US139141A - Improvement in music-leaf turners - Google Patents

Description

v1. H. GERRY.

Music Leaf' Turners.

Patented May20,1873\ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. GERRY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSIC-LEAF TURNERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent NoV 139,141, dated May 20, 1873 application filed March 15, 1873.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of' the same; Fig. 4, a sectional side view of one of theI folding arms; Fig. 5, a sectional edge view thereof; Fig. 6, a side view of the slide and lever for holding and disengaging the folding arms; and Fig. 7 a Vertical transverse section thereof on the line C O, Fig. 6.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new mechanism for turning the leaves ot' music on pianos and other musical instruments, or m usic-holders, by the action ot' a trigger or key; and consists principally in a novel method of' applying the springs to the folding arms or wires, so that the same will be moved by such spring-power as soon as they are disengaged from the retaining-shoulder. The folding arms or wires are pivoted to the music-rack or board, their pivots being pieces of' wire or rods that are at one end rigidly secured to said rack. When swinging one of' the folding arms or wires toward the right, its spring-pivot is twisted and the spring-power thereby called into et'ect. As soon as the folder is disengaged from this position, the spring will cause it to be violently and rapidly sprung to the left and to fold the page of the book or sheet-music. My invention also consists in providing a curved wire or track as a guide for the folding arms in such manner that on said track or curved wire, the arms will he moved from a nearly vertical or outwardly inclined position, by which they hold the leaves open, into a nearly horizontal position, after having folded the leaves over to the left, they being iu the latter position clear of' the leaves that have been folded over by them. My invention further consists in preparing on the aforementioned supporting board or rack, a projecting lug or ear on which a slide, which carries the disengaging lever and the lockingarms while the same are upright or inclined When, then, the leveris depressed it disen gages the front folder, and allows it to be swung toward the left, but it will not interfere with the position or' the others except to allow them y to nearer approach the retaining-shoulder.

In the accompanying drawing, the letter A' represents a supporting-rack or board placed upon a piano or other instrument or musicholder of suitable construction. B is a rod or wire for holding the music in place against the tace of' the rack, and is at its lower end rigidly secured to a projecting portion ofthe rack, A, and its upper end held in place by a springcatch, a. From out of this spring-catch it can be swung and its upper end moved off the face of the rack to allow the convenient insertion and removal of' the music. Being secured at its lower end it springs readily back into its locked position as soon as the music has been put in place or removed. O C are the folding arms or wires for turning the music, each of which is pivoted wit-hin a segmental holder or slotted plate, D, which holder or plate is by au upright Wire, b, pivoted to the face ofthe rack A, or the wires O and b may be made in continuous pieces. One end ot' this wire b is firmly secured to the face of the rack, or to a suitable projection therefrom, and its other end is loosely fitted through a perforated projecting plate, b, of said rack. When, therefore, the plate D of this arm C is folded toward the right, and then locked by means hereinafter described, the wire b will be twisted and will v exert a spring-power which will readily carry the plate D and folder G over toward the left again as soon as such plate is released from the retaining devices. To the face of' the rack A, beneath the lower edge ot' the music-sheet thereon supported, is rmly fixed a curved wire or track E. Each of the folders C has a loop or eye, e, formed on it, which loop or eye embraces the wire E, or enters the track E, if a track instead of' a wire is provided. The curve of this wire or track E is of such a nature that its lower end at the left-hand side is nearly on a level with the inner ends of the folder C, while its upper end on the right hand side is above and at an angle toward the right to and forward of said inner ends ot" the folders. By this wire or track, therefore, the folders will be carried into the two positions shown in Fig. l. That is to say, when the plate D is swung to the right, its folder G will be carried to the right with it, and at the same time swung by their connection with the track E into the inclined position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l. lVhen, however, the plate D is swung to the left by the spring-power hereinbei'ore alluded to, it will also carry its folder. C toward theleft with it; but said folder will, on the track E, be guided from the upright into a nearly horizontal position, indicated by full lines in Fig. l. In the latter position. the folder will be out ofthe way ofthe music, heilig entirely beneath the same. Each plate D has a projecting arm, f, which, when the plate is swung to the right, tits under the shoulderg of a slide, F, that is carried on a lug, 71, projecting from the tace ot the rack. rEhe slide F can be moved further away or nearer. to the face ot' the rack, and locked in any desired position by means of a thumb-screw, 1', so that its shoulderg will be in the requisite position `to hold the folders for thick or thinner books. G is a lever pivoted to the front end ot' the slide F, and held to it by means of a springgj. This lever is V-shaped, as indicated in Fig. 6, its lower horizontal arm bein shown by dotted lines in the said figure. The end ot' this lower arm of the lever G extends slightly behind the shoulder g, so that when said lever G is depressed, it will force the furthermost plate D down from off said shoulder g, and release the spring by which the same is carried toward the lett. When a series of plates, D, are swung to the right, the one furthest in front of them. will be in contact with the shoulder g, and when thelever is depressed it will only release said foremost plate D from thel shoulder, and not theothers, ot' which the one then farthest forward will subsequently come in contact with the shoulder g.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. The folder C, connected with the vibrat ing plate D, and combined with the guide-wire or track D, substantially as described.

2. The vibrating plate D ot' a music-leaf turner, when connected with the spring-pivot b ot' an independently-moving folder C, and with the projectingI arm j', as specified.

3. The adjustable slide F, carrying a lever, G, and the shoulder G, when applied to operate in combination with the folders of a musicleaf turner, as described.

JAMES H. GERRY.

' lllitnesses:

LnoNrDAs MURRAY, WILLIAM H. BOWEN.

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