Harmoniums, Organs or other Musical Instruments and for other analogous Purposes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Harmoniums, Organs, or other Musical Instruments, and for
other analogous Purposes.
I, HUGH DOBIN GRAHAM GILLESPIE of N° 1 Beaufort Terrace, Garturk Street,
Govanhill Glasgow, in the County of Lanark Printer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
It is an automatic or Self adjusting, reversible Spring Finger for use upon
Pianofortes, Organs or other Musical Instruments, reading desks, Lecturns etcetera.
Its purpose is to hold up the Music on the Instruments named in the same or
similar manner to the Wood, Metal or other fingers commonly in use upon them at
the present time; and to fold down easily and instantly either on the right or left
as the leaf or sheet of Music etcetera is turned over and then return to its upright
position and former use.
For these purposes the Base of the said finger is enclosed within a chamber
wherin is provided one or more Springs which actuate the finger so that after it
has been pressed down from its perpendicular position by the act of folding over
the sheet it is instantly restored by the Spring (or Springs) to,its original and
upright position.
These appliances may be wholly made of Metal or partially of Ivory, Bone,
Wood, Vulcanite or other suitable materials: and may be made adjustable to suit
any width of Book or folio by the persons using them. They may also be made to
fold down conveniently for closing the instrument etcetera.

page_text: Improved Appliances for Use as Music Holders on Pianofortes,
Harmoniums, Organs, or other Musical Instruments, and for
other analogous Purposes.
I, HUGH DOBIN GRAHAM GILLESPIE of N° 1 Beaufort Terrace, Garturk Street,
Govanhill, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain Engraver and Printer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED APPLIANCES FOR use
AS MUSIC HOLDERS ON PIANOFORTES OR OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND FOR
OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
It consists principally, of an automatic, or self adjusting reversible, Spring Finger,
for use upon Pianofortes, Organs, or other Musical Instruments, Reading Desks,
Lecturns, and other structures requiring appliances of this character.
One of the purposes for which this Appliance is designed is to hold up, or restrain,
the leaves of a Music Book whilst the latter is in use upon a Piano, Organ, or other
Musical Instrument; and be easily folded down as each leaf is turned over, either
to the right, left, or other direction, and then instantly return to its original
(upright or other) position and use. It is also intended to be used in a similar
manner upon other structures than Musical Instruments, and for other purposes
than restraining the leaves of books.
The construction of this Appliance is as follows:-
The Base, or other part, of the before mentioned Finger is provided with one or
more Springs which restrain and actuate the Finger in such a manner that, when
it is pushed aside from its natural position and then released, the Spring or
Springs at once restore the Finger to its former position.
The Spring or Springs are, or may be, but are not necessarily, enclosed within
a receptacle, box, or chamber, which forms part of the Appliance.
These Springs are, or may be, but are not necessarily, attached to the Finger (or
its appendages) either permanently or otherwise, and to some other adjacent part
or parts of the Appliance; they may also be placed-loosely or otherwise-within
or upon any part of the Appliance which is most convenient for actuating the
Finger.
This Appliance is, or may be, so constructed that it can be fixed in an unvarying
position upon the instrument, apparatus, or structure to which it is applied, and in
such a manner that the Finger and its Spring, or Springs, are the only parts which
are subject to a change of position; it is also, or may be, constructed with a hinge
attachment or a member which operates in a folding manner similar to a hinge.
The purpose to be served by this hinge, or folding member, is that the Appliance
may be rendered adjustable and unobstructive when closing the lid of the Piano or
other structure to which it is attached.
These Appliances are, or may be, constructed in such a manner that, when two
or more of them are placed upon a Musical Instrument, or other structure, and
required to act in unison, one with the other, or separately, as the case may be,
they can each be placed, retained, and readjusted temporarily, at various distances
one from the other, to suit the different sizes of Music Book, Picture, or other

