Improvements in Apparatus for Turning Over the Leaves of Music-books.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1891-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
Improvements in Apparatus for Turning Over the Leaves of
Music-books.
I, EDUARD RICHARD STEINER of 76, Grindel Allee, Hamburg, in the German
Empire, Jeweller, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 relates to a device for automatically turning over the leaves of
music-books; the object of my improvements is to do away with the manipulation
of folding the leaves previous to employing the apparatus, which bitherto was
necessary in order to allow the lever-arm turning the leaves to grasp the same. My
invention therefore consists first in a device into which the leaves to be turned are
automatically inserted and fed likewise to the position where the turning lever-arm
catches hold of them; said device being constituted by an Archimedean screw,
constructed and working in the manner hereinafter more clearly set forth. My
invention also consists in suitable means for operating the mentioned turning lever-
arm simultaneously with the Archimedean screw, and in appropriate contrivances
for securing an exact and reliable working of the whole apparatus, as detailed in
the following description.
In order to show more clearly the construction and operation of my improved.
apparatus, I have appended hereunto four sheets of drawings, and will refer to the
same in this Specification. Like parts are lettered in a uniform manner throughout
the several views.
Sheets I, II and III illustrate the general arrangement of the parts and the
function of the same, and details are represented on Sheet IV.
Fig. 1, Sheets I and II is a back view of the apparatus, the parts being in the
position of rest, and both slides in their extreme outer positions.
Fig. 1A, Sheet II, is a cross-section through the line al of Fig. 1.
Fig. 2, Sheets I and II, is a plan view, the parts having the same respective
position as in Fig. 1, and the leaves of a music-book being shown inserted into the
thread of the Archimedean screw and part of said leaves being already turned over,
part of the same remaining to be turned.
Fig. 3 is a separate view of the right half of Fig. 1, the chain-wheel g shown in
the latter being removed in order to disclose the gear by which the Archimedean
screw is operated.
Fig. 4, Sheet 111, is a back view of the apparatus, the left turning-lever having
carried a leaf from the left to the right.
Fig. 5 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 4.
Fig. 6, Sheet IV, is a side elevation of the right slide B.
Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the same.
Fig. 8 shows in detail the gear for the Archimedean screw, the chain-wheel 9,
the wheel e having a toothed sector and the arrangement of the wheels de g.
Fig. 9 is a front view of the sliding mechanism for inserting the leaves of the
music book into the thread of the right Archimedean screw, showing the position
of said mechanism when at rest.
Fig. 10 is a similar view, the screw having made half a revolution.
Fig. 11 is a detail view of the same mechanism, showing its function when the
slide returns into its first position.
Fig. 12 is a top view of the right Archimedean screw with a disconnecting lever,
the function of which is explained hereinafter.
Fig. 13 is a plan and a side view of the disconnecting lever.

page_text: Fig. 14 is a plan and a side-view of one of the lever-arms for turning over the
leaves of the book.
Fig. 15, I, II, II and III, Sheet III, are diagrammatic figures illustrating the
function of the apparatus.
As shown in Figs. 1, 1 and 2, the apparatus consists of a frame A provided with
guides a a on both sides, and in these guides move to and fro the slides B and B
which by means of rack and pinion cause one of the Archimedean screws S and S
to rotate, and one of the levers B2 or B³ to turn over a leaf of the music-book
secured to the apparatus by means of the holders H H. The leaves are placed in
such manner, that the lower edge of the same is about level with the axis of said
Archimedean screws and that the leaves themselves are disposed symmetrically in
regard to the mentioned screws. The latter are double-threaded, and both threads
are terminated at their ends by edges, cut off radially. The forward ends of the
screws are formed with wing-like extensions in order to seize the leaves and also
to allow the same to be easily released. The apparatus is constructed almost
symmetrically on both sides of the axis XX.
The apparatus permits the leaves to be turned from the right to the left and
reciprocally; in order to insert the leaves into the screw S' or into the threads of
the same, a suitable gear is affixed to the frame A. The forward and backward
movement of the slides B B may be effected by means of a bellows indicated
at G (Fig. 6 & 7) which may be inflated from the outside, and the end whereof is
fastened to a fork-shaped lug G¹ extending from the slide the course of the latter
is limited by the stops p.
Each of the slides has two racks and c. The exterior racks engage with a
toothed wheel d which takes along the partly toothed wheel e, but only when the
slide is moved inward, this being effected by means of the device shown in Fig. 8.
The wheel dis loosely mounted on the navel of the wheels e and which rotate on
the pivot. The teeth of the wheel e engage with the toothed wheel s mounted
on the axle f of the Archimedean screw S or S. The click, which is actuated
by a spring and in the position of Fig. 1 is kept out of action by a stop fixed to
the rack, is automatically pressed behind the cam of the nave las soon as the
slide is pushed inwards. Thus the click will cause the wheels e and to rotate
with the toothed wheel à when the latter rotates in the direction of the arrow.
This arrangement is provided identically on the left and on the right sides of the
apparatus.
The toothed wheel s¹ is formed with diametrically opposite notches by means
of which it glides during part of its revolution on the smooth part of the edge of
wheel e.
The chain-wheel g receives the chain gl, designed to transmit the movement to the
other side of the apparatus.
The racks provided in the middle of the apparatus engage with toothed
sectors mounted on the pivots ii of the turning levers B2 B3. Said pivots are
supported by bearings provided in the plate D, and the pivot of the right turning-
lever is placed on the left of the center-line X X, and vice versa.
I will now describe the function of the apparatus, referring especially to Fig. 15.
