Abstract:
A lyre for retaining musical copy or other leaf-style items is particularly suited for marching band brass instruments. The configuration incorporates the use of a saddle which is selectively positioned on the instrument to permit a user to read the copy in a hands-free scenario. Straps are employed to cinch the saddle into place on the instrument while a lyre extends perpendicularly from the saddle. This particular lyre is designed to accommodate a larger amount of copy.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention is a continuation of, was first described in, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/085,713, filed Dec. 1, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a lyre for retaining musical copy or other leaf-style items particularly suited for marching band brass instruments. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The marching band is a time-honored and highly respected aspect of high-schools and colleges around the country. Most commonly seen at half time shows during football games, a marching band show provides the performers the opportunity to not only show off their musical talents, but also their synchronized chorographical skills. Many performers, especially those who play brass instruments, hold their music in a lyre or flip folder at the distal end of their instrument. As many of the band&#39;s movements are fast and even “vigorous”, a common problem is that the sheet music holder tends to twist, turn, or even break and fall off. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which sheet music can be easily held on marching band instruments without the disadvantages as described above. The use of the music lyre enables marching band performers the ability to see their sheet music without worry at all times in a manner which is not only quick, easy, and effective, but non-disruptive as well. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a means to attach a lyre to an instrument in a marching band, the lyre capable of holding a plurality of leaves of musical copy and retaining a displayed individual leaf while the hands are otherwise engaged in performing the instrument. Such a lyre includes a saddle plate capable of being removably attached to the instrument, and a musical holder assembly capable of rotational attachment to the saddle plate. The saddle plate in one (1) embodiment is shaped to conform to the outer profile of the instrument. In another embodiment, the saddle plate is made of a material capable of being conformed to match the outer profile of the instrument. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of adjustable straps that are capable of routing through slots on the saddle plate and wrapping around the instrument. In a preferred embodiment, the straps have a material that provides a frictional attachment to the instrument and limits the amount of movement of the lyre on the instrument. 
     Another object is to provide a layer of padding on the side of the saddle plate that abuts against the instrument 
     Yet another object is to provide such a holder assembly to be a generally “L”-shaped holder, having a planar rear panel and a planar horizontal panel. 
     Another object is to provide a means to retain the plurality of individual sheets of copy on the rear panel. This can be accomplished with rings routed through apertures near the top of the rear panel and through each of the plurality of leaves of copy. Another embodiment also includes a stay affixed to the rear surface of the rear panel. The stay is biased against the rear panel and is capable of retaining the plurality of leaves of copy in a stacked arrangement. 
     Yet another object of the apparatus is to provide the rotational attachment of the holder assembly to the saddle plate. A holder mount in located on an upper surface of the saddle plate. A saddle mount is located on the bottom surface of the lower plate of the holder assembly and has a plurality of detents, each capable of aligning with a plurality of protrusions of the holder mount. A fastener is routed through both the saddle mount and holder mount. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective environmental view of a brass instrument music lyre  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the lyre  10  taken along section line A-A (see  FIG. 1 ), according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 3  is a close-up exploded view of mounting plate portions  38 ,  68  of the lyre  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  brass instrument music lyre 
               20  holder assembly 
               22  rear panel 
               24  lower panel 
               25  fastener aperture 
               26  stud 
               27  wing nut 
               30  copy 
               32  ring 
               34  ring aperture 
               36  stay 
               38  upper mounting plate 
               40  detent 
               60  saddle assembly 
               62  saddle plate 
               64   a  first strap 
               64   b  second strap 
               66  strap aperture 
               67  hook-and-loop fastener 
               68  lower mounting plate 
               70  protuberance 
               76  padding 
               80  fastener 
               100  instrument 
               105  bell/body 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 3 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention, and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one (1) particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one (1) of the referenced items. 
