CA2622065A1 - Painter's easel, easel attachment and method of mounting a canvas - Google Patents
Painter's easel, easel attachment and method of mounting a canvas Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2622065A1 CA2622065A1 CA 2622065 CA2622065A CA2622065A1 CA 2622065 A1 CA2622065 A1 CA 2622065A1 CA 2622065 CA2622065 CA 2622065 CA 2622065 A CA2622065 A CA 2622065A CA 2622065 A1 CA2622065 A1 CA 2622065A1
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- support member
- canvas
- easel
- canvas assembly
- fasteners
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B97/00—Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- A47B97/04—Easels or stands for blackboards or the like
- A47B97/08—Easels or stands for blackboards or the like foldable
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44D—PAINTING OR ARTISTIC DRAWING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PRESERVING PAINTINGS; SURFACE TREATMENT TO OBTAIN SPECIAL ARTISTIC SURFACE EFFECTS OR FINISHES
- B44D3/00—Accessories or implements for use in connection with painting or artistic drawing, not otherwise provided for; Methods or devices for colour determination, selection, or synthesis, e.g. use of colour tables
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- Mirrors, Picture Frames, Photograph Stands, And Related Fastening Devices (AREA)
Abstract
An easel attachment, for holding a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side, comprises a support member and a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member. At least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member and said slidable canvas assembly fastener is adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening. Other embodiments, including easel embodiments, and methods aspects are also provided.
Description
"PAINTER'S EASEL, EASEL ATTACHMENT AND METHOD OF MOUNTING A
CANVAS"
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to easels for holding canvas assemblies and other work objects and, more particularly, to an easel and an easel attachment which can hold canvas assemblies without compromising the sides of a canvas stretched around such assemblies so that the canvas's sides can be easily painted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, an artist paints a painting on a canvas with the canvas typically stretched over, or mounted on, a peripheral frame of bars called stretcher bars. The canvas is then stapled or tacked to the peripheral frame to hold its taut condition over said frame. It is conventional for these canvas assemblies to be supported on an easel on a convenient working level for the artist. The stretcher bars provide some rigidity and compressive strength to the canvas. Other surfaces to be painted which are stretched taut over a frame and which are suitable for mounting on an easel are contemplated in this application as being within the scope of the term "canvas assembly".
Easels are well known devices used by artists to hold a canvas assembly, work piece or the like, during formation of artwork. The simplest form of an artist's easel, a tripod, comprises three vertical posts or legs joined at one end. A
pivoting mechanism allows the centremost post to pivot away from the other two, forming a tripod. The two non-pivoting posts or legs have a horizontal cross member or ledge on which the canvas assembly is placed. Sometimes the two legs are equipped with pegs instead of a horizontal ledge. The canvas assembly or work piece then rests on the horizontal cross member, ledge or pegs, leaning back against two of the legs.
Easels also come in a variety of other, more complex, configurations.
Some easels are relatively small or foldable to allow an artist to work outside of the convenience of a studio. Others are relatively immobile and large, but allow an artist to securely fix a canvas assembly thereon to paint. Still others are adjustable to allow it the easel to support a wide variety of work piece sizes.
Easel attachments are also well know and typically add functionality to an existing easel allowing one to turn their easel into an all-encompassing workstation. Known easel attachments include brush holders, palette holders, paper towel holders, paint boxes and utility trays. Typically such attachments are removably secured to the easel via Gamping means or by means of screws or bolts.
More recently, artists and painters have taken up the practice of painting the sides of their canvas assembly or work piece, which eliminates the need to frame the final artwork. Many people choose not to frame their paintings or artwork, opting instead for hanging the canvas assembly sans frame on their wall.
This not only eliminates the cost of framing, but it also allows a viewer to focus entirely on the artwork itself without the distraction of a frame.
CANVAS"
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to easels for holding canvas assemblies and other work objects and, more particularly, to an easel and an easel attachment which can hold canvas assemblies without compromising the sides of a canvas stretched around such assemblies so that the canvas's sides can be easily painted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, an artist paints a painting on a canvas with the canvas typically stretched over, or mounted on, a peripheral frame of bars called stretcher bars. The canvas is then stapled or tacked to the peripheral frame to hold its taut condition over said frame. It is conventional for these canvas assemblies to be supported on an easel on a convenient working level for the artist. The stretcher bars provide some rigidity and compressive strength to the canvas. Other surfaces to be painted which are stretched taut over a frame and which are suitable for mounting on an easel are contemplated in this application as being within the scope of the term "canvas assembly".
