Sheet music page turning device

#The present invention relates to a sheet music page turning device and more particularly to such a device which can be foot operated or automatically controlled.

#A variety of sheet music page turning devices have been known heretofore since it was already widely recognized that it is frequently inconvenient and sometimes extremely difficult for a musician to manipulate the musical instrument and turn the pages of the sheet music by hand. However, such prior devices have never become as popular as might be expected, and this is believed to be attributable to the complexity and cost of such devices.

#It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a sheet music turning device which is relatively simple in construction and which is adapted for foot control or for automatic operation.

#In order that the invention may be more fully comprehended it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet music page turning device embodying the features of the invention;

#FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the guide track, sleeve members, radial connecting arms and pedestals of the page holder elements from he device shown in FIG. 1;

#Referring to the drawings there is shown generally, by reference numeral 10, a sheet music page turning device. A base support member 12, preferably in the form of a tripod arrangement as depicted, carries a vertical shaft 14 which may consist of two or more telescoping sections 16, 18 secured in place by a set screw 20. The upper portion of the shaft may be of reduced diameter and an annular guide track 22 is mounted fixedly on the shaft. The annular guide track, as will become clear, is adapted to support a plurality of page holder elements 24. The shaft 14 extends upwardly beyond the guide track 22 to carry a guide closure element 26 at its upper end.

#Intermediate the annular guide track and the guide closure element shaft 14 carries a plurality of sleeve members 28 which are mounted in superposed relation for a reason which will become clear. Each of such sleeve members is loosely mounted on the shaft and is biased in the same direction by means of a torsion spring 29. Each of the sleeve members is given a generally radially extending connecting arm 30. Each of such arms is connected at one end to one of the sleeve members and at the other end to one of a plurality of page holder elements which are arranged in side-by-side relationship on the annular guide track. It will be understood that the radial connecting arms are connected between consecutively disposed sleeve members and consecutively arranged page holder elements. Thus, by virtue of the torsion spring associated with each sleeve member the sleeve member transmits its biasing force through its radial connecting arm to the page holder element to which it is also connected so as to urge the page holder element to advance along the guide track. As depicted most clearly in FIG. 4, the radial connecting arms, except for the one secured to the lower-most of the sleeve members, are provided with an offset or inclined section 32 to allow for the connections with the page holder elements in a substantially horizontal plane.

#The page holder elements are detained from being advanced along the guide track by means of a retainer pin element 34 which is normally urged into the path of movement of the page holder element by a control mechanism 36 to be described.