Cylindrical head joint with acoustic wedging for concert flutes
OwnerRaoul J. Fajardoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cylindrical head joint has an internal cross-section that tapers down from a cylindrical shape at the tenon to a non-cylindrical shape at the embouchure end by means of a wedge internally bonded to the cylinder. The relative tuning of the three octaves of the flute can be achieved by varying the position of the wedge either rotationally or longitudinally inside the cylinder. The laborious method of tapering the head by forced shrinking of a cylindrical tube is thus avoided and a superior tone quality is achieved because the air jet that enters the embouchure hole hits a non-cylindrical wall which has a favorable effect on transient sounds and harmonics.
Claims14
A flute head joint comprising:
- a wall having an embouchure hole therethrough and a closed inner surface defining a hollow cylinder extending along a central axis between opposite ends of the wall;
- a closure element disposed to close the hollow cylinder between one end and the embouchure hole;
- and
- a wedge positioned within the hollow cylinder and decreasing continually in cross-sectional area from one end disposed on one side of the embouchure hole to an opposite end disposed on an opposite side of the embouchure hole a substantial distance therefrom to provide an acoustic taper to the hollow cylinder.
A flute head joint defined by a cylindrical wall that is closed at one end and has an embouchure hole therethrough and a wedge secured within a chamber defined by the cylindrical wall and imparting an acoustic taper to the chamber, the wedge extending with continuously decreasing cross-sectional area from a closed end of the chamber past the embouchure hole, at least a portion of the wedge extending past the embouchure hole engaging the cylindrical wall in conformal mating relationship.
A flute head joint comprising:
- a wall having an embouchure hole therethrough and a closed inner surface defining a hollow cylinder extending along a central axis between opposite ends of the wall;
- a closure element disposed to close the hollow cylinder between one end and the embouchure hole;
- and
- a wedge positioned within the hollow cylinder with one end of the wedge having a given cross-sectional area positioned nearer the closure element and decreasing continuously in crosssectional area to an opposite end on the other side of the embouchure hole, the closure element and wedge being a single unitary, integral piece of material.
A flute head joint comprising:
- a wall having an embouchure hole therethrough and a closed inner surface defining a hollow cylinder extending along a central axis between opposite ends of the wall;
- a closure element disposed to close the hollow cylinder between one end of the hollow cylinder and the embouchure hole;
- and
- a wedge positioned within the hollow cylinder with one end having a given cross-sectional area positioned nearer the closure element than an opposite end having a smaller cross-sectional area than the area of the one end of the wedge, the wedge having the shape of a cylinder with a central axis and a diameter equal to a diameter of the hollow cylinder defined by the wall, truncated by a plane having an acute angle with respect to the central axis of the wedge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.