Patent Application
20050061136
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ligatures for woodwind musical instruments and, more particularly, to a ligature which facilitates the generation of multiple tonalities by a single instrument.
2. Description of the Background
Ligatures are used to mount a vibrating reed element to the surface of a mouthpiece for an instrument such as a clarinet or saxophone. One goal of ligature design is to permit maximum freedom of vibration of the reed because this improves resonance, and hence tonality. There have been prior ligatures that attempt to provide an adjustable quality of tone or response by utilizing screw adjustments, as in the designs of Van Doren U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,229 and Cusack U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,152, or sliding bars as in Pascucci U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,253, or a plurality of pressure pins as in Winslow U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,271. However, those using pressure adjustments may not achieve satisfactory performance throughout the full range of adjustment. The present inventor suggested a design for an adjustable-tone ligature in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,715 issued Dec. 7, 1999. The '715 patent described a ligature with a flexible or semi-flexible body and cradle connected to the inside of the body. Alteration in tone and response are achieved by changing the virtual mass of the cradle.
It has since been found that a ligature construction that tends to neutralize or move resonances away from the operating bandwidth of the instrument tends to improve performance. The inventor's '715 patent suggests a body that is wrapped about two rods, the rods being drawn together to tighten the body around the instrument. The wrapped configuration results in a hard (abrupt) termination of the body which presents a high mechanical impedance for the ligature ends. It would be greatly advantageous to provide a ligature design with a “soft” termination, or in other terms, a lower mechanical impedance for the ligature ends, thus lowering the frequency bandwidth of the predominant resonances. This would result in an adjustable-tone ligature that facilitates the generation of multiple, full, resonant tonalities by a single instrument.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a ligature which permits a variety of tonal effects and differences in response to be obtained rapidly with a minimum of manipulations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable-tone ligature with a “soft” termination and lower mechanical impedance for the ligature ends, thus lowering the frequency bandwidth of the predominant resonances.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable-tone ligature that facilitates the generation of multiple, full, resonant tonalities by a single instrument.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable-tone ligature that may be economically produced to provide for widespread use.
In accordance with the above objects, an improved ligature is provided for use on a mouthpiece of a woodwind-type musical instrument (of the type having a reed). The ligature possesses a simple design that may be economically produced to provide for widespread use. The present invention comprises a flexible, trapezoidal body having two longitudinal slots, and a pair of ferrules terminating each end of the body. The body is a rubberized fabric with one side being smooth and the other defined by a textured pattern. A tightening mechanism draws the ferrules together and thereby tightens the flexible body about the mouthpiece of the instrument. Each one of the ferrules is formed with a longitudinal notch, and the ends of the body terminate inside by crimping and/or gluing the body end inside. The operation of the tightening mechanism within the ferrules in combination with the flexible nature of the body serve to effectively isolate the instrument mouthpiece from direct contact with the ferrules, thereby softening the mechanical impedance. The instrument's tonality may be adjusted by placing either the smooth or the textured side of the body in direct contact with the instrument, and varying the relative position of the body and ferrules with respect to the reed.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and certain modifications thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:
The ligature 10 has a flexible body 18 formed, as shown in
A tightening mechanism 30 cooperates with the holes 23 in each of the ferrules 22 such that rotation of the mechanism 30 varies the spacing between the ferrules 22 in order to open or close the flexible body 18 when fastening the ligature 10 to a mouthpiece 100. The tightening mechanism 30 typically includes a metallic, threaded fastening stud 32, extending through the hole 23 in one ferrule 22, which is rotatably held captive and threads into an elongated, metallic thumb nut 34 after extending through the hole 23 in the second ferrule 22. Other adjustable clamps and fastening means known to persons skilled in the art may be used in place of the tightening mechanism 30 to secure the ligature 10 to the mouthpiece 100.
As stated above and shown in
The ligature 10 is mounted around the mouthpiece 100 of a musical instrument to hold a reed 110 in place. No tools are required and no screws, pins or other means need to be added or removed to prepare and install the ligature 10 for use. After orienting the body 18 and engaging the fastening stud 32 with the thumb nut 34, the user simply slides the ligature 10 over the mouthpiece 100 and reed 110 before making final adjustments to the tightening mechanism 30 to secure the ligature 10 around the mouthpiece 100 and reed 110. Changes may be made by loosening the tightening mechanism 30 and changing the relative position of the body 18 with respect to the reed 110 as desired and re-securing the tightening mechanism 30. Note that, due to the trapezoidal shape of the flexible body 18, the final form of the ligature 10, when the tightening mechanism 30 has been installed through the ferrules 22 (the C-shape mentioned above), tapers from a larger diameter end 27 to a smaller diameter end 28 (see
The present invention provides a total of six ligature 10 installation positions. The six variations are the product of the three ligature-to-reed/mouthpiece positions illustrated in
The foregoing design results in an adjustable-tone ligature 10 that facilitates the generation of multiple tonalities by a single instrument. Additionally, the present invention also provides a greater degree of responsiveness and richness of tone, from a woodwind instrument, than has previously been realized. Finally, it is a design that may be economically produced to provide for widespread use.
Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims.