page_text: article or purpose in connection with which they are, from time to time, used. The
manner in which this purpose is effected is, or may be, by fitting the Finger
Appliances (one or more) upon a Bar or Hollow Tube upon which they can be
adjusted and made to slide by means of a split (or other) tube attached to the part
containing the Spring (or Springs).
"
This split (or other) tube attachment is, or may be, so tightly fitted to the bar
upon which it has to slide that it requires some force to move it; or it may be
fixed in any position upon the bar by means of a pinching pin," "thumb screw,"
or other convenient process. It is principally designed to make this har round, and
the sliding member round also, but this form is not a necessity, as the bar may be
square, triangular, oval, or varied in its section. When a round bar is used and a
round tube attachment to the Finger Appliance for sliding the latter thereon the
Finger Appliances (one or more) may be partially revolved upon the said round bar
in the manner of a hinge.
The automatic readjustment of this Spring Finger may be effected also, by
making the Finger of India-rubber, Wire Coil, or other Elastic Material, and
without the aid, as previously described, of any additional Spring or Springs.
The materials of which these Appliances are, or may be, made, are (either wholly,
or in part), Spring Steel, Wire, Brass, or other Metals, Ivory, Bone, Wood, Horn,
Vulcanite, India-Rubber, Gutta-Percha, or other suitable materials.
The following Diagrams illustrate (substantially) the particulars of this invention,
and will enable it to be more thoroughly understood and readily carried into effect.
Fig. 1. Is a perspective view of this Appliance-shewing two of the Spring
Finger Appliances (A. A.) fitted upon a round bar (B.) and capable of being placed
nearer together or wider apart as required.
Fig. 2. Is an end elevation of a Spring Finger Appliance, with a Split Tube (C.)
for adjustment upon the bar B. (Fig. 1), and
Fig. 3. Is an end view, in perspective, of the same member.
Fig. 4. Is a perspective view of the small bracket D. (Fig. 1).
Fig. 5. Is a perspective view of a Spring Finger Appliance with Hinge attach-
ment, and
Fig. 6. Is an end elevation of the same member.
Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 19; Are interior views of the box or chest, shewing several
methods of applying the Spring or Springs for actuating the Finger, the Cover
Plate (F) being removed.
Figs. 11, 12, and 12), Are representations of the Finger with the members
suitable for attachment to, or applying the requisite strain upon, the Spring or
Springs.
Fig. 13. Is a representation of this Appliance, constructed with one Spring only
and marked E, the said member being composed of narrow Spring Steel.
Fig. 14. Is a representation of this Appliance, in the hinged form, with the
Finger made of India-Rubber, or other elastic material.
Figs. 15, 15, and 16. Are representations of this Appliance with a Volute
character of Spring. One view shewing the cover removed from the Box containing
the Spring.
Figs. 17 and 18. Are representations of this Appliance without a hinge, or any
similar provision for folding it and suitable for immoveable attachment.
Fig. 19. Is a representation of this Appliance, with Elastic or India-Rubber
Bands, for restraining the action of the Finger.
Fig. 20. Is a representation of this Appliance with a curved or circular rod-a
segment only of the rod being shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1st, in a Finger Appliance for use upon Pianofortes and other Musical Instru-
ments, and for the other purposes berein named the use of a Spring or Springs for

page_text: rendering the said Finger self-adjusting, whether the Spring is enclosed within a
box or otherwise forming part of such an Appliance.
2d, in a Finger Appliance for use upon Pianofortes and other Musical Instru-
ments, and for the other purposes herein named the use of Fingers constructed
wholly or partially of elastic materials, possessing in themselves the nature of a
Spring, such as India-rubber, Wire Coils, Spring Wire, or other such-like materials.
3d, in a Finger Appliance for use upon Pianofortes and other Musical Instru-
ments, and for the other purposes herein named the use of a Hinge, of the
character, or substantially as here shewn, for folding down the Finger..
4th, in a Finger Appliance for use upon Pianofortes and other Musical Instru-
ments, and for the other purposes herein named the use of a round Rod or Bar and
Tubular Attachment for sliding thereon, as shewn-whether the latter member is
split or otherwise for the purpose of adjusting such Finger appliances at any
required distance from each other, and for folding them conveniently when not
required.
5th, in a Finger Appliance for use upon Pianofortes and other Musical Instru-
iments, and for the other purposes herein named the use of a Rod and Sliding
Tubular Member connected with the Finger-whether the Rod and Tube be round,
square, or any other section.
6th, in a Finger Appliance for use upon Pianofortes and other Musical Instru-
ments, and for the other purposes herein named the use of a Rod and Sliding
Tubular Member connected with the Finger-whether the Rod and Tube (one or
both) are straight, circular, elliptical, or irregular in linear formation, and whether
the Finger is required to travel in a straight, circular, elliptical, or irregular
direction.
T 1000