4,208,941

43.75.De ADJUSTABLE BRIDGE SADDLE

Abraham J. Wechter, assignor to Nodin Industries, Incorporated

24 June 1980 (Class 8/298); filed 14 March 1979

In this bridge saddle for guhar-type instruments, each string fides on an individual rotatable camlike saddle. The exact position of the bridge end of the vibrating length of the string is thus contin- uously adjustable within a small range to allow intonation adjust- ment.-RWP

4,213,368

43.75.De SOUNDING BANJO AND HEAD THEREFOR

Mark S. Cox, Hiwassee, Virginia 24347 22 July 1980 (Class 84/269); filed 20 December 1978

"An improved banjo head is described which provides a deeper and more mellow sound .... The new banjo head comprises a thin flexible membrane having a hole positioned on the periphery of this membrane and a means to reinforce said hole." The hole is not lo-

cated beneath the strings, as is a guitar sound hole, but is "positioned at a 60 ø angle from the neck and strings as measured from the center of the banjo head," and on the "upper side of the banjo head when the banjo is in playing position."-RWP

4,213,370

43.75.De MOLDED PLASTIC GUITARS

Charles E. Jones, assignor to WMI Corporation 22 July 1980 (Class 84/291); filed 22 June 1978

This rather lengthy patent (44 claims, 15 figures) deals with a conventional acoustic guitar designed to be assembled from rela- tively few plastic moldings. "The soundbox body is a one-piece plastic molding having an offset bottom concave-convex substantial- ly parabolic sound reflector area joined by a reinforcing rib structure

to the wall of the body." It seems to this reviewer that curvature of the "reflector" portion 25 is probably more important as a stiffener for the bottom plate than as a reflector. Another one piece molding provides the rib structure underlying the top plate. The top plate it- self is not plastic but the traditional spruce, or a laminate of spruce with some cheaper wood such as poplar.-RWP

4,210,055

43.75.Ef ADJUSTABLE LIGATURE FOR MUSICAL

INSTRUMENT

Vito Hatamone, Jr., Metairie, Louisiana 70001 1 July 1980 (Class 84/383 R); filed 3 October 1978

This ligature for single-reed woodwinds such as clarinet and sax- ophone clamps the reed on the mouthpiece with a "frequency ad- justing member having a number of limited contact edges or points

with the reed." This part of the ligature may be moved with respect to the main body of the ligature by loosening a lock nut. The in- ventor writes, "It is believed that an experienced musician can ob- tain a more melodious, sonorous, and deep tonal quality from his in- strument wish this invention than with prior ligatures."-RWP

4,212,223

43.75.Ef MOUTHPIECE FOR WOODWIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Clinton A. Runyon, Opelousas, Louisiana 70570 15 July 1980 (Class 84/383 R);•led 27 October 1978

This mouthpiece for single-reed instruments such as clarinet and saxophone has an internal sympathetic reed 44, permanently fixed

within the mouthpiece. "An altered tone which is brighter and livelief is produced, rather than the more subdued altered tones which are commonly produced with mutes of various types."-RWP

4,210,056

43.75.Fg VALVE CONSTRUCTION FOR BRASS WIND INSTRUMENT

Ronald R. Ciccarelli, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232 I July 1980 (Class 84/392); fried 11 July 1978

This invention is a piston valve of the Perinet type where the pis- ton is made of plastic. "Preferred polymeric compositions include lubrous, hydrophobic, nonswelling polymers, especially high density polyethylene, polypropylene, impact-resistant styrene-butadiene copolymers, acetyl resins, and the like." The main advantages of this construction over the traditional all-metal piston axe stated to be lower manufacturing cost, less required maintenance (no lubrica- tion needed), and longer lifetime.-RWP

4,213,371

43.75.Fg AXIAL FLOW VALVE

Oda E. Thayer, Waldport, Oregon 97394 _ 22 July 1980 (Class 84/390); fried 24 July 1978

This is continuation of brass instrument patent 4,! 12,806 [re- viewed J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 66, 1912 (1977)]. The short connect- ing tubes 60 and 66 axe mounted between two endplates in the com- plete valve. Rotating the assembly about an axis concentric with tube 76 switches 60 so that it connects 76 to 78, and 66 so that it connects 74 to 80, thus adding a length equal to the sum of tube 66 and tube 78-80 to the instrument. The major advantage is the elimination of sharp bends found in prior art valves, which produce '•ndesired harmonics," according to the inventor. The basic swivel- plate switching mechanism is essentially identical to a valve patented in England in 1838 by John Shaw, a Derbyshire farmer. Shaw's

1204 J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 70(4), Oct. 1981; 0001-4966/81/101204-02500.80; ¸ 1981 Acoust. Soc. Am.; Patent Reviews 1204

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