Pneumatic Apparatus for Turning over Music and other Sheets or Leaves.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1897-Accepted, 12th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Pneumatic Apparatus for Turning over Music and other Sheets or
Leaves.
J, FRANCIS CUPR, of Chrast, Bohemia, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Gentleman,
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 present invention relates to a pneumatic apparatus for turning over music and
other sheets or leaves.
By depressing a suitable treadle, the sheet to be turned over is sucked up by
atmospheric pressure and turned over at the same time; the small air piston
used therefor is then automatically pulled back and falls by gravity upon the
next sheet, so that by thus continuously depressing the treadle all the sheets can
be turned over one after the other.
In the accompanying drawings:
:-
Figure 1 is a front view of the turning over apparatus.
Figure 2 is a side view of the pneumatic actuating mechanism.
Figure 3 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 without the
actuating device.
Figure 4 is a section on line X1 X¹ of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a plan of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a cross section on line X X of Figure 4.
Figure 7 is the elastic pulling device detached from Figure 4.
Figure 8 is an air pipe coupling.
Figure 9 is an inner side view of the apparatus for holding the sheets or leaves
drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figures 10 and 11 are a plan view and a cross section on line X2 X2 drawn to
an enlarged scale.
Figures 12 and 13 & 14 show the air piston in and out of operation.
Figure 14 is a plan of Figure 14ª.
Figures 15 and 16 show the apparatus for holding the sheets in an open and
in a closed position respectively.
Figures 17 and 18 show in front view and in plan another form of sheet holding
apparatus.
Figures 19 and 20 show the sheet holding apparatus of Figures 17 and 18
closed.
Figure 21 being a plan of Figure 19 and Figure 20 a cross section
line X X3 of Figure 19.
on
Figure 22 is a view illustrating the mode of operation of the pneumatic apparatus
for turning over music and other sheets or leaves.
Figures 23 and 24 are a front and side view respectively of the central upright
of the apparatus.
The apparatus consists of a sheet metal frame ƒ ƒ ƒ and of two vertical boxes j¹ j
at the right hand side thereof. The metal sheet is vertical.
metal walls ff enclose between them a hollow space h.
boxes and, which are made in one piece or may if
The horizontal sheet
The two superposed
desired be rendered

page_text: independent one from the other, are firmly fixed to the sides of the frame or may
be hinged thereto. The music leaves or sheets to be turned over are placed
when bound in book form, upon the plate f¹ between the vertical pin e and the
vertical plate f, so as to be held in front by the vertical pin e. Should the music
sheets K not be bound in book form, they are placed in the upright of the leaf
holding device after the manner of a continental newspaper holder (Figures 23 and 24)
and are suspended by means of a hook r fixed behind the upright ¹ to the vertical
sheet f.
The leaves or sheets to be turned over K are laid with their right hand edges close
to the boxes j and j¹ and upon the inner wall of the holding apparatus j and the
horizontal spring holding wires m, m¹, m², etc. are arranged upon a vertical wire n
fixed there and acting as an axis whereon they can be turned over freely to an angle
of 900 by horizontal movable spring pins K, K1, K2, etc., so that each leaf holding
wire can be adjusted in position relatively to the sheet to be turned either against the
wall or perpendicularly thereto. The pins K, K1, K2, etc. are held outwardly by
their corresponding spiral springs X, X, X², etc. and are provided inwardly with
eyelets through which pass the spring wires 1, 1, 12, etc. Then horizontal spring
wires are bent back and are provided with eyelets at their extremities through which
pass the above mentioned leaf holding wires m, m³, m², etc. (Figures 9 and 22). The
spring wires 1, 11, 12, etc. are so regulated as to overcome only a part of the resistance
of the leaf so as to prevent all the wires m, m³, m², etc. from springing up as soon as
the part 62 has moved to the dotted position. These leaf holding wires mm² m² etc.
can be laid one after the other upon the different sheets or leaves K to be turned
over so as to be placed between the same, the uppermost leaf remaining free in order
to be ready to be turned over first (Figure 22).