     The present invention describes a brass instrument music lyre (herein described as the “apparatus”)  10 , which provides a means for removable attachment preferably to one (1) of a variety of brass musical instruments  100 . The lyre  10  is capable of retaining a plurality of sheets of copy  30  therein. Such copy  30  is typically music copy that is played by the user of the instrument  100 . The apparatus  10  is envisioned to be especially useful for use by individuals who participate in marching bands. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a perspective environmental view of the apparatus  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. The apparatus  10  includes a music holder assembly  20  and a saddle assembly  60  which secures the music holder assembly  20  to a bell/body portion  105  of a preferred brass instrument  100 . 
     The music holder assembly  20  provides a means of positioning and securing a plurality of individual sheets of copy  30  via an “L”-shaped structure being rotatingly affixed to a saddle plate portion  62  of the saddle assembly  60  via respective upper mounting plate  38  and lower mounting plate  68  portions, being affixed to each other using a threaded stud  26  and a wing nut  27 . The holder assembly  20  is envisioned to be made using a rugged weather-resistant plastic or metal planar material and includes a vertical rear panel  22  and a horizontal lower panel  24 . The lower panel  24  may taper to a smaller width from the edge attached to the rear panel  22  to the opposing edge. The rear panel  22  provides features and attaching means to position a plurality of sheets of copy  30 , thereby allowing portions of the copy  30  to be flipped over to view a particular copy portion  30 . The saddle assembly  60  provides rotating attachment of the holder assembly  20  allowing the holder assembly  20  and the affixed copy  30  to be viewed in a “straight on” manner, or at an angle to the user, or may even be rotated one-hundred eighty degrees (180°) to allow access to second side portions of the copy  30  (also see  FIG. 3 ). 
     The saddle assembly  60  includes an arcuate saddle plate  62  shaped so as to conform to profile portions of the bell/body  105  of conventional instruments  100 . Alternately, the saddle plate  62  is a semi-rigid material capable of being shaped to conform to profile portions of the bell/body  105  of the instrument  100 . The saddle plate  62  includes a first strap  64   a  and a second strap  64   b  which provide secure attachment of the apparatus  10  to the instrument  100 . The length of each strap  64   a ,  64   b  is easily adjustable to fit different sizes and types of instruments  100 , and can be installed or removed quickly without tools. The straps  64   a ,  64   b  are to be fabricated using a material which provides a sufficient width so as to provide a friction against the instrument  100  to stabilize the apparatus  10  upon the instrument  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a sectional view of the apparatus  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. The rear panel  22  includes a pair of rings  32  and corresponding ring apertures  34  formed therethrough. The rings  32  in turn pass through holes punched in the copy  30  allowing the copy  30  to be quickly flipped over by the user. Furthermore, it is envisioned that the copy  30  may be arranged in a back-to-back manner having pairs which are either laminated using clear plastic, or contained in clear plastic sleeves to maximize a number of copy items  30  present upon the holder assembly  20 . 
     The saddle plate  62  is envisioned to include a layer of padding  76  affixed to a bottom surface thereof using adhesives or an equivalent bonding method. It is envisioned that various models of the apparatus  10  would offer custom shaped padding  76  so as to match the contours of a particular instrument  100  onto which the apparatus  10  is applied. 
     The rear panel portion  22  of the holder assembly  20  is envisioned to include at least one (1) stay  36  which provides a means to clamp and stabilize the position of the copy  30  even during windy conditions in a stacked arrangement. An embodiment of the stay  36  is illustrated here comprising of a formed length of resilient wire being affixed to the rear panel  22  using a fastener  80  such as a screw, rivet, or the like. 
