Valve structure for musical wind instruments

Jan. 7, 1969 p. _s. rroll 3,420,133

VALVE STRUCTURE FOR MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS Filed July 12, 1965

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United States Patent Office

3,420,133

Patented Jan. 7, 1969

3,420,133 VALVE STRUCTURE FOR MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS

Peter S. Proll, Newark, N.J., assignor to Proil Products Co., Newark, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey

Filed July 12,1965, Ser. No. 471,016

U.S. CI. 84—388 11 Claims

Int. Cl. GlOd 7/10

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An improved valve structure for musical wind instruments, especially suitable for toy instruments, having a chamber and a port communicating with the chamber, which comprises valve means mounted in operative relationship to the chamber and the port so as to be movable between port-open and port-closed positions, a member for controlling the opening and closing of the port by the valve member, and a return spring means for normalizing the position of the valve member after operation, the return spring means being made integral with the valve means, for example, by molding the valve means and return spring from plastic as a unitary structure.

This invention pertains to musical instruments, especially toy instruments. More particularly, it relates to improvements in the valve structure of instruments having manually controlled valves and return springs for restoring the valves to normal, unoperated, i.e., undepressed, position after they have been operated by being depressed. The term “valve” is used herein in its ordinary sense in the musical instrument art to mean the movable member which is operated to determine the note being played.

The present conventional valve and spring structure used in such instruments is relatively expensive to make, and time-consuming, and therefore expensive, to assemble. Consider, for example, the usual trumpet. It has a number of valve cylinders, in each of which is slidably received a plunger valve. A separate return coil spring is also provided for each plunger. Usually, the return spring is disposed between the inner face of the plunger and some fixed stop against which the spring is compressed when the piston is moved inwardly. The plunger and the spring, being separate parts, are made individually, thereby increasing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, it is quite difficult and time-consuming to assemble the separate plunger and spring into the instrument. In the assembled instrument, the coil springs must normally be under some degree of compression to hold the plungers reasonably firmly biased to unoperated position. It will be seen therefore that the assembly operator is faced with the difficult task of placing the separate pieces in position to be assembled, and holding them so. Since the compressed coil spring is tending to return to its uncompressed state, if the operator releases his grip on the spring, the parts fly apart. Various specially constructed jigs and fixtures can help somewhat in overcoming these assembly difficulties, but it nevertheless remains a time-consuming operation.

The present invention substantially eliminates the foregoing problems by making the valve plunger and its return spring one integral unit, preferably of molded plastic. Thus, the cost of making the parts is substantially reduced. Further, the one-piece plunger and return spring unit of the invention considerably simplifies assembly. The operator only has to manipulate a single part into the proper assembly position and hold it there, as contrasted with the plural parts of each valve of the prior art.

As a further refinement of the invention, a number of the individual integral plunger and spring units are formed connected together as a single integral composite, which itself can be fabricated as a single molded plastic unit. 5 This composite plural-unit structure is assembled directly into the instrument.

It is therefore a major object of the invention to provide a novel musical instrument structure.

It is a further object to reduce the cost of fabricating 10 a musical instrument, especially toy musical instruments.

It is a further object to provide a novel valve structure for a musical instrument.

It is a further object to provide a valve structure in which the valve plunger and its return spring are formed 15 as one single integral unit.

It is a further object to provide as a single integral unit a plurality of valves integrally connected together, which unit can be directly assembled into the musical instrument.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in Which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partially in section of a toy trumpet in which the invention can be incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2—2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIG. 2, but 30 showing the valve depressed to its maximum operated position.

FIG. 4 is a detail view of a modified integral valve and return spring of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view in section of another modi35 fled form of the invention in which a number of the integral valve and spring units are formed as an integral composite.

FIG. 6 is a detail side elevational view in section of the instrument showing assembled therein the integral ⁴⁰ plural valve composite of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing an integral valve and spring unit with a modified form of spring.

FIG. 8 is a similar view, showing still another modified form of spring.

Still referring to the drawing, and particularly FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the reference numeral 1 designates a musical instrument in which the invention can be employed. A toy trumpet has been shown for illustrative purposes. It will be understood, however, that the invention can readily be employed in other types of instruments. In fact, it is not limited to use in musical instruments, since it can be applied to any type of device having a plunger and return spring. However, the invention is particularly useful for toys, since the reduced costs flowing from its use are most important with inexpensive instruments.

The body 2 of the toy instrument is made up of two separately formed complementary halves 2a and 2b. These can be fabricated of any desired material, for example, a molded synthetic resin, and are adhesively secured together to form the instrument body. The instrument includes a mouthpiece 3 into which the player blows. Communicating with the mouthpiece is a downwardly extending air passage 4 which leads to a known type of integral θ5 plastic reed unit 5. Reed unit 5 comprises a series of differently tuned reeds 6. When air is blown transversely, i.e., upwardly in FIGS. 1 and 2, past any one of the reeds 6, the latter sounds a particular note dependent on the predetermined physical characteristics of the reed.

γθ Each reed is disposed at the bottom of a related chamber 7 which opens into a cylindrical valve chamber 10. Formed at the upper end of the valve chamber is an

3,420,133 ³inwardly extending annular rib 11 of substantially triangular cross-section. The lower, sloping inwardly facing surface 11α of rib 11 provides a valve seat.

Loosely disposed within each valve chamber 10 for longitudinal sliding movement is the plunger or piston member 12α of a manually operable valve 12, shortly to be described in detail. Plunger 12α includes a sloping annular valve surface 126 which is normally urged by the valve return coil spring 12c against the sloping or beveled downwardly facing seat surface of rib 11. Thus, the plunger normally seals off the opening defined by the inner, circular edge of rib 11. This opening is the means whereby the valve cylinder chamber 10 communicates with an overlying chamber 13 which terminates at its upper end in a frusto-conical cap 14 having a central opening 14α.

