Mouthpiece for wind instrument with single reed

This invention relates to a mouthpiece for a clarinet or other wind instrument using a single reed with a tone chamber covered by the reed. In the perception which lies at the foundation of the present invention, no substantial improvement in tone can be achieved by making changes to each individual component part, but the sound of any musical instrument, such as the wind instrument concerned here, is only really improved by working on the basis of an integrated approach. This should be understood as implying that, according to the invention, an essential relationship exists between the vibratory element and the resonance element. It is then also of critical importance that both elements concur in a harmonious way. In the absence of this, an instrument can not have the tone quality which is in principle possible. According to the invention, a mouthpiece for a clarinet, saxophone or suchlike instrument with a single reed now displays the feature that the tone chamber has, grosso modo, the form of a constricted teardrop, that the reed at the point of construction of that chamber displays at least one hole, and that in the transitional zone between the tone chamber and the resonance tube there is located a, placed on a stalk and embodied as a polyhedron, acoustic member.

This invention relates to a mouthpiece for a clarinet or other wind 
instrument using a single reed with a tone chamber covered by the reed. 
Such a mouthpiece is generally known. Reference may be made for example to 
German Auslege 1.217.758, U.S. Pat. Not. 4,347,776, German 
Offenlegungsschrift 25.21.472, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,949. 
Although it is apparent from the above literature references that the 
configuration, dimensioning, choice of materials, etc. of all elements 
which form part of the mouthpiece have been the subject of much study and 
work, the modern tone development of a clarinet or saxophone requires 
largely new constructions. Even a mouthpiece such as is known from U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,449,439, which shows unmistakable signs of a most meticulous 
construction, is in this sense not yet satisfactory. 
In the perception which lies at the foundation of the present invention, no 
substantial improvement in tone can be achieved by making changes to each 
individual component part, but the sound of any musical instrument, such 
as the wind instrument concerned here, is only really improved by working 
on the basis of an integrated approach. This should be understood as 
implying that, according to the invention, an essential relationship 
exists between the vibratory element and the resonance element. It is then 
also of critical importance that both elements concur in a harmonious way. 
In the absence of this, an instrument can not have the tone quality which 
is in principle possible. 
According to the invention, a mouthpiece for a clarinet, saxophone or 
suchlike instrument with a single reed now displays the feature that the 
tone chamber has, substantially, the form of a constricted teardrop, that 
the reed at the point of construction of that chamber displays at least 
one hole, and that in the transitional zone between the tone chamber and 
the resonance tube there is located an acoustic member placed on a stalk 
and embodied as a polyhedron. From this it is apparent that a combination 
of three aspects is required for the superior tone achieved by the 
construction according to the invention. First of all, the tone chamber 
with the general form of a constricted teardrop is of importance; 
secondly, the presence of at least one hole in the reed at the place of 
the constriction of the tone chamber is important, which hole can 
advantageously display the form of a teardrop whose point is directed 
towards the resonance tube; and thirdly the presence of an acoustic member 
located in the airstream is important. 
Through experiments it has now been established that a wind instrument with 
the construction as proposed by the invention does in fact bring the 
desired improvement in sound, giving a rounded tone with a horn-like 
timbre. 
In a simple embodiment, the tone chamber can be at least partially formed 
in an insert piece.

FIG. 1 shows a mouthpiece 1 with a tone chamber 3 covered by a reed 2. This 
tone chamber 3 displays substantially the form of a constricted teardrop. 
The constriction is denoted by reference number 4. See for this also FIG. 
2. The reed 2 displays at the point of the constriction 4 in the first 
embodiment example according to FIGS. 1 to 4 a teardrop-shaped hole 5. 
In a transitional zone 20 between the tone chamber 3 and the resonance tube 
10 is located an acoustic member 21. This acoustic member 21 is placed on 
a stalk 22 and is embodied as a polyhedron. For particulars relating to 
this acoustic member, special reference is made to FIG. 5, which shows the 
member on an enlarged scale. The stalk 22 is, in the embodiment example 
according to FIGS. 1 to 6 inclusive, carried by a cork plug 23, which can 
be entirely accommodated in a drilling 24 in the wall of the mouthpiece 1, 
which drilling 24 runs from the outer surface of the mouthpiece 1 facing 
away from the reed 2 in the direction of the resonance tube 10 and 
connects thereto at an angle such that the acoustic member 21 is located 
in the airstream. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6, the acoustic 
member 21 is carried by the insert piece 17. 
FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of the mouthpiece according to FIG. 1, with the 
reed removed. From this figure it is apparent that the flat bottom surface 
7 which is formed on the mouthpiece 1 to accommodate the reed 2 displays 
an aperture 8 having a form tapering towards the right and rounded at both 
ends, which aperture forms the debouchement of the tone chamber 3. The 
reed is fastened onto the mouthpiece 1 by a clamp ring 9. 
The tone chamber 3 debouches inside the mouthpiece into resonance tube 10 
via a transitional zone 20. 
FIG. 3 shows the reed 2 with a fairly sharply tapering free end portion 11 
wherein a hole 5 is located. 
FIG. 4 shows cross-section IV--IV according to FIG. 2. This figure clearly 
shows the form of the tone chamber 3 which displays a relatively wide 
portion at the front which is for clarity denoted by 12, whereof the 
dimensions are clearly distinct from those of the constriction 4. A broken 
line indicates the resonance tube 10. 
FIG. 6 shows a mouthpiece 13 with a reed 14 which at the place of the 
constriction 4 of tone chamber 3 is provided with a hole 15 covered by a 
plate 6. 
It is also clear form this figure that the mouthpiece 13 is embodied in 
tube form and that an insert piece 17 is located at the free end of the 
tube, which insert piece serves as the upper boundary for the tone chamber 
3. Through this, the embodiment according to FIG. 6 is less expensive to 
manufacture than that according to FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive. 
As is apparent from FIG. 1, the exterior of the mouthpiece 1 above the tone 
chamber 3 is provided with a recessed portion 18 for the adaptation to and 
for the positive location of the musician's upper lip. In the embodiment 
according to FIG. 6 a recessed portion 19 with a somewhat different shape 
is present.