Abstract: The top surface of the mouthpiece, the lay, is tapered by creation of a ramped base which increases the angularity of the lay to enhance the anchor position of the reed on the lay. Also formed within the lay is a concavity, located at the approximate center between the highest point of the ramp and the tangent leading to the tip opening. The combination of the ramp and the concavity allows the spacing between the reed and the tip, the tip opening, to be varied. The ligature, which has two screws, uses the rearmost screw for clamping the reed onto the lay near the higher end of the ramp, and the frontmost screw to adjust the gap between the approximate center of the reed and the lay. The increased pressure on the center of the reed causes the tip opening to increase. This increases the resistance of the reed, providing an increased range and changing the vibratory nature of the reed.

Abstract: A titanium reed is formed by cutting a hardened sheet of high-grade titanium into a strip where length and width are determined by the standard sizes and lays of mouthpieces of various musical instruments in the woodwind family. The titanium sheet stock from which the strip is cut may be hardened prior to cutting, or hardening processes may be preformed on the cut strips after shaping has occurred. Where the sheet stock is prehardened, the techniques involve heating to a high temperature and thinning out a portion of the sheet to form a taper. Where hardening is required after the strip is cut and formed, heat treatment is applied to achieve a strength in the titanium corresponding to the desired tone of the reed. In all processes, material is removed from the bottom of the reed from the approximate center toward the tongue end to relieve stress in the metal at the tongue end.

Abstract: A stainless steel reed is formed by cutting a strip of full-hard stainless. A rounded edge is formed at the tongue end of the strip which is then tapered toward the tongue end by friction extraction of material from the lower surface to form a wedge. Additional material is removed from the central portions of the lower side of the tongue end to create a generally concave depression. Material remaining around the perimeter of the depression acts as supports for the thin center section created by the concave depression, permitting harmonic vibration in the center section while maintaining adequate strength.A method of forming a stainless steel reed includes cutting strips of full-hard stainless steel to fit the mouthpiece of the instrument. The tongue end of the strip is rounded and the lower surface is tapered toward the tongue end by friction extraction. A concave depression is created in the tongue end by friction extraction.