The valve 12 includes an intermediate elongated stem 12d, which, if desired, terminates in a disc-like finger piece 12e to be engaged by the player’s finger. Post 12d passes loosely through opening 14α of cap 14. An inwardly extending circular rib 10α supports the lower end of coil spring 12c.

When it is desired to play the note adapted to be generated by any reed 6, the related valve 12 is depressed whereby the plunger valve surface 126 is lowered to open communication between chambers 10 and 13. Thus, air blown into the mouthpiece 3 travels through passage 4 to the underside of reed unit 5 and then upwardly past the reed, thereby sounding the reed’s note, and through chamber 10 into chamber 13. From chamber 13, the air travels out through the associated cap 14. It also passes to the adjacent chamber 13, each of the latter communicating laterally with the adjacent chamber 13. It will be understood that if the plunger is not depressed, air cannot travel from chamber 10 to chamber 13. Therefore, there will be no air flow past the reed, and the latter will not sound.

The integral one-piece valve and return spring 12 of the invention will now be described in greater detail. It includes aforementioned finger piece 12e, stem 12d, plunger 12α, and return spring 12c. The latter terminates in upper and lower flat coils 12/, 12g, respectively. The plunger is a thin annular hollow shell. It comprises a frustoconical upper portion whose sloping outer surface provides the operative valve surface 126; and horizontally spaced, vertical legs which are separated by ports 12h and which are integral with the upper flat coil 12/. An integral depending rod 12/ forming an extension of stem 12d extends from the center of hollow plunger 12α.

The entire aforedescribed valve 12, comprising the components 12a-12i inclusive, is a single, one-piece article, for example, fabricated by plastic molding techniques from any suitable synthetic resin such as polyethylene, polystyrene, etc. Thus, manufacturing cost is considerably reduced over prior art methods wherein the parts are formed separately.

Additionally, the time required to assemble the instrument is lessened substantially. As mentioned earlier, the body of the instrument is made of two separate complementary halves 2α, 26. Each body half has formed therein its semi-circular half of rib 11 and of valve chamber 10 including rib 10α. For assembly, the integral valve units 12 are merely placed in position in one of the body halves, the other body half then appropriately abutted against the first half, and the two cemented together.

The depending rod 12; of each valve unit is adapted to abut a cooperable integral inwardly extending pin 15 of each valve chamber 10 when the valve is depressed, to prevent complete compression of coil spring 12c. Such complete compression, with adjacent coils contacting each other, would block or impede air flow passing up through the center of spring 12c to escape outwardly and then upwardly past valve seat 11α from chamber 10 into chamber 13. Ports 126 are needed for this purpose when spring 12c is thick and its coils closely fit the interior of valve chamber 10, so that most of the air is forced to travel up through the center of the spring. The ports 126, are of any suitable size, shape, and the number to produce sound of desired volume and quality.

Preferably, though not necessarily, the lowermost flat coil 12g of the spring is split (see FIGS. 1 and 5) and of a larger diameter than the valve chamber 10 so that the spring is firmly held in the valve chamber.

FIG. 4 shows a modified form of the invention in which the spring coils are formed integrally with short longitudinally extending lugs 16 adapted to abut the adjacent coil to prevent complete compression of the spring. This arrangement eliminates the need for the depending rod 12i and the pin 15 of FIGS. 1-3, which perform the same function.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another form of the invention, in which a number of the integral valve units 12 are formed as one integral composite 17 integrally joined together at their lowermost, flat coils 12g by connector bars 17α. The integral plural-valve composite of FIG. 5 is formed as a single plastic molding from suitable material, such as polyethylene, polystyrene, etc. In the form of FIG. 5, the valves 12 are spaced apart the same distance as the valve chambers 10. The entire plural-valve composite 17 of FIG. 5 is itself adapted to be assembled as a unit into the musical instrument. This further reduces assembly time, since the operator handles as one complete unit a number of valves rather than just one valve.

In the form of FIGS. 5 and 6, the lowermost coil 12g need not be split. The cross bars 17α can be held clamped between opposed portions 18, 19 provided in the instrument body, thereby holding the lower ends of the respective springs in place.

FIGS 7 and 8 respectively show additional forms of the invention, in which return springs other than coil springs can be used. In FIG. 7, the spring comprises outwardly curved spring arms 20. In FIG. 8, the spring 21 has a flat serpentine or S shape.

In both FIGS. 7 and 8, the entire valve shown is a single integral unit, including a lowermost flat coil like coil 12g of the previous forms. The valves of FIGS. 7 and 8 can either be made individually, as in FIGS. 1-4, or as an integral plural-valve composite unit like FIG. 5.

Although the integral one-piece valve has been disclosed as including the integral finger piece 12e, the latter can if desired be formed separately. It could then be secured to the top of stem 12d after the valve is assembled into this instrument. It will be recalled that the cooperating stem extension 12i and pin 15 of FIGS. 1-3, and the lugs 16 of FIG. 4, both limit the valve’s downward movement. This will also prevent the stem 12d from being pushed so far down that it does not project above cap 14 when the finger piece is being secured to the stem.

For purposes of illustration, there have been shown and described various specific examples and forms of the invention and its features. It will be understood, however, that the invention and its features can be carried out and applied in numerous other specific embodiments. Different proportions, materials, sizes, shapes can be employed. The invention can be applied to other types of instruments and devices.