US2666353A - Device for turning the pages of music - Google Patents

Description

19, 1954 I GRAVE-s 2,666,353

DEVICE FOR TURNING THE PAGES OF MUSIC Filed March 20, 1951 RICHARD GRAVES \NVE N'rafl:

Patented Jan. 19, 1954 UNITED :STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR TURNING THE PAGES OF MUSIC Richard Graves Cape Coast, Gold Coast,

1 British West Africa Application March 20, 1951, Serial a. 216,564

i ,1 Claim. (01. 84'520) To all those who play music by sight, it is well known that the need to turn the pages of the music by hand is a disadvantage, necessitating as it does the. removal of a hand from the instrument, so that the continuity oithe performance is interrupted. The chief object of "the present invention is to overcome this disadvantage and to provide asimple and efiicient device whereby the pages of the music maybe automatically turned, as and when required. a

The device for turning the pages of music according to the present invention comprises a plurality of arms adapted to be attached to and to project from the sides of the pages to be turned, in combination witha pivotally mounted operating lever adapted to be swung about its pivot on operation of a foot or other pedal to engage with the projecting portion of the arm attached to the page to be turned to flick the arm, and hence the page, over.

The operative end of the said lever is preferably pivotally mounted in such a manner that it is free to move only upwardly with respect to the main body of the lever to enable it to pass to the back of the next page-attached arm on return of the foot pedal, ready for turning the next page when required.

In order that this invention may be the more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference maybe made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, one convenient embodiment of this invention as applied to the type of music stand used, for example, by violin players, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus mounted on such a stand.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the device operates,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the operating lever re-sets itself after turning a page, ready to turn the next page when required.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the apparatus for automatically turning pages of music therein illustrated comprises a number of arms IIJ, one for each of the pages of music which it is desired to turn, said arms being adapted to be attached to the pages I I in any suitable manner. Conveniently the arms It may be formed aselongated clips adapted to fit about the page with which the arm it to be used. The

I n i 2.. a; 1 arms I I) are "of such alength that they jut out beyond the edge of the page I I and outsidethe page they are provided with upstanding bridges I2, the arms behind the bridges being gapped, as will be seen more clearly in Figure 2. In order to turn a page towhich an arm has been attached it is merely necessary to impart a flick to the bridge I2, when the arm I0 will swing about its inner end as a pivot taking with it the page, it being understoochof course, that the piece of music is firmly attached to the music stand I3 in a suitable manner.

Freely mounted on a pivot I4 carried at a suitable part'of the music'stand I3 is an operating lever I5 the lower end 'of which extends downwardly, in the embodiment illustrated, and lies behind the bridge of the uppermost arm. The lever I5 is connected by means of a link It to a foot pedal I! located at an appropriate position relative to the stand. It will be seen that a sharp depression of the foot pedal I I will cause the arm ID as explained above. Due to the gap behind the bridge in the arm, the arm II) can move away from the end of the lever I5 after the initial impulse.

When the foot pedal is released the lever I5 returns to its original position and re-sets itself portion lid of the operating lever I5 is hinged to the main portion of the arm so that it is free to move with respect to the same only upwardly.

When the lever I5 returns, its end playing the instrument, for example an organ, the pedal may be actuated by the knee.

The operating lever l5 need not be mounted with respect to the music stand in the manner indicated in the drawings. All that is necessary is that it should be so mounted on the music stand as to impart the flick to the outstanding portion oi the top arm when the foot pedal is depressed,

If desired the length of the arms I and the length of the operating lever l may be adjust able in order to adapt the device to music having different sizes of page and to music stands, of different sizes and types.

Iclaim:

A device for automatically turning pages of music whilst permitting the retention of the player's hand upon the instrument being played, including a plurality of arms, each arm being formed as an elongated clip and embracing a single page, each arm being of a length sufiiciently great to, project beyond One edgeof. said page, a bridge erected on said projecting portion of each arm, a, lever arm pivoted near one end and having the other end for engaging said bridge, means at, said engaging end including an ancillary relatively short arm, means pivoting said ancillary arm upon said lever arm at a point relatively close, to the engaging end thereof, mean allowing said ancillary arm to swing upwardly through an angle, sufficient to pass the upper portion of said bridge when said lever arm is moving down relatively to said bridge, whereby said ancillary arm enters into, said bridge, means blocking the downward swinging of said ancillary arm when, said lever arm is, moved upwardly,

whereby said upward movement of said lever arm will compel said bridge to move upwardly until the angular motion of said lever arm about the pivoted end thereof shortens the effective distance to which said ancillary arm enters said bridge until it assumes a negative value, whereby said ancillary arm becomes disengaged at a predetermined angular position from said bridge and allows said bridge to continue upward movement by virtue of the inertia acquired whilst said lever was moving the bridge upwardly and was mechanically coupled thereto via the intermediary 01 said ancillary arm, said coupling thereby constituting a one-way valve action, and power supply means for raising said lever arm and for allowing the descent thereof, said power supply means including a substantially vertical push rod pivoted at the upper end to said lever arm at a point intermediate the extremities thereof and nearer the pivotal point, thereof, and foot pedal means engaging the lower end of said push rod.

RICHARD GRAVES References Cited in the file of this patent

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