Easels are well known devices used by artists to hold a canvas assembly, work piece or the like, during formation of artwork. The simplest form of an artist's easel, a tripod, comprises three vertical posts or legs joined at one end. A
pivoting mechanism allows the centremost post to pivot away from the other two, forming a tripod. The two non-pivoting posts or legs have a horizontal cross member or ledge on which the canvas assembly is placed. Sometimes the two legs are equipped with pegs instead of a horizontal ledge. The canvas assembly or work piece then rests on the horizontal cross member, ledge or pegs, leaning back against two of the legs.
Easels also come in a variety of other, more complex, configurations.
Some easels are relatively small or foldable to allow an artist to work outside of the convenience of a studio. Others are relatively immobile and large, but allow an artist to securely fix a canvas assembly thereon to paint. Still others are adjustable to allow it the easel to support a wide variety of work piece sizes.
Easel attachments are also well know and typically add functionality to an existing easel allowing one to turn their easel into an all-encompassing workstation. Known easel attachments include brush holders, palette holders, paper towel holders, paint boxes and utility trays. Typically such attachments are removably secured to the easel via Gamping means or by means of screws or bolts.
More recently, artists and painters have taken up the practice of painting the sides of their canvas assembly or work piece, which eliminates the need to frame the final artwork. Many people choose not to frame their paintings or artwork, opting instead for hanging the canvas assembly sans frame on their wall.
This not only eliminates the cost of framing, but it also allows a viewer to focus entirely on the artwork itself without the distraction of a frame.
However, when painting the sides of a canvas assembly using a traditional easel, where the canvas assembly is resting on a ledge, an artist has to first paint at least one of the sides that is not touching the ledge. Once the paint on that side has dried, the artist can rotate the canvas assembly so as to rest that painted side on the ledge and thereby making available the previous side that had been resting on the ledge. This typically entails multiple sittings or sessions of painting, to allow for drying times, before all of the sides of a canvas assembly can be fully painted.
Despite the large variety of easels and easel attachments, there is a continuing need for a simple easel or easel attachment which has minimal mechanical components, is simple in design and is capable of supporting or holding a canvas assembly or work piece without compromising any of the sides of the canvas assembly or work piece so that all of sides of the canvas assembly can be easily painted in one sitting or session.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the invention there is provided an easel attachment for holding a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side. The easel attachment comprises a support member and a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member. At least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member and said slidable canvas assembly fastener is adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided an easel for holding a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side. The easel comprises a support member and a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member. At least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member and said slidable canvas assembly fastener is adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening.
In a method aspect, a method of mounting a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side is provided.
The method comprises the steps of providing a support member, providing a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member, wherein at least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member, said slidable canvas assembly fastener being adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and being securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening, lining up the canvas assembly fasteners with said inside edge of the peripheral frame, and securing all of the slidable canvas assembly fasteners to the support member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of an easel attachment according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 along with a rear perspective view of a conventional tripod easel and a canvas assembly;
FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, illustrating a canvas assembly mounted on the easel attachment;
FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, illustrating the easel attachment in an operating position on an easel with the canvas assembly mounted on the attachment;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG.
1 taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of the easel attachment according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of the easel attachment according to the present invention;
Despite the large variety of easels and easel attachments, there is a continuing need for a simple easel or easel attachment which has minimal mechanical components, is simple in design and is capable of supporting or holding a canvas assembly or work piece without compromising any of the sides of the canvas assembly or work piece so that all of sides of the canvas assembly can be easily painted in one sitting or session.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the invention there is provided an easel attachment for holding a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side. The easel attachment comprises a support member and a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member. At least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member and said slidable canvas assembly fastener is adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided an easel for holding a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side. The easel comprises a support member and a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member. At least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member and said slidable canvas assembly fastener is adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening.
In a method aspect, a method of mounting a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side is provided.
The method comprises the steps of providing a support member, providing a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member, wherein at least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member, said slidable canvas assembly fastener being adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and being securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening, lining up the canvas assembly fasteners with said inside edge of the peripheral frame, and securing all of the slidable canvas assembly fasteners to the support member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of an easel attachment according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 along with a rear perspective view of a conventional tripod easel and a canvas assembly;
FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, illustrating a canvas assembly mounted on the easel attachment;
FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, illustrating the easel attachment in an operating position on an easel with the canvas assembly mounted on the attachment;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG.
1 taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of the easel attachment according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of the easel attachment according to the present invention;
FIG. 8a is a front perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the easel attachment according to the present invention;
FIG. 8b is a front perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the easel attachment according to the present invention; and FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of one embodiment of an easel according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following description are of preferred embodiments by way of example only and without limitation to the combination of features necessary for carrying the invention into effect. Reference is to be had to the Figures in which identical reference numbers identify similar components. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features are shown in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
Referring to FIGS. 1- 5 one embodiment of an easel attachment 10 of the present invention is show. The easel attachment 10 of this embodiment comprises a support member 12, a base 14 and two canvas assembly holders or fasteners 16a, 16b slidably mounted or joined to said support member 12. The canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are capable of removably securing a canvas assembly 17 having a peripheral frame 17p and canvas 17c stretched around said frame 17p to the easel attachment 10.
