Year: 1888

page_text: We EDWARD LAWRENCE of 149 Rye Lane Peckham, Pianoforte Maker, and
EDWIN BURTON of 14 Camden Avenuo Peckham, Mercantile Clerk do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention is principally adapted to pianofortes, & consists of a square folding
frame for holding music--made of wood or any other material-formed of three
uprights, with a bar across top & bottom, riveted together at corners.
The frame moves to right or left angles, with a platform attached for holding
music or book at the base.
Instead of this being stationery, it can be moved upwards & downwards to the height
most suitable to performer.
This is accomplished by a metal pivot fixed in the platform passing through a slot
in the centre rail of frame, which is backed by a small spiral spring or india rubber
washer; made fast with a small nut or thumb screw.
In order to support & balance the platform, the two outside uprights of frame
have a long narrow strip of metal sunk in flush with the wood, & at intervals per-
forated so as to admit of small pins-which are a fixture in the right & left corners of
platform.
The metal pivot & pins attached to each end of platform require no manipulation,
they being entirely self acting; so that the platform has merely to be drawn forward,
& moved to the required height, when the small pins slip into the holes on the outside
rail of frame, & the platform becomes a fixture for the time being.

page_text: We EDWARD LAWRENCE of 149 Rye Lane, Peckham, in the County of Surrey
Pianoforte Maker, and EDWIN BURTON, of 14 Camden Avenue Peckham, in the
County of Surrey, Commercial Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following stateinent :-
The main object of our invention is to effect improvements in the construction of
the folding music frames or desks, commonly provided with piano-fortes, and. the
main feature of such improvements consists in a means of adjusting the height of the
platform or rest upon the frame or desk, to suit the size of the music or book placed
upon it, or the requirements of the performer.
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and
Fig. 2 an end elevation of a frame or desk constructed according to our invention, on
the well-known pattern which folds up inside the top of a piano, when not in use;
Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, full-sized sections through the lines Z Z and Y Y in
Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a front elevation and Fig. 6 an end elevation of a frame or desk
constructed according to a slightly modified form of our invention, the frame in this
case being arranged to fold up within the "fall" or key-board lid of a piano; Fig. 7
is a full sized section through the line X X in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a view of Fig. 5 when
folded up; and Fig. 9 is a view of a further modification of the means of supporting
the adjustable rest or platform.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, A A' are two wooden rails, connected by metal strips B, B1, B².
These strips are pivotted to the rails A A¹ at C, so that the frame can fold up either to
the right or left in the usual way. A slot D is formed in the centre strip B¹, and a
series of holes E are provided in the outer strips B B². F is the rest or platform, it
is connected in the centre to the rail B¹, as clearly shewn in Fig. 3, by the screw H
which passes through the slot D and screws into F; the underside of its milled, head H
bearing against the back of the strip B¹, and this screw is so adjusted that F will
slide upon B', with the necessary amount of friction. Cloth washers 1 are provided
to ensure smoothness of working. A pin or stud K is fixed in each end of F, as
shewn in Fig. 4, and these pins enter the holes in the strips B B2, and support the
weight of the rest with the music or book which it carries. Cloth washers J' are
fixed on the rail F round the pins K. To adjust the rest F it is simply drawn forward
till the pins are clear of the holes, the strips B, B1, B2 springing sufficiently for this
purpose, it is then slid up or down to the required height, the pins automatically
entering the holes and fixing the rest at such height. It is obvious that the apparatus
will fold up equally well no matter in which pair of holes the pins may be entered.
The bottom rail A³ is cut away on the upper edge, as shewn in Fig. 1, to receive the
head H of the screw H, when the frame is folded up, otherwise the head H¹ would
come in contact with the edge of A' and prevent the frame closing properly. In

page_text: place of the arrangement shewn in Fig. 3 any other suitable device, such as a coiled
spring adjusted by a nut or screw, may be employed to give the required pressure
on the centre strip. L L are hinges to attach the apparatus to a piano in the usual
way.
In Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, A A¹ are the rails and B B¹ B², the strips as before, but
in this case the strips are of wood and the rail A¹ is affixed inside the "fall" or key-
board lid. The attachment to the centre strip is the same as in Fig. 3, but in place
of holes E in the strips B B2, they are provided with pegs K, which enter recesses M
in the back of F, the material is chamfered off at N, above and below these recesses
to enable the pegs to slide easily into place. The mode of adjusting the rest F is
precisely the same as in the former case, and it will be clear that strips with pegs
may be employed in Fig. 1, in place of strips with holes, or strips with holes in Fig. 5
in place of strips with pegs if preferred, and that in any case the strips may be of
wood or metal, as desired. In Fig. 5 the part F1 of the rest is hinged to the part F,
so that when the apparatus is folded up, the part F1 can be turned down flat, as
shewn in Fig. 8, to avoid coming in contact with the keys when the "fall" or lid is
closed. In the device shewn in Fig. 9, which is a full-sized back elevation, notches P
are formed in the inner edges of the strips B B2, and a short rod Q is arranged to slide in
a hole in each end of the rest F, the rod Q is provided with a stud R, which enters
the notches P, and a spring S, keeps the said stud in the notch until it is forced out by
the pressure of the finger on the end of Q.
It will be obvious that the use of our invention is not necessarily confined to
pianos, but is also applicable to organs, harmoniums, and other similar musical instru-
ments, and that our apparatus may also be employed as an independent music or
reading desk.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
1. In a folding music or reading frame or desk, a platform or rest capable of adjust-
ment for height on the said frame or desk.
2. In a folding music or reading frame or desk, a platform or rest F, capable of
adjustment for height, substantially as herein set forth with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3
and 4, of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a folding music or reading frame or desk a platform or rest F capable of
adjustment for height, substantially as herein set forth with reference to Figs. 5, 6,
7, and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a folding music or reading frame or desk, a platform or rest F capable of
adjustment for height, substantially as herein set forth with reference to Fig. 9 of
the accompanying drawings.
5. In a folding music frame or desk for use within the "fall" or keyboard lid of
a piano, or other similar musical instrument, the combination with an adjustable
platform F of a hinged piece F¹, substantially as herein set forth with reference to
Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of December 1888.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, S.W.,
Agent for the Applicants.