US1944295A - Music leaf-turning machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 23, 1934. J. H. MILLER MUSIC LEAF TURNING MACHINE f $74M b Filed Jun 29, 1932 Gum/MA 5 Jan. 23, 1934. v .1. H. MILLER 1,944,295

MUSIC LEAF TURNING MACHINE Filed July 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 23, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

10 A further object of this invention is to provide a machine or apparatus of the character referred to, which shall be of a comparatively simple construction and capable of use in all required situations; which shall be portable, light in weight,

16 devoid of mechanical complications, and adapted for use in turning leaves of different sizes.

A further object is to provide a leaf turning apparatus in which the leaves of a book or pack may be turned consecutively from right to left,

20 without the use of the players hands, and by which the leaves, after use may be restored to their original position for repetition of the operation.

According to my invention, the leaf turning 26 device comprises a music piece or book holding rack, which is intended and adapted to rest on a suitable music stand, table or other support, in front of the performer or player, and which rack has mounted thereon a series of independ- 30 cut pivotally arranged swinging and leaf carrying members, provided with clamps for attachment to-the leaves of the book, piece or pack. These members are so mounted as to be capable of being swung from right to left, and to carry separately with each member, and from right to left, a single leaf.

The means for swinging these members, comprise a pair of pivotally arranged discs, one of which constitutes a grooved pulley, to be operated through a cord, wire or chain, as hereinafter particularly explained while the other is provided with a tangentially extending arm mem her, and which is arranged and adapted, on actuation of the cord, to be brought into operative connection with the pulley and caused thereby to swing from right to left, carrying with it one of the leaf carrying members, with which the turning member is caused to engage or interlock, and, with the latter, a leaf from the music book 5 or pack, lying on the right hand side of the rack and depositing such leaf on the left side of the rack, the effect being the same as that produced in turning the leaves by hand in the ordinary manner.

While a separate turner is used for each leaf to be turned, but one turning member is used, the arrangement being such that, as the turned leaf carrying member is operated, the turning member becomes disengaged from the turned member, and by the action of a suitably arranged spring, restores the turning member to its original position to engage with and actuate another leaf carrying member, and with it to turn another leaf from right to left.

According to the invention, the turned leaves, with their carrying members, are adapted after use to be restored to the right hand side of the rack, either singly or together, so that the leaves of the same book or piece may be again turned, or

a new book or piece substituted.

The invention involved consists in the novel construction and combination of elements hereinafter more specifically described having in View the objects hereinafter recited, and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, refer- Fig. 4 is a similar View of the turning member without the operating pulley.

Fig. 5 is a face view of the operating pulley for the turning member.

Fig. 6 is an inner face view of one of shaft supporting standards for the turning members.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on line IV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is an edge view of a leaf holding clamp.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a music desk, with leaf turning mechanism in position thereon.

The machine or apparatus embodying my invention comprises a music rack 1, consisting of a skeleton frame of rectangular form, which is preferably made in two sections, 2 and 3 respectively, which are hinged together, as indicated at 4, so that it may be folded for convenience in handling, transportation or storing. This rack is intended and adapted to rest on a table, music desk or piano, and is entirely portable so as to be supported in any convenient manner and in various positions Within convenient View of the user.

At the upper end of one of the rack sections there is attached a supporting base for the leaf turning mechanism, consisting of a hollow boxlike casing 5, open at its under side, and supporting on its upper side the standards or pillars 6,

7, 8, securely attached thereto. The standards or pillars 6 and "I constitute the bearing for a shaft 9, on which are rotatably mounted the leaf carrying members 10, through the movement of which the leaves of a music book or pack, are turned from right to left.

Th se members consist each of a disc 10 and a flattened bar 10 extending laterally therefrom.

The discs 1G are arranged side by side in parallel planes, and the l0 lies in planes perpendicular or at right angles to the planes of the discs.

The several bars 10 are connected to their respective discs by short, narrow neck portions 11, situated at different distances from the edges of the bars so as to lie beside each other in the same row.

The bars 10 are aranged and adapted to be in the arc of a circle, so as to swing from positions above the right hand side of the music rack, to positions over the left hand side and vice versa, and to turn the leaves to which the bars l0 are attached from side to side of the rack, as when the leaves are turned in the usual manner.

To hold and turn the leaves, the turning bars 10 are equipped with leaf holding clamps 12, which are pivotally attached to the downwardly projecting arms 13, of the bars 10 and are adapted to be swung to the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, out of the way of the leaves of the book and the upper edges of the rack when required. These clamps are provided with sepa rate pivotally attached jaws or arms to hold the leaves in position, and which are laterally turnable to admit the leaves and hold them in position.

In arranging and adapting the leaves of a book or pack of interfolded leaves, the bears 10 are brought over to the left of the rack, as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and rest one above the other.

The book or pack is then placed on the left hand side of the rack, with the folded or bound edge of the book at the right, or in the middle.

