IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTORS OR GUARDS FOR THE REEDS OF CLARIONETS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Tyler, of Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTORS OR GUARDS FOR THE
REEDS OF CLARIONETS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 25th June 1878, and dated the 1st January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Tyler at the Office
"IMPROVEMENTS
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st January 1878.
JOSEPH TYLER, of Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex.
IN PROTECTORS OR GUARDS FOR THE REEDS OF CLARIONETS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
My Invention relates to improvements in protectors for the reeds of musical
instruments, such as clarionets and saxophones.
The protector now employed for clarionets and saxophones is a wooden cap or
hood, which fits on and encloses the mouth-piece of the instrument, and which is
entirely removed therefrom when the instrument is to be played upon. The cap
is very frequently lost, more especially when the instrument is used in a military
band, as the cap is liable to fall or be knocked off while the player is marching.
My Invention has for its object to obviate these objections, and it consists broadly
in a guard or protector, which is permanently attached to the instrument, whether
in or out of use, the guard or protector which covers and protects the reed at all
other times being turned, slid, or otherwise moved out of the way when the instru-
ment is being played upon.
One form consists of a metal plate corresponding to the shape of the reed, and
provided with a flange around the sides and one end, the whole forming a box-like
guard, which encloses the reed and as much of the mouth-piece as is necessary to
protect the reed.
This improved guard or protector is preferably hinged or pivotted to the
ligature of the reed, and upon the tightening screw of the ligature; or it may
be otherwise hinged or pivotted to the ligature itself, or to the back or under side

page_text: of the mouth-piece, so as to be readily turned up over the reed when the instrument
is not in use, and when the instrument is being performed upon turned back or
aside to uncover the reed. In this position it hangs down along the under side of
the instrument, so as to be out of the way of the player.
Instead of being hinged or pivotted the guard may be fitted to slide up and
down in guides in or upon the ligature. In this case the end only of the guard or
protector would consist of a small plate the full width of the reed, corresponding in
shape to the thin end of the reed, and flanged or not, so as to overlap the edges of
the reed as preferred. This plate would be attached to a single or double stem
fitted to slide in a socket or upon guides provided in or upon the flange or portion
of the ligature through which the tightening screws pass or otherwise; or, instead
of a small plate, it might simply be a metal rod of a suitable section bent to an
form corresponding to the outline of the reed, the two parallel portions sliding in or
on sockets or guides on the ligature, as above mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Tyler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st July
1878.
JOSEPH TYLER, of Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROTECTORS OR GUARDS FOR THE REEDS OF CLARIONETS, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.'
"
My Invention relates to improvements in protectors for the reeds of musical
instruments, such as clarionets and saxophones.
The protector now employed for clarionets and saxaphones is a wooden cap or
hood, which fits on and encloses the mouth-piece of the instrument, and which is
entirely removed therefrom when the instrument is to be played upon. The cap is
very frequently lost, more especially when the instrument is used in a military
band, as the cap is liable to fall or be knocked off while the player is marching or
otherwise engaged.
My Invention has for its object to obviate these objections, and it consists broadly
in a guard or protector, which is permanently attached to the instrument, whether
in or out of use, the guard or protector which covers and protects the reed at all
other times being turned, slid, or otherwise moved out of the way when the instru-
ment is being played upon.
One form consists of a metal plate corresponding to the shape of the reed, and
provided with a flange around the sides and one end, the whole forming a box-like
guard, which encloses the reed and as much of the mouth-piece as is necessary to
protect the reed.
This improved guard or protector is preferably hinged or pivoted to the ligature
of the reed or upon the tightening screw of said ligature, or to the back or under
side of the mouth-piece, so as to be readily turned up over the rèed when the instru-
ment is not in use; and when the instrument is being performed upon turned back

page_text: to uncover the reed. In this position it hangs down along the under side of the
instrument, so as to be out of the way of the player, and it is retained in whichever
position it may be placed by the pressure of a spring against its pivotted end.
This guard may also be pivotted to the ligature, so as to be turned aside when
the instrument is to be played upon.
Instead of being hinged or pivotted the guard may be fitted to slide up and down
in guides in or upon the ligature. In this case the guard or protector would consist
of a plate the full width of the reed, flanged or not, so as to overlap the edges of
the reed as preferred. This plate would be fitted to slide in a socket or upon guides
provided in or upon the ligature; or, instead of a small plate, it might simply be a
metal rod of suitable section bent to a form, corresponding to the outline of the
reed, the two parallel portions sliding in or on sockets or guides on the ligature, as
above mentioned.
way Figure 4, & rear view 01 the mouth-
piece of a clarionet provided with one form of my improved protector or guard, the
latter being shown as covering the reed; Figure 3 is a side view; and Figure 4, a
rear view of the same, showing the position of the guard when the instrument is
being played upon.
Figure 5 shows a vertical section; and Figure 6, a cross section on line 1-1,
Figure 5, of the guard or protector.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
A is the mouth-piece of the instrument; a, the reed; B, the ligature; and C, the
improved guard or protector. The latter is made of sheet metal (brass or German
silver) stamped up or otherwise brought to the trough-like form shown, that is to say,
with a flange c extending around the end and along each side of the flange, being
deeper at the end and gradually diminishing in depth towards the pivotted end of the
guard or protector. The flange encloses the edges of the reed and mouth-piece, as
shown in the Figures. The guard or protector is formed with or attached to a
tail piece D, which is received between two knuckles 6 soldered or otherwise
attached to the ligature, and works on a joint pin e therein. The extremity d of
this tail piece D has acute corners, and is pressed upon by a steel spring f screwed
to the ligature B, which serves to keep the guard or protector in whichever position
it may be placed.
Instead of hinging the tail piece D between knuckles 6 provided for the purpose
on the back or under side of the ligature B, as shown, the latter may be turned round
until the tightening screws g are at the back or under side, and the tail piece D
can then be received between one of the nuts or their equivalent, through which
the tightening screws pass and work on the tightening screw itself as the
joint pin.
In Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 I have represented various modifications of my
Invention. In Figure 7 the guard consists of a plate C, which is pivoted to the
ligature, and provided with a thumbscrew h, so as to be turned aside when the
instrument is to be played upon. The guard is flanged, as seen in Figure 8, and
indicated by dotted lines, Figure 7, to protect the end of the reed, and prevent
the guard from passing too far when it is thrown up to cover the reed. In Figures 9
and 10 the guard consists of a flat plate C sliding in guides i, il, on the ligature B.
jis a stop on the bottom of the guard, which comes against the lower guide i, and
prevents it from rising too bigh; k is a knob or projection on the back of the
guard for moving it up and down. The guard is shown in dotted lines in Figure 10
in its raised position covering the reed. In Figure 11 the guard or protector consists
of a small plate C having a stem or rod m, which slides in guides n, n¹, on the
ligature; and in Figure 12 the guard consists simply of a metal rod bent to a form
corresponding to the outline of the reed, the two parallel portions sliding in guides
n, n', on the ligature.

page_text: In the above description I have called the back of the mouth-piece that on which
the reed is attached.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, a guard or protector for the reed of
a clarionet or saxophone, constructed substantially as herein described, and per-
manently connected to the ligature or to the mouth-piece of the instrument by a
hinged, pivoted, or sliding joint, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Tyler, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.