Abstract:
This invention turns pages of music using transparent fingers that are controlled by a hand or foot pedal, which is operated by the musician. The pages are turned by a self-contained electric motor that may be powered by a lightweight battery. The device is contained in an attractive case that doubles as a music holder. When desired, the pages may be reset to any point in the music by using a reset knob and the page turner will continue to turn the pages upon command from the musician.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO EARLIER APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/174,288 entitled “REMOTE CONTROLLED PAGE TURNER UTILIZING A PLURALITY OF MOVABLE FINGERS”, filed Oct. 16, 1998, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Fingers mounted on a disk for turning pages, and more particularly pages of music. 
     2. Description of the related art including information disclosed under 37 CFR Secs. 1.97-1.99. 
     When playing a musical instrument, the pages of the music must be turned at frequent intervals. This is particularly the case for pianists. This can result in an undesirable interruption of the musical flow. In cases where there are several instruments, as in chamber music, the points where page turning is necessary are different for each instrument. Violin music, for instance, has four or five times as much music per page as piano music. When accompanying other instruments or a singer, continuity of playing is essential. A pianist will often have a person present specifically to turn the pages. There is, therefore, a real need for a device that will enable a player to turn the pages himself without using his hands, actuating the device with a foot pedal. In the case of the organ, where the performer&#39;s feet are usually otherwise occupied, a lever actuated by the knee can be used. Such a device also has an application in the case of handicapped persons, such as singers, who have lost the use of their hands. 
     As early as 1874 Rinderknecht (U.S. Pat. No. 151,159) patented a page turning device that used a series of fingers to turn multiple sheets of music one at a time with a complex arrangement of a pulley, plates and rope actuated by a handle. This device is large, heavy and cumbersome. In 1890 (U.S. Pat. No. 425,810) Leevey disclosed a foot-operated mechanical device that turned multiple pages. It also employed a foot pedal, cords, springs and arms. It is also cumbersome. McNorton in 1903 (U.S. Pat. No. 739,904), Paris in 1907 (U.S. Pat. No. 849,424), Mallyon in 1908 (Great Britain Pat. No. 776), Souther in 1912 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,015,092) requiring single cut pages, Funk in 1914 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,096,617), Koop in 1916 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,185,683), Frorup in 1926 (Great Britain Pat. No. 256,840), Lambert in 1928 (Great Britain Pat. No. 292,270), Yaholnitsky in 1930 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,018), Gustafson in 1931 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,822,523) and Willing in 1941 (Great Britain Pat. No. 539,647) both turning a single leaf backwards and forwards, all disclosed complex page turning devices that each used a series of springs, wires or rope cables, gears, shafts, and mechanical foot or hand actuators to turn pages. 
     Giles in 1914 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,104,983) disclosed a page turning device that used a switch-actuated electric motor to turn a single page while Snively in 1932 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,883,034) disclosed an electric pedal to actuate the spring-controlled swinging arms to change the music form a device situated mounted above the music. Both of these devices are heavy and complex. 
     Peltola in 1924 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,512,708) disclosed a page turning device that used a combination of magnets to grasp the pages being turned. The sheets to be turned are also each provided with a small metal contact plate to be engaged by the magnets. This is a large and cumbersome device that requires each page to be individually prepared in advance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The device is designed to turn the pages of music or books by means of a foot pedal or other switch mechanism, thus avoiding the need for the performer or reader to employ his hands for this purpose. In the case of music, it avoids the need for the performer to interrupt his playing to turn pages. The turning mechanism is contained in a case below the shelf upon which the music or book rests. The device may rest on or replace the conventional music stand used for an instrument of an orchestra or on a keyboard instrument. A person unable to use their hands normally may also use it. The driving force is provided by an electric motor that may be powered by a rechargeable battery, such as is used in a cordless power tool, or from the mains supply through a suitable transformer. A set of rods with transparent fingers projects through the top of the case to engage the pages. Upon actuation of the switch, one of the rods or fingers moves from the right side through a semicircle, carrying the page with it. The next actuation moves the next rod and the next page similarly. 
