WO2015177491A1

WO2015177491A1 - Musical instruments

Info

Publication number: WO2015177491A1
Application number: PCT/GB2015/000121
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karl Harper
Original assignee: Warwick Music Limited
Priority date: 2014-05-22
Filing date: 2015-04-28
Publication date: 2015-11-26
Also published as: GB2541309B; GB201409156D0; GB2541309A; GB201618257D0

Abstract

A valve cap for a valved musical instrument, the cap having a finger contact area and attachment means for securing the cap to a valve finger pad. The attachment means allowing the position of the finger contact area to be adjusted in a horizontal sense relative to the line of action of the associate valve to enable the contact area to be moved to accommodate different sizes of hands of different instrument players. The cap has a rim portion which depends from the upper surface of the cap and which partially surrounds and clips under the finger pad with a cut out to allow insertion of the finger pad. The attachment means allows the contact area of the cap to be either aligned with the line of action of the associated valve or disposed to one side or the other of the line of action so that the spacing between contact areas of adjacent valves can be adjusted and the distance away from the body of the instrument can be adjusted to accommodate differing lengths of fingers.

Description

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

This invention relates to musical instruments and in particular to training aids for valved brass band instruments such as, for example, trumpets and cornets.

Such valved instruments use a number of valves placed in a side by side array and which have finger pads which are depressed by the player to operate the valves and create different musical notes.

Problems arise when learning to play such instruments which tend to be of a set - valve layout and size due to the large variation in the size of the hands of the players leading to difficulties in positioning of the fingers correctly over the valve finger pads.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the above problem.

Thus according to the present invention there is provided a valve cap for a valved musical instrument, the cap comprising a finger contact area and attachment means for securing the cap to a valve finger pad, the attachment means allowing the position of the finger contact area to be adjusted in a horizontal sense relative to the line of action of the associate valve to enable the contact area to be moved to accommodate different sizes of hands of different instrument players.

Preferably the attachment means allows the contact area of the cap to be either aligned with the line of action of the associated valve or disposed to one side or the other of the line of action so that the spacing between contact areas of adjacent valves can be adjusted and the distance away from the body of the instrument can be adjusted to accommodate differing lengths of fingers.

For example, the cap may be made from flexible material and slid over and partially enclose the valve finger pad so that the cap can slide and rotate relative to the finger pad. Preferably the cap has a rim portion which depends from the upper surface of the cap and which partially surrounds and clips under the finger pad with a cut out to allow insertion of the finger pad.

The caps are preferably may be made from flexible material such as ABS plastics material. Alternatively a more flexible material such as polyethylene or polyester urethane could be used which would be help to reduce vibration. A further possibility is to use silicone rubber which is available in many hardnesses and colours. The preference would be a material with a high friction valve to avoid accidental movement relative to the finger pad of the valve and a material which is cost effective. The valve caps could also be made from a compound material with the finger contact area made from a stiffer material with a more flexible rim portion to grip the valve finger pad and prevent vibration and also give a solid feel to the valve action.

The caps can be made in different colours, for example red, green and yellow with corresponding coloured musical notation to assist a learner to identify which valve to operate to play each note. Alternatively the valve caps of a set could be numbered or otherwise marked to aid a learner in identifying the correct cap to press for a particular note. Also the finger contact area could have a textured finish to assist in identifying the cap being pressed. This would be particularly helpful to blind or partially sighted players.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 shows a vertical section through a valve block of a plastic trumpet of the form described and claimed in the Applicant's earlier PCT application No.

GB2013/000540 fitted with three valve caps in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 shows details of the valve cap within circle A of Figure 1 on a larger scale; Figure 3 show a section through the middle valve on line B-B of Figure 1 ; Figure 4 shows a cross section through the valve cap showing the depending edges of the cap which clip under the finger pad of the valve;

Figure 5 shows a valve cap in accordance with the present invention in plan view;

Figure 6 shows the valve cap when viewed in the direction of arrow C of Figure 5;

Figure 7 shows the valve cap when viewed in the direction of arrow D of Figure 6;

Figure 8 shows the valve cap when viewed in the direction of arrow E of Figure 5;

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the valve cap, and

Figure 10A to 10C shows in plan view the positions of the valve caps on the first, second and third valves of the trumpet vaive block as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a valve block 10 of a plastic trumpet as described and claimed in the Applicant's earlier PCT application No. GB2013/000540 in which the finger contact pads 1 1 a, 11 b and 11 c of the first 11 , second 12 and third 13 valves of the

instrument are provided with valve caps 14 in accordance with the present invention.

Each valve cap, see Figures 5 to 10, has an upper surface provided with a circular and slightly dished finger contact area 16 which helps to guide the player's finger into centre of the contact area 16 and an area 17 which partly surrounds and is slightly below the rim of the dished contact area 16. The cap has attachment means for securing the cap to the finger pad 11a, 12a or 13a of the associated valve in the form of a rim portion 18 which depends from the upper surface and which surrounds and clips under the finger pad 11a, 12a or 13a at 19. The rim portion has a cut out 20 at one end to allow insertion of the finger pad into the cap.

