US3544056A

US3544056A - Bracket for sheet music

Info

Publication number: US3544056A
Application number: US696394A
Authority: US
Inventors: John E Berquist
Original assignee: JOHN E BERQUIST
Current assignee: JOHN E BERQUIST
Priority date: 1968-01-08
Filing date: 1968-01-08
Publication date: 1970-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-01

Description

United States Patent [72] inventor John E. Berquist P-O. Box 4632, 1630 Overlook Lane, Santa Barbara, California 93102 [21] AppLNo. 696,394 [22] Filed Jan.8,1968 [45] Patented Dec-1,1970

[54] BRACKET FOR SHEET MUSIC 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

52 U.S.Cl. 248/443, 248/226, 248/451: 24/137.5 [51] lnt. Gl0d3/00 so FieldolSeareh 248/443, 451, 441, 446, 453, 226.3, 454(U.S.); 24/137.5, 81(1-1S),81

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 96,702 11/1869 Johnson 248/441 155,202 9/1874 Nutting.... 248/454 255,649 3/1882 Merrill 248/453 552,288 12/1895 Henderson 248/451 Primary Examiner Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Abraham Frankel Attorney Robert M. Dunning ABSTRACT: This invention relates to a bracket for sheet music and includes a panel against which the sheet music may rest, an angularly related spring clamp which may clamp the panel to a supporting object, and a spring clip for holding the sheet music on the panel. The clamp is designed for attachment to the neck of a musical instrument such as a guitar or may clamp any flat support such as a chair back or the like.

Patented Dec.. 1, 1970 3,544,056

INVENTOR 555 JOHN 5 BERG u/sr F/G. 2 BY QQMQ ATTORNEY BRACKET FOR SHEET MUSIC This invention relates to an improvement in bracket for sheet music and deals particularly with a means of supporting sheet music on various horizontal or vertical objects, or on a portion of a musical instrument such as the neck of a guitar or other string instrument.

Sheet music used by members of an orchestra is most commonly supported upon a music stand. While stands of this type are very practical for use by members of a band or orchestra in which the musicians are usually seated, they are not particularly practical for musicians who must move about to some ex tent while playing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bracket which may be attached to the neck of a string instrument such as a guitar, and may support the music in easily readable positions whether or not the musician remains stationary.

The use of music stands of conventional form are also not particularly practical for use in music classes where a large number of persons are being instructed in how to play the instrument. In such cases, music stands of conventional form often take up excess space. Considerable space may often be saved by providing a bracket which may be fastened to the back of a chair or in any other convenient location such as on the instrument itself so that most of the space required by floor supported music racks may be eliminated.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a bracket for sheet music which may be produced at low cost, and which will serve its intended purpose effectively. My bracket may be produced for a fraction of the cost required to produce a floor supported music stand, and is considerably easier to transport in view of the fact that it is light in weight and convenient to carry.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a bracket for sheet music which may be mounted in any of the series of positions, and accordingly is capable of supporting the music by attachment to a great number of available supports. For example, the bracket may be attached to the back of a chair, to the side of a chair, to a bench or to a piano to support the sheet material in position where it may be readily seen by the musician.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a bracket for sheet music which includes three main parts consisting in a supporting panel against which the sheet music may rest, a clamp adjustably connected to the panel for connecting the panel to a suitable fixed support, and a clip adjustably secured to the panel and engageable with an edge of the sheet music to hold the music in place upon the panel. The clamp is designed for attachment to the panel in any of the plurality of positions, and the music-holding clip may be secured to the panel to engage the sheet metal regardless of the angular position of the panel.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a musical instrument showing the bracket in place thereupon.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bracket indicated in FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the clamp portion of the device, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of an end of one of the clamping levers of the clamp, in greatly enlarged form.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 2.

The bracket for supporting sheet music is indicated in general by the letter A. In general, the bracket A includes a panel which is indicated in general by the numeral 10, a clamp which is indicated in general by the numeral 11, and a spring clip which is indicated in general by the number 12. In the particular arrangement illustrated the bracket A is shown supported upon the neck 13 of a guitar B. As will be understood,

the clamp 11 is designed to clamp any object which is not of too great thickness, such as a back of a chair, the edge of a desk, the cover of a piano, or any other suitable such object.

The panel includes a generally rectangular body portion 14 having a relatively narrow supporting arm 15 integral with one edge thereof. The major portion of the arm 15 is on the plane of the body portion 14 of the device. However, the arm is bent at 16, the fold line 16 extending transversely of the arm 15 to provide a flange 17. The flange 17 may be in right angular relation to the arm 15, or at a somewhat lesser angle with respect thereto. A right angularly extending loop 19 may, if desired, be provided on the end of flange 17 opposite the fold line 16. An aperture 20 extends through the arm 15 adjacent to the fold line 16 and alined with the aperture through the loop 19. The clamp 11 is formed as best illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The clamp 11 includes a pair of lever arms 21 and 22 which may be slightly channel-shaped in cross section with the open side of the channel facing toward the opposite lever arm. In other words, at least the handle ends of the levers 21 and 22 are formed as indicated in FIG. 4 with generally

parallel side flanges

24 and 25 on the inner opposed surfaces of the base portions 23. The sides of the clamping lever arm 21 are provided intermediate their ends with a pair of parallel ears 26 designed to overlap corresponding cars 27 on opposite side flanges of the lever arm 22. A pivot extends through the overlapped

ears

26 and 27. A spring 30 encircles the pivot 29 between the cars 27, one end 31 of the spring 30 engages the inner surface of the lever arm 22. The other end of the spring 30 is provided with an elongated arm 32 which extends somewhat beyond the lever arm 21 and is provided with a finger-engaging loop 33. The loop 33 normally engages against the base 23 of the lever arm 21, and may be used to clamp the flange 17 of the panel 10 against the lever arm 21. When not in use, the arm 32 may be lifted by the loop 33 and flexed into a notch 34 in one side 25 of the lever arm 21, as indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

