Abstract: A musical wind instrument, comprising a mouthpiece, key mechanism, body, and an alternative material bridge that is couple a first and second opposite facing tube. There is in an alternative embodiment at least one coupling mechanism affixed to at least one of the opposite facing tubes designed to releasably hold the wood based material bridge against the first and second tubes. Alternatively there is a musical wind instrument made of a predominantly first material, comprising a mouthpiece, key mechanism, and body; at least a first and second tube having a portion thereof being spatially opposite to each other respectively, and a bridge, having a first and second end that are coupled to the first and second tube respectively, wherein the bridge is made of an alternative material that is different from the predominantly first material of the instrument.

Abstract: The moveable double slide assembly of the comprises a backslide which is connected to the double slide with a link that allows free floatation of the backslide rather than a fixed connection, and thus, the double slide experiences less resistance during travel of the moveable portion.

Abstract: A straight-through rotary valve structure includes: a case having an internal conic receiving space with an opening, a first extension section being disposed at a tip of the receiving space, a second extension section being disposed beside the first extension section; a conic rotary valve block having a pivot shaft and formed with a first hole and a second hole, the first hole communicating with a third hole formed at a tip of the rotary valve block in communication with the first extension section, the second hole communicating with a fourth hole formed on a conic face of the rotary valve block; and an outer cover blocking the opening of the case. The outer cover is formed with a central shaft hole through which the pivot shaft passes. The outer cover is further formed with a first perforation and a second perforation corresponding to the first and second holes respectively.

Abstract: A musical instrument such as a trombone is manufactured by moulding from polymeric material. The instrument has a moulded body section which has an internal bore through which air is blown by the player. The internal diameter of the bore has a restriction formed thereon so that the diameter of the bore tapers along the section for tuning or tonal adjustment of the instrument.

Abstract: A straight-through rotary valve structure includes: a case having an internal conic receiving space with an opening, a first extension section being disposed at a tip of the receiving space, a second extension section being disposed beside the first extension section; a conic rotary valve block having a pivot shaft and formed with a first hole and a second hole, the first hole communicating with a third hole formed at a tip of the rotary valve block in communication with the first extension section, the second hole communicating with a fourth hole formed on a conic face of the rotary valve block; and an outer cover blocking the opening of the case. The outer cover is formed with a central shaft hole through which the pivot shaft passes. The outer cover is further formed with a first perforation and a second perforation corresponding to the first and second holes respectively.

Abstract: A player changes the pitch of tones produced through a trombone by controlling the breath and a slide, and the control of slide is not easy for children, handicapped persons and old players; a supporting system is combined with the trombone, and includes a manipulating board fitted to an appropriate portion of the trombone close to the slide, a driving mechanism connected to the slide and a controlling unit connected to the manipulating board and driving mechanism; when the player wishes to change the pitch of tones through the sliding motion of the slide, he moves a lever on the manipulating board by a distance shorter than a target stroke of the slide, and the controlling unit calculates the target stroke so as to supply a driving signal to the driving mechanism; and the driving mechanism exerts force on the slide so as to assist the player in varying the length of the column of air.

Abstract: A contrabassoon has a body, a tuning slide, a bocal pipe and a novel register system. The body, tuning slide and bocal pipe form a tube having a continuous bore. The register system comprises 5 vent holes formed in the tube. Key mechanisms for selectively opening and closing the vent holes are described. The contrabassoon further comprises linkage to selectively operate a low E vent pad, and an alternative C-sharp tone hole, with accompanying key mechanism.

Abstract: A trombone has a rotary valve unit inserted between two parts of a main tube and further connected to a bypass tube, and a player manipulates the rotary valve unit for changing the length of vibrating air column, wherein the rotary valve unit has a cylindrical casing connected at both end surfaces thereof to the parts of the main tube, a first pair of ports formed on the side surface thereof and connected to both ends of the bypass tube and a second pair of ports, a short tube connected between the ports of the second pair and a rotor rotatable inside the cylindrical casing and having two air passages spaced from one another in the direction of the rotational axis thereof and connecting one of the parts of the main tube through the short tube to the other part at a first angular position and one of the parts through the bypass tube to the other part so that the rotary valve unit is compact.

