US2282135A - Illuminated music rack - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 1942. w. E. JANSSEN ILLUMINATED MUSIC RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1940 INVENTOR.

if gym BY ATTORNEY.

May 5, 1942. w. E. JANSSEN ILLUMINATED MUSIC RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 1940 I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 5, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED MUSIC BACK 7 Webster E. Janssen, Westport, Conn.

Application March 15, 1940, Serial No. 324,050

3 Claims.

This invention relates to illuminated music racks and is herein described in some detail as embodied in a music rack or support which is adapted to be built into one of the most compact forms of modern standard-keyboard pianos and which may also serve to throw shielded light on the keys thus enabling the piano to be easily played in a darkened room with light on both the music and the keys.

One of the annoying problems which seriously disturbs musicians in playing a piano is the proper lighting of sheet music which for the convenience of the musicians stands onthe usual music rack above the keyboard, and the rack often forming part of the front of the upper casing of the piano.

Often the most satisfactory lighting of the music is obtained by placing a lighted highstandard floor lamp near one shoulder of the musician. Attempts have been made to provide attachments to be afllxed to the piano to provide suitable lights and racks, but they are awkward to attach to many pianos, must be attached oarefully to avoid marring the piano, are exposed and so become gatherers of dust, and do not ordinarily fit at the most convenient height for the musician.

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objections and disadvantages are overcome, and a piano-music lighted support is provided which may be built into many of the most compact pianos, does not project from the piano when not in use, holds the music atthe most convenient height, and is well adapted to be used in a darkened room so as to ive the musician a highly effective lighting of both music and keys and yet throw no light elsewhere to blind the eyes of an audience.

The invention is herein disclosed in some detail as embodied in a compact piano having a horizontally sliding fall board which slips backwardly away from the keys.

In the form shown the shelf above the fall board, or, at least, the central portion of the shelf is slidable forwardly and the front part of the shelf is adapted to be swung upwardly and backwardly so as to become a music rack.

In 'the form shown, the lifting of the rack uncovers a light concealed beneath the shelf so that the light may shine upwardly and rearwardly against sheet music resting on the shelf, thus effectively illuminating the music by light wholly concealed from the musician and audience.

The light is shown as shining through a transparent sheet which forms part of the rest on which the music may be set.

If desired the light may also shine through a front slot to illuminate the keyboard.

When the music rack is out of use, it is shown as usually swung forwardly and downwardly to cover the light and then pushed rearwardly until the top of the rack becomes the front of the shelf.

If desired the light may be normally extinguished and only lighted when the rack is swung upwardly.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a sectional side view of one embodiment of the invention taken on the line. l-i of Figure 3.

Figure 2 sectional front view of the same taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top view of the parts seen in Figure 1 with the slidable section in closed position.

Figure 4 is a sectional side view on the line 5-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional front view of a roller track for the rack roller on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional side view of the track of Figure 5 on the line 6-6 of that figure.

The invention is shown as embodied in a commercial form of piano in which keys ID, at the front ends of downwardly extending levers H, lie behind a lip l2.

A horizontally fall board 13 may be drawn forward upon slides It! to cover the keys and its pivotedfront portion l5 may be dropped to close the space in front of the keys.

Inthe form shown the fall board I3 is caused to move parallel to itself by a rock shaft l6 extending across the piano above the key levers II, and carrying at each end a rock arm l1, pivoted to a link I1, which in turn is suitably pivoted to the fall board [3.

The fall board I 3 is arrested at the front end of its travel by stops (9 which limit the throw of the rock arms l1, and is arrested at the rear end of its travel by a stop 20.

The type of piano shown, usually includes an upper front wall 22 above the fall board with a shelf 23 between the fall board and the upper front wall 22. According to the embodiment of the invention shown the shelf 23 includes fixed end sections 24 and a central slidable section 25. the central slidable section music rack carried on end In the form shown, 25 takes the form of a pivots or rods 26 near its foot, said pivots sliding in rails or tracks 21 so that when it is swung forwardly and downwardly it may be pushed rearwardly beneath the bottom 28 Of the wall 22 until it strikes a rear stop 29, and its front end rests on small felt buffers 30, near each margin of the section or rack 25.