The music-book is placed on the holders H H (Fig. 1) and the leaves of the
same are inserted into the thread of the Archimedean screw S' in the following
manner:
The mechanism for rotating the screw S' when the slide B is pushed inwards
has already been described. This mechanism in order to insert the leaves of the
book into the said screw is operated by pressing the knob y at the end of the slide-
rode, which is guided in bearings and and provided with a catch . This
catch, when pushing the knob y inwards, collides with a nose u² fixed to a double
arm lever u and projecting from below through a suitable hole provided in the
frame A. The lever is pivoted at t to a lug extending from said frame and a
spring tends to drive the nose u² through the mentioned opening in frame A.
The other end n of lever has the shape of a fork provided with two small inward

page_text: projections. The fork n fits over a coupling ring 7, which is axially displaceable on
a square portion of the axle of the screw. This coupling-ring has two radial
grooves, corresponding to two projections 9, on the lower side of the toothed
wheel s', which is loosely mounted on the axle f. Thus when the lever u is actuated
by the catch, the coupling-ring and the toothed wheels are thrown out of
gear, but in every other position they engage with another by means of the
mentioned grooves and projections. The nut m prevents the wheels from gliding
off the axle f
The rod being pushed further inward the teeth of a sector w pivotted at t¹ and
actuated by a spring wengage with the toothed wheel a keyed to axle and rotate
the same in the direction of the arrow from the position Fig. 9 into that shown in
Fig. 10. At each forward movement of the rod the wheel and consequently
the Archimedean screw S¹ makes half a revolution and the bent up ends = of said
screw seize one of the leaves of the music-book. The leaf which has been inserted
first gradually is transported to the end of the screw opposite z, and the apparatus
is employable for as many leaves as can be inserted into the screw S. The screw
shown in the drawings is for instance arranged to receive up to 15 leaves.
When the rod v returns into its first position under the action of spring, the
wheel is not rotated by the toothed sector w, but the latter is allowed by the
spring w² to be raised above the teeth of said wheel and glides over the same
without actuating it. As will be seen in the drawings, two teeth of the wheel >>
are broader than the rest and provided with a straight edge in order to facilitate
the gliding of the toothed sector w.
It is apparent that the screws S and S¹ may be made of wire instead of sheet--
metal, as shown in the drawings, and I do not confine myself to the latter
construction. I may also employ screws having any number of threads, and not
only double-threaded screws as in the described construction; but in each case the
toothed wheel 2 and toothed sector we must be made in a different manner to suit
the number of the threads.
The leaves being all inserted into one of the Archimedean screws, the.
apparatus is ready for use. The mechanism for turning the leaves is operated by
inflating the bellows indicated at G, and this may be done in any suitable manner,.
but preferably by means of rubber-balls actuated by the knees or feet of the
performer and communicating with said bellows G by means of flexible pipes..
Now, when the slide B or B' is driven forward in such manner, the rack engages
with the toothed wheel and the movement of the latter is by means of the click
communicated to the wheels e and g. The teeth of wheel e engage with those of
wheels and rotate the same with the Archimedean screw S or S through an angle-
of 180°, and hereafter the smooth part of the edge of wheel e glides over the
notch s of wheel s¹. During the half revolution of the screw S or S₁ one of the
leaves is carried to the end of the same, (Fig. 5).
The wheel by means of chain g¹ transmits the movement to the other wheels g
and e, the latter gliding over the teeth of wheel s'. The slide B progressing
farther, the rack c engages with the toothed sector, and the lever arm B³ is
turned by 180°, taking the leaf N out of the screw S₁ and bringing the same into
the other screw S.
The movement of the slide still continuing, the wheel a driven by the chain g
causes the teeth of wheel e to engage with those of wheel s¹, and the screw S
makes half a revolution; the leaf N is thereby drawn into the thread of the same,.
thus leaving the curved end free to receive the next leaf.
The different stages of the described movement are diagrammatically represented
in Fig. 15.
It is apparent that by operating the slides B or B¹ the leaves may be turned
over forward or backward at will. At every forward movement of either of said
slides one leaf is drawn out of one of the Archimedean screws and inserted into the
other, and both screws make half a revolution in order to be able to release and to.
receive respectively the next leaf.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
:
1. In an apparatus for turning over the leaves of music-books forward and
backward The employment of Archimedean screws placed horizontal and
perpendicular to the plane of the book, which are rotated in an intermittent way,
and the thread or threads whereof is or are adapted to receive the leaves to be
turned over, and also those already turned, for the purpose herein before setforth.
2. In an apparatus for turning over the leaves of music-books forward and back-
ward The employment, in combination with the Archimedean screws claimed in 1, of
an automatical device for turning the leaves, said device consisting of slides B B¹
operated by means of bellows G, and effecting by means of suitable gear the
intermittent rotation of the Archimedean screws and the turning over of the leaves
of the book by means of lever-arms B and B ; the slides B and B and the gear
and levers operated by the same being constructed and arranged substantially as
described and illustrated by the drawings.
:
3. In an apparatus for turning over the leaves of music-books forward and
backward The employment, in combination with the devices claimed in 1 and 2,
of a contrivance by means of which the leaves are inserted into the thread of one of
the Archimedean screws, said contrivance being operated by pressing a knob, y,
fixed to a rod v, which while moving inward rotates the axle f of the Archimedean
screw by means of the toothed sector w pivotted to said rod at w', and having a
spring, substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of December 1891.
EDUARD RICHARD STEINER,
By W. H. Munns,
Agent for the Applicant.
EDUARD RICHARD STEINER,
By W. H. Munns,
Agent for the Applicant.