Abstract:
The present invention is an adjustable musical instrument lever that changes the throw, amount of leverage, and amount of resistance the lever incurs when moved. The device also adjusts to accommodate the size of the player&#39;s hand. Further, it can be retrofit to many valved musical instruments.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to provisional U.S. Application No. 61/760,594, filed Feb. 4, 2013. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of musical instruments and more particularly to an adjustable musical instrument lever. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of an adjustable musical instrument lever. 
           [0004]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  illustrate a left perspective view and a right perspective view, respectively, of an exemplary embodiment of an adjustable musical instrument lever in a first position. 
           [0005]      FIG. 3   a  illustrates a top view of an exemplary embodiment of an adjustable musical instrument lever in a first position. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3   b  illustrates a left side view of an exemplary embodiment of an adjustable musical instrument lever in a first position. 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded view of a second exemplary embodiment of an adjustable musical instrument lever. 
           [0008]      FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  illustrate a left perspective view and a right perspective view, respectively, of a second exemplary embodiment of an adjustable musical instrument lever in a first position. 
       
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0009]    Using the example of a trombone, slide trombone players vary the length of the trombone tube and the resulting sound pitch by selectively telescoping the slide relative to the bell portion of the trombone. The pitch is lowered as the slide is moved further away from the bell portion of the trombone. Some trombones, such as bass trombones, have extra tubing known as an F Attachment added to the bell section of the trombone. An F attachment changes the instrument from the key of B flat to the key of F. Trombones with an F attachment also have a valve, which is used to redirect the flow from the straight part of the trombone through the F attachment and back into the bell. The opening and closing of the valve is controlled by a thumb operated lever or thumb trigger. Thumb levers enable players to play effectively and seamlessly across the entire bass/tenor range. 
         [0010]    Thumb levers known in the art are generally coupled to a biased fulcrum. The fulcrum enables the lever to be displaced in a first direction and subsequently return to its original position. The effort required to depress the thumb lever is commensurate with the length of the supplementary tubing that is engaged. 
         [0011]    One example of thumb lever is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,825. A handle is attached to the end of the lever arm opposite the valve. The valve is rotatable by manual shifting of the lever arm between a first or straight through airflow position and a second or diverted airflow position. The lever arm presses against a (Kirts &#39;825). The thumb lever taught by Kirts &#39;825 has a lever arm connected at one spring, which returns the lever to the original position. The handle is located in a position accessible to the musician, allowing the musician to perform the push-pull movement without having to let go of the instrument. However, like other thumb levers known in the art, the position of the handle disclosed by Kirts &#39;825 is not adjustable, and therefore is not in a desirable location for all musicians. 
         [0012]    It is desirable to have a musical instrument thumb lever that allows the musician to adjust the location of the handle based on his or her hand size and comfort. 
       GLOSSARY 
       [0013]    As used herein, the term “throw” refers to the distance a musical instrument lever has to move to activate a valve, i.e., the distance between the first and second lever positions of a musical instrument lever. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The present invention is an adjustable musical instrument lever. The musical instrument lever can be adjusted by moving the fulcrum point horizontally so that the handle fulcrum with bearing post is positioned closer or further from the valve. Adjusting the location of the fulcrum point changes the throw, the amount of leverage, and the amount of resistance the lever incurs when moved between a first position and a second position. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
       [0015]    For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the present invention, references are made in the text to exemplary embodiments of an adjustable musical instrument lever, only some of which are described herein. It should be understood that no limitations on the scope of the invention are intended by describing these exemplary embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that alternate but functionally equivalent materials, components, dimensions, and placement may be used. The inclusion of additional elements may be deemed readily apparent and obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Specific elements disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to employ the present invention. 
         [0016]    It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale; instead, emphasis has been placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In addition, in the embodiments depicted herein, like reference numerals in the various drawings refer to identical or near identical structural elements. 
         [0017]    Moreover, the terms “substantially” or “approximately” as used herein may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of adjustable musical instrument lever  100  with fulcrum with bearing post  30 . In the embodiment shown, adjustable musical instrument lever  100  is comprised of a lever substrate  40 , heli coil  28 , spatula or handle cover  46 , spatula or handle  45 , dovetail slide bracket base  20 , side posts  25   a  and  25   b,  with bearings  26   a  and  26   b,  spring  33 , fulcrum with bearing posts  30 , front telescoping lever cover  42 , threaded front telescoping lever substrate  43 , socket head cap screws  27   a,    27   b,  and  27   c,  and pivot mechanism  35 . Pivot mechanism  35  secures adjustable musical instrument lever  100  to stop arm  52 , which attaches to the valve shaft, which protrudes through back plate  55  of rotary valve  50 . 
