Improvements in Portable Music Stands.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left. 15th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 14th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Music Stands.
▲ communication from GIOVANNI CONTARDO and ANTONIO MINA, of Turin, in the.
Kingdom of Italy.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The inventors having had the intention of providing military musicians especially,
as well as the whole body of musicians with a portable music stand at once light,
strong, simple and not cumbersome have sought for this purpose to make use of the
sword which composes part of the dress of the former. Nothing could in fact decide
the question better, because no one would believe that the sword actually worn by
these musicians could serve them both for a weapon of self-defence or of attack.
On
the other hand the object proposed by the inventors, as it simply replaces one of the
accessories of their uniform neither embarasses nor over-burdens the musicians in the
slightest who always appear armed with a sword, but who, in case of need, can easily
transform it in a very short time into a music-stand..
After having unbuckled the sword from the belt the hilt at or about its middle is
grasped with the left hand whilst with the right hand is drawn the end of the scabbard
which is disengaged from its fastening by pressing with the thumb on a suitable catch.
The tip of the scabbard which is the only useless piece in the construction of the stand
is at one relegated to the musician's pocket. The four legs of the stand which are
flattened and concealed in the lower part of the scabbard, will remain visible for a
certain length. It will be easy to bring them out sufficiently to admit of the inner
notch of a spring to engage with a groove of piece to which the legs are attached
and which being in its turn fastened to the scabbard by means of the said notch unites
the leg of the stand to the scabbard. This latter serves as a stem for the stand.
Suitable means are provided to give the necessary elasticity which will assure a good
hold in the scabbard which is necessary to guarantee the strength and firmness of the
stand.
After having extricated the hinged legs of the stand they are drawn below a
prolongation rendered elastic by means of 4 clefts and which serves as a slide to a
collar to which are attached stretchers. This improved arrangement is analogous to
that for the setting up of an umbrella.
On the lower part of the stand, i.e. on the foot and the leg thus obtained it is only
necessary to place the desk. This latter is formed by the blade and the hilt of the
sword. In taking hold of the sword in the ordinary way one draws the blade (which
under this invention is composed of several pieces) from the scabbard. Loosening the
fingers a little without letting go of the hilt a spring sets at liberty all the pieces which
form the desk. This latter will be obtained by making the parallel sides of the desk
as well as the pivotted cross bars slide. The hilt is hinged and when turned on its
hinge in the proper direction discloses the prolongation of the blade. The setting up
may then be completed by introducing the blade prolongation into a cavity of the
scabbard in such a way that the hilt just leans against the upper end of the scabbard
which assures the establishment of the desk on the foot of the stand. By flattening a
portion of the desk a ledge for holding the music may be provided and should it be
necessary a candle may be supported in a hole or socket in one of the hinged parts of
the hilt.
By making the above operations in the contrary manner the sword can easily be
put together again.
Dated this 29th day of Julv 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Music Stands.
A communication from GIOVANNI CONTARDO and ANTONIO MINA, of Turin, in
the Kingdom of Italy.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, M.I.M.E.,
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:
+
The inventors having had the intention of providing military musicians especially,
as well as the whole body of musicians with a portable music stand at once light,
strong, simple and not cumbersome have sought for this purpose to make use of the
sword which composes part of the dress of the former. Nothing could in fact decide
the question better, because no one would believe that the sword actually worn by
these musicians could serve them both for a weapon of self-defence or of attack. On
the other hand the object proposed by the inventors as it simply replaces one of the
accessories of their uniform neither embarasses nor over-burdens the musicians in the
slightest who always appear armed with a sword but who, in case of need, can easily
transform it in a very short time into a music stand.
In order to assist the understanding of this invention the accompanying drawings
which are not of exactly proportionate dimensions but serve only as an explanation
are supplied.
Fig. 1 represents the sword in a vertical position with the collar and the ring 9 for
fixing the strap of the belt.
Fig. 2 represents the desk with its feet extended.
Fig. 3 shows the hilt and the blade of the sword; this blade being formed of several
pieces laid one over the other.
Fig. 4 shows the hilt and blade of the sword open in such a nanner as to form
the upper part or desk of the stand with its accessories.
Fig. shows the stand completely mounted.
After having unbuckled the sword from the belt the scabbard at or about its middle
is grasped with the left hand i.e., at the point F (fig. 1) whilst with the right hand is
drawn the end of the scabbard P which is disengaged from its fastening (which is
retained in the leg G¹ (Fig. 2) by pressing with the thumb on a suitable catch a.
The tip of the scabbard which is the only useless piece in the construction of the
stand is at once relegated to the musician's pocket. The four legs of the stand which
are flattened and concealed in the lower part of the scabbard will remain visible for a
certain length. It will be easy to bring them out sufficiently to admit of the inner
notch d¹ of the spring m¹ (fig. 1) to engage with a groove or recess ƒ (fig. 2) of the
piece to which the legs are attached and which being in its turn fastened to the
scabbard by means of the said notch d', unites the leg of the stand to the scabbard F.
This latter serves as a stem for the stand. The part C (fig. 2) is split at t and at v v
in order to give it the necessary elasticity which will assure a good hold in the scabbard
which is necessary to guarantee the strength and firmness of the stand.
After having extricated the legs G', G2, G3, G4, which are hinged to the piece C
they are drawn below the prolongation C¹ rendered elastic by means of four clips,
and which serves as a slide to a collar to which are attached stretchers (fig. 2).
This improved arrangement is analogous to that for the setting up of an umbrella.
On the lower part of the stand i.e. on the foot and the leg thus obtained, it is only
necessary to place the desk. This latter is formed by the blade and the hilt of the
sword. In taking hold of the sword in the ordinary way one draws the blade (which
under this invention is composed of several pieces) from the scabbard. Loosening
the fingers a little without letting go of the hilt I, a spring M (figs. 3 and 4) sets at
liberty all the pieces which form the desk. This latter will be obtained by inaking
the parallel sides p¹, p³, p³, p¹, of the desk as well as the pivoted cross-bars t t slide.
As fig. 4 indicates, the hilt I is hinged at O' and when turned on its hinge in the

page_text: proper direction discloses the prolongation of the blade C. The setting up may then be
completed by introducing the blade prolongation Cinto a cavity u of the scabbard in
such a way that the hilt I just leans against the upper end of the scabbard which
assures the establishment of the desk on the foot of the stand. By flattening a
portion O of the desk a ledge for holding the music may be provided and should it
be necessary a candle by means of the pieces 1m³ may he supported in a hole or socket
(of variable diameter) L in the guard E of the hilt which turns on a pivot at the
point 0 (figs. 1, 3 and 4).
By making the above operations in the contrary manner the sword can easily be
put together again.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. A metallic structure which can at will be folded up and present the outward
aspect of a sword or be unfolded in such a manner as to form a commodious
and firm desk designed more especially for military musicians or those wearing
military uniform substantially as herein described and represented in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a sword music stand the combination with four legs such as G¹ Gʻ GʻGʻ of
a movable hilt-guard such as E adapted to support a candle substantially as herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a sword music stand the combination with a hilt such as I of a folding desk
substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a sword music stand the combination with a blade the lower part of which
is divided for forming the legs of the stand of a folding desk and a hilt adapted to
support a candle substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 15th day of Anril 1890
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.