IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TURNING OVER THE LEAVES OF MUSIC
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Crowgey Lott, of Clyro (near Hay,) in the
County of Radnor, National Schoolmaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR TURNING OVER THE LEAVES OF MUSIC."
Sealed the 18th November 1868, and dated the 8th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Crowgey Lott at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th September 1863.
I, JOHN CROWGEY LOTT, of Clyro (near Hay,) in the County of Radnor,
National Schoolmaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TURNING OVER THE LEAVES OF MUSIC," to be as.
follows:-
This Invention relates to an apparatus for turning over the leaves of music.
instantaneously without touching them with the hand. The working parts of
the apparatus are contained between a top and bottom plate, to the former of.
which is attached a desk of any convenient form to support the sheets or book.
of music, so arranged as to be capable of being moved backwards or forwards.
in order to bring the open pages up to a given line: whatever the thickness of
the book may be. On a pin fixed near the centre of the bottom. plate are.
mounted (say) six levers which act as leaf turners;. to each of these levers is,
fastened an elastic band having a tendency to draw the leaf turner over to.
the left. The elastic bands are so mounted as to be easily replaced, and

page_text: are kept clear of each other by means of revolving pins round which they
pass.
Attached to the bottom plate, and exactly underneath the position assumed
by each lever respectively (when the leaf turners are turned over to the right
by hand) are six spring catches which catch hold of pins projecting from the
under side of the leaf turners,, and hold the same with their bands extended
ready to be released one after the other. There is also a lever capable of
vibrating on a centre pin, and furnished with a slide which (as the lever is
moved) releases the catches, and consequently the leaf turners one after the
other.
The lever is moved by a wheel and pinion actuated by a toothed wheel
which is caused to move one tooth at a time by means of a slide which is
connected by means of a cord to a pedal which is pressed upon from time to
time as required by the foot of the performer, thus releasing and turning over
one leaf each time that the pedal is pressed upon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Crowgey Lott in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CROWGEY LOTT, of Clyro (near Hay,) in the County of Radnor, National
Schoolmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three; in the 27th year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Crowgey Lott, Her special license that I, the said John
Crowgey Lott, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Crowgey Lott, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TURNING OVER THE LEAVES OF MUSIC," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Crowgey Lott, my exécutors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under
the hand and seal of one of them, should particularly describe and ascertain

page_text: the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Crowgey Lott do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, that is to say: =
This Invention relates to an apparatus for turning over the leaves of music
instantaneously without touching them with the hand. The working parts
of the apparatus are contained between a top and bottom plate, to the former
of which is attached a desk of any convenient form to support the sheets or
book of music, so arranged as to be capable of being moved backwards or
forwards in order to bring the open pages up to a given line, whatever the
thickness of the book may be. On a pin fixed near the centre of the bottom
plate are mounted (say) six levers which act as leaf turners. To each of
these levers is fastened an elastic band having a tendency to draw the leaf
turner over to the left. The elastic bands are so mounted as to be easily
replaced, and are kept clear of each other by means of revolving pins, round
which they pass.
Attached to the bottom plate, and exactly underneath the position assumed
by each lever respectively (when the leaf turners are turned over to the right
by hand) are six spring catches which catch hold of pins projecting from the
under side of the leaf turners, and hold the same with their bands extended
ready to be released one after the other. There is also a lever capable of
vibrating on a centre pin, and furnished with a slide, which (as the lever is
moved) releases the catches, and consequently the leaf turners one after the
other.
The lever is moved by a wheel and pinion actuated by a toothed wheel,
which is caused to move one tooth at a time by means of a slide, which latter
is connected by a cord to a pedal, which is pressed upon from time to time,
as required, by the foot of the performer, thus releasing and turning over one
leaf each time that the pedal is pressed upon.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improved
Apparatus for Turning over the Leaves of Music," I will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner. in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be
distinctly understood, I have annexed hereunto one Sheet of Drawings illus-

