Improvements in Apparatus for Turning the Leaves of Music and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: The decision of the Comptroller-General, of the 7th day of June, 1895, allowed,
under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883, an Amendment of this
Specification.
Date of Application, 30th May, 1893
'Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Turning the Leaves of Music
and the like.
I, FREDERICK TALBOT JOYCE M. Inst. C.E. Civil Engineer of 103 Lower
Baggot Street Dublin do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
A music leaf-turning apparatus, which is also particularly adapted for the
piano :-
-
A small, narrow box, capable of being placed on, and fixed to, the ledge of any
existing music stand, holds the ends of three, four, five or more vertical metal rods,
placed parallel to the face of the music stand, and about three quarters of an inch
apart, and passing through holes in the lid of the box, their heels being in sockets
at the bottom of the box. These rods are telescopic so as to adjust themselves to
the height of different-sized music, and so can be made to project slightly over the
top of the music leaves. They each carry at their top a horizontal arm which is
bent at its end downwards at a right angle, and which is intended to be inserted
behind the leaf to be turned. Each arm carries a sliding clip into which a leaf can be
placed. Two clips are fitted to an intermediate rod to hold any single loose leaf.
The music being placed, with its centre-fold behind this intermediate rod, the leaves
are turned over by the vertical ends of the arms, motion being given to each
rod in succession by the pressure of the finger on a button working through the
front of the small box, which acts on the rod by means of a rack and pinion,
causing it to make half a revolution from right to left.
Any leaf can be turned back again by pulling out its particular button.
The apparatus, when used on violin or other bandstands, can be worked with
foot-pedals, either by means of pulleys or pneumatically, as also electrically when
used on a piano.
Dated this 27th day of Va 1802

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Turning the Leaves of Music
and the like.
I FREDERICK TALBOT JOYCE, of 103 Lower Baggot Street, in the City of
Dublin, Ireland Civil Engineer, 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 :-
This invention for Improvements in Apparatus for Turning the Leaves of Music
and the like has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus for turning
the leaves, and consists essentially of a series of rods mounted at the back of a
suitable frame and provided at their lower ends with pinions gearing with racks
sliding in the bottom of the frame and adapted to be operated independently and
of a series of loops or clips adapted to engage with the leaves to be turned and
connected to arms projecting forwards from the upper ends of the rods over the
top edges of the leaves. On operating any sliding rack in the proper direction
the corresponding rod is turned and causes the loop or clip to make a semi rotation
about the rod and so to turn over the corresponding leaf and by again operating the
rack in the opposite direction the said leaf can be turned back again. The rods
are preferably arranged symmetrically with respect to the centre fold of the book
and as close together as practical. For convenience of operation the pinion of
Each rod is sometimes geared with two sliding racks arranged on opposite sides s0
that one is pressed inwards to turn the rod forwards and the other to turn the rod
backwards. These racks are preferably arranged in two horizontal rows.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a leaf turner constructed according to this
invention and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan; and Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of
the same.
;
Fig. is a detail in perspective showing the manner in which each leaf is held.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the desk of an orchestral music stand permanently
fitted with this leaf turner and
Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the desk of an ordinary orchestral music stand
removably fitted with this leaf turner and showing a piece of music in position,
and Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the same.
The frame a is formed at its lower part with a box b projecting forwards so as
to form a rest for the bottom edges of the leaves. Mounted in the back of the
frame a and passing through holes in the horizontal plates a¹ a¹ and projecting
above the top edge of the largest sized music are a series of vertical rods c whose
lower ends pass into the box b and are pivoted in holes in the foot plate d² and
fitted with pinions d, and washers d'. Racks e sliding horizontally backwards and
forwards in the box are geared with the pinions d and are operated by spindles f
extending through the front side of the box and provided with operating buttons g.
The back ends of the racks are guided by the plate o. The rods c are provided at
their upper ends with arms hand on the end of each arm is a loop or clip i in
which the leaf to be turned is inserted. As shown the rod c, arm h and one part
of the loop or clip i are formed of a single bent rod.
To enable any loop or clip to be more readily turned back that is from left to
right as where a page has to be repeated, racks e¹ are provided similar to the racks e
and working reciprocally with them but at a lower level and on the opposite sides
of the pinions d.
A vertical rod is fixed to the top of the box 6 or it passes through a slot
hole m in the top of the box and is attached to a rod n sliding through a
hole in the face of the box b and through the plate o so that the rod / can be

