So, these were the reasons to take a new look at what basically is a plugged hole in a brass tube. And here was the brief: To design and construct a more efficient, easy to use, easy to make mechanism to release water from a brass instrument, the construction of which offers minimum pipe distortion and maximum efficiency when activated - i.e. no 'volcano', corks, pistons etc. locking egress. The device to be preferably 'house-trained'.
It was immediately apparent that better brains than mine had been there well over two centuries ago and used the maxim 'if it works, don't fix it'. Spectres of ancient spring winders appeared, with forging Nibelungs fettling away producing works of hydrological art still seen on instruments today. It was also apparent that the priority was to use mass production manufacturing techniques.
No! It would still need a rod, which would get in the way of email database exiting fluids. A piston maybe, with a plug that actually went 'inside' the instrument when depressed? Same thing, back to square one. Time to talk to greengrocers, car salesmen, astronauts - if I knew one - and my friend the road sweeper on the Broadway. They'd know.
The birth of the 'Saturn' water key began with the background clatter and hiss of CNC machines in my friend Brian's production-engineering factory. Always heralded by an aural fanfare when parking my motorcycle - to musicians, I'm and engineer, to engineers I'm a musician. Yes, he thought he knew what was needed. Nothing to block the exit hole when open; can be activated in any direction 360° left or right handed; minimum deformation to the fixed tube when closed - the whole thing designed for mass production - and no cork. Plus a complimentary flying pig with every purchase.