FIG. 8b is a front perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the easel attachment according to the present invention; and FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of one embodiment of an easel according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following description are of preferred embodiments by way of example only and without limitation to the combination of features necessary for carrying the invention into effect. Reference is to be had to the Figures in which identical reference numbers identify similar components. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features are shown in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
Referring to FIGS. 1- 5 one embodiment of an easel attachment 10 of the present invention is show. The easel attachment 10 of this embodiment comprises a support member 12, a base 14 and two canvas assembly holders or fasteners 16a, 16b slidably mounted or joined to said support member 12. The canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are capable of removably securing a canvas assembly 17 having a peripheral frame 17p and canvas 17c stretched around said frame 17p to the easel attachment 10.
The peripheral frame 17p has an inside edge or surface 17i, an outside edge or surface 17s, a front side edge or surfacel7f and a rear side edge or surface 17r (see FIG. 5). Typically, and as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, the canvas 17c is stretched around said frame 17p so as to cover the front side 17f, the outside edge 17s and some or all of the rear edge 17r. The canvas 17c is then typically secured to the peripheral frame 17p in a conventional manner by being pinned to the rear edge 17r of the frame 17p using pins, staples or nails (not shown). With a canvas 17c mounted across the front side 17f of the peripheral frame 17p, a central opening 17o providing access to the inside edge or surface 17i of the frame 17p is present on the rear side 17r of the frame.
In this embodiment, the support member 12 is an elongated member having two slots 18a, 18b, each of which extends a substantial portion along the support member's 12 length, but with each slot 18a, 18b terminating short of the member's ends 12b, 12t. In another embodiment (e.g. FIG. 8), a single slot 18 is provided which extends along a substantial proportion of the support member's length and terminates short of said members ends.
During operation, the easel attachment 10 of this embodiment is positioned on, or mounted to, an easel 19 so as to position support member 12 in a substantially vertical orientation (see FIG. 4). When support member 12 is in such a substantially vertical orientation, reference to the support member's first and second ends 12b, 12t can be made by referring to the first end 12b as a bottom end 12b and to the second end 12t as a top end 12t. Likewise in this embodiment, when the support member 12 is in a substantially vertical orientation, the first canvas assembly fastener 16a can be referred to as the top canvas assembly fastener 16a and the second canvas assembly fastener 16b can be referred to as the bottom canvas assembly fastener 16b. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other orientations of the support member 12 are possible (see for example the embodiment of FIG. 7).
In this embodiment, the base 14 is mounted to the support member's end 12b and further comprises a pair of parallel rails 30a, 30b. Preferably, both rails 30a, 30b are mounted substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support member 12, so that when the easel attachment 10 is positioned on, or mounted to, an easel 19 the rails 30a, 30b are positioned in a substantially horizontal orientation (see FIG. 4). More preferably, and in the case of an easel 19 having a ledge 191, the easel attachment 10 is positioned on the easel 19 such that the base 14 rests on the ledge 191 and said ledge 191 supports substantially all of the weight of the attachment 10 and any canvas assembly 17 that may be mounted thereon (see FIG. 4).
In another embodiment (not shown), the attachment 10 does not have a base and thus the first, or bottom, end 12b of the support member 12 is used to position the attachment 10 on the ledge 191 of an easel 19.
The first rail 30a of the base 14 is permanently mounted to the support member 12 in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the first rail 30a is mounted by means of a pair of screws 34a, 34b (see FIGS. 2 and 4 which partially show the pair of screws 34a, 34b; the rest of the view of screws 34a, 34b are obstructed by the second rail 30b). The first rail 30a may be permanently mounted to the support member 12 in any other conventional manner, including by means of staples or glue.
The second rails 30b is removably secured to the support member 12 using bolt 32, washer 36 and wingnut 38. Bolt 32 has its head lodged against the first rails 30a and passes therethrough. In another embodiment (not shown), the bolt 32 has its head countersunk, or lodged in, the first rail 30a. The bolt 32 also passes through the bottom end 12b of the support member 12. The second raii 30b has a passage or opening (not shown) to accept passage of bolt 32 therethrough.
Preferably this passage or opening is located at a substantially central position along the length of the second rail 30b.
Washer 36 and wingnut 38 cooperate with bolt 32 in a conventional manner so that the second rail 30b can be clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in a fixed configuration. Preferably, the second rail 30b is clamped or mounted to the support member 12 so that the second rail 30b is substantially parallel to the first rail 30b and substantially perpendicular to the support member's longitudinal axis (see FIGS 1- 