US1190462A - Music-sheet turner. - Google Patents

Description

G. L. RICKARD.

MUSIC SHEET TURNER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12. 1914. RENEWED DEC. 15. 1915.

1,190,462. Patented July 11, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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MUSIC SHEET TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 12. 1914. RENEWED DEC. 15. 1915.

1,1 90,462. 1 Patented July 11, 1916.

3 SHKETS-SHEET 2.

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MUSIC SHEET TURNER.

APPLICATION man n:c.12. m4. RENEWED 05c. Is. 1915.

Patented July 11, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 A avwwto'z Geo ass L. RICKA RD UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

GEORGE L. RICKARD, OF WEST FAIRVIEW, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSIC-SHEET TURNER.

Application filed December 12, 1914, Serial No. 876,890. Renewed December 15, 1915.

T 0 all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE L. RIOKARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at West F airview, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Sheet Turners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved music sheet turner, and has for its primary object to provide a simple and eflicient mechanism for singly turning music sheets, so that the operator need not remove his hands from the musical instrument.

The invention has for another and more particular object to produce a device of the above character which is particularly designed for use in connection with pianos, the same including a plurality of sheet turning members mounted upon the front wall of the piano case, and mechanism arranged within the case for successively actuating said members.

The invention has for a further object to provide a music turner consisting of a minimum number of elements, whereby the same is rendered very reliable and positive in its operation and capable of manufacture at comparatively small cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a piano provided with my improved music turning attachment; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view. of one of the music sheet carriers; and Fig. 7 is a similar view of the arm actuating element.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the front wall of the piano case in which a vertically extending opening indi cated at 6 is'formed. At one side of this opening a bearing bracket 7 is suitably secured to the case wall. This bracket in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1916.

Serial No. 67,083.

cludes upper and lower parallel portions 8 and a vertical connecting bar 9. In the portions 8 of said bracket, the opposite ends of a vertically disposed rod or axis 10 are fixed. Upon this axis a plurality of pinions 11 are loosely mounted, and between said pinions the spacing plates 12 are arranged, said plates being notched at one of their ends as at 13 to receive the vertical bar 9 of the bearing bracket. To each of the pinions 11 a horizontally extending rod or arm 14: is secured at one of its ends. These arms are disposed in different planes and upon the same a music sheet clip, generally indicated by the numeral 15 is arranged. This clip consists of two clamping plates, the ends of which are provided with perforated ears through which the rod 11 extends. A short coil spring 16 is arranged upon the rod and bears at its ends against the opposed clamping plates so as to normally and yieldingly hold the lower ends of said plates in engagement with each other. This music clip may, be shifted to any desired position along the rod 14 in order to properly engage and clamp the upper edge of the music sheet at the desired point.

Upon the inner face of the front wall of the piano case, spaced bracket plates 17 are suitably secured. A pivot bolt 18 is secured in these plates and upon said bolt a series of levers are loosely mounted. Each of these levers includes a long arm 19 and a rela tively short inwardly projecting arm 20. Spacing disks or washers 21 are arranged upon the pivot bolt 18 between said levers. To the outer end of each of the long lever arms 19 one end of a rod 22 is loosely connected. The other end of each of said rods is suitably secured to a rack bar 23 which ex tends through the opening 6 in the front wall of the piano case. The teeth of this rack bar engage with the teeth of one of the pinions 11 and operate to rotate said pinion and throw the sheet carrying rod, as will be fully understood from the following description.