The uppermost bar 10 is now turned over to the right end and the clamp spread to receive the leaf. The leaf is then turned to the right and clamped in place ready to turn. Each leaf carrying member and leaf is turned to the right as above described until all the leaves that it is desired to turn are resting on the right side and lie in the form of a closed pack or book, in which position the leaves are adapted to be turned successively to the left by the operation of the turning mechanism which will be now described.

A shaft 15 is supported in bearings in the standards or pillars, '7, 8, and has loosely mounted thereon a grooved pulley 16, which is coupled by a coiled spring 15 to the pillar or standard 8, lying within a recess 17, so that when the pulley is turned from right to left the spring will be so wound and tensioned as to turn the pulley from left to right, after a leaf has been turned from right to left.

The pulley 16, as illustrated, is formed with the short arcuate slots 16 concentric with the axis of the pulley, to receive the pins 1'7 projecting from the face of the disc or plate 18, mounted loosely on the shaft of the pulley and forming part of the turning member 19, which project tangentially from the disc.

This disc and pulley are engageable with each other so that when the pulley is turned from left to right it will turn the disc in the same direction, carrying with it the turning member 19.

The object of the arcuate slots in the pulley and the pins on the face of the turning disc is to allow the pulley a limited amount of play, or lost motion, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

As shown and indicated there is a separate leaf carrying member for each leaf 0; music. These are successively turned from right to left by means of the single turning member 19.

To engage the turning member with the turned arms, each of the latter is provided with a short plate or bar 20, of inverted L shag end of which is bent or folded to form a pocket 21, open at the lower portion, and preferably having a beveled or oblique lip.

The turning member 19, has pivoted on its up per surface a T shaped lever 21 one cross arm 22, of which has attached to it the operating cord or chain 23, which passes over the pulley 16, and leads to a suitably arranged pedal by which the cord or chain is operated.

The other cross member 24, has attached to it a coiled spring 25, which is secured at one end to the turning member, and exerts a pull on the lever 21 against the pull of the operating cord.

The operating cord leads from the pulley 16, to the pulley 26, thence to a pulley 27, both located as shown, and thence downward between the inner edges of the rack and through a series of eyes 28, attached to the framing of the music rack.

A short spiral spring 36, is attached to the rack and connected to the cord at both ends of the spring, which exerts a strain on the cord and pedal so as to relax the cord between the spring and pulley 16, after the pedal has been depressed, in order to allow the lever 20, on the turning member to assume a proper position for engagement with the leaf carrying members.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the machine is shown with the several elements in positions for turning the leaves 31, of a book or collection of leaves, the uppermost leaf being held in position by the clamp or clamps carried by the leaf carrying members.

Now upon pulling the cord or chain the pulley 16 will be rotated a short distance without engaging the disc of the turning member, the arcuate slots permitting such free rotation, and

the outer V the lever 21 will be swung into the pocket-at the outer end of the post-and the turning member will therefore be in operative engagement with the turned member to which the post is attached.

The tension on the cord being continued, the

pulley 16 will be further rotated and being ngaged with the disc of the turning member, will rotate this member and swing the leaf carrying member with an attached leaf, through the arc of a circle, from right to left of the music rack, to the position shown in dotted lines to the left of Fig. 1.

As will be seen, the shaft of the leaf carrying member is out of center with the shaft of the pulley, being slightly to the left of the latter.

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As heretofore explained, the pulley 16 is loose on its shaft and communicates movement to the turning member through the arcuate slots of the pulley and the pins projecting from the disc, the pulley thus being turnable a short distance without engagement with the turning member and disc. The purpose of this construction is first, to ease the back pull on the operating cord, so that the spring 25 can pull the lever 21 to its proper position on the turning member 19; secondly, when it is desired to turn another leaf, to allow the lever 21 to enter the pocket 21 before the pulley 16 engages with the disc posts of the turning member, after which operation the pull on the operating cord will rotate the pulley so that the pins on the disc will be locked into engagement with the slotted portion of the pulley, and the turning member positively turned from right to left, carrying with it the leafcarrying member.

It is to be noted that the lever arm or finger 21 rests on the leaf-carrying member on the right hand, and would be under the leaf carrying memher when on the left hand.

The shaft 9 of the turned or leaf-carrying members, however, being as before explained, off the center relatively to the shaft of the pulley 16 and turning member, whereby the turned member and turning arms become disengaged when turned to the extreme left. The turning member when now swung to the right, after the turning of a leaf, will lie in the position shown in Fig. 1, that is, above the next leaf carrying member, ready for the turning of another leaf.

When all the leaves of book or musical score have been turned from right to left, they may be restored to their original position on the right, but in order to avoid the difficulty of having the .turning member at the bottom of, or below the leaves, which would happen if the turning member were allowed to swing back to the right after the turning of the last leaf, the turning member is restrained from so. swinging back to the right by a pivoted manually operable latch or detent 30, which holds the turning member in a right hand position, thus allowing the turned leaves to be returned to their original position, one above the other, after which the turning member may be released by disengaging the latch 30 therefrom, whereupon it will swing back to the right, above the leaves to occupy the proper position for repetition of the operation.