This depending rim portion 18 allowing the position of the finger contact area 16 to be adjusted in a horizontal sense relative to the line of action of the associate valve (see Lines X-X of Figure 1) to enable the finger contact area 16 to be moved to accommodate the different sizes of hands of different instrument players.

The finger contact area 16 of each valve cap has a central hole 21 which can be aligned with the line of action X-X of the associated valve so that the valve cap has its finger contact area 16 aligned with the valve finger pad 11a, 12a or 13a of the valve block so that the instrument plays as if no valve caps are fitted. In this position the valve finger pad (see dotted detail 11a') is in first part circular recess 22 formed by the right hand part of the depending rim portion 18 as viewed in Figure 7.

Each valve cap can be slid sideways so that the finger pad of the valve moves into the part circular recess 23 formed by the left hand part of the depending rim portion 8 as viewed in Figure 7. In this position the finger contact area is displaced away from the line of action of the associated valve and the finger pad is in dotted detail position 1 1a".

It will be appreciated from the above that the finger contact area 16 can thus be aligned with the line of action of the associated valve or can be displaced from the line of action X-X and the cap can be rotated relative to the underlying valve finger pad so that the central hole 21 can lie anywhere on the dotted circle Y shown in Figure 7.

For example, Figures 1 and 10A to 10C show the respective valve caps of the first, second and third valves in three different positions relative to their respective valve lines of action X-X.

In Figures 1 and 10A the valve cap is shown with its central hole 21 positioned to the right of the line of action X-X of the first valve 11. Figures 3 and 10B show the valve cap with its central hole 21 aligned with the line of action of the second valve 12 and Figures 1 and 10C the valve cap with its central hole 21 positioned to the left of the line of action X-X of the third valve 13.

This ability of the finger contact area of the cap to be either aligned with the line of action of the associated valve or disposed to one side or the other of the line of action allows the spacing between contact areas of adjacent valves to be adjusted and the distance of the finger contact areas away from the body of the instrument to also be adjusted to accommodate differing lengths of fingers.

The caps are preferably may be made from flexible material such as ABS plastics material. Alternatively a more flexible material such as polyethylene or polyester urethane could be used which would be help to reduce vibration. A further possibility is to use silicone rubber which is available in many hardnesses and colours. The preference would be a material with a high friction valve to avoid accidental movement relative to the finger pad of the valve and a material which is cost effective. The valve caps could also be made from a compound material with the finger contact area made from a stiffer material with a more flexible rim portion 18 to grip the valve finger pad and prevent vibration and also give a solid feel to the valve action.

A set of caps can be provided in different colours such as red, green and yellow with corresponding coloured musical notation to assist a learner to identify which valve to operate to play each note. Alternatively the valve caps of a set could be numbered or otherwise marked to aid a learner in identifying the correct cap to press for a particular note. Also the finger contact area could have a textured finish to assist in identifying the cap being pressed. This would be particularly helpful to blind or partially sighted players.

As indicated above, this type of valve cap can be used on any valved instrument and is not restricted to use on trumpets and cornets.

Claims

1. A valve cap (14) for a valved musical instrument, the cap being characterised by comprising a finger contact area (16) and attachment means (18) for securing the cap to a valve finger pad (11a), the attachment means (18) allowing the position of the finger contact area (16) to be adjusted in a horizontal sense relative to the line of action (X-X) of the associate valve (11) to enable the contact area (16) to be moved to accommodate different sizes of hands of different instrument players.

2. A valve cap according to claim 1 characterised in that the attachment means (18) allows the contact area (16) of the cap to be either aligned with the line of action (X-X) of the associated valve (1 i) or disposed to one side or the other of the line of action so that the spacing between contact areas (16) of adjacent valves (11 , 12, 13) can be adjusted and the distance away from the body of the instrument can be adjusted to accommodate differing lengths of fingers.

3. A valve cap according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the cap (14) may be made from flexible material and can slid over and partially enclose (18, 19) the valve finger pad (11a) so that the cap can slide and rotate relative to the finger pad.

4. A valve cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the cap (14) has a rim portion (18) which depends from the upper surface (15) of the cap and which partially surrounds and clips under (19) the finger pad (1 1a) with a cut out (20) to allow insertion of the finger pad (11a).

5. A cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised in that it is made from plastics material.

6. A cap according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that the finger contact area (16) is made from a stiffer material with a more flexible rim portion (18, 19) to grip the valve finger pad (11a) and prevent vibration and also give a solid feel to the valve action.

7. A set of valve caps according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that the caps (14) of the set are made in different colours for use with

correspondingly coloured musical notation to assist a learner to identify which valve (11 , 12, 13) to operate.

8. A set of valve caps according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that the valve caps (14) of the set are numbered or otherwise marked to aid a learner in identifying the correct cap to press for a particular note.

9. A set of valve caps according to any one of claims 1 to 7 characterised in that the finger contact areas (16) of the caps (14) of the set have a textured finish to assist in identifying the cap being pressed.

10. A musical instrument characterised by being fitted with a set of valve caps according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11.A valve cap for a valved musical instrument, the cap being constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.