The patented pad support unit and profiled washer are machined to close tolerances, one at a time, on a high precision lathe. We also produce a piccolo and clarinet pad based on the patented flute pad. The pad cup is designed to keep the pad in place so that the pad will come down on the tone hole in precisely the same place each time. Another purpose of the pad cup is to mechanically connect cups to their appropriate companion key or keys. The profiled washer has a two-fold function.
Further alignment is done with full and partial shims.
Second, the profiled washer gives the pad a firm and flat base to rest the pad on. This base gives the partial shims a much better foundation than the curved back of a pad cup. The .004 inch thick shim provides a base upon which to glue whole or partial shims. These shims make it possible to make one portion of the pad protrude more than another or to increase the protrusion of the total pad. On these .004 inch shims, partial shims or additional shims do not ordinarily exceed .001 inch in thickness.