     This invention differs from earlier inventions by using an electric motor to controllably turn the pages of music. Unlike earlier designs, the device is lightweight and compact. The unit is also portable and simple in design and use. Multiple pages may be turned without the need to reset the page turning device. The device employs transparent fingers to turn the pages, thereby leaving the view of the musician unobscured. The invention is easily reset after the pages have been all or partial turned to re-begin at any point in the music. No special attachments are required on the pages of music and the music need not be cut into individual sheets or disassembled, in order to be used with the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the page turner showing three page turners and a sheet of music. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the page turning mechanism. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the carriage base and turning mechanism where the carriage base is a pulley with an electric motor and foot switch. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a preferred embodiment with an electric motor and pinion gear. 
     FIG. 5 depicts a preferred embodiment of transparent leaf turning fingers. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the remote controlled page turner, generally designated  50 , comprising page turning mechanism  40  in a case  18  appropriate to hold bound leafed matter  30  such as a book, a magazine, and a musical score. As shown in FIG. 1, case  18  is partly cut away and phantomed, and book  30  is partly phantomed for clarity. Book  30  is shown in condition to turn a leaf, in this instance first leaf  31 . 
     Page turning mechanism  40  consists of stationary shaft  4  affixed to the bottom interior surface of case  18 . Each of plates  1 ,  2 , and  3  are independently rotatably affixed to stationary shaft  4 . Each of plates  1 ,  2 , and  3  include a rod, respectively,  21 ,  22 , and  23  and a notch  55 . Affixed to an inner wall of case  18  is magnet  14  located to hold the far edges of plates  1 ,  2 , and  3 . Case  18  provides a ledge and back rest  56  for book  30 , said ledge further having arcual slot  34  to pass rods  21 ,  22 , and  23 . 
     Carriage base  13  is rotatably affixed to stationary shaft  4 , and carries bracket  9  to which is rotatably affixed to frame  8  by means of a hinge pin and torsion spring  10 . Torsion spring  10  urges frame  8  to rotate in direction  11 . Coil spring  12  is affixed by one end to carriage base  13 , and by the other end to case  18 , in order to urge rotation of carriage base  13  in direction  19 . Frame  8  further includes hook  6  having pin  7  and ramp  54 . Portions of plate  1  and  2  are cut away to show engagement of hook  6  with the far edge of a plate, in this instance plate  1 , and engagement of pin  7  with the undersurface of a plate, in this instance also plate  1 . Engagement of hook  6  and pin  7  is assured by upward force  5  thereon due to torsion spring  10 . 
     FIG. 2 provides a perspective view of page turning mechanism  40  and book  30  after leaf  31  has been turned by rotation of plate  1  through approximately one-half turn responsive to rotary urging of hook  6 , further responsive to rotary urging of carriage base  13 . The far edge of plate  1 , having arrived at the enabled position, is held by retainer magnet  15 . Note that leaves  32  and  33  are not phantomed and each leaf rests on respective rods  22  and  23 , awaiting turning. 
     In a preferred remote activating means depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, carriage base  13  is a pulley having a groove  58  in which one end of a flexible tension member (cable)  28  is affixed, the other end subjected to tension. Tension in direction  29  forcibly urges carriage base  13  to rotate in direction  20  to execute a leaf turning. 
     Upon relaxation of tension  29 , restorative rotary force  19  due to coil spring  12  returns hook  6  from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 1, in condition to turn leaf  32 . Plate  1  remains in the enabled position by dint of magnet  15 . During the repositioning of hook  6 , upward force  5  due to torsion spring  10  continues to urge the ramp  54  of hook  6  from notch  55  of plate  2  proximate the underside surface of plate  2  in annular surface  16  (projected) hinted by a dashed line. Upward movement of hook  6  ends as pin  7  contacts the underside of plate  2 . Hook  6  continues to slide until near the end of an approximate half turn about stationary shaft  4 , until the tip of hook  6  slips over the edge of plate  2 . Plate  2  is now in condition to turn leaf  32  upon the next application of tension  29  to flexible tension member  28 . 