         [0019]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  illustrate a left perspective view and a right perspective view, respectively, of an exemplary embodiment of an adjustable musical instrument lever in a first position. When spatula or handle  45  is moved from a first position to a second position, pivot mechanism  35  rotates stop arm  52 , which rotates the valve shaft. Stop arm  52  is attached to the valve shaft, which is attached to the inner rotor component (not visible) of rotary valve  50 , which has a plurality of passageways through which airflow may be directed. The stop arm  52  rotates the valve shaft, which causes the inner rotor component of rotary valve  50  to rotate changing the passageway through which the air flows. 
         [0020]    In the embodiment shown, dovetail slide bracket base  20  is mounted to brace tube  15 , and dovetail slide bracket base  20  is affixed to side posts  25   a  and  25   b , which encase bearings  26   a  and  26   b,  with spring  33 , by means of socket head cap screw  27   c,  and fulcrum with bearing post  30  is mounted to lever substrate  40 . In the embodiment shown, fulcrum with bearing post  30  is comprised of a bearing post and a spring  33 . Lever substrate  40  presses against the spring  33  of fulcrum with bearing post  30  and the spring  33  returns lever substrate  40  to the original position. 
         [0021]    In the embodiment shown, fulcrum with bearing post  30  is positioned at the end of dovetail slide bracket base  20  furthest from rotary valve  50 . The throw of lever substrate  40  can be adjusted by moving side posts  25   a  and  25   b,  which encase bearings  26   a  and  26   b,  within dovetail slide bracket base  20  by moving fulcrum forward or backward along dovetail slide bracket base  20  and securing this into position with socket head cap screw  27   c.  In this second position, fulcrum with bearing posts  30  is positioned near the end of dovetail slide bracket base  20  closest to rotary valve  50 . The throw increases as fulcrum with bearing post  30  is moved toward rotary valve  50 . 
         [0022]    In an exemplary embodiment, lever substrate  40  is telescoping by means of the front telescoping lever cover  42  attached to the threaded front telescoping lever substrate  43  and secured into the desired position by socket head cap screw  27   b , allowing the length of lever  40  to be adjusted to fit the specific musician&#39;s desired throw. Further adjustment for the fit of the musician&#39;s hand can be accomplished by adjusting the spatula or handle  45 . Spatula or handle  45  may be adjusted by movement forward or backward, along with a small amount of radial positioning available, sliding over lever substrate  40  within spatula or handle cover  46  and securing the desired position with socket head cap screw  27   a  into heli coil  28 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 3   a  illustrates a top view of an exemplary embodiment of adjustable musical instrument lever  100  with fulcrum with bearing post  30  in a first position showing the adjustability of lever substrate  40  from first position to second position and the throw. In the embodiment shown, fulcrum with bearing post  30  is positioned near the end of dovetail slide bracket base  20  further from rotary valve  50 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 3   b  illustrates a left side view of an exemplary embodiment of an adjustable musical instrument lever  100  with fulcrum with bearing post  30  in a first position showing the adjustability of lever substrate  40  from first position to second position and the throw. In the embodiment shown, fulcrum with bearing post  30  is positioned near the end of dovetail slide bracket base  20  further from rotary valve  50 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded view of a second exemplary embodiment of retrofit adjustable musical instrument lever  200 . In the embodiment shown, retrofit adjustable musical instrument lever  200  is comprised of lever substrate  40 , pivot mechanism  35 , spatula or handle  45 , spatula or handle cover  46 , front telescoping lever cover  42 , threaded front telescoping lever substrate  43 , side posts  25   a  and  25   b , bearings  26   a  and  26   b,  spring  33 , dovetail clamp  60 , dovetail slide bracket base  20 , socket head cap screws  27   a,    27   b,  and  27   c,  and fulcrum with bearing post  30 . Pivot mechanism  35  secures retrofit adjustable musical instrument lever  200  to stop arm  52 , which secures to valve shaft that protrudes through back plate  55  of rotary valve  50 . In the embodiment shown, fulcrum with bearing post  30  is comprised of a bearing post and a spring  33 . 
         [0026]      FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  illustrate a left perspective view and a right perspective view, respectively, of a second exemplary embodiment of an adjustable musical instrument lever  200  in a first position. Dovetail clamp  60  is secured around existing lever bracket and brace tube with an existing saddle bracket  15 . This dovetail clamp  60  allows the adjustable musical instrument lever  200  to be retrofit to many valved musical instruments. 
         [0027]    In the embodiment shown, fulcrum with bearing post  30  is positioned at the end of dovetail slide bracket base  20  furthest from rotary valve  50 . The throw of lever substrate  40  can be adjusted by moving side posts  25   a  and  25   b,  which encase bearings  26   a  and  26   b,  within dovetail slide bracket base  20  by moving fulcrum forward or backward along dovetail slide bracket base  20  and securing this into position with socket head cap screw  27   c.  In this second position, fulcrum with bearing posts  30  is positioned near the end of dovetail slide bracket base  20  closest to rotary valve  50 . The throw increases as fulcrum with bearing post  30  is moved toward rotary valve  50 .