Patent Publication Number: US-10770040-B1

Title: Saxophone

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to saxophones, particularly to saxophones with improved tonal characteristics. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Great pitch is crucial to playing instruments at high levels. In wind instruments, tone holes are used to adjust pitch. Tone holes may be stopped by a finger or a key to change the pitch of the tone created. In saxophones, for example, tone holes are traditionally placed within a continuous section of tube. The tube may be the musical instrument&#39;s body, bow, bell, or other section. More specifically, tone holes traditionally exist in the body, bow, and bell of a saxophone. 
     With regard to saxophones, baritone saxophones have been traditionally difficult to play in-tune. A baritone saxophone does not exist that plays both in-tune and with a timbre consistent with the rest of the range of notes. In select prior art examples of instruments, tone holes are shown to exist in the joint tenon of a clarinet. A tone hole on the joint tenon of the clarinet must be lined up with a key on the adjacent and neighboring clarinet body part. In another rare prior art saxophone to LeBlanc, a tone hole chimney is affixed to only one section, the body section, and the neighboring section, the bow section, has a U-shaped cutout where the tone hole chimney overlaps. 
     What is needed is an improved woodwind instrument, such as a saxophone, that allows a user to play in-tune more precisely. What is needed is an improved saxophone that allows a user to play with a timbre consistent with the rest of the range of notes. What is further needed is a woodwind instrument such as a saxophone where a tone hole chimney is disposed or affixed on one joined section or joint. It is further desired to have a woodwind instrument such as a saxophone where a tone hole chimney is disposed or affixed to two joined sections or joints. It is also further desired to have a woodwind instrument such as a saxophone where a tone hole chimney is disposed or affixed to a connecting ring covering part of both sections, specifically covering a joint between an end of one section and an end of the adjacent, adjoining, neighboring section. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A woodwind instrument with improved tonal characteristics of the present invention may include a saxophone such as a baritone saxophone, an alto, a tenor, a C melody bass, and soprano saxophone. The woodwind instrument disposes a tone hole at a joint between two sections of the instrument. In another embodiment, the tone hole is disposed at least at two joints. In yet another embodiment, the tone hole is disposed on a connecting ring disposed at a joint between two adjacent and adjoining sections. 
     An improved saxophone  100  of the present invention provides a tone hole  200  on at least one joint  210 ,  220  of the saxophone  100 . The joint  210 ,  220  is between adjoining sections of the saxophone which defines a joined section. The tone hole  200  can be either on a connecting ring that covers the joint or on a soldering point that joins the two different tubes. The connecting ring may be placed on the joint to then receive the tone hole. The connecting ring may be placed at the joint between a saxophone body and a saxophone upper bow and/or between a saxophone body and a saxophone lower bow. If, instead a connecting ring were not used, then the tone hole would be soldered directly at the joint between a saxophone body and a saxophone upper bow and/or between a saxophone body and a saxophone lower bow. 
     The saxophone with improved tonal characteristics is created by identifying at least one joint on the saxophone where an in-tune tone will be emitted and placing a tone hole on the joint, with or without a connecting ring being disposed at the joint. The connecting ring may be soft soldered at said joint and the tone hole may be silver soldered to said connecting ring. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an example of a woodwind instrument with improved tonal characteristics of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a side view of the tone hole of the instrument of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows an opposite side view of the tone hole of the instrument of the present invention further showing a view inside the tone hole. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An improved woodwind of the present invention may include a saxophone such as a baritone saxophone, an alto, a tenor, a C melody bass, and soprano saxophone. According to one embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 1  shows a woodwind instrument being a saxophone  100 , specifically, a baritone saxophone. The woodwind instrument has sections including a neck  102 , a body tube  106 , a bow  108 , and a bell  110 . In the baritone saxophone  100  or even a bass saxophone there is an added section of an upper bow  104 . Each section of the woodwind instrument has a joined section or joint, which is where ends of two adjacent and adjoining sections meet. In one non-limiting example, one joint may be where the end of an upper bow  104  section and the end of the adjacent and adjoining body tube  106  section meet. 
     The improved saxophone  100  of the present invention, however, provides a tone hole  200  or tone hole chimney on at least one point in the conical tube of the saxophone  100  where the tone hole  200  will emit an in-tune tone. In one embodiment of the present invention, the improved saxophone  100  of the present invention provides a tone hole  200  on at least one joint  210  or joined section of the saxophone. In contrast, traditional, prior art, saxophones employ tone holes on a continuous section of the saxophone such as the body, bow or other section. The location of the tone hole  200  differs according to the geometry of a given saxophone  100  and the desired note. In another embodiment of the present invention, the tone hole  200  will be located on at least two joints  210 ,  220 . The joined section may be a joint  210  between saxophone body  106  and saxophone upper bow  104  and a joint  220  between saxophone body  106  and saxophone lower bow  108  or both. 
     A joint ring or connecting ring  202  may be used at the joint  210 ,  220  and, if used, will receive the tone hole  200 .  FIG. 2  shows the tone hole  200  on the connecting ring  202  disposed at joint  210 . In one embodiment, the tone hole  200  is permanently attached to the connecting ring  202 . In another embodiment, the tone hole  200  is soldered to the ring  202  using silver solder. Joint  210 ,  220  are not intended to be separated but for when a repair is needed. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show a High Eb tone hole  200  placed at joint  210  between ends of the body tube  106  and upper bow  104  sections. A soldered line is visible upon looking within the tone hole  200 , which further shows that the tone hole  200  is disposed on the joint. See  FIG. 3 . The location of the High Eb tone hole permits the saxophone  100  to play in-tune. In one embodiment, the connecting ring  202  may be soldered at the joint using a semi-permanent soldering method. In another embodiment, is soft soldered at the joint. The connecting ring  202  spans two sections that form a joint and is thus integrated between two sections of the saxophone. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims. One of ordinary skill in the art could alter the above embodiments or provide insubstantial changes that may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.