An Improved Music-leaf Turner.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th May, 1900-Accepted, 28th July, 1900
An Improved Music-leaf Turner.
GEORGE NIPPARD, 20, Wharncliffe Gardens, Grove Road, London, N.W.,
Grainer, GEORGE WHITE, 97, Church Street, Edgware Road, Marylebone, London,
N.W., Decorator, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the easy turning of music or other leaves with more
convenience and on better principles than those which have been previously
introduced so that a person playing a piano or organ or harmonium or a similar
instrument shall be able to use it without making any movement other than a
similar one to that which they are making while playing and so may use it to
cause the leaves to turn as required without making any movements that are
different to or inconsistent with those made in playing.
It consists of a plate to be attached to or partly let into the front edge of an
ordinary music rest with arms which project above the said plate and between
which arms the leaves to be turned are placed and fixed.
A lower extension of
these arms extend down in front of the plate and are fitted with springs to cause
them to turn when released. These arms are to be turned one at a time by the
simple touching of a projecting knob with a similar movement to that of playing
a note each time it is wished to turn a leaf..
For fuller and readier and plainer description and to show the prinicples in-
volved a drawing is attached hereto showing one made with four arms. In this
drawing Figure 1 shows the front view with arms closed over as if the leaves to
be turned were in place for a player. Figure 2 is a plan. Figure 3 is a left
side view showing edge of plate together with the attachment of the arms and
the drums containing the springs for turning them. Figure 4 is a right-hand
side view of plate with the arrangement for releasing the arms one at a time and
so turning the leaves as required. A is the plate. B the arrangement here.
previously termed arms and to which the leaves to be turned are to be fixed.
These arms have a tab or thickening in some convenient place so as to keep them
a short distance apart for a purpose afterwards named. These arms (B) have each
two extensions b, b, going down and in front of the plate A the one of which has
the staff passing through it near its end, the other extension after running
parallel with the horizontal portion of arm for a short distance then continues on
till it joins with the drum C to which it is attached. There is one of these
drums or boxes for each arm. These drums or boxes each contains a spring which
is attached on its inner side to the staff or upright rod previously referred to and
marked D, and the spring is so fixed to the staff and to the drum as to cause the
drum and so the arms attached to turn round and so turn the leaves when
released by that portion of the apparatus presently to be described. E is the pro-
jecting brackets in which the staff D is fixed. F is the releasing apparatus.
This can be made in one piece, the lower part bent out and forward and shaped
to act as a knob or key, the upper part of the front of it having a catch-piece
or cock f which projects upwards and which holds the arms when closed another

page_text: part extending backward horizontally from just below this cock towards the
plate and then upward a convenient height say an inch or thereabouts and then
extending forward again to nearly over the back edge of the catch f. F is best
shown in Figure 4. G is another catch which is pivoted so as to turn inward
and upward on a slight pressure upon the front of it and has a small spring
attached to return it to its place as soon as the arms have passed under it in the
process of closing. The two catches f and G are so spaced that only one arm
can be held between them at the same time,, any other arm being closed at same
time having to be between the catch G and the back part of F nearest to the
plate. The object of this is that when the knob or key forming the lower
part of F is depressed and so f carried down below the arms G will descend
between the front arm and the one immediately behind it and hold the latter
back in its place while the front one being released by the descending off will
fly round carrying with it the leaf attached to it, the other arms remaining
behind G. The space between the arms before mentioned as being secured by
a tab or thickening in some convenient part of the arms is for the purpose of
receiving G as it descends by the pressing down of F to which it is attached.
H indicates the hinge on which this piece F works, the upright back piece of
F preventing F rising beyond its proper position. I is a spring intended to
return F to its place immediately after a depression. On F returning to its
place and so lifting the catch G from in front of remaining arm or arms the
latter of course press forward and so all is in position for another arm to be
released when desired and so on till all have been released. An alternative and
simpler way might be employed with regard to G by making it fixed and part
of F and the top horizontal part of F to which G is fixed being made of some thin
piece of metal with a spring action of its own. But we are of the opinion that
the first named device is preferable.
Dated this Nineteenth day of August 1899.
GEORGE NIPPARD.
GEORGE WHITE.
GEORGE NIPPARD, 20, Wharncliffe Gardens, Grove Road, St. Johns Wood,
London, Grainer, and GEORGE WHITE, 97, Church Street, Edgware Road, London,
Decorator, 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 statement:-
It consists of a plate with arms which project above the said plate and to
which arms the leaves to be turned are fixed and attached to which arms and
plate are complete and novel arrangements to hold the said arms in position and
to release them one at a time as required, and also spring attachments to cause
each of said arms to turn immediately on its being released.
In the drawing hereto attached one of these improved leaf-turners is shown
made with four arms and of about the actual size and proportion except as to
length of arms the length of which can be increased to suit requirements. In
Figure 1 a front view of the instrument is shown with the arms all closed over
and held in position ready for a player to cause them to be released and turn as
required. Figure 2 is a plan. Figure 3 is a left side view. Figure 4 is a top
view of one of the drums or cylinders to be presently described. Figure 5 is a