Behind the vertical iron sheet f is fixed a horizontal air pipe a containing an air
piston c moving therein, and provided with a horizontal branch pipe b. The air
piston c carries a hollow horizontal piston rod c¹, to the outer end of which is fixed a
cross head d guided by two horizontal guide rods c² and c³ (Figures 4 and 6). A
horizontal arm d¹ is fixed below to this crosshead d and is moved between the two
metal sheets or frames f¹ and f2, whenever the piston c, its rod c¹ and its crosshead d
are set in motion. The horizontal arm d¹ carries outside a vertical pine the action
of which will be hereinafter described.
The sheet to be turned K stands in a nearly vertical position as shown by the
dotted line Z Z in Figure 3. Perpendicularly thereto and in the position indicated
by the lines Z71 bears on the same sheet a cylindrical tube or sleeve 62 open at the
top as well as at the bottom, which for the sake of clearness is shown in a horizontal
position in the drawings. This sleeve or tube moves telescopically upon a tube b
the end of which extends in the upper part of 62, so that when air is exhausted from
the tube b¹ the outer atmospheric pressure presses the sheet or leaf to be turned upon
the tube 62 and after the same has been pressed outwardly in the position shown in
dotted lines in Figure 22 it is carried from the position K" to the position K¹. The
upper end of the tube or sleeve 62 is connected by means of a small chain or cord ¹
to a clack valve i hinged at 3 and provided at its under surface with a pin 2 dropping
into the opening dº (Figure 10).
The above mentioned exhaustion of air out of the tube 62 which is connected by the
elbow piece b¹ and the opening 63 in the small box j', with the pipe b and hence with
the cylinder a is carried on in such a manner that when the air is exhausted out of
the cylinder a the piston c is pushed into this cylinder a drawing with it the small
chain or cord i¹ and the tube or sleeve b². As soon as this tube 62 has been brought
thereby in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 22 and has shifted the sheet
or leaf from the position Ko into the position K¹, the piston moves in the tube a and
pulls the sheet turning pin e placed on the plate d¹ from the position shown in dotted
lines in Figure 1 in the box j¹ to a position behind the sheet or leaf already moved
by the air exhausting device from the position K° to the position K¹ (Figure 22),
which this pin gradually brings, as it continues to move in the direction of the arrow,
into the position and finally turning over entirely the sheet or leaf aforesaid.

page_text: The air in the cylinder a is exhausted by a pair of bellows A. These bellows are
placed on a suitable frame w below the sheet turning apparatus and are connected by
means of an elastic tubular connection a with the piston pipe a, this connection
being arranged inside the cases of instruments such as pianos and harmoniums.
The connection of this tubular conduit is carried out by smooth telescopic means
(Figures 12 and 13) or by a spigot and a faucet (Figure 8) or in any other suitable
manner whereby it can be readily taken to pieces for convenience of transport. The
operation of the bellows A is conveniently carried on by actuating a treadle v which
is connected by the pull rod and the spring rod to the bottom of the bellows.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 the piece 23 is guided through the
bracket w and between w¹ and the bottom of the bellows is coiled a spiral spring
which has a tendency to automatically empty the bellows A after they have been
pulled down by depressing the treadle and hence to exhaust the air out of the piston
pipe a. This receding spring motion of the bellows may be automatically carried on
by any other counteracting power. When the treadle or pedal has been lowered and
the air has been exhausted out of the pipe a the piston c is driven by atmospheric
pressure in the manner before stated into the piston barrel or pipe a whereby the
sheet or leaf K is turned over and the holding wire m located under the same turns
an angle of 90° from the sheet which is the next to be turned over and comes to bear
against the wall j of the leaf holding apparatus. The piston c is constantly drawn
outwardly by an elastic cord g which is attached to it and to the wall; aforesaid out-
side and is passed through the piston rod c¹ so that as soon as the exhaustion of air
ceases the same returns into its former position. The tube 62 returns subsequently by
gravity in the direction indicated by the line 7, 7, upon the next sheet or leaf
requiring to be turned over and is slowly pressed with its free end against this sheet
or leaf, the apparatus is ready to turn over this leaf and the above described operation
takes place anew whenever the pedal or treadle is pressed again.
