US311950A - Julius m - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. M. BRANIG.

MUSIC LEAP TURNER.

Patenjzed Pflq b. 10, 1885.

UNITED STATES Parent Price.

JULIUS ill. BRANIG, OF NEXV YORK, N.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,950, dated February 10, 1885.

Application filed December 12, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jones M. BRANIG, of the city, "county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Music-Leaf Turners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the aecompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to music-leaf turners wherein a cord is attached to the leaf 01' leaves, and is actuated by suitable mechanism to draw the leaf over from one side to the other.

The object ofmyinventionis, mainly, to pro vide improved means for actuating the cord or cords, for supporting and guiding the same, for connecting their ends with the leaves, and for holding the leaves firmly upon the stand while they are being turned. It. consists in the improved devices for accomplishing these ends, hereinafter particularly specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved music-leaf turner, shown as attached to a piano; Fig. 2, adetail in perspective and a longitudinal section of one of the clips for connecting the end of the cord with the leaf detached; Fig. 3, a.

view in elevation of the cylinder for operating detents, shown by dotted lines, to release successively the spools upon which the separate cords, each connected with one of the music-leaves, are wound; Fig. 4-, a section through one of the spools detached, illustrat ing its inclosed spiral spring; and Fig. 5, a detail in perspective of the slitted rod for holding ends of the cords.

A standard, A, is secured to the music stand or instrument Bin any suitable manner, to hold it in an upright position. The upper end of the standard supports a box, G, within which a frame, D, provides bearings for shafts E F, arranged in a horizontal position one above the other. The shaft E supports a se ries of spools or bobbins, E E E", &e., that are connected with the shaft by spiral springs c, which permit the spools to turn a limited number of revolutions upon the shaft, and when released will return the spools to their normal position. The spools are each pro vided with cords e c 0", (cc, wound thereon,

(No model.)

and whose outer ends, after being led through a supporting device, are attached in a simple manner to the upper right-hand corner of the leaves of music. The shaft F supports a drum, F, provided with pinsff &e., arranged spirally thereon to project from its surface, and bear upon spring-actuated detents or pawls G, hinged or secured at their lower ends to the box, and adapted to bear, each at its upper end, with an elastic pressure upon the periphery of one of the spools, so as to check there- 1 by the action of the spiral spring, and thus prevent the recoil of the spool until the detent is pressed away from it; tatchet-tecth g, formed upon the periphery of the spools, may provide a more positive means for holding the spools in position. A ratchet-wheel, ll, having a number of teeth to correspond with the number of pins f upon the drum F, is secured to the shaft F, and is revolved by an oscillating pawl, h, secured to the upper end of a vertical rock-shaft, H, which passes up through the standard A, (see dotted lines,) made to partially rotate back and forth by the engagement of one end of a re ciprocating spring-actuated bar, li with an elbow on its lower end. The bar H is arranged to slide beneath the key-board of the piano, and to extend within reach of the knee of the performer, so that it may be readily operated in a simple and effective manner without the employment of the hands. Each reciprocation of the bar H serves to move the ratchet-wheel H a single interval, and thereby bring one of the pins upon the drum to bear against its dctent or pawl and press it away from engagement with its spool. When the spool is thus relieved of pressure or engagementwith the detent, its inclosed spiral spring will exert itself and revolve the spool upon the shaft E until the. cord is wound upon it the usual or required number of revolutions. The pawl h is automatically withdrawn from the ratchet-wheel ll by means of a suitable spring. The end of the shaft F is provided with a milled head, F which affords means for setting the machine, and also for operating the spools by hand when desired. The cords are held in proper relation to each other and to the music-leaves by means of a rod, I, provided with holes in its outer end, through which the cords are led. The rod admits of adjustment upon the standard, so that its perforated end may be supported in any desired position to suit the size of the music-leaves and their position upon the stand, and this adjustment is effected by passing the rod diametrically between two hemispherical segments or divisions of a spherical block, I I, which are pressed together and supported between spring plates or brackets I secured to the upper end of the box 0, and clamped firmly together by a set-screw, 1 so as to hold the divided spherical block in any desired position between them. The segments fit circular openings 1" formed in the brackets,which serve to prevent the displacement of the spherical block, and at the same time allow sufficient movement thereof topermitits required adj ustment. When the segments I I are unclamped, the adjustable rod I may be freely moved longitudinally between them, or clamped at any desired part of its length, while the universal joint formed by thedivided spherical block I I will admit of a vertical or lateral movement of the outer perforated end of the rod, to hold it closely to or away from the face of the music, and near the upper and lefthand corner thereof. The ends of the cords e 6*, &e., are led systematically through aslit cut longitudinally in the end of a short bar, K, supported by a rod, K, over the right-hand corner of the leaves of the music-book to be turned, said rod K being secured to, and upheld by a clampJifladapted to engage the edge of the book, or which, where loose sheets are to be turned, may be fastened to the music-rack upon which they rest. After passing through the slit which confines them in such manner as that when drawn upon they will readily slip out therefrom the free ends of the cords are secured to the clips M, (see Fig. 2,) formed of tapering sheet-metal plates, the smaller ends of which are looped over through an opening in the wide end of the plate, and are secured to button-pads m, which are pressed against the wide end of the plate by the elasticity of the loop, and will thus serve to clip or hold the leaves between the said pad andv the end of the plate withan elastic pressure. WVhen the cords are wound upon the spools, the clips will be drawn up closely to the perforation in the end of the guidc-rod I, and will prevent their withdrawal entirely therefrom.