page_text: trative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof, that
is to say:-
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 is a plan or horizontal view of the appa-
ratus as seen from above, the desk being shown, as folded down; in the position
it occupies when out of use; Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus with
the top plate removed so as to expose the working parts; and Figure 3 is a
transverse section taken vertically through about the middle of the apparatus ;
Figures 4 to 14 are detached views of portions of the apparatus berein-after
referred to. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts of the
apparatus in all the Figures.
a, a, is the top plate of the apparatus, and b, b, the bottom plate; c, c, is the
desk to support the music or book; d, d, a prop at the back of the same;
e, e, pins or holders for holding the 'book open and keeping back those leaves
which have not to be turned over; and i, i, another pin or holder made exactly
in the same way as e, e, to prevent the leaves from coming on to that end of
the machine and thereby dragging on it when being turned in consequence of
each leaf making a dip. The whole of this part of the apparatus, that is, the
desk, is mounted or fitted on studs or pins so as to be capable of folding down
flat on to the top plate when out of use. The desk c, c, with its prop d, d, and
the thin ledge h, h, for the book to rest upon, is carried by a sliding frame f,f,
which can be moved backwards or forwards in slots g, g, formed in the top
plate, so as to accomodate the position of the desk c, c, to the thickness of
the book in order to bring the leaves into a proper position to be acted upon.
The desk is fixed by passing a peg or projection under the part of the sliding
frame into one or other of the holes 7, 1, in the top plate. The desk must
always be brought sufficiently forward to bring the book firmly against the
holders e, e.
Fixed near the centre of the bottom plate b, b, is a pin or stud
on which are mounted six or any other convenient number of levers or leaf
turners m³, m³, mm, m³,:m, their heads being placed one above the other on
the central pin or.stud, and their arms (so to speak) lying horizontally side by
side. Each of these levers or leaf turners is furnished with an elastic band n, n,
having a constant tendency to pull it over to the left hand (or into the position
shown in Figure 2). One end of each elastic band is thickened so as to act
as a knot and prevent it from drawing through the small loop on the back of
the leaf turner, and the other end is fixed in a notch in the piece o, o, a plan
view of which is seen in Figure 2, and a front view detached at Figure 4.
This piece has in this instance six square holes formed vertically through it,
and an equal number of notches across the top, and each hole is furnished

page_text: with a small V-clip (Fig. 5). The ends of the elastic bands are placed in
these clips and they are pressed down into the holes, the elastic band passing
out through the notch in the front. Thus it will be evident that any elastic
band can be readily replaced, and that any or all of them can be easily regu-
lated to the tension required. The elastic bands also pass through a small
frame p, p, (see front view, Figure 6), furnished with revolving guide pins or
rollers to keep them separate and prevent friction. The leaf turners are also
provided at their under side with fingers projecting downwards, by means of
which (when the former are turned over to the right, in the position shown in
Figure 1), they are taken hold of and held by their respective spring catches
1999. The outer ends of the leaf turners are provided with other
fingers r,,, projecting upwards to take hold of the leaves to be turned, these
fingers being mounted on pins so as to be capable of turning over so as to lie
flat on the top plate, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. In the Drawing
I have represented the sixth leaf turner as provided with a forked finger
(see Fig. 7) to embrace both sides of the leaf, whilst the other five
have only a single pin (see Figure 8), which is placed behind the leaf.
(Figure 9 shows a side view of Figures 7 and 8), and in order to hold the
leaves back against these fingers I fix to the bottom plate a small frames, s,
(see Figures 1 and 2, and also detached Figures 10 and 11), carrying five
auxiliary fingers s*, s*, mounted upon pins in two tiers (see Figure 10).
When placed in a vertical position they are held so by means of springs t, t,
pressing upon their squared heads, but they are nevertheless capable of being
thrown down by the action of the leaf turners; *, *, (see Figure 1) are
springs, attached to the under side of the top plate to start the leaf turners
and assist them in throwing down the auxiliary fingers *, s; u; u, is a long
lever mounted on a pin near the back part of the apparatus and capable of
being moved from the position in which it is drawn in Figure 2 into the
position shown in dotted lines in that Figure. This lever is provided with a
long slot in which moves a slide v, v, (see also detached view, Figure 14), the
lower side of which is provided with a finger w projecting downwards, the finger
being rigid when pressed in one direction, but capable of moving out of the
way, into the position shewn in dotted lines, in the other direction. To the
upper part of the slide u, v, is fastened a strong elastic band a, a, which has
a constant tendency to draw the slide towards that end of the slot
nearest the pin on which the lever u, u, is mounted. In Figure 2 this lever.
is shown in its most forward position, and with the slide v, v, drawn up nearly
to the top of the slot, and held there by its finger w coming against a pro-
jecting piece of the front part of the box or casing of the apparatus, the elastic

