PATENTS


On this page you find Adolphe Sax's famous original patent and the two other patents on saxophones that were granted to him.

The first patent, of course, is important as a starting point and a legal document, but the other two are interesting because they give witness to Sax's thoughts as to how things could, or should, go further with his saxophone. Very soon after the expiring of the first patent, Sax was no longer the foremost manufactoror of saxophones anymore and at the time the third patent was submitted the days of his glory were long gone. Although the later patents couldn't prevent competitors from building saxophones, they still influenced the further development of the instrument. Ideas from both of them, albeit sometimes in another form, you find with other manufacturors. It is worthwhile to also read the page on the Ad. Sax alto saxophone 40842 (under «MECHANISMS») as this instrument incorporates the ideas of the 1881 patent.

Sax, of course, uses the french way of naming notes: ut, re, mi fa, sol, la and si, which corresponds with C, D, E, F, G, A and B. Also, he consequently puts these note names at the spot where the key has to be open to make them sound! Colouring, for added clarity, of the drawings belonging to the third patent by myself.

Patent nr. date name designation

 F     3226 4-21-1846 Adolphe Sax Un système d'instrument à vent, dit: saxophones.
 F   70894 4-19-1866 Adolphe Sax Perfectionnements apportés aux instruments de musique dits saxophones.
 F 139884 1-16-1881 Adolphe Sax Perfectionnements aux saxophone et autres instruments à vent.