US800542A - Music-rack for pianos, &c. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

T. A. BRIDSON.

MUSIC RACK FOR PIANOS, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1904.

3111mm To:

witness UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. BRIDSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FOSTER- ARMSTRONG COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed November 17, 1904. Serial No. 233,077-

To alt whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. BRIDSON, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Racks for Pianos, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the refercnce-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to improvements in music-racks for pianos, and has for its object to provide a simple and cheap device for automatically holding the ordinary hinged music-rack in position when in use and permitting it to fold back in position when desired, said device being capable of ready application to pianos in use.

To these and other ends my invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the front portion of a piano provided with my improvement applied thereto, the music-rack being shut. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the holding device enlarged and engaging the front board, the lower portion of the latter only being shown in the figure. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line w m of Fig. 1. Fig. a is a sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 2.

Similar reference-numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

The piano to which my invention is shown applied is of the ordinary type of upright piano having the two-part fall-board embodying hinged sections 1 and 2, the latter being pivoted to the rail 3 at the point 4: to fold beneath the ordinary ledge or board 5, having the head 6 at the front edge.

7 indicates the tilting music-rack, pivoted at 8 and in the present embodiment forming the front of the piano casing and serving, when tilted forward, to maintain the music which rests upon the board 5 at the proper angle. In order to maintain this rack or front board in proper position and to provide an attachment readily applicable to pianos of this type without cutting or altering the parts or interfering with the action, I provide a rackholding device in the form of a thin horizontally-movable arm 9, pivoted at 10 in rear of the rack, movable beneath the latter, and provided with a projection 11, adapted to engage the rear side thereof and held against it by a spring 12, the projection being arranged relative to the pivot, so that the arm will be caused to follow the rack when the lower edge is moved outwardly and will sustain the weight of the rack and the music thereon because the point of contact with the arm is nearly in line with the pivot 10. The forward operating end of the arm projects in convenient position below the rack, so that when desired to return the rack or front to normal closed position the arm is moved to the right a short distance only and the board allowed to fall back, the tension of the spring not being sufiicient to sustain the board. Thus it will be seen that the arm follows the movements of the rack and that it must be moved back by hand only a short distance to permit the return of the latter.

In the present embodiment of the invention the arm 9 is made of a single piece of sheet metal having the projection 11 cut, turned up from one edge, and rounded as shown to permit the necessary turning without scratching the rear of the rack, and it is supported in a U-shaped bracket 13, the longer arm 14 of which is adapted to be secured, as by screws or fastening devices 15, to the board 5. The arm or the projection, or both, maybe covered with chamois skin or felt to prevent noise or marring the rack, if desired. The pivot-pin 10 extends through the arms of the bracket and the movable arm 9, the latter being moved in one direction by the spring 12, which is coiled around the pin, one end engaging the bracket and the other a lug 16, turned up from the arm 9. One of the rear corners of the arm 9 is cut away at 17, while the other is adapted to engage the bracket, which latter constitutes a stop, thus preventing the arm from moving too far under the stress of the spring.

The device as a whole is readily applicable to any piano having a movable music-rack or front of the type shown without special fitting and without liability of interfering with the action and may be manufactured cheaply of sheet metal, if desired.

I claim as my invention 1. In a piano, the combination with a tilting music-rack hinged on horizontal pivots, ot' a holding device therefor pivoted on a vertical pivot having a projection adapted to engage the lower edge of said rack and a spring for holding said projection in engagement with the rack.

2. In a piano, the combination with a tilting music-rack hinged on horizontal pivots, of a holding device therefor embodying an arm pivoted on a vertical pivot and having a portion extending beneath the lower edge of the rack and a projection on the arm engaging the lower rear edge thereof.

3. In a piano, the combination with a tilting music-rack hinged on horizontal pivots, of a horizontally-swinging arm pivoted in rear of the lower portion of said rack, having a projection for engaging the rack, an extended operating portion, a spring for moving the arm outwardly and a stop for limiting the movement of the arm.

4:. An attachment for the music-racks of pianos consisting of an attaching-bracket, an

arm pivoted therein, having a laterally-extending projection and an operating-handle extending beyond the projection and a spring engaging the bracket and arm for moving the latter in one direction.

5. In an attachment for pianos, the combination with the attaching-bracket, the arm pivoted thereon having the lateral projection arranged intermediate its free end and the pivot, the spring engaging the bracket and arm and stop devices for limiting the movement of the arm on its pivot.

6. In an attachment for pianos, the combination with a U-shaped attaching-bracket and a movable arm having a lateral projection thereon, of a pin extending between the arms of the bracket on which the movable arm is pivoted and a spring encircling the pin and engaging the arm and the U-shaped portion of thebracket for turning the former in one direction.

THOS. A. BRIDSON Witnesses:

J. W. SI-IoL. RoB'r. H. IVAND.

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