page_text: band x, x, being fully distended. Now supposing all the leaf turners to be
passed over to the right hand (as shown in Figure 1) till each of their lower
fingers is held by its respective spring catch 9', q³, &c., it will be evident that
if the lever u, u, were to be moved a short way backwards or towards its
dotted position, the finger w would slip. off the part which now holds it, and
the elastic band x, x, would bring it against the end of the first spring catch
q', and release the finger m², which would immediately be drawn over to the
left by the action of its elastic band n, carrying over its leaves with it. A still
further movement of the lever u, u, would next similarly release the leaf
turner m², and so on in succession. These intermittent movements of the
lever u, u, are effected in the following manner :-y, y, is a wheel baving (in
this instance) 8 arms, and to the boss of this wheel underneath is fixed a
small pinion (shown in dotted. lines in Figure 2), which has seven teeth, and
one blank space where the eighth has been removed. This pinion gears with
the partially toothed wheel z, z, from the upper face of which a pin A (seen
dotted in Figure 2) projects in front of the lever u, u; B, B, is a catch fixed
to the bottom plate which allows the wheel y, y, to turn in the direction of
the arrow, but prevents it from turning backwards. A front view of this
catch is shewn at Figure 12, its tail end is acted upon by a spring C, C, the
position of which beneath the top plate is shewn in dotted lines at Figure 1;
D, D, is a bridge passing over the lever u, u, and the wheels y, y, and z, z.
This bridge has a slot in it, and upon it moves a slide E, E, similar to the
slide v, v, having a finger F, and an elastic band G, G, (see also side view in
Figure 3.) This slide is also provided with a cord H, H, to draw it forwards,
which latter is connected to a pedal; each time the pedal is depressed the
cord draws the slide forwards, and the finger F coming against the arm of the
wheel y, y, turns it in this case one-eighth of a revolution, causing the pinion
to take up one tooth of the wheel z, z, and the pin A to press the lever u, u,
back one degree, and by means of the slide v, v, and its finger w to release
one of the catches q', 92, &c. and set their respective leaf turners free. When
the foot is raised from the pedal, the elastic band G draws the slide E, E,
back, the finger F passing freely in this direction over the arm of the wheel
y, y, without acting upon it. By the time that all the leaf turners have been
thus set free the blank space of the pinion will have come opposite to the
teeth of the wheel a, a, the lever u, u, will also have assumed the position
shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and the elastic band a, a, will have brought
the slide v, v, to the end of the slot nearest the pin on which the lever moves.
As soon as the blank space of the pinion comes opposite the teeth of the
wheel,,,the strong spring H*, H, acting upon the lever u, u, will cause it

page_text: to pull the wheel z, z, back into its original position by means of the pin A:
In applying this apparatus to small harmoniums where the lid is about equally
divided, the machine can be screwed down to the part covering the keys which
when open is thrown back, and the whole can be tilted, and in the larger
kind the lid where it is not too high can be divided into three parts, and the
first part tilted as in Figure 15, while the back part can be firmly fixed to the
harmonium, (where it is too high some other plan must be resorted to), but in
the case of pianos where this cannot be done the machine must be fastened
to the lid by hinges, and tilted by means of props I, I, as in Figure 3, a front
view of one of the props being shown at Figure 13, while for some organs, and
for music stands where it can always remain in one position it can be fixed at
once in the slanting direction required. In Figure 2, K, K, is a cord, one
end of which is fastened to the catch 2 of the last leaf turner m², and the
other end to a second pedal, which may be used when only a single sheet of
music is to be turned over.
The following is the method of working the apparatus:-The machine being
in the required position (sloping backwards) the desk c, c, is raised, secured
by the prop d, d, and the book. placed upon it. The leaves to be turned
over are then separated from the others, and the desk c, c, is then slidden
forward till the book is brought tight against the holders e, e, and it is fixed
there by passing the peg under the part into one of the holes 1, 1, in the
top plate; then carry over the last leaf turner to the right till it is
held by its catch, and place the last leaf in its forked finger.r, or if it has
only a single finger, place the leaf over it and turn up one of the auxiliary
fingers s* in front of the leaf; repeat this for as many leaves as have to be
turned over;
then take hold of the cord L, L, (to the end of. which a tassel
is affixed) and pull the slide v, v, up into the position shown in Figure 2 with
its finger w resting against the projection of the front rim of the machine.
If there are as many leaves to be turned over as there are leaf turners to the
machine (or in other words if all the leaf turners have been brought over to
the right hand) all is now ready for starting, and upon each depression of the
pedal a leaf will be turned over; but if all the leaf turners are not in use then
make as many false treads upon the pedal as there are leaf turners out of use,
so as to bring the finger w of the slide into the proper position to liberate
the catch to be first acted on. If it should be required to turn the same
two or three leaves so many times over, then the best way will be to put back
all the leaf turners at once, taking care to raise the auxiliary fingers at the
proper times, and then to put the leaves into the first two or three places, and
then into the second two or three places, and so on; this will save the trouble

page_text: of rectifying the slide and wheels each time. To hold loose sheets and all
unbound music on. the machine a portfolio made in a particular way will be
required..
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improved Apparatus for Turning over the Leaves of Music" together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion, that I claim as my
Invention:-
. Firstly, the general construction and arrangement of the whole apparatus
or any mere modification thereof.
Secondly, the peculiar arrangement of the desk, its manner of folding down
when out of use, and of sliding backwards and forwards to accommodate itself
to different thicknesses of books.
Thirdly, the particular method of arranging and fastening the elastic bands,
and attaching them to the leaf turners.
Fourthly, the peculiar form of the leaf turners and the falling of the fingers
attached thereto when it is required to close the instrument to which the
inachine is fastened and also the auxiliary fingers for holding back, the
leaves.
! Fifthly, the construction and employment of the several parts for retaining
and letting off the leaf turners.
Sixthly, the method of tilting or slanting the machine.
And, seventhly, the employment of a second cord to let off the last leaf
turner when one leaf only is required to be turned over only once or a number
of times.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Crowgey Lott, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JOHN LOTT Irel
JOHN C. LOTT (IS.)