     The strap portions  64   a ,  64   b  of the saddle assembly  20  provide a length-adjustable and cinching means around the bell/body portion  105  of the brass instrument  100 . The straps  64   a ,  64   b  are wrapped around the bell/body portion  105  in a parallel manner to each other, and each end portion of each strap  64   a ,  64   b  is looped through respective pairs of strap aperture portions  66   a ,  66   b  formed through opposing edge portions of the saddle plate  62 . Each end portion of each strap  64   a ,  64   b  is looped through respective strap apertures  66   a ,  66   b  so as to reverse its direction, and then is secured to itself via integral sewn-in hook-and-loop fastener portions  67  such as Velcro being positioned upon the mating surfaces. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a close-up exploded view of mounting plate portions  38 ,  68  of the apparatus  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. The apparatus  10  provides angularly selective attachment of the holder assembly  20  to the saddle assembly  60  via respective upper mounting plate  38  and lower mounting plate  68  portions. The upper mounting plate  38  is envisioned to be integral to the lower panel portion  24  and includes a central fastener aperture  25  and a plurality of equally-spaced circular detents  40  arranged in a circular pattern along a bottom surface of the lower panel  24 . Correspondingly, the saddle plate  62  includes a central and upwardly directed threaded stud  26  and a plurality of equally-spaced protuberances  70  arranged in a circular pattern along a top surface of the lower mounting plate  68 . The upper  38  and lower  68  mounting plates are attached by inserting the stud  26  up through the fastener aperture  25  and installing the wing nut  27  upon the stud  26 . The detents  40  and the protuberances  70  are envisioned to have respective female and male half-sphere shapes, and are positioned and sized such that they insert into each other as the mounting plates contact each other. 
     To position and secure the holder assembly  20  at a desired angle, a user loosens the wing nut  27  along the stud  26 , lifts and rotates the holder assembly  20  to a desired orientation, and lowers the holder assembly  20  to engage the detents  40  and protuberances  70 . The wing nut  27  is then tightened to retain the holder assembly  20  in position. 
     It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the apparatus  10 , it would be installed as indicated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The method of utilizing the apparatus  10  may be achieved by performing the following steps: procuring a model of the apparatus  10  which provides a saddle assembly  60  which provides a suitable fit onto an intended instrument  100 ; positioning the saddle plate  62  upon the bell/body portion  105  of the instrument  100 ; wrapping a first strap portion  64   a  around the bell/body  105 ; looping end portions of the first strap  64   a  through respective pairs of strap apertures  66   a ,  66   b  in the saddle plate  62 ; extending the ends of the strap  64   a  back over themselves; cinching and fastening the ends of the strap  64   a  to themselves tightly around the instrument  100  by connecting the sewn-in hook-and-loop fastener portions  67 ; repeating the above steps for the second strap  64   b ; installing the holder assembly  20  onto the saddle assembly  60 , if not previously installed, by inserting the stud portion  26  of the lower mounting plate  68  up through the fastener aperture portion  25  of the upper mounting plate  38 ; installing the wing nut  27  upon the stud  26  loosely; lifting and rotating the holder assembly  20  to a desired orientation and corresponding viewing angle; lowering the holder assembly  20  to engage the detents  40  and protuberances  70 ; securing the position of the holder assembly  20  by tightening the wing nut  27 ; preparing a plurality of sheets of copy  30  in a back-to-back manner; containing the copy  30  by either laminating or inserting the pairs of copy  30  in clear plastic sleeves; punching holes through the copy  30 ; mounting a desired number of sheets of copy  30  onto the ring portions  32  of the rear panel  22 ; and, securing the copy  30  to the rear panel  22  using the wire stay  36 , as needed. 
     The apparatus  10  may be used by a marching band members or similar performers using brass instruments  100  to position a plurality of sheets of copy  30  in a hands-free manner. During performances, an observed page of copy  30  may be changed when desired by either flipping one (1) or more sheets over a top portion of the rear plate  22 , or by loosening the wing nut  27  and rotating the holder assembly  20  one-hundred eighty degrees) (180°) to access additional sheets of copy  30 . 
     Alternate embodiments of the apparatus  10  are envisioned to provide differently sized and shaped saddle plates  62  and corresponding padding portions  76  designed to conform to exterior contours of different brass instruments  100  from a trumpet to a sousaphone, so as to position the apparatus  10  properly and securely. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and method of use to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.