishes the latter preferably in curved form.

A section taken on line 5--5 of Figure 4 shows the tip portion of the reed as being very thin and without any shoulders at the marginal portions thereof. This tip portion 38 is set into` vibration by the player and is free to vibrate because of its freedom from any attachment to the mouthpiece. The shoulders 28 and 29 then gradually increase in depth or thickness, and in the portion about at the line 3-8 of Figure 4, the shoulders 28 `Mld 29 extend from the membrane portion 33a to the greatest extent. The flat bottoms of the shoulders as indicated by 28a and 29a. being in the same plane as the mouthpiece seats. make contact with the corresponding flat surfaces I3 and I9 of the mouthpiece.

As the shoulders 29 and 29 increase, the depth of space between the membrane portion 33a and a plane passing through the bottom surfaces 29a and 29a increases in volume until to about the position taken on line 8-3 of Figure 4, where the shoulder yportions 29 and 29 are largest and the space shows a portion indicated by the double headed arrow 31, which is larger than any section taken between the tip- 3I of the reed and the section 8-3 of Figure 4.

Due to the curvature of the cutout spatial portion 33 shown in Figure 4, the depth increases somewhat to form a pocket 39, and thereupon the depth decreases as before stated by the descending curvature 35, as seen in longitudinal section in Figure 4. The section taken on line 9--9 of Figure 4 and shown in Figure 9 corresponds to the usual contour of cane reeds, but may be varied Ias desired in the improved reed, as the improved reed is not dependent upon any pre-formed shape as is the case with the reed cane.

In Figure 10 a modified form is shown in that the shoulder portions are provided with fillets lll and 4I which have the advantage of providing gradual curved surfaces from the bottom flat surfaces 23a and 29a, and a reed made in accordance with the longitudinal section of Figure 4, and the transverse section of Figure 10, provides at its under surface 39a, a curved spatial portion throughout, both longitudinally and transversely curved. It will be particularly noted that this curved spatial portion indicated by 33 and 39 in Figure 4 and transversely by Figures 6 to 8 and Figure 10 is at the bottom of the reed, as if out out of the bottom surface 39a of the reed 30. By this recessed portion, any air which has entered the mouthpiece and set the tip of the reed into vibration, ows along these curved walls and may be set into vibration in the space so formed by the vibration of the central part of the reed itself, and this air so vibrated has its vibrations then translated into the air passing through the mouthpiece.

The improved reed may be made of plastic material, wood, or metal such as aluminum, or any other suitable kind of material, and may be stamped or pressed out by machine operation, and when of plastic material may be molded of Bakelite, Catalin or the like.

It has been seen that an improved reed has been provided which is based upon a new principle of operation, namely, to have its lateral marginal portions relatively stiil, and to provide a flexible membrane therebetween, and that a space bounded by preferably curved walls has been provided at the bottom of the reed to act in conjunction with the space at the interior of the mouthpiece to which the reed has been applied.

In Figure 11 is shown a longitudinal section in which the membrance 50 -is substantially of the same thickness from tip 53 to la transverse shoulder 5I, which in this modification is rather abrupt, that is, without curvature. This reed is provided with lateral marginal shoulders 52 tapering from tip 53 to shoulder 5I, and increasing in thickness towards the shoulder. The recess or chamber 54 is formed thereby. The body portion 55 has a transverse cross section of the shape shown in Figure 9.

In Figure 12 is shown a similar reed with a shallow curved inner portion 56.

In Figure 13 is shown a transverse section of a modified form of improved reed, of double or reverse curvatures, inner and outer being substantially the same, and the inner part of the shoulder or flange curved; and in Figure 14 is shown a transverse section with almost parallel walls and then curved down to the bottom of the shoulders. In each case the drawing shows about the maximum of the shoulders or the maximum depth of transverse recess. In Figure 13 the two convex curves 60 and 6l merge into the lateral curves 62 and 63, of concave character, with the inner and outer parts of the shoulders rounded as shown by 64 and 65. The shoulders are fiat as at 66. The recess 61 is made up of several curved portions. In Figure 14 the Walls 68 and 69 are almost straight and parallel and the shoulders and 1I are rounded.

In Figures 15 and 16 diierent recess coniigurations longitudinally considered are shown of the bottom. In Figure 15 the recess extends backwards, with almost square shoulders, 12 and 13, and a straight across end Wall 14. In Figure 16 the recess 15 is V-shaped with a rounded apex 16. These various conto'urs and coniigurations are not arbitrary, but they are shown as examples resulting from different tone qualities enabled to be brought into being. The depth of the recesses increases the fullness of the tones, the curves the smoothness, etc., and these again vary with the character of the material used for the reed. The material chosen is naturally light in their iiat sides or bottoms upon the mouthpiece, and with a bottom recess or tonal chamber of various configurations, and a top of straight or inclined tapering shape, which may be made of -a material other than cane reed but has all the advantages of flexibility and resistance to bending thereof; and has the advantage of overcoming the objections attendant cane reeds. The teachings of the invention lead also to the making of reeds for mouthpieces o f musical instruments of shapes other than now used. Heretofore, the shape of a mouthpiece was dependent upon and resulted from the shape of a cane reed, the shape of which was determined by its making from a reed cane. Now, variously shaped reeds may be made, and the mouthpiece changed accordingly, depending upon the kind of tone desired to be produced. l

I have described an embodiment of my invention, but it is clear that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

The improvement in artificial reeds possessing the vibratory and tonal qualities of cane reeds for wind instruments, which consists in a strip of material other than cane reed, having a rear portion substantially plano-convex in cross-section adapted to be clamped to the mouth-piece of the instrument, and a front portion having its upper face tapering downwardly to the tip, the under side of said front portion having a cavity intermediate the marginal longitudinal edges of said front portion extending longitudinally rearwardly from substantially the tip to the rear extremity of said front portion to form a vibratory membrane of substantially equal thickness, the marginal longitudinal edges of said front portion forming stifiening shoulders gradually increasing in thickness from the tip to the rear extremity of said front portion and adapted to rest on the longitudinal edges of the mouth-piece.

MARIO MACCAFERRI.

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