US595710A - Frederick w - Google Patents

Description

F. W. HEDGELAND. MUSIC RACK POR PIANOS 0R ORGANS.

(No Model.)

Patented Deo. 21,1897.

l/t//TNESSEGZ M@ f5 m f//w T TOR/v5 YS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. HEDGELAND,'OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TI'lE IV. IV. KIMBALL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MUSIC-RACK FOR PlANOS OR ORGANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,710, dated December V21, 1897.

Application led September 25,1897. Serial No. 652,966. (No modeld To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. HEDGE- LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Music-Racks for Pianos or Organs, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the music-racks of organs and pianos, and has been devised more especially for use in self-playing instruments.

One object I have had in view in the invention has been to make it possible to give the case of a self-playing piano or organ the same appearance and form as the eases of the ordinary non -self-playing instruments, so that the addition to the instrument of the self-playing mechanism does not distigure the case in any way nor give external notice of its own presence in the instrument.

Another object in View has been to provide a convenient construction whereby the musicrack may be made to normally conceal the music-sheet of the self-playing mechanism and yet be itself movable into the case of the instrument, so as to uncover the music-sheet and present a finished front when thus disposed of.

The nature of the invention is fully disclosed in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n- Figure l is a partial front view of the instrument-case. Fig. 2 is a back view of the music-rack. Figs. and 4 are vertical sections of the case and music-rack, showing the latter in different positions.

In said drawings, A represents the front of the instrument-case, and B a disappearing music-rack. The latter is adapted not only to be swung out at the bottom to position it for holding music books or sheets while the instrument is being played manually, but it is also movable bodily into the ease. It is hinged at the top to the horizontal part of a swinging U-shaped wire frame O, the lower ends of the limbs of which are stationarily pivoted at C. This permits it to be swung out at the bottom, as indicated by dotted lines at Fig. 3, into the position to which it is moved for manual playing, and it is held in this position by the limbs of another U- shaped wire frame D, hinged to the back of the rack and having a spring or springs D', whereby to throw said limbs down and into action as soon as the rack has been swung far enough away from the case. The manner of hinging described also allows the bottom of the rack to be swung up until the rack reaches a horizontal position, so it can then be pushed into the case, as will be understood from Fig'. e, an open space being provided in the case to receive the rack. In this latter position the upper end of the rack is supported by the frame C, and the ledge B of the rack stands flush with the front of the case and closes the opening through which the rack enters the case. As the bottom of the ledge B', which is now presented to view, may be nicely finished, the good appearance of the instrument is not injured by raising the rack to this position, and the opening in the case is eftectually concealed by the ledge when the rack is raised and by the rack itself when down.

Immediately behind the rack is a chamber E, in which is located the rolls F and G, supporting and operating the perforated musicsheet II, and J is the tracker-range, these parts belonging to the self-playing mechanism. Access is gained to this chamber and the music-sheet is brought into view by raising the rack, as before described, and this is done whenevertheinstrument is to be played automatically.

I claiml. The musical instrument having a disappearing music-rack hinged at its top to a swinging frame and movable into the casein a horizontal direction, substantially as specifled.

2. The musical instrumenthaving a disappearing music-rack hinged at its top to a swinging frame and movable into the casein a horizontal direction, said rack also having a ledge adapted to close the opening through which the rack enters the case, substantially as specified.

3. The combination in a self-playing instrument of a disappearing music-rack and a traveling music-sheet, said music-sheet being concealed by the rack when the latter is IOO normally positioned, and the raekbeing movable into the case above the sheet, substantially as specified.

4. The Combination in aself-playinginstrument, of a disappearing music-rack hinged so it may be swung into a horizontal position and be then pushed into the oase, said rack also having` a ledge B acting to Close the opening,` in the ease, and a traveling musicslleet normally concealed by the laek and eX- zo posed by raising the rack, substantially as specied.

FREDERICK lV. IIEDGELAND.

lVitnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, S. E. CURTIS.

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