page_text: pulled out or pressed in to accommodate itself to different thicknesses of music or
the like.
The leaf turner being placed on any music desk so that it rests on the ledge p
and the loops or clips being turned to the right, the piece of music open at the
centre fold, is placed behind the rod 1; the leaves are then slipped in turn into the
Joops or clips i. To turn a page the first button g on the left is pres-ed by
the finger which causes the first loop or clip to rotate from right to left bringing
the leaf with it and so on in succession till all the leaves have been turned. To
return a leaf its particular "repeat" button g' on the lower line of racks is pressed
in, which causes the loop or clip to revolve from left to right and to carry back the
page with it.
Two or more pages may be thus instantly returned by pressing in
the "
repeat "button corresponding to the page it is desired to repeat.
Where a large number of loops or clips are required the rods care arranged close
together so that the pinion of the one will just clear the spindle of the other; or
they may be arranged in a double or treble row or in other ways to economise
space or for convenience. In these cases the racks e work at different levels so as
not to interfere with one another the repeating racks e being dispensed with but
the "repeat" action being effected by pulling out with the finger the button corre-
sponding to the leaf required to be repeated. When the "repeat"action is effected
in this way the apparatus, when not forming a part of a music desk, is provided
with a pair of spring clips fixed to the box b by which it can be firmly attached to
the ledge of any music desk.
Single leaves may be taken by making a fold at their inner edge and placing
them with the rod in the fold. Books opened where required are placed in front
of the rod and beneath the loops the pages to be turned are then inserted in the
loops as before described.
To render the apparatus suitable for small books and short music a movable rest
is provided fixed at any suitable height above the top of the box band consisting of
a horizontal spindle passing through and revolving in holes in the vertical web s
of the frame and carrying small plates t which form the rest when turned down, as
shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, by means of a screw head v fixed to one end of the
Epindle r. A pin w is provided against which a plate rests when turned back.
In the case of a violin, or other orchestral music stand, the apparatus can be
placed on it and worked in the same way as in the case of a piano. In playing the
violin, clarionette, and the like the buttons can be pressed in by the end of the
instrument thus avoiding any pause while turning a leaf.
The desk of a violin or other music stand can be permanently or removably fitted
with the leaf turner as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. The rods c are carried up at the
back of the desk through loops or eyes secured to the desk.
A movable music rest as herein before described can be attached and worked
through slot holes cut in the desk.
The music desk of a piano, organ, or harmonium can be fitted with the leaf
turner in various designs and can have hinges to allow the desk to fold up or
back.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
Lion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
chun is:
1. A leaf turner consisting of a rod mounted at the back of a frame and provided
at its lower end with a pinion gearing with a rack sliding in the bottom of the
frame and adapted to be operated from outside the frame and of a loop or clip
adapted to engage with the leaf and connected to an arm projecting from the upper
end of the rod forwards over the top edge of the leaf substantially as described.
2. The improved apparatus for turning over the leaves of music and the like and
consisting of a series of rods mounted at the back of a frame and provided at their
lower ends with pinions gearing with racks sliding in the bottom of the frame and
adapted to be operated from outside the frame and by means of which the horizontal

page_text: arms with the attached loops i can be rotated from left to right or vice versa
substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The improvements in apparatus for turning the leaves of music and the like
substantially as described consists essentially of a series of rods mounted at the back of
a suitable frame and provided at their lower ends with pinions gearing with racks sliding
in the bottom of the frame and adapted to be operated independently, and of a series of
loops or clips adapted to engage with the leaves to be turned and connected to arms
projecting forwards from the upper ends of the rods over the top edges of the leaves
substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of February 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.