Hi - Back on the 20th, in response to spring 64's ?, I stuck my neck out re: 
patents, since I worked for quite a few years as a technical "assistant" to 
patent attorneys, in the promotion of patentable ideas to patents and the prior 
art searching by computer and in the USPat. Office.  I'm quite interested in 
the German "compilation" of musical inst/accessories patents. I will be glad to 
help anyone find and then get copies of pats found by searches.  I do this 
for persons on woodwind.org etc , usually for no charge, if "simple" to do. I am 
a mediocre cl/sax'ist, dabble in repairs and refacings. Don Berger