Music – Accessories – Leaf turners
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-09
2001-04-10
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Accessories
Leaf turners
C084S489000, C084S500000, C084S487000, C084S488000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215058
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
Fingers mounted on a disk for turning pages, and more particularly pages of music.
2. Description of the related art including information disclosed under 37 CFR Secs. 1.97-1.99.
When playing a musical instrument, the pages of the music must be turned at frequent intervals. This is particularly the case for pianists. This can result in an undesirable interruption of the musical flow. In cases where there are several instruments, as in chamber music, the points where page turning is necessary are different for each instrument. Violin music, for instance, has four or five times as much music per page as piano music. When accompanying other instruments or a singer, continuity of playing is essential. A pianist will often have a person present specifically to turn the pages. There is, therefore, a real need for a device that will enable a player to turn the pages himself without using his hands, actuating the device with a foot pedal. In the case of the organ, where the performer's feet are usually otherwise occupied, a lever actuated by the knee can be used. Such a device also has an application in the case of handicapped persons, such as singers, who have lost the use of their hands.
As early as 1874 Rinderknecht (U.S. Pat. No. 151,159) patented a page turning device that used a series of fingers to turn multiple sheets of music one at a time with a complex arrangement of a pulley, plates and rope actuated by a handle. This device is large, heavy and cumbersome. In 1890 (U.S. Pat. No. 425,810) Leevey disclosed a foot-operated mechanical device that turned multiple pages. It also employed a foot pedal, cords, springs and arms. It is also cumbersome. McNorton in 1903 (U.S. Pat. No. 739,904), Paris in 1907 (U.S. Pat. No. 849,424), Mallyon in 1908 (Great Britain Pat. No. 776), Souther in 1912 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,015,092) requiring single cut pages, Funk in 1914 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,096,617), Koop in 1916 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,185,683), Frorup in 1926 (Great Britain Pat. No. 256,840), Lambert in 1928 (Great Britain Pat. No. 292,270), Yaholnitsky in 1930 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,018), Gustafson in 1931 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,822,523) and Willing in 1941 (Great Britain Pat. No. 539,647) both turning a single leaf backwards and forwards, all disclosed complex page turning devices that each used a series of springs, wires or rope cables, gears, shafts, and mechanical foot or hand actuators to turn pages.
Giles in 1914 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,104,983) disclosed a page turning device that used a switch-actuated electric motor to turn a single page while Snively in 1932 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,883,034) disclosed an electric pedal to actuate the spring-controlled swinging arms to change the music form a device situated mounted above the music. Both of these devices are heavy and complex.
Peltola in 1924 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,512,708) disclosed a page turning device that used a combination of magnets to grasp the pages being turned. The sheets to be turned are also each provided with a small metal contact plate to be engaged by the magnets. This is a large and cumbersome device that requires each page to be individually prepared in advance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The device is designed to turn the pages of music or books by means of a foot pedal or other switch mechanism, thus avoiding the need for the performer or reader to employ his hands for this purpose. In the case of music, it avoids the need for the performer to interrupt his playing to turn pages. The turning mechanism is contained in a case below the shelf upon which the music or book rests. The device may rest on or replace the conventional music stand used for an instrument of an orchestra or on a keyboard instrument. A person unable to use their hands normally may also use it. The driving force is provided by an electric motor that may be powered by a rechargeable battery, such as is used in a cordless power tool, or from the mains supply through a suitable transformer. A set of rods with transparent fingers projects through the top of the case to engage the pages. Upon actuation of the switch, one of the rods or fingers moves from the right side through a semicircle, carrying the page with it. The next actuation moves the next rod and the next page similarly.
This invention differs from earlier inventions by using an electric motor to controllably turn the pages of music. Unlike earlier designs, the device is lightweight and compact. The unit is also portable and simple in design and use. Multiple pages may be turned without the need to reset the page turning device. The device employs transparent fingers to turn the pages, thereby leaving the view of the musician unobscured. The invention is easily reset after the pages have been all or partial turned to re-begin at any point in the music. No special attachments are required on the pages of music and the music need not be cut into individual sheets or disassembled, in order to be used with the invention.
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Molchak Paul R.
Taylor Michael K.
Donels Jeffrey
Lockett Kim
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