Sarusaphone?

At first I thought Bill D was objecting to the sousaphone, and I was ready to counter-object in defense of one of my favorite instruments. But then I took a closer look and decided to Google "sarusaphone" to see if anything turned up.

I was given a number of links, and learned that the original idea for the intrument was to create a double-reed woodwind that would be louder than an oboe and thus fit for outdoor performance, especially in marching bands. Sarusaphones were designed and made in varous sizes, with a variety of tonal ranges.

However, before long, manufacturers began marketing single-reed sarusaphones, because many more people know how to play single-reed than double-reed instruments.

This instrument was developed/"invented" at about the same time as the saxophone, and Mr. Sax (yes, there was such a person) sued ~ unsuccessfully ~ for patent infringement.

He apparently thought the sarusaphone was ianppropriately similar to his eponymous brass/woodwing invention. I would presume that the original double-reed sarusaphone would not have prompted the lawsuit, but that the single-reed variation was seen as insufficiently different from a sax.

What I was NOT able to find was any kind of picture. I'm curious...