The music may be supported upon a ledge or shelf, L, provided with a central arm, L, hinged thereto, which may be held in an upright position, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings, or may be folded down upon the shelf when not in use. The upper end of the arm L is notched at'l, and a cord secured to the shelf L,or to the lower end of the arm,may be drawn up over and upon the arm, and led at its upper end through the notch Z, and secured by means of aknot or button upon the extremity of the cord,serving to prevent its aocidental withdrawal from the notch. This will provide a simple means of holding the music upon the support, allowing the leaves to be freely turned, and yet admitting of the ready removal of the music from the stand. The cord may be elastic, and its flexibility prevents it from injuring the music, as is the case with rigid attachments.

The operation of the devices above described will be understood from the description given. One leaf after another may be quickly turned by the simple reciprocation of the rod operated upon by the knee of the performer, which releases the spool of the leaf to be turned, and thus allows the cord to be wound up automatically upon the spool far enough to draw the leaf from the right to the left hand side of the music-support. The tension of the spring in the spool will suffice to draw the cord out of the slit in the supporting-bar K, and to pull the leaf over. As separate cords are employed for each leaf, the springs that actuate the spools require but limited movement.

I am aware that a single cord connected by clips with the separate leaves of music and wound upon a drum has been heretofore employed, and do not broadly claim such device.

I claim as my invention 1. In a music-leaf turner, a series of spools provided with cords which may be attached at their ends to separate leaves of music, in combination with means for mechanically turning the spools to wind the cords, and a series of detents operated successively to release the spools and turn the leaves, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the standard A, the horizontally-reciprocatin g bar and knee-pedal 1-1 the vertical rock-shaft H, the pawl 71, the notched wheel II, and tripping-cylinder F, the detents G, and cord-spools EE, &c., substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a music -leaf turner wherein a cord or cords are employed to turn the leaves, the combination, with the cord, of a longitudinally-adjustable guide-rod, I, through the end of which the cord passes,and which is secured to the frame of the machine and held thereon in any desired position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a music-leafer turner wherein a cord or cords are employed to turn the leaves, the

combination, with the cord and with an adjustable guide-rod, I, through the end of which the cord is led, of a stationary slitted bar, K, upheld over the upper corner of the leaf to be turned, and adapted to engage and hold the cord over the leaf, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. Thecombination,with the frame orstandard A, of one or more spools and cords and a guide-rod arranged to hold and guide each cord and to be secured by universal joints in any desired position relatively to the frame or standard, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

6. The combination, with suitable mechanisni for operating a cord in a n1usic-leaf turner, of the guide-rod I through the end of which the cord is led, hemispherical bearings I I, through which the rod passes, and clampingplates I 1 supporting and securing said bearings. substantially as and for the purpose described. 1

7. A clip, M, for securing turning-cords to terminates in a button-pad to bear against said wider end, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name 15 to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. M. BRANIG.

music-leaves, consisting of a tapering elastic Vitnesses: plate having its narrow end looped and passed 1?. ELBERT NOSTRAND, through an opening in its wider end, and which A. B. MOORE.

Images