Music – Instruments – Wind
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-12
2004-06-08
Lockett, Kimberly (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Wind
C084S38300A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06747198
ABSTRACT:
This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims filing priority rights with respect to currently pending U.S. utility patent application Ser. No. 09/884,192, filed Jun. 19, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,010, on “Reed and Mouthpiece Assembly” which claims filing priority rights of provisional patent application No. 60/217,203, filed Jul. 10, 2000 entitled “Reed And Mouthpiece Assembly” both by the same applicant herein, namely, George V. Sullivan. The present application also claims filing priority rights of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/371,208 filed Apr. 9, 2002, now pending, on “Improved Reed and Mouthpiece Assembly”, by the same applicant as named herein, namely, George V. Sullivan.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of musical instruments and, in particular, woodwind instruments, such as clarinets and saxophones, which utilize a moistened reed during performance thereof. Such reeds often become unusable and need to be repeatedly changed, sometimes quickly, such as during an ongoing performance, which is often difficult to do under time constraints or with limited lighting or by individuals unaccustomed to such reed replacement.
The reed must be properly aligned longitudinally with respect to the mouthpiece in such a manner that proper tone is produced by the instrument for the particular musical application being played. The present invention provides a self-aligning and self-centering reed as well as a woodwind mouthpiece for use therewith. The configuration of the present invention, while describing a unique securement device, is usable with any type of ligature means, such as conventional or other types of ligatures, which function to detachably affix the reed with respect to the generally planar reed mounting surface of the woodwind mouthpiece while allowing selective replacement thereof as needed. Preferably the protruding portion of the mouthpiece of the present invention is removable therefrom to facilitate use thereof with a more standardly configured reed if desired.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various configurations have been developed for reeds for musical instruments, usually woodwind instruments, and for the mouthpieces usable therewith such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 147,202 patented Feb. 3, 1874 to C. W. Vogel on “Reed-Organs”; and U.S. Pat. No. 477,661 patented Jun. 28, 1892 to H. Janes on a “Vibrator For Reed Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 488,828 patented Dec. 27, 1892 to C. S. Mudge on a “Musical Instrument”; and U.S. Pat. No. 555,561 patented Mar. 3, 1896 to G. R. Cadwallader on a “Reed Supporter For Clarinets”; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,506,364 patented Aug. 26, 1924 to H. M, Chiron et al on a “Reed For Saxophone Or Clarinet Mouth Pieces”; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,535,537 patented Apr. 28, 1925 to W. Majeski an “Adjustable Reed In Wind Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,615,549 patented Jan. 25, 1927 to B. Miller on a “Mouthpiece For Reed Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,667,836 patented May 1, 1928 to F. Brockman, Jr. on a “Reed For Musical Wind Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,776,566 patented Sep. 23, 1930 to H. B. Newton et al on a “Mouth Reed For Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,779,522 patented Oct. 28, 1930 to C. O. Widmayer on a “Reed For Clarinets And Saxophones”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,106,016 patented Jan. 18, 1938 to H. T. Prescott on a “Reed For Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Des. Pat. No. Des. 112,783 patented Jan. 3, 1939 to O. C. Noble and assigned to Tygart Valley Glass Company on a “Jar”; and U.S. Des. Pat. No. Des. 119,602 patented Mar. 26, 1940 to A. A. Verville on a “Reed For A Musical Instrument”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,268,641 patented Jan. 6, 1942 to A. Brilhart on a “Reed For Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,287,529 patented Jun. 23, 1942 to M. Maccaferri on a “Reed Of Cane, Plastic, Or Any Other Material For Clarinets, Saxophones, And Like Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,342,836 patented Feb. 29, 1944 to A. Brilhart and assigned to Arnold Brilhart Ltd. on a “Reed For Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,375,934 patented May 15, 1945 on a “Reed”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,492,366 patented Dec. 27, 1949 to A. L. Ohnhaus on a “Wood-Wind Reed”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,669,897 patented Feb. 23, 1954 to J. Topor on a “Reed For Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,183,760 patented May 18, 1965 to A. Michel on “Reeds For Application In Musical Instruments Particularly In Electronic Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,202,032 patented Aug. 24, 1965 to A. R. Strathmann on a “Mouthpiece For Saxophones And clarinets”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,965 patented Feb. 23, 1971 to J. A. Carlini on a “Ligature For Reed Musical Instrument”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,268 patented Sep. 16, 1975 to J. G. Gamble on “Reeds For Saxophones, Clarinets And Other Woodwinds”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,997 patented Nov. 8, 1977 to P. L. Rovner on a “Reed Holding Device For Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,949 patented Mar. 27, 1979 to F. A. Kilian on a “Musical Reed”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,482 patented Oct. 30, 1979 to H. M. Gomez on a “Method And Apparatus For Adjusting Single Reeds For Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,683 patented Jul. 6, 1982 to J. G. Backus on a “Synthetic Woodwind Instrument Reed And Method For Its Manufacture”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,560 patented Oct. 26, 1982 to D. W. Shaffer on a “Reed Construction”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,439 patented May 22, 1984 to F. E. Wells on a “Mouthpiece For Woodwind Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,257 patented Feb. 25, 1986 to E. B. Laker on an “Apparatus For Profiling Reeds For Double-Reed Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,649 patented Feb. 24, 1987 to R. C. Seaman et al on an “Apparatus For Trimming Reeds Of Musical Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,507 patented Jan. 10, 1989 to T. L. Stibal on a “Reed Holding Device”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,385 patented Jul. 17, 1990 to C. O. Johnson on a “Tone Plate And Clamping Device For A Musical Instrument Mouthpiece”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,483 patented Feb. 12, 1991 to R. Petit on a “Mouthpiece For Wind Instrument, And Corresponding Ligature And Mouthpiece Cover”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5.000,073 patented Mar. 19, 1991 to D. Hite on a “Construction For Supporting A Reed Upon The Mouthpiece Of A Musical Wind Instrument And Method Of Fabricating The Same”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,425 patented to P. L. Rovner on May 28, 1991 on a “Mouthpiece System For Woodwind Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,350 patented Jul. 23, 1991 to A. Galper on a “Single Reed Mouthpiece”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,701 patented Apr. 21, 1992 to J. Hall et al on a Clarinet Mouthpiece”; and U.S. Pat. No. 289,752 patented Mar. 1, 1994 to E. Barbaglia on a “Device For Fastening The Reed On The Mouthpiece of Wind Instruments”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,582 patented Mar. 21, 1995 to G. T. Smith and assigned to Mobile Music, Inc., Gary Smith and Joseph Stefano on a “Wire Clamping Ligature For Use With A Single Reed Mouthpiece For A Musical Instrument”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,842 patented Jan. 2, 1996 to W. H. Ostermeyer on “Flavored Musical Instrument Reeds”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,545 patented Feb. 1, 2000 to J. J. Consoli on a “Ligature For The Mouthpiece of A Woodwind Musical Instrument”.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unique configuration for a reed for use with a uniquely configured woodwind mouthpiece assembly which when utilized together provide an improved means of attaching of a reed with respect thereto which is easy to align and replace. Also this configuration is particularly easy for those inexperienced in replacing such reeds such as young persons in their initial stages of learning how to play a woodwind musical instrument. The design makes use of a reed having a unique engaging configuration which can include a reed slot or notch or hole for alignment. The mouthpiece will define a protruding means or member for mated abutment with respect to the engaging configuration of the reed. The protruding member
Lockett Kimberly
Sperry, Zoda & Kane
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