Improvements in Apparatus for Turning the Leaves of Music and other. Leaves.
Year: 1885

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Turning the Leaves of Music
and other. Leaves.
I, OSCAR CANLER-FEYS of 86 Rue Royale Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium
Hosiery Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:―
The object of my invention is the production of apparatus or appliances for
mechanically turning over the leaves of a music or other book as required and
without touching same with the hand.. The invention will be best understood by
describing same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a leaf turner constructed according to my
invention showing the same applied to a Piano."
Figure 2 is a plan drawn on a larger scale than the previous Figure of a sliding
platform hereinafter referred to and marked C.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation through Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a detached view of one of the weights hereinafter referred to and
Figure 5 shews the invention as applied to a music stand. Similar letters of
reference refer to like parts in all the figures.
According to,my invention I employ an oblong bottomless box in which slides
horizontally a slotted platform on each of the internal sides of the said box having
its two long sides provided for this purpose with a slide. This sliding platform or
drawer C (See Figures 1, 2, 3) of the drawing has a central opening H occupying
nearly half of its length and a rack c above and horizontally. This sliding
platform a is intended to be behind, that is to say slightly partially withdrawn
and gradually from the box by means of a rod A placed horizontally under the key
board of the piano, and operated by a counter puller A' worked underneath by the
knee of the player when he is at the piano and each time that a music or other
page has to be turned over. This trigger or rod A which is applied to the piano
by means of two small vertical supports b, b', which it passes through terminates
at one end in a hook and at the other in a connection with the trigger or rod A¹
which works it. The hook at the end of the rod A is intended to successively
catch each tooth of the fixed rack of the platform C and consequently causes the
latter to recede a distance equal to each interval of the teeth of the rack, an
interval which corresponds with the course or distance necessary for turning a

page_text: .
sheet of music or other leaf to be read. This sheet is turned in the following
manner. The longitudinal opening formed in the sliding board or platform C is
intended to leave room or space for the rigid metal or other wires or cords when
the platform has wholly gone back into the box. These rigid wires E E are fixed
at the top and bottom to the lower and top vertical oblong frame and in the
interior of which the extreme side of the box is fixed and carried by means of a
screw or other convenient means. These rigid wires or cords E E are intended to
act as guides to the weights F F which are preferably of elongated form and hollow
inside so that they can easily rise and fall the length of the said wire cords.
These weights are held at the top of the wires E E owing to their lower end
resting on the sides of the opening formed in the platform C that is on the platform
itself. It will be understood that when the said platform C is withdrawn from
the box B that the weights F F being no longer supported will slide by their own
weight the length of the rigid wire rods or cords E E. The rack c fixed on the
platform C is intended to regulate and to cause the successive retirement of the
platform C according to when the knee is pushed on the counter rod A¹ actuating
the rod A which latter in retreating forces the hook with which it is terminated
to take into one of the teeth of the rack. Thus by simply pushing the knee on
the rod A¹ the rod A giving back each time draws with it the platform C and that
a distance equal to the space left between each tooth of the rack c. The size of
each tooth of the rack is so calculated that the platform when going back is
removed from under one of the weights F and tlie latter being no longer supported
will slide along the length of the corresponding rigid wire. This falling of the
weight gives the motive power necessary to turn a sheet of music or other leaf in
fact each weight F. F carries at its upper end an eyelet into which is fixed the end
of a silk flax or other, cord this thread passing through an opening formed for this
purpose in the frame at the top of the case D terminates exactly at the corner of
the page to be turned over and to which it is fixed at the end in any well known
manuer, either by means of a small paper clip of known form or by other suitable
Ineans. The cord I is supported and guided between the case of the frame and the
sheet by passing the cord through small openings in the guide or vertical plate K
supported by a bracket fixed to the box B. It should be noticed that the
horizontal rod A is formed in two equal parts united by means of two little
spiral springs a a closing and contracting when the rod is moved and expanding
or opening when the knee is pressed against the rod thus, forcing the rod to
lengthen so that the hook of the said rod A goes into a following tooth of the rack
and falls in front of it taking thus the position for a new operation and so on. As
shewn in the drawings the first of the six counter weights is let go by the platform
which is drawn from underneath it through the action of the rod A pushed by the
counter rod A¹ moving in, the direction of the arrow by the pushing of the knee
the counter weights F draws with it a cord I' which pulls the page which it is
required to turn....
.
T
H is the slot or cut out opening. In the page turner shewn at Figure 5 as
applied, to a music stand instead of the counter rod A¹ there is a cord A¹
terininating by a loop through which the musician puts his foot and which he pulls
lightly each time that it is necessary to turn over a page. The frame D (shewn
in Figure 1) and in which the rigidly stretched strings .I I are fixed may be
composed of four plates but one of the vertical plates of which has a space in it to
let the platform C pass while the other is entire and is held by screws at the place
where it carries the box B. I can also make these supports one flat that is to say
that carrying the box the other round of a smaller section so as to pass through
the opening of the platform or drawer C. The apparatus is generally placed in an
upright position to the left of the piano.
c
The frame may be thus made large and long enough to form a solid foot;
the rod A will be kept in the middle of the piano and at the right hand end by
means of two vertical bearings the horizontal part of which would be fitted in
a convenient manner under the key board,

page_text: To use my apparatus it is only necessary to place it close to the piano to the left.
All the weights should be brought up and the platform drawer C pushed to the
end of the box so as to let support all the weights and so that the last tooth in
the rack c is caught by the hook of the rod A. The free end of the cords I, I,
should be fixed to the lower corner of the pages six for example of the piece of
music or other leaves which it is desired to play or to turn.
The player sitting down can thus with a slight movement of the knee from left
to right (or from left to right of the piano) act on the counter rod A¹ the free end
of which terminates in a flat button. The apparatus shown in the drawing is
made to turn six pages but it is understood that I can make it turn more or less
number of sheets in this case. I remove it from the frame of the case and
I withdraw or I replace other rigid cords and increase or diminish the number of
weights at the same time the number of teeth in the rack the number of cords and
the number of openings in the cord guides I reserve to myself the right of making
the apparatus enlarged or diminished at will & of employing a frame, board or
draw & hook of any convenient size or shape.
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
First: An apparatus or appliance for turning the leaves of a music book or
other like consisting of a series of cords previously attached to said pages or leaves
and operated by means of weights or counter weights fixed to their free cords
substantially as set forth.
Second The employment in apparatus for turning the pages of music or other
books the rigid stretched cords serving as guides for the said weights which are
held up and let go one by one by a board (grooved) holding them up and which
board can be operated at the will of the player substantially as set forth..
Third The application in apparatus for turning over the pages of music and
other books of a horizontal cord under the key board of a piano or music rest or
desk or other piece of furniture and worked by the pressing of the knee of the
player to operate from one end a rack fitted to a sliding board or drawer which
can be pulled back at will according to the length of the page of music to be
turned over and to tighten itself under the weight which it holds and carrying
with it the cord connected to the page to be turned substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Fourth-The combination of apparatus for leaf or page turner for a music or
other book as described consisting essentially of a frame carrying a rectangular box
having a movable bottom formed by a sliding board and of rigidly stretched cords
in the frame and serving as guides to counter weights or weights held by the said
sliding board and let go successively by it when drawn backward or pulled back
by a hook working on a rack fitted to the said platform or drawer which hook or
The said counter
pawl is drawn by the hook at the end operated by the player.
weights serving to pull in their flight the cord fixed at the other end to the music
book or sheet to be turned all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twenty ninth day of December 1885.