Between the bracket plates 17 one end of a horizontally disposed arm 21 is pivotally mounted as at 25. Upon the other end of this arm a tapering longitudinally curved plate 26 is pivotally secured by means of the pin 27. This plate is formed upon its pivoted end with a depending lug 28, to which one end of the curved bar 29 is pivotally connected as at 30. The smaller end of the plate 26 is formed with a shoulder indicated at 31 which is adapted to engage with the short arms 20 of the levers above referred to. The bar 29 has a vertically disposed arm 32 formed upon its other end which is located upon the opposite sides of the lever arms 20 with respect to the plate 26. In the lower edge of the bar 29 and adjacent to the vertical arm 32 thereon a notch 33 is formed. In this notch the free end of a leaf spring 34 is engaged, the other end of said spring being suitably fixed to one of the bracket plates 17. In suitable bearings 35 mounted upon one of the end walls of the piano case a vertically disposed rod 36 is rotatably mounted. This rod is provided adjacent to its upper and lower ends with the laterally extending arms 37. The upper arm is connected by means of a rod 38 to the end of the arm as which is mounted between the bracket plates 17. Upon the underside of the piano keyboard, a suitable operating lever 38 is pivotally mounted at a point intermediate of its ends. This lever extending outwardly beyond the keyboard is equipped with a plate 39 suitably formed to receive the knee of the operator. This plate may be provided with a strap if desired to encircle the leg of the operator. The inner end of the lever 38 is connected by means of a rod 4:0 to the lower arm 37 on the vertical rod 36. One end of a coil spring ll is also connected to this inner end of the operating lever and has its other end suitably secured to the lower bearing 34; or other stationary part.

Having above described the construction and arrangement of the several elements of my invention, its operation will be understood as follows: The lower edges of the music sheet clips 15 extend to different distances below the respective rods or arms 1% so that they may be properly clamped upon the upper edges of the several sheets of music which are arranged upon the usual desk or support on the front wall of the piano case. hen it is desired to turn one of the music sheets, the operator, by means of his knee, throws the outer end of the lever 39 to the left. The vertical rod 36 is thus rotated in its bearings and through the medium of the connecting rod 37, the arm 25 is shifted and the shoulder 32 on the end of the plate 26 engaged with the upper lever arm 20. This lever is thus moved upon the pivot bolt 18 and its longer arm thrown outwardly to shift the rack bar 23. The upper pinion 11 is thus rotated and the upper arm 14- carrying the music sheet thrown over to the left. In this movement of the plate 26, the bar 29 connected to said plate is, of course, also moved to the right and the spring 33 placed under tension. Upon the release of pressure on the outer end of the lever 38, said spring acts to return the bar 29 and plate 26 to their normal positions. This operation is repeated to successively turn the several sheets of music. When all of the music sheets have thus been turned and it is desired to repeat the music, the operator shifts the outer end of the lever 38 to the right so that the upstanding arm 31 on the bar 29 will engage the short lever arms 20 and simultaneously move the same to throw all the music carrying arms 1 L over to the right and return the same to their original positions.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawm s, the construction, manner of operation,

and several advantages of my invention will be clearly and fully understood. It will be appreciated that I have produced an extremely simple and convenient mechanism whereby the musician may turn the music sheets without removing his hands from the piano keyboard. The mechanism is also very positive and reliable in operation and owing to the few parts employed in its construction, is not liable to get out of order. The device occupies but little space within the piano case and may be readily applied to pianos of the present construction without necessitating any material alterations therein. It will, of course, be manifest that any desired number of the arm throwing levers may be provided, and the manner of mount ing said levers as well as the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts which cooperate therewith, may be variously modified within the scope of my invention. It will therefore be understood that, while I have illustrated and described the present preferred embodiment of the device, the same is, nevertheless, susceptible of various minor alterations therein and I therefore reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be embodied Within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

In a sheet turning mechanism, sheet carrying arms, a series of pinions to which the respective arms are secured, racks cooperating with the respective pinions, a series of levers each having arms extending at right angles to each other, said racks being connected to one of the lever arms, a pivotally mounted arm, a plate pivoted upon said arm at one of its ends and provided with a shoulder on its other end to engage the other arms of said levers, a bar pivotally connected to said sively engage the shoulder on said plate With the latter arms of said first named levers to turn the sheets, said vertical extension on said bar being adapted for engagement with the lever arms when the movement of said pivoted arm is reversed to simultaneously return the sheets to their normal positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

GEO. L. RIOKARD.

Witnesses GEORG H. HORNING, PAUL L. BENDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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