GB2514991A - Improved moisture control in a set of bagpipes - Google Patents

Abstract

A moisture control system for a set of bagpipes, in order to limit exposure of the reeds of drones [13, 14] to moisture derived from the breath of the piper inflating the bag. The system is provided externally of the bag and comprises stocks 20 having moisture absorbing material in the path of the air expelled from the bag and passing through the stocks to drones mounted on the ends of the stocks. Each stock is mounted in an outlet of the inflatable bag of a set of bagpipes and comprises: a base coupling portion 21 mounted in the outlet; a socket portion 22 in which a drone can be received; and a recess in the stock capable of receiving moisture absorbing material such as silica gel crystals. A removable cartridge 23, 24, 25 may house the moisture absorbing material. The stocks 20 may also be used to mount a chanter and blowpipe on the inflatable bag; they are suitable for use with an inflatable bag of synthetic or organic material.

Description

Intellectual Property Office Application No. GB1304260.1 RTIVI Date:7 October 2014 The following terms are registered trade marks and should be read as such wherever they occur in this document: Goretex Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.govuk

I

IMPROVED MOISTURE CONTROL IN A SET OF BAGPIPES

This invention is concerned generally with providing improved moisture control in bagpipes, so as better to control the quality of sound generated by the bagpipe drone reeds.

Background to the Invention

One example of a set of bagpipes is shown in Fig I of the accompanying drawings, and is a traditional Great Highland Bagpipe. Othcr types of bagpipe have somc different features, but common to all of them is the provision of an inflatable bag filled with air by the piper via an inlet blow pipe, and sets of drones connected to outlets of the bag via respective drone stocks. The drones each include a vibratory reed which generates a distinctivc sound when air is expelled from thc bag and passcs through cach dronc.

Stocks are also provided to mount the blowpipe and chailter on the bag.

The term "bagpipe stock" referred to herein comprises a stock which is capable of being mounted in an outlet of an inflatable bag of a set of bagpipes, and which is capable of having any pipe of the bagpipe coupled therewith, including tenor and base drone pipes, chanter and blowpipe.

The Great highland Bagpipe is particularly prone to tuning problems arising from excessive amounts of breath -derived moisture coming into contact with drone reeds as such moisture can seriously affects the quality of sound. When a piper plays the bagpipes, moisture in the breath travels into the instrument and thereafter settles inside thc bagpipe.

Thus the Great Highland Bagpipes are considered to be one of the most, if not thc most, temperamental of musical instruments. This is due to the extensive maintenance that is required to keep a set of pipes playable. When pipes are played the moisture from the breath passes down the blow pipe into the bagpipe bag. The air circulates inside the bag and passes through the stocks (the bottom section of the drones that is attached to the bag and allows the drones to be installed). Air then passes through the bagpipe reeds (which are fitted into the drones and chanter, and are what make the distinctive bagpipe sound) and out through the drones and chanter.

There are two types of bag: Synthetic, which is made of any suitable man-made airtight material, an example being Goretex; and Organic, examples being sheepskin, goatskin or cowhide. Many players prefer organic bags because of their superior quality of sound compared with synthetic bags. The disadvantage of an organic bag is that the sound quality has a very limited time frame. Although the bag does help absorb some moisture, players are still restricted to a short period of quality playing before the pipes become un-tunable due to moisture build up inside the bagpipes.

All effective moisture control systems currently on the market require the player to gain access to the system for maintenance. A synthetic bag has a zip for this purpose built into the bag. A traditional organic bag is a sealed unit (other than manually cut holes into which the bagpipe stocks are inserted) which requires regular seasoning. Seasoning prevents the bag from leaking air by nourishing the leather. This thick liquid remains in the bag to clog up the bag's pores. This means (a) that an effective system cannot fit inside a traditional organic bag and (b) if a system could fit it would be choked by the seasoning and this would prevent it from fulfilling its purpose. These two reasons alone mean that no effective system is compatible with a traditional organic bag.

Some of the biggest selling and most popular moisture control systems are "Ross Canister systems", "Bannatyne Canister Moisture Control System", "The Moisture Control System", "Bannatyne Water trap -Bottle", and "Bannatyne Water trap -Water Retention Sleeve". These systems (and other variations) are all based around the same principle in that they are all fitted inside the bagpipe bag. This means they are not compatible with organic bags, which restricts their use.

The Present Invention The present invention seeks to solve the problem of excessive amounts of moisture coming into contact with drone reeds by a novel system fitted externally of the bag, and as will be defined in the attached set of patent claims.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, and applicable particularly <though not exclusively> to improving moisture control in the Great Highland set of Bagpipes, a Moisture Control System is fitted externally (outwith the bagpipe bag). The system is an engineered set of stocks that has been designed to replace the existing bagpipe stocks in order to absorb excess moisture. This makes it not only compatible with synthetic bags but also primarily, and more importantly, with organic bags.

The system therefore is able to restrict <excess> moisture from accessing the bagpipe reeds by replacing standard bagpipe stocks with customized stocks into which standard drones, chanter and mouthpiece can be individually inserted.