     Whenever a desired number of leaves have been turned, one or more plates may be moved from the enabled position to the starting position by simply pressing a sequential combination of rods through a semicircle. However, to reset the plates in a ready-to-turn condition, it is required that hook  6  be moved below the undersurface of plate  1  or the lowest plate thus restored to readiness. Adverting to FIG. 1, therein is shown reset knob  24  which is urged to rotate in direction  27  using finger pressure such that lever  25  moves reset pin  26  into contact with projection  17  of frame  8 . Continued urging overcomes force  11  of torsion spring  10  and moves hook  6  in the direction opposite that indicated  5 . Subsequent moving of one or more plates from the enabled position to the starting position is sufficient when magnet  14  again holds the far plate edges. Leaves may remain interleaved or rearranged as desired. 
     The present invention has multiple preferred embodiments, including the use of a rotary solenoid (not illustrated but well known to one possessed of ordinary skill in the art) rotationally coupled to carriage base  13 , further including known means of producing tension  29  by remote activation such as a variety of linear forcing devices such as a linear solenoid, an hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a knee pedal, a foot pedal acting through a sheathed flexible cable or one or more pulleys, none of which are illustrated in light of being known. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a preferred embodiment wherein carriage base  13  is a pulley and flexible tension member  28  is affixed by the otherwise free end to spool  38 . Spool  38  is rotated when electric motor  35  is electrically activated during closure of a contact in foot switch  36 , which in turn controls electric power from source  37 . The mounting base of motor  35  may be affixed to the bottom interior surface of case  18 , and electrical conductor  39  may pass electric power from source  37  through a suitable conduit in said case  18 . Continued rotation of shaft  57  containing spool  38  gathers flexible tension member  28  until carriage base  13  rotates through approximately one-half turn, or until carriage base  13  reaches a motion stop (not shown). Cessation of motor excitation enables coil spring  12  to urge frame  8  to the position ready to turn another leaf, while rewinding flexible tension member  28  from spool  38  to the groove  58  in carriage base  13 . 
     FIG. 4 shows the preferred embodiment wherein electric motor  35 , including attached pinion (gear)  44  on shaft  57 , is rotatably affixed to case  18  (omitted) by a fastener  46  through a first hole of motor base  45 . A second hole of the base is rotatably affixed by a pin to the armature of solenoid  47 . A third hole in an extension of motor base  45  retains one end of tension spring  53 . The opposite end of tension spring  53  is affixed to a holed or narrowed portion of an extension of the base of solenoid  47 . The base of the solenoid is affixed to the bottom inner surface of case  18  in a position predetermined to cause tension spring  53  to rotate electric motor  25  in a direction opposite arrow  49  in the unpowered state. As foot switch  36  passes electric power from source  37  to both motor  35  and solenoid  47 , the solenoid armature forcibly moves in direction  48  such that pinion  44  engages, teeth  52  of wheel  51 . Said tooth engagement and continued running of motor  35  urge wheel  51  to rotate approximately one-half turn or until a motion stop (not shown) is reached. Conductors  39  are indicated broken to hint a prescribed remoteness of electric power source  37  or switch  36  from the leaf turning apparatus. The scope of the present invention is intended to encompass switches alternative to the foot switch previously described, not limited to hand held pushbutton switches, knee switches, elbow switches, and switches operable by other body portions pursuant to enabling the physically handicapped. 
     Cessation of electric power by release of foot switch  36  enables tension spring  53  to unmesh pinion  44  and teeth  52  while enabling coil spring  12  to urge wheel  51  in rotary direction  19  until the mechanism is in condition to turn another leaf FIG. 5 depicts a preferred embodiment of the leaf turning finger, wherein a rod  21  further includes an extending transparent finger  41 . The transparent finger improvement enables the user to reexamine an unobscured left leaf. Advert to a facing leaf occurs often when music has repeats thereto, and in text that refers to earlier text or a graphical object on said facing leaf. Transparent fingers  42  and  43  are shown affixed to respective rods  22  and  23  in positions to turn another leaf Transparent fingers may be of transparent polymer such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacetal, polyamide, polyacrylics, acetates, and the like. 
     Whereas three plates are described for turning a sequence of three leaves, preferred embodiments of the present invention have a predetermined number of plates and fingers to turn a predetermined like number of leaves. 
     Obviously, other many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.