To permit of this apparatus being readily transported it is arranged to fold up or
collapse. For this purpose the boxes j, j which are perpendicular to the rest of the
apparatus are first of all constructed to fold over that is to say are provided in front
or behind with hinges 8 (Figures 15 to 21). The tubular connection is carried
out in the manner generally resorted to in such cases and hence well-known, that is
to say, by means of india rubber connections o (Figures 15 and 16) or by means of
india rubber packing rings (Figures 17 to 21). Furthermore the tubular elbow
piece b¹ can be made to turn within the tube 63 so that it can be moved an angle
of 90° to facilitate packing for transport being then placed in the position indicated
in Figures 15 to 21. The arm d¹ carrying the projecting sheet turning pin e is
according to the arrangement shown in Figures 10 and 11 arranged to pivot upon
the point in order to occupy the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 10 so
that the pin e can be located in the notch e².
The action of the leaf-fingers m is as follows:-The leaves K adhere to each other.
If therefore the tube 2 would abut against the leaf K and air would be sucked out
from it, the leaf K¹ would be pressed against the tube. Now this would not cause that
leaf to be lifted alone, without the others, because the following leaves would adhere
to it also. The object of the leaf-fingers m is to avoid this disorder. If these fingers
are placed between the leaves, as shown in Figure 22, the evacuation of the tube b²
will lift the first leaf K but the other leaves will be kept in their places through the
fingers m.
The cord connects the tube 62 with the piston c and serves in this way to lift the
tube 62. The cord or chain holds the piston c so long till the tube is lifted and
sucks therefore the air through the tube b (Figures 7 and 8) till the leaf is lifted.
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 I
claim is :-
(1) A pneumatic apparatus for turning over music and other sheets or leaves.

page_text: constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown.
(2) A pneumatic apparatus for turning or folding over music and other sheets or
leaves characterised by a suction pipe 62 open at both ends and connected to the air
this
pipe at one end while bearing on the sheet to be turned over at the other end;
suction pipe being easily movable by gravity in the direction indicated by the
line ZZ and perpendicularly to the sheet or leaf K to be turned and being raised
outwardly by the suction of air produced by treading a pedal, so as to bring the
sucked up sheet or leaf K from the position Ko to the position K', whereupon a pin
fixed to a clack valve or spring is shifted out of its opening de in the arm d¹ by
means of a communication chain or cord i¹, so that a piston c may be drawn into the
air pipe a and that its rod c¹ and the arm attached thereto may push a sheet
turning pin behind the sheet or leaf to be turned in the direction indicated by the
arrow shown in Figure 22 in order to turn such sheet or leaf, this piston being brought
back after the suction has ceased by an elastic cord into its former position,
substantially as herein described and shown.
(3) In pneumatic apparatus of the kind above claimed the sheet holding arms
moving on a vertical axis arranged between the various sheets or leafs to be turned
.over and commencing to turn such leafs or sheets under the action of their wire
springs and by means of the movable pins k provided on the leaf turning device j,
these arms being subsequently brought back after the turning over of each sheet into
their normal position against j, substantially as herein described and shown.
(4) In pneumatic apparatus of the kind above claimed, the bellows A actuated by
the pedal and appertaining to the sheet turning device by means of which the
suction of air required to pick up and turn a leaf or sheet is effected at 63 61 and 62
which bellows are brought back by spring or other power into their former position
after the respective sheet or leaf has been turned over and the pedal has been released
.substantially as herein described and shown.
Dated this 20th day of May 1897.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent, 70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Associate Agent.