To cause the rack 25 to slide easily and smooth- 1y parallel to itself, in the form shown there is provided a rock shaft 3| joumalled at theback of the wall 22 "well above the tracks '21, and the rock shaft 3| carries at each end a rock arm 32 pivotally connected to a link 33, the links being,

shown as hinged to the foot 34 of the rock 25.

When the rack 25 stands nearly upright, in position to hold sheet music, the pivots 26- rest 7 in detaining depressions 35 at the front ends of the tracks 21, thus holding 'the'front face 36 of 3 its base against the back of a removable cross or foot wall 31, with the result that the rack natu rally falls back a little into music-holdingposition and is held by the depressions just clear of the top 58 of the front wall 22.

In its upright position the rack 25 is shown as lighted by an electric light 39, shown in the form of an elong'atedbulb lying horizontally along the back 40 of a lower front wall 4|, shown as just above the front edge of the fall board l3 when the fall board is in its rearmost position.

The bulb'39 lights up any music resting on the rack 25 because the cross wall 31, shown as a fiat board, contains a glass or other transparent strip 42 overlying the bulb 39 resting in rabbets 43 of the foot wall 31. To facilitate the resting of music on the cross wall 31, and to aid in the backward throwing of the light fromthe bulb 39, the cross wall so that it makes about a right angle with the rack 25 as it lies inclined almost against the edge 38 of the wall 22.

The glass strip rear rabbet 44 of cross wall 31. I V V The light of the bulb 39 is additionally thrown upwardly and rearwardly by abent metaljre- 42 is -shownas also resting on a the ornamental front 45 of the 'flectorj46; forming about a semi-circle around its bottom and front. r To keep the heat of the bulb 39 away from the key levers and finely finished fall board i3, the

cross board 41 above the fallboard |3is shown with its top covered by an asbestos mat 48.

The bulb 39 is shown as utilized to-light the front 49 of the keys H), For thispurpose a downwardly inclined narrow slot50 is provided inthe front wall 4 I, so set thatthe slot throws the light on the keys while concealing any direct light, and it is slightly tapered inwardly from its outer face 5|, and as shown in Figure 2, is taperedtoflare at its ends 52 .to throw light towards the end keys I0 of the'piano keyboard.

I The music rack 25 is shown with a projecting 7 central handle 51 which also serves to add to the 31 is shown as sloping rearwardly overweighting of its front and causes it to lift its pivots '25 out of the depressions 35 when resting on the feltbufiers 30, with the result that it i slides back easily.

In cases where the heat of the bulb 39 is considered serious, it may be replaced by an elong'ated. tube ofthe-so-caIled cold light of the fluorescent type."

r Havingthus described certain embodiments of the invention,' w'hat is claimed is.

'1; "A lighting device for a keyboard musical in-' strument including a front instrument wall having a slot therein parallel to the keyboard, a footboard extending rearwardly from the top thereof, a music rack cooperating with said footboard to support sheet music, a lampbehind the wall and below said footboard, alight transmitting strip in the foot board to permit the light from said lamp to illuminate said'music, and a reflector for the lamp including a slot aligned with the wall slot through which light from said lamp illuminates said keyboard. Y

'2 1A lighting device for a keyboard musical instrume'nt including a front instrument wall having a slot therein parallel to the keyboard, a footboard extending rearwardly from the top thereof, a music rack cooperating with said footboard to support sheet music, a cold type fluorescent lamp behind the wall and below said footboard, a light transmitting strip in the footboard to permit the lightfrom said lamp to illuminate said music, and a reflector for the lamp including a slot aligned with the wall slot through which light fromsaid lamp illuminates said keyboard.

33A lighting device for a keyboard musical ins'trument, including a 'front instrument wall, a fall-board for the keys slidable in and out beneath the wall, a music support adapted to form part of a shelf, a lamp behind the wall and above the fall-board, a footboard against which the support rests to support music, a transparent strip in the footwall to cause the light to shine on music on the rack, and a reflectorfor the lamp including a slot through which light shines from the lamp through a slot in the wall on the keys A WEBSTER E. JANSSEN.

Images