Flavored musical instrument reeds

• US 5,479,842 A
• Filed: 12/30/1993
• Issued: 01/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walter H. Ostermeyer
• Original Assignee: Walter H. Ostermeyer
• Inventors: Ostermeyer, Walter H.
• Primary Examiner(s): SPYROU, CASSANDRA
• Application Number:
  US08/176,096
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 84/383 A, 84/380 A, 84/383 R, 427/392, 427/442, 427/388.4
• US Class Current: 84/383.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 9/035 Reeds

Abstract

A reed for a musical instrument comprising a reed body having opposite ends. One end being adapted to be mounted in a mouthpiece of a musical instrument. The other end is tapered from a position remote of the one end toward the other end to give to the reed the required stiffness adjacent the other end. A flavoring is absorbed into the reed body. The flavoring being concentrated at the other end.

Claims

1. A reed for a musical instrument comprising a reed body having opposite ends, one of said ends being adapted to be mounted in a mouthpiece of a musical instrument, the other of said ends being tapered from a position remote of said one end toward said other of said ends, said reed body being impregnated with a water solution of a water soluble based flavorant, said flavorant being concentrated at said other of said ends.

2. The reed of claim 1 wherein said reed body is also impregnated with colorant, said colorant being concentrated at said other of said ends.

3. The reed of claim 1 wherein said reed body in cross-section is totally flavored at said other of said ends.

4. The reed of claim 1 wherein said reed body in cross-section is partially flavored at said one of said ends.

5. The reed of claim 4 wherein said reed body has a centrally portion adjacent said one of said ends in which there is no flavorant.

6. The reed of claim 5 wherein said central portion extends from adjacent said one of said ends to a position between said ends.

7. The reed of claim 1 wherein said reed body in cross-section is totally colored at said other of said ends.

8. The reed of claim 1 wherein said reed body in cross-section is partially colored at said other of said ends.

9. The reed of claim 8 wherein said reed body has a centrally portion in which there is no colorant.

10. The reed of claim 1 wherein said flavorant is concentrated at the exterior surface of said reed body.

11. The reed of claim 1 wherein said reed body is of bamboo wood.

12. The reed of claim 2 wherein said colorant is food coloring.

13. The reed of claim 2 wherein said colorant is concentrated at the exterior surface of said body.

14. The reed of claim 1 wherein said flavorant has no alcohol therein to render said flavorant water soluble.

15. The reed of claim 1 wherein said flavorant at said one of said ends replaces and enhances said flavorant adjacent said other of said ends by the lapping motion of a musician.

16. The reed of claim 2 wherein said colorant at said one of said ends replaces and enhances said colorant adjacent said other end by the lapping motion of a musician.

17. A reed for a musical instrument comprising a reed body having opposite ends, one of said ends being adapted to be mounted in a mouthpiece of a musical instrument, the other of said ends being tapered from a position remote of said one of said ends toward said other of said ends, said reed body being impregnated with a water solution of water soluble flavorant, said flavorant being concentrated at said other of said ends, said flavorant adjacent said one of said ends having a reservoir of flavorant at said other of said ends, said flavorant adjacent said one of said ends migrating toward said other of said ends by the lapping motion of a musician using said reed.

18. A reed for a musical instrument comprising a reed body having opposite ends, one of said ends being adapted to be mounted in a mouthpiece of a musical instrument, the other of said ends being tapered from a position remote of said one of said ends toward said other of said ends, said reed body being impregnated with a water solution of a water soluble flavorant, said flavorant being concentrated at said other of said ends, said flavorant adjacent said one of said ends being a reservoir of flavorant for said other of said ends, said flavorant adjacent said one of said ends migrating toward said other of said ends by the lapping motion of a musician using said reed, said reed body being also impregnated with a water solution of a water soluble colorant, said colorant being concentrated at said other of said ends, said body in cross-section being totally flavored at said other of said ends, said body in cross-section being partially flavored at said one of said ends, said body in cross-section being totally colored at said other of said ends, said body in cross-section being partially colored at said other of said ends, said body having a centrally located portion in which there is no colorant and no flavorant, said flavorant being concentrated at the exterior surface of said body, said colorant being food colorant, said colorant being concentrated at the exterior surface of said body, said flavorant at said one of said ends replacing and enhancing said flavorant adjacent said other of said ends by the lapping motion of a musician using said reed, said colorant at said one of said ends replacing and enhancing said colorant adjacent said other of said ends by the lapping motion of a musician using said reed.