Abstract:
A mouthpiece assembly includes a tubular member and a ligature for attaching a reed to the tubular member. The ligature is structured to be infinitely adjustable in size as selected by a musician to fit many different sized woodwind mouthpieces.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   None 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A. Field of Invention 
   This invention pertains to musical instruments with removable mouthpiece assemblies, and more particularly to a novel assembly wherein the ligature is adjustable to fit many differing sized mouthpiece assemblies. 
   B. Description of the Prior Art 
   Woodwind instruments are instruments consisting of a tubular body used to define a column of air. As is well known in the art, sound waves are produced within the column of air and the musical characteristics of the sounds, including pitch, volume and other characteristics are modulated by changing the acoustic characteristics of the column. More specifically, a mouthpiece is attached by a friction fit to an end of the tubular body. The mouthpiece has a cavity in communication with the interior of the tubular body. A reed covers the cavity and is arranged so that when a musician blows through the mouthpiece, the reed oscillates and produces vibrations which are then propagated through the cavity in the mouthpiece to the tubular body. The reed is secured to the mouthpiece by an adjustable metal band known as the ligature. 
   The ligature normally extends circumferentially around the entire outer body of the mouthpiece. The ligature is provided with an integral tightening mechanism that is used to secure the reed to the mouthpiece. Because of the mechanical coupling between the ligature, the mouthpiece and the reed, the structure of the ligature plays a role in the sound produced by the instruments, and various types of ligatures are available from different companies, each having its own sound characteristics.  FIGS. 4 and 5  show some known prior art mouthpieces and ligatures for saxophones. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Briefly, the present invention pertains to a musical instrument including an elongated instrument body having a mouthpiece at one end; a reed; and a ligature mounting the reed on the elongated body. The ligature includes a ligature body and a band having an adjustable length and passing around the mouthpiece. The length of the band is set to conform to a dimension of the mouthpiece. 
   In another aspect of the invention, the mouthpiece has a generally tubular shape and includes a band receiving area of a predetermined diameter for receiving the band, wherein the band is adjusted in length to conform to the predetermined diameter. The band has a first end fixedly attached to the ligature body and a second end. The ligature body includes a band receiving member receiving and selectively capturing the second end to set the band length to suit the diameter of the band receiving zone. 
   In another aspect of the invention, instrument includes a tightening mechanism to tighten the band. The tightening mechanism may include a thumbscrew that is selectively advanced toward the instrument body and a plate attached to said thumbscrew and forming an interference fit with said instrument body. 
   In another aspect of the invention, the ligature body is elongated and is mounted transversally to the instrument body. 
   The present invention further pertains to a ligature for selectively attaching a reed to one of several musical instruments, each instrument having a respective several instrument bodies with a ligature receiving zone having a receiving zone dimension. The receiving zone may have different diameter for different types of instrument bodies. The ligature includes a ligature body with a band securing member; a flexible band having a first band end fixed to said body and a second band end received by said band securing member at a securing position that is adjustable to adjust the length of said band, said flexible band being sized and constructed to fit around a respective instrument body at the receiving zone; and a reed attaching member attached to the ligature body and being constructed and arranged to attach the reed to said instrument body. 
   Preferably, the ligature body has an elongated shape with first and second opposed body ends. The first end is attached to a first body end and the band securing member is near said second body end. 
   In one aspect of the invention, the band securing member includes a hole receiving the second band end and a securing part attaching the second band end at a position dependent on the dimension of the ligature receiving zone. 
   In one aspect of the invention, the ligature has a diameter equal to the dimension of the receiving zone. 
   In one aspect of the invention, the reed attaching member includes a screw reciprocates radially with respect to the ligature body and is adapted to selectively attach the ligature to the instrument body. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows an orthogonal view of a ligature constructed in accordance with this invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows a front view of a ligature constructed in accordance with this invention; 
       FIG. 3  shows a side view of a mouthpiece with the ligature of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  shows a side view of a mouthpiece with a prior art ligature; and 
       FIG. 5  shows a side view of a mouthpiece with another type of prior art ligature. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   In order to provide a better understanding of the invention, some prior art ligatures are first discussed. Referring first to  FIG. 4 , a typical mouthpiece  100  is shown with a reed  104 . The reed  104  is secured to the mouthpiece  100  with a ligature  106 . Ligature  106  has a fixed band  108  disposed around mouthpiece  100 . The band  108  is tightened with two screws  110  which hold the reed. All prior ligatures have a fixed band length, and as such only fit one size of mouthpiece. Different sized mouthpieces require appropriately sized ligatures. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , mouthpiece  101  is shown with the reed  104 . The reed  104  is secured to mouthpiece  101  with a ligature  112 . Ligature  112  has a protrusion  114  that is pressure fit into indentation  116  on mouthpiece  101 . Ligature  112  is built specifically for mouthpiece  101  and as such only fits this specific mouthpiece. 
   Also, in the attempt to hold the ligature in place, some prior art ligatures utilize large surface areas of tight contact with the mouthpiece body  102 . The vibrations of the reed/ligature combination are dampened by the mouthpiece body  102  creating a deadening effect on the resultant sound produced by the mouthpiece. 
   The invention provides a ligature  118  shown in  FIGS. 1-3  having of a ligature body  120 , a thumbscrew  122 , an adjustable band  124 , and a pressure plate  126 . The body has a generally elongated shape. The band  124  has one end  124 A which is fixed into an inset on one side of the body  120  with a set-screw  128 . Alternatively, end  124 A may be permanently fixed by soldering or similar methods to one end of the body  120 . The opposite end of the band  124  slides through a hole  130  in the opposite end of the body  120 . The ligature is adjusted to fit any mouthpiece by sliding an end portion  132  of the band  124  through hole  130  thereby expanding or contracting the size or length of the band  124 . The band  124  is preferably made of steel or brass and is flexible, although it could be made from other materials as well. 
   Once the ligature is seated on the respective mouthpiece, the band  124  is tightened by advancing the end  132  through the hole  130  and securing the end  132  to the body  120 . This may be accomplished using an adhesive inserted into the hole, a set-screw  136  (or thumb screw) threaded through the side of body  120  and having a tip engaging the end  132 . Alternatively, the end  132  and hole  130  are sized and shaped to provide an interference fit there-between. Once the length of band  124  forming the loop engaging the mouthpiece body is set, the tip of end  132  extending above the body  120  can be cut off to insure that it does not interfere with the operation of the musical instrument. Alternatively, the length of the band is set (e.g., its second end  132  is secured to the body  120 ) before the ligature is disposed on the mouthpiece. 
   Since the band of the invention is adjustable in length it fits all mouthpieces regardless of width, diameter or shape, including mouthpiece body types  100  and  101  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Therefore the thumbscrew  122  and pressure plate  126  are used in the same manner as in the prior art ligatures as shown in  FIG. 5  to engage and lock the ligature unto the body of the mouthpiece  100 , as clearly illustrated in  FIG. 3 . More specifically, once the ligature is mounted or positioned on the mouthpiece  100 , turning the thumbscrew  122  clockwise causes the plate  126  to advance radially thereby tightening the band  130  and causing the ligature and the reed  104  to be firmly secured to the mouthpiece 
   Numerous modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the scope defined in the appended claims. For example, band  124  may be fixed at one end  124 A by various fashions. End  124 A may also be allowed to move freely through body  120  as is evident on the other end of the band  124  through hole  130 . Whether one end or both ends of band  124  move freely through body  120  is incidental as the invention only requires that the band be adjustable through  120 . The invention does not require it be done in any particular way.