As is indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the

side flanges

24 and 25 of the lever arm 21 are longitudinally notched as indicated at 35. The notches 35 are designed to accommodate the end edge of the flange 17. With this arrangement, the loop 19 illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings may be eliminated if desired. As is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the handle end extremity of the lever arm 21 extends through the aperture 20 in the arm portion 15 of the panel 10 and the panel may be held in place by the loop 33 of the spring arm 32 as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 5 of the drawings.

The music clip 12 includes a strip 36 having rounded ends 37, the strip being bent to provide a flat center portion 39 and angularly extending ends 40 angled to the same side of the plane of the center portion 39. In actual practice, the strip 36 may be punched from the body portion 14 of the panel 10, providing an opening 41 which may serve as a handle in moving or carrying the attachment. i

As is indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, a bolt 42 extends through the center portion 39 of the strip 36. A friction washer 43 is urged toward the strip 36 by a spring 44, tension of which may be adjusted by a wing nut 45 on the bolt 42. The body portion 14 of the panel 10 is provided with a pair of comma-shaped slots 46, each having an enlarged diameter end 47 through which the wing nut 45 and washer 43 may extend and an opposite end 49 of relatively small dimensions which fits snugly about the shank of the bolt 42. The clip 12 is thus held in place by the frictional engagement of the slip and washer 43 against the body portion 14 of the panel 10, the bolt extending through the small dimensional end 49 of one of the slots 46.

The clamp 11 is capableof holding the panel 10 in any of a plurality of positions. When used upon the neck of the stringed instrument such as a guitar, the end of the lever 21 is inserted through the aperture 20 in the arm 15, and the'edge of the flange 17 is engaged in the notches 35, the spring loop 33 holding the panel in place. The panel 10 may also be secured flat against the side of the clamp 11 as is indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 3, of the drawings. As indicated in FIG. 3, one enlarged end 50 of the pivot 29 may be spaced from the side of the clamp to exposea portion of the pivot shank 51.

i The head 50 may be inserted through a keyhole shaped slot or aperture 52 in the panel 10, the pivot 29 then frictionally sup-.

' porting the panel 10. The jaw ends 53 and 54 of the lever arms T 21 and 22 are preferably enclosed by sleeves or caps 55 of rubber or other cushioning material to protect the support being clamped. These sleeves 55 assist in frictionally supporting the panel in place when the panel is supported alongside the clamp as indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 3 of the v drawings.

' in accordance with the Patent Office Statutes, l have 1 claim: 1. A bracket for sheet music including: a panel, an angularly extending flange on an edge of said panel, a clamp detachably secured to said flange and including a pair of pivotally connected lever arms resiliently urged together at one end thereof, means adapted for securing a sheet of music in face contact to said panel, said lever arms being resiliently urged together by a spring encircling the pivot pivotally connecting said arms and having one end engaging against one lever arm and having its other end engaging the other lever arm, one end of said spring including finger engaging means by means of .which said one. end may be moved into and out of lever arm engaging position, said one end of said spring operating, when in engagement with said lever, to clamp said lever arms against an object therebetween and said flange from said panel for attachment to one of said lever arms of said clamp.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which one end of said spring includes loop means by means of which said one. end may be moved into and out of lever arm engaging position.

3. A bracket for sheet music including: a panel, an angularly extending flange on an edge of said panel, a clamp detachably secured to said flange and including a pair of pivotally connected lever arms resiliently urged together at one end thereof, means adapted for securing a sheet of music in face contact with said panel said lever arms being resiliently urged together by a spring encircling the pivot pivotally connecting said arms and having one end engaging against one lever arm and having its other end engaging the other lever arm, one end of said spring including loop means by means of which said one end may be moved into and out of lever arm engaging position, and in which the lever arm against which said one end of said spring engages includes a notch adapted to engage said one end of said spring.

4. A bracket panel, an angularly extending flange for sheet music a panel, an angularly extending flange on an edge of said panel, a clamp detachably secured to said flange and including a pair of pivotally connected lever arms resiliently urged together at one end thereof, and means adapted for securing a sheet of music in face contact to said panel, includ ing an aperture in said panel adjoining said flange and designed to accommodate an end of one of said lever arms, and including a loop on said flange adapted to extend about said one lever arm.

5. A bracket for sheet music including: a panel, an angularly extending flange on an edge of said panel, a-clamp detachably secured to said flange and including a pair of pivotally connected lever arms resiliently urged together at one end thereof, means adapted for securing a sheet of music in fact contact to said panel, said lever arms including jaw ends and handle ends, the handle ends being channel-shaped in cross section and in which the ends of the sides of one of said channel-shaped handle ends includes longitudinally extending notches adapted to receiye an ed e of said flan e.

6. The structure of claim 5 an m which sat panel includes an aperture adjacent said flange and accommodating the end of said one handle end when said flange is engaged in said notches.