As will be seen, the leaf clamps are pivotally attached to the brackets on the leaf carrying members and hence may be swung out of the way in parked position, so as to lie parallel to and above the music rack. This is an important and useful feature, as it allows the leaves of a book of music lying on the music rack to be turned freely by hand by the player until the particular T piece of music to be played, composed of a plurality of leaves, is reached, without removing the book from the rack. The clamps may then be attached to the several leaves of the book required to be turned.

Provision is made for the accommodation of leaves of different sizes, by the use of a movable support on the frame of the rack, consisting of a transverse bar 32, having dogs 33, pivoted at the ends and engaging with the teeth 34, on the side edges of the rack.

This is adjustable up and down, to bring the margins of the leaves to the proper position relatively to the clamps.

While I have shown two sets of clamps, arranged in spaced relation, but one set will be usually required, to wit, the outer set. The inner set may be turned out of the way when not required and can be used if a leaf is too small tobe attached to the outer clamp. In this way the machine is adapted to be used with leaves of any size.

When adjusting the leaves and attaching the clamps for the first time, the turning member is pulled over to the left and held there temporarily by the latch 30; the turnable or leaf carrying members are arranged one above the other on the left hand side of the rack and the uppermost leaf carrying member swings over to the right, and the clamp or clamps, thereof attached to the upper edge or margin of the last leaf of the book or piece.

Another leaf carrying member is swung from the pile on the left to the right, and attached to the next leaf. The operation is repeated until all the leaves are attached to the leaf-carrying members. The turning member is now released and allowed to swing to the right, under the impulse of its spring, and assume the position shown in full lines in Fig. l, with the lever arm or finger 21 resting on the post 20, outside the pocket 21 and out of engagement with the leaf holding arm. The mechanism is now in position for the turning of the leaves.

To operate the machine the cord is now pulled and the pulley is turned slightly to the left, causing the lever 21 to swing into the pocket 21 and engage a leaf carrying member. A further pull on the cord brings the pulley 16 into engagement with the turning member, and causes the latter to swing over to the left, carrying with it the attached leaf. The cord being now relaxed and as before explained the turning member is now released from engagement with the leaf carrying member the former will now spring back to its original position.

Another leaf is now attached to the next leaf carrying member and the operation repeated.

While the music rack has been shown and described as an element of the machine, it is obvious that it may if desirable, be dispensed with and the leaf turning mechanism supported on a suitable base. attached to a table, music-stand or other holder, with the operating cord and pedal arranged to suit the convenience of the player.

I claim:

1. A leaf turning mechanism comprising a series of pivotally mounted leaf carrying members, adapted when swung in the arc of a circle to shift the attached leaves of a book or music piece from one side to the other of a support, means for swinging said members in succession said means comprising a cord, a loosely mounted pulley operated by said cord, a leaf turning member normally disengaged from said pulley and engageable thereby when the cord is drawn, means carried by said leaf turning member for automatically engaging a leaf carrying member when the cord is drawn, means for automatically disengaging the engaged members at the end of a swinging movement, and means for automatically restoring the turning member to its normal position after such disengagement.

2. A leaf turning machine as set forth in claim 1, in which a leaf carrying member, and the pulley and associated turning members are 7.1, mounted on parallel axes, out of axial alignment with each other and the leaf carrying and leaf turning members are rotatable in arcs of circles eccentric to each other.

3. A leaf turning machine, as claimed in claim 15$ 1, in which the means for operatively connecting the turning member to a carrying member, comprises a T shaped lever pivotally mounted on the turning member and having cross arms connected respectively to the operating cord and to a spring attached to the turning member, whereby on tensioning the cord, the lever will be swung into engagement with the leaf carrying member, and upon release of said tension the lever will be disengaged by the action of the spring.

4. A leaf turning machine as set forth in claim 1, in which the pulley is formed with arcuate slots, and the turning member provided with an operating spring arranged and adapted to automatically operate the same when the pulley is rotated a limited distance independently of the turning member, whereby the turning member and the eaf carrying members will become initially engaged before movement of the leaf carrying member.

5. A leaf turning machine, comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted leaf carrying members, a single leaf turning member, through which said carrying members are operated, a pulley having a spring to actuate it in one direction and engageable from each of said leaf carrying members, a pulley actuating cord adapted to be operated by a pedal and means whereby on the rotation of said pulley in one direction the said single member will be engaged with a leaf carrying member prior to the movement of the latter, and the latter thereafter swung on its axis from right to left, the said leaf turning member and the single member being on axis out of alignment with each other.

6. A leaf turning machine comprising a plurality of pivoted leaf carrying members, a single leaf turning member adapted to be brought into engagement, successively with each leaf carrying member to swing the latter from right to left of a supporting plane; a cord adapted to be operated by a pedal mechanism, means whereby the said single member and carrying member will be brought into co-acting engagement when the cord is drawn and caused to swing together from right to left and means whereby the leaf turning and the leaf carrying members will be automatically disengaged from each other at the end of their cojoint swinging movement, and the said single member restored to its original position at the right.

JOSEPH H. MILLER.

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