Woodwind instrument reed maintenance device
OwnerFrank J. DaSilva, Joseph M. Ballaerainventors
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Abstract
A woodwind instrument reed maintenance device that extends the life of a used reed by removing the tip of the reed by burning. The device achieves extended life, and a brighter or a more projected sound from a used reed due to the cauterization of the woody longitudinal fibers called vascular bundles, running vertically the entire length of the reed. The device holds the reed securely and is designed to retain the burned tip at the precise angles or arc of the cut of the tip so as to maintain a working relationship with the woodwind mouthpiece. In addition, the top portion utilizes an angled tip to not only secure the reed in the device, but to prevent back burn to playable areas of the reed surfaces.
Claims9
An apparatus for maintaining a woodwind reed, the reed having a mouth end with a thickness tapered at a first angle and a curvilinear edge, the apparatus comprising:
- a bottom jaw for receiving the reed, the bottom jaw comprising a planar surface for contacting a bottom surface of the reed, the bottom jaw planar surface comprising an edge formed to parallel the curvilinear edge of the reed;
- a top jaw comprising a planar surface for contacting a top surface of the reed with an edge formed to parallel the curvilinear edge of the reed, the top jaw planar surface disposed at a second angle relative to the bottom jaw planar surface corresponding to the first angle;
- and
- wherein the bottom jaw planar surface edge and the top jaw planar surface edge are disposed in alignment to define a maintained curvilinear edge on a reed disposed between the bottom jaw and top jaw.
A method of maintaining a woodwind reed, the reed having a mouth end with a tapered thickness and a curvilinear edge, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a clamping apparatus to have opposed clamping surfaces, the opposed clamping surfaces each having a curvilinear edge parallel to a mouth end edge of a woodwind reed, the clamping surfaces being disposed relative to each other at an angle corresponding to the tapered thickness of the reed;
- inserting a reed into the clamping apparatus so that the mouth end of the reed has a portion extending beyond the respective clamping surface edges;
- urging the opposed clamping surfaces toward each other to clamp the reed there between;
- and
- exposing the extending portion of the reed to heat to burn off the extending portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.