The inherent design of the drone stocks of the invention preferably incorporate a custom made cartridge fitted with any suitable moisture retaining product that absorbs any undesired excess in the breath and thereby prevents it from settling in the reeds and consequently adversely affecting the quality of the sound generated.

Some moisture in the pipes is imperative, but if there is too little the pipes will not have a quality sound and if there is too much the pipes become so inconsistent they lose their quality of sound altogether.

For a quality sounding pipe the drone reed must remain free of moisture to allow for the drone tonguc to vibratc frccly. The chanter reed benefits from having a small amount of moisture to allow it to have the best sound. The reason why chanter reeds work better with moisture is because they are still made from cane which is a natural substance. The moisture frees up the reed and allows the tongue to vibrate freely, although too much moisture can have an adverse effect and cause the reed to become unstable and the pitch to become flat.

Most modem drone reeds are made from metal or synthetic materials such as plastic, rubber or carbon fibre. All of these substances are affected by moisture in some way.

When the air passes over the reed the condensation from the player's breath then rests on the tongue of the reed, causing it to vibrate more slowly and changing the sound.

Most of the known systems referred to above only allow either very limited, or total, dryncss for all three drones and chanter reed, thereby sacrificing overall quality of sound. The moisture control system of the preferred embodiment allows the air to travel from the bag to the chanter reed and in so doing does not only maintain chanter sound but also prolongs the access of moisture to the drone reeds.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the accompanying drawings, Fig I <referred to above> shows a standard design of a set of bagpipes to which the invention may be applied, and Fig 2 shows a detail view of a standard design of drone stock fitted to the bag in order to mount the bagpipe drones onthebagshown in Fig 1.

Detailed Description of the Invention

One preferred example of a bagpipe drone stock according to the invention will now be described in detail with reference to Fig 3 of the accompanying drawings, and which may be mounted on the set of bagpipes shown in Fig 1 in order to provide improved moisture control.

The standard drone stock shown in Fig 2 is designated by reference 10, and has a coupling portion 11 at one end which is securely mounted in an outlet of the bag shown in Fig 1, and to which a respective drone can be coupled via a socket portion 12 at the opposite end of stock 10. Fig I shows bass drone 13, tenor drones 14, blowpipe 15 and chanter 16 each mounted on the bag via respective drone stocks 10.

The bagpipe stock shown in Fig 3 forms part of an improved moisture control system according to the invention, and which is provided externally of the bag, and which is particularly applicable to bagpipes provided with bags made of natural or organic material. The drone stock is designated generally by reference 20, and has a base coupling portion 21 which is securely mounted in a bag outlet so as to allow a respective drone etc to be securely mounted on the bag. At the opposite end is a socket portion 22 arranged to receive the inboard "reeded end" of each drone.

The stock 20 can replace one or more of the current standard designs of drone stock 10 shown in Fig 1.

Intermediate the stock portions 21 and 22, there is arranged a removable "moisture control" cartridge, which comprises a perforated tubular bore 23, a sleeve 24 and a retaining cap 25. The bore 23 is slidable within sleeve 24, and a recess is defined within the so-formed cartridge to receive any suitable moisture absorbing material <not shown> which is arranged in the path of flow of at least some of the air expelled from the bag to pass through thc stock 20 and through the respective dronc. One preferred moisture absorbing material used in the carfridge is silica gel crystals, which can be removed and dried for re-use when necessary.

After securcmcnt of the retaining cap 25, the cartridge is screwed to base portion 21, and which in turn is screwed into socket portion 22.

The resulting assembly 20 is then able to replace standard drone stocks 10, and provide any required degree of moisture control for the reeds of the bagpipe set to which it is applied.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS1. A bagpipe stock 20 adapted to be mounted in an outlet of an inflatable bag of a set of bagpipes, in which the stock is arranged to have a respective drone 13, 14, 15 coupled therewith, andcomprises: a base coupling portion 21 mounted, or capable of being mounted in a respective outlet of the inflatable bag; a socket portion 22 in which a respective drone 13, 14, 15 can be received, the drone having a reed arranged to vibrate and emit sound when air is expelled from the bag to flow through thc stock; and a recess arranged in the drone stock to be capable of receiving moisture-absorbable naSal through which at least some of air expelled from the bag must pass before acting on the drone reed.
2. 2. A stock according to claim 1, including moisture-absorbable material arranged in the recess in the stock.
3. 3. A stock according to claim 2, in which a removable cartridge 23,24, 25 houses the moisture-absorbable material, and is detachably connected coupled with the bascportion2l.
4. 4. A stock according to claim 3, in which silica gd crystals comprise the moisture absorbing material.
5. 5. A stock according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the socket portion 22 is capable of receiving a standard design of tenor or bass drone, a chanter or a blowpipe.
6. 6. A stock substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. 7. A bagpipe set including at least one bagpipe stock according to any one of the preceding claims.
8. 8. A bagpipe set according to claim 7, and having a bass drone 13, tenor drones 14, a chanter 16, and a blow pipe 15 cach coupled with the bag via a respective drone stock 20.
9. 9. A bagpipe set according to claim 7 or claim 8, and having a bag made of artificial or organic material.