page_text: right hand view showing the means by which the arms are held and released as
required. In these figures A is the plate. B the arms. These arms each contain
a tab or thickening in some convenient portion of their horizontal parts so as to
secure a space between them of about one-eighth of an inch wide. The purpose of
this space will be presently set forth. This tab or thickening is preferably made
of rubber or other noiseless substance. These arms have each two extensions
going downwards and in front of plate. These extensions are marked b, b.
One of each of these extensions b, b, has the upper part of the staff D) passing
through it near or at its end. The other extension after descending for about
half an inch runs for a short distance parallel with the horizontal portion of
arm for purpose of being held by the holding and releasing as shown in Figure 1
and then is continued to one of the drums to which it is firmly and rigidly
attached. A top view of one of these drums or cylinders is given in Figure 4
and other views of it marked C in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Each drum has for its
central portion an arbor marked in Figure 4 which acts as a fixed centre for
the said drum to revolve upon. Each of these arbors are perforated from top to
bottom with a square hole through which the lower half of the staff 1) passes.
Each drum contains a spring hooked on to the arbor at one end of its length and
coiled around said arbor and hooked at its other end to the inside of the outer
wall of the drum, so that the closing over of the arms to the holding apparatus
gives a sufficient tension to immediately draw each of them round back again as
far as it can turn. The staff D is square in the lower part which passes through
the drums, so as to hold the arbors from turning and thus give the hold or
resistance for springs to pull against. The upper part of staff passing direct
through the smaller extensions of arms b is round so as to offer no obstacle to
this part of arms in turning. Brackets marked E, E, stand from the front of
plate and in or between these the staff ]) is fixed. The holding and releasing
apparatus before referred to is best shown in Figure 5. It is attached to the
plate by fitting between and being pivotted to a pair of projecting pieces H with
a pin passing through it from side to side as and in the part shown, and so is
capable of being turned downward a little but not upward as the extreme top
back of being against the plate prevents that from being possible. On the
upper part of the front of F is a cock or upward projection. about an eighth of an
inch high and marked f and which acts as a catch to hold the arms when closed.
This is effected by the horizontal portion of b being behind this catch f. A
section of this portion of bis shown in Figure 5 as though the four arms were
closed. G is a small catch working on a pin or pivot. It can be turned backward
and upward as far as necesary by the pressing of b against it in the closing of
the arms, but is prevented from opening forward by the top back portion of it
meeting with the extreme top of F into which it is let in and pivoted. There is
room for one only of the extensions of arms b to rest between the catch f and
the perpendicular of G. As before mentioned there is a space kept between the
arms by a tab or thickening in some convenient part of arms, and when Fis
depressed in order that the front arm may be released or pass over the cock or
catch f, then G is brought down into the space and prevents those behind from
escaping too. The lower part of F is bent out forwards to form a button or key-
like handle or knob to be pressed or struck downwards for the purpose of depress-
ing the whole of the releasing apparatus and so allowing an arm to escape. This
button or keylike knob is so brought forward that a player sitting at a piano
or similar instrument is able with a stroke of a finger of either hand such as is
made in striking a note to cause the releasing apparatus to descend and perform
its function.
I is the spring that returns the apparatus F-G up to its place after each de-
pression. On rising to its place G by reason of it being carried above the
level of the section of b that it has been holding ceases that hold and the remaining
ones press forward, the front remaining one being held against f till similarly
released by the depression of F when Ġ again descends and holds the one next

page_text: behind during the said depression and so on till the whole of the remaining arms
are released.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner it is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A leaf-turner that can be used by a person playing a piano or harmonium or
organ or similar instrument to cause the music-leaves to be automatically turned
without the said player making any movement different to or inconsistent with
or detrimental to the movements made in playing such an instrument.
2. That the key-like knob or button to be struck downwards when it is
desired to release an arm and the whole of the holding and releasing apparatus
is made in one piece together with the exception of the catch G and its attach-
ments.
3.—The general plan and arrangement.