Improved Music Rack and Leaf Turner.
Year: 1889

page_text: :
Complete Specification Left, 8th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 10th May, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Music Rack and Leaf Turner.
We, WILLIAM JACKSON or otherwise WILLIAM B. JACKSON of 1425 Tasker Street,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and JEREMIAH JACKSON of 9 Tower Street Leicester
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
_
Our invention relates to that class of music leaf turners in which the sheets of
music or the leaves of a hook are controlled by spring actuated turning arms or
fingers, the release of the latter in succession being governed by suitable escapement
mechanism.
Our improvements relate especially to the construction of such escapement
mechanism, & to the means for supporting the book or sheets of music; the object
of the invention being: to prevent the accidental release of any one of the turning
arms or fingers by the escapement mechanism, to provide for the convenient
operation of the latter, & to adapt the device for the reception of books or sheets of
different heights.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of sufficient of a
music rack & leaf turner to illustrate my invention. Figs. 2 & 3 are diagrams
illustrating the escapement mechanism in different positions to show the operation of
the same, & Fig. 4 is a detached view illustrating part of one of the leaf turning
arms or fingers & its actuating spring.
"
A is a frame or stand having at the upper end a box or casing B with central
vertical rod or spindle a, to which are hung a series of leaf turning arms D, four of
these being shown in the present instance, & the outer end of each arm being bent
so as to form a finger for engaging with the upper edge of the leaf or sheet which is
to be turned. Each of the arms D is acted upon by a spring b, such for instance äs
shown in Fig. 4, the tendency of this spring being to turn the arm D from right to
left as indicated by the arrow Fig. 1; when the said arm is released from the control
of the escapement mechanism. The latter comprises a combined separating &
retaining lever F & a catch finger G both hung to the end of the box or casing B, the
lever F being provided with a rod or cord d, by which it may be operated either by
hand or foot or by some attachment similar to that of a knee swell on an organ, or
pedals on a piano; the particular means employed for operating the lever being
immaterial. The lever F has an upwardly projecting finger, & in advance of the
same a shoulder g & the catch finger G is hooked at the outer end so as to form a
shoulder i. The leaf controlling arms D swing through & are held in proper vertical
position by a slot m in the box or casing B, & in the first instance all of said arms
which engage with a sheet or leaf of music are moved over to the right & retained
in this position by engagement with the shoulder i of the catch finger G which is
depressed by means of a spring n. When it becomes necessary to turn the leaf the
lever F is actuated so as to insert its finger between the foremost arm D & that
next to it, so as to separate said foremost arm from those in the rear, as shown in
figure 2, the finger then striking the catch arm G and lifting the same so as to free
the foremost arm from the control of the shoulder of said catch, finger. The

page_text: shoulder g of the lever F has however by this time been lifted into the path of the
arm & prevents the release of the same, as shown in Fig. 3, and the outer end of
the lever must be permitted to drop before such release is effected; the arm D when
released being swung around by its spring in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, so as
to carry the leaf with it & turn it over to the opposite side. As the outer end of the
lever F descends the catch finger G descends with it & when the finger fis, withdrawn
from in front of the remaining arms D the latter will move forward until the fore-
most arm is stopped by the shoulder i of the catch finger, in position to be separated
from the remaining arms on the next rise of the finger as described. It will be
observed that two movements of the lever F are necessary in order to effect the
release of either of the arms so that accidental or unintentional release of either of
the said arms is extremely unlikely.
To the front of the box B is pivotted a supplementary lever J, the short arm of
which is in position to act upon the front of the lever F, the long arm of said lever J,
being provided with a rod or cord P, the operation of which will effect a movement
of the lever F.similar to that effected by the operation of the rod or cord d.
As the turning arms D occupy a fixed vertical position it becomes necessary to
provide a movable supporting shelf M for the book or sheets of music & we therefore
provide the said supporting shelf at points outside of the opposite legs.of the frame A,
with arms S, which carry a catch bar t engaging with ratchet teeth we formed on the
rear of each of said legs of the frame so that the shelf M can be raised on the frame
& will be self retaining in any position to which it is adjusted; or the shelf,can be
lowered by first tilting the same so as to carry the catch-bar t out of engagement
'with the teeth to of the frame.
. As the shelf is in front of the frame A & the catch bar t in the rear of the same,
the said shelf is properly confined to the frame so far as in & out movements, are
'concerned, and the opposite arms S of the shelf are preferably soilocated as to bear
upon the outer edges of the opposite legs of the frame, and prevent any sidewise
movement of the shelf in respect to the latter.
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 :-
1st. In a music leaf turner, the combination of the fixed frame and a series of
spring actuated leaf turning arms hung thereto, with escapement mechanism
comprising a lever with separating finger and retaining shoulder, and a catch finger
also having a retaining shoulder, substantially as specified.
2nd. In a music leaf turner, the combination of the fixed frame, and a.series.of
leaf turning arms 'hung thereto, with escapement mechanism comprising a lever with
separating finger and retaining shoulder, a catch finger having a retaining shoulder,
and a supplementary lever acting on the combined separating and retaining lever,
substantially as specified.
..
3rd. The combination of the fixed frame and its spring actuated retaining fingers,
the vertical rack at the rear of the frame, a shelf in front of the frame, and a.catch
bar, connected to said shelf and engaging with the rack at the rear of the frame,
substantially as specified.
4th. The combination of the fixed frame having spring actuated leaf turning arms
and vertical rack at the rear, a supporting shelf having arins bearing against the
outer edges of the frame, and a catch bar carried by said arms and engaging with
"the rack at the rear of the frame, substantially as specified.
Dated this.8th day of October 1889.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,.
Agents for the Applicants.