Abstract: A brass instrument having a mouthpiece connected by a pipe to a valved body which is in turn connected to an output bending and a bell thereby defining an air duct. The bell and the output bending are formed of separate and detachable parts. The brass instrument has an intermediate section between the output bending and the bell and a coupling member for detachably coupling the intermediate section to the output bending and to the bell respectively. The intermediate section has a plurality of subsections in telescopic relation to one another and parts for adjusting an overlap between the plurality of telescopic subsections so as to change a length of the intermediate section whereby to alter a tone of the instrument.

Abstract: A brass wind instrument which changes pitch by varying the tube lengths thereof which includes a slide portion which is substantially half the physical length of a conventional slide. The slide assembly comprises two substantially U-shaped tubes which slidably engage corresponding tubes on a fixed portion of the trombone. The fixed portion of the trombone accommodates a conventional bell and a conventional mouthpiece. The slide assembly includes first and second substantially U-shaped slide tube members each having a pair of adjacent legs that slidably engage the fixed portion of the trombone. The slide assembly is configured such that customary pitch positions are obtainable.

Abstract: A slide trombone is provided which has an activatable attachment which lengthens the basic windpath of the instrument. The attachment is activated to lower the basic pitch of the instrument by a minor third. The instrument further has a reach (i.e., the distance which the slide travels from its innermost position to its outermost position) which does not exceed 55 centimeters. Thus, when the trombone is tuned to B.sup..music-flat. /G.sup..music-natural., the slide has a shorter reach than is conventional for a B.sup..music-flat. /F or other known B.sup..music-flat. /G.sup..music-natural., trombones. Therefore, for the B.sup..music-flat. /G.sup..music-natural., trombone, the slide may lower the pitch by five complete semitones. The trombone can also be tuned to C/A, D.sup..music-flat. /B.sup..music-flat., E.sup..music-flat. /C, and F/D. In the D.sup..music-flat. /B.sup..music-flat. embodiment, the trigger action may be reversed.

Abstract: A slide trombone is provided having a complete chromatic range extending from the tenor range to the pedal notes of the basic B.sup..music-flat. windpath. The trombone of the present invention includes two trigger activated attachments which are "in-line." The first attachment is thumb activated to lower the pitch of the basic windpath by a minor third. The second attachment is finger activated to lower the basic windpath by approximately six semitones so that the two attachments together lower the basic windpath by a minor sixth.

Abstract: A musical instrument which may be used to play a complete major scale without coordinated mouth and finger operations is formed as two or three horns having a single, shared mouthpiece, and pitched one or two half tones apart. One or both the of the horns may have one or two ports to enable one to play a complete major scale and other scale notes.

Abstract: Each of seven modified trumpet tubes is connected by a series of tubular "Y" connections to a single, conventional mouthpiece. Each modified tube is similar to a conventional trumpet except that its three manually-operated finger valves and associated valve slides have been replaced by a single, generally U-shaped tubular slide, which is slidably mounted on the outer end of the usual loop which is formed in the trumpet tubing. The slides are of slightly different lengths, and each is adjusted so that the overall effective axial length of each trumpet tube (from the mouthpiece to its bell) is equal to one of the seven different tube lengths, which are required to produce the seven different semitones capable of being produced by a conventinal trumpet. The entire chromatic trumpet range can be played simply by applying proper lip vibrations to the mouthpiece.

Abstract: A pitch adjuster for a valved brass instrument having a tuning slide crook for selectively operating the tuning slide crook between a normal position, a preselected inward position, and a preselected outward position, to raise or lower the note played. The pitch adjuster comprises a main rod mounted to the tuning slide crook and slideably mounted in a ring to the instrument. Stops on the rod limit the inward and outward movement of the rod and tuning slide crook to predetermined positions, by engaging the ring. The outer end of a spring is engaged on the rod and the inner end is engaged by a collar which is held from inward motion from the normal position, so that the spring is compressed when the rod and crook move inward and exerts an outward restorative force on the rod only when the rod is in inward from a normal position. An auxiliary rod is mounted on the inward side of the collar, parallel to the main rod.

Abstract: A rotary valve for selectively inserting and removing a slide loop from the sound path of a musical instrument is disclosed. The valve includes a rotor having two sound passages extending therethrough, one of the passages being straight and the other being only slightly curved. These passages align axially with the instrument's lead pipe, main bore, and slide loop ends so that a minimum of undesired harmonics are added to the tone of the instrument due to presence of the valve in the sound path.