Patent ID: 7112735

Claim:
A valve assembly for use in a musical wind instrument comprising: a valve housing having a substantially cylindrical side wall, a face wall coupled with the side wall, an inlet port formed in the side wall, an outlet port formed in the side wall, an extension loop entrance port formed in the face wall and an extension loop return port formed in the face wall; a valve rotor comprising a solid body having a substantially straight first passage defined therein, a second passage defined therein, and a third passage defined therein, wherein the first passage extends from a first opening in a substantially cylindrical peripheral surface of the solid body to a second opening in the peripheral surface, wherein the second passage extends from a third opening in the peripheral surface to a first opening in a face surface of the solid body, and wherein the third passage extends from a fourth opening in the peripheral surface to a second opening in the face surface; a tubular insert removably installed in the first passage, wherein at least one of the second passage and the third passage interferes with the first passage and wherein the tubular insert provides a barrier between the first passage and the at least one of the second passage and the third passage at a location of interference; and an actuator coupled with the valve rotor and configured to displace the solid body between a first position, wherein the first passage is aligned with the inlet port and the outlet port, and a second position, wherein the second passage is aligned with the extension loop entrance port and the third passage is aligned with the extension loop return port.