CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TURNING OVER THE LEAVES OF MUSIC AND OTHER BOOKS
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RAMSEY, of Caroline Place, Mecklenburgh Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, tho Twenty-sixth day of February, in the fourth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, Ilis heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Ramsey, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John Ramsey, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Ramsey, my exors, adñors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
TURNING OVER THE LEAVES OF MUSIC AND OTHER BOOKS;" in which said Letters.
Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said John Ramsey, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said John Ramsey, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect,

page_text: are fully described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in combining certain mechanical movements and
apparatus into an instrument or machine for turning over the leaves of music
and other books, as will be hereafter fully described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1 shows a front view of an instrument complete, constructed according
to my Invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 1 taken at the
dotted lines from front to back of the instrument or machine; and Fig. 3 is
another longitudinal section, removing all the front parts, in order to show
thoso parts which are at back. In each of these Figures the same letters of
reference indicate similar parts. a, b, c, and d, are four levers, turning on an
axis affixed from top to bottom of the box which contains the various move-
inents of the instruments. The construction of this box will be evident by
inspection of the various Figures in the Drawing. e, f, g, and h are four
cranked wires, which act as triggers for removing the stops, hereafter men-
tioned, when a leaf is to be turned over. These cranked wires turn in holes
at the bottom of the box, and act on the levers a, b, c, and d, (that is to say)
the cranked wire e, when moved, releases the lever a; the cranked wire f
releasing the lever b, the cranked wire g releasing the lever c, and the cranked
wire h releasing the lever d as they are respectively acted on. i, i, are silk
or other cords attached to the ends of the levers a, b, c, d, and these cords are
also attached to the hook j at the upper end of the standard k, which standard
is connected to the back of the box, or to a part of the ordinary music stand,
which acts as a book rest, whether for music or otherwise. 1, 1, are cords of
gut or other sufficiently material, one to each of the levers a, b, c, and d.
These levers 7, 1, are each attached to a separate spring m, and also pass party
round the end of the levers, and are aflixed within a groove, as is clearly
shown in Figs. 1 and 2. n, n, are stops or catches which turn on axes, and
are pressed on by the springs o, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 2.
of each of these catches or stops is formed a notch, which retain the ends of
the levers a, b, c, or d, when placed on the right-hand side of the instrument,
and consequently ready to be thrown from right to left when turning over the
leaf of a music or other book, is a bar aflixed from top to bottom of the
box to which the springs are attached. 2, 7, are connecting rods, which
connect the stops 2, n. to the cross heads or levers 7, which turn on axes
aflixed from top to bottom of the box, as shown by the Drawing. t are the
At the top

page_text: connecting rods, which connect the cranked wires e, f, g, and h with the
cross heads or levers 7.
Having thus described the various parts, I will proceed to explain the
manner of action, referring more particularly to Fig. 1. In order to use this
Invention, it is to be placed as a book rest to a pianoforte and affixed thereto.
A book having been placed on the top of the box which contains the various
movements and apparatus, the cords i, i, are to be unhooked either from the
levers a, b, c, and d, or from the hook j, and passed between successive leaves
of the music book, and then again hooked either to the levers or to the hook
j, as the case may be. The levers a, b, c, and d are then to be placed on the
right-hand side, by which the stops n will catch against the ends of their
respective levers a, b, c, and d, and hold them till, by moving the cranked
wires e, f, g, h, in succession, the levers a, b, c, and d will be successively
thrown from right to left, taking with them the leaves of the book by means
of the cords i. I would here remark, that although I have only shown one
description of spring m for actuating the levers a, b, c, and d, it will be evident
that other springs may be used; and I would also remark, that although I
have shown the instrument as applicable to a rest for a music book, and
described as to be attached to a pianoforte, it will be evident that it may be
applied to a music stand, or to a table, for supporting a book whilst reading.
When it is desired to turn over a leaf the balls on the crank wires are to be
pressed from right to left, by which the stops n will be removed, and by the
collapsing of the springs m the levers a, b, c, and d will be thrown from right
to left, and turn over the leaves. It will be evident, from the above descrip-
tion, that in place of having the balls or knobs at the ends of the cranked
wires e, f, g, h, such wires may, to music stands and in other convenient
situations, be carried down to such a position as to be acted on by the foot
in place of the hand.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I lay no claim
to any of the parts separately, more particularly the parts a, b, c, d, similar
parts having been before used for a like purpose; but what I claim as my
Invention is, the combining of the various mechanical movements and appa-
ratus into an instrument or machine for the purpose of turning over the leaves
of music and other books, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ramsey, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.
JOIN (L.S.) RAMSEY.
.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1834, the aforesaid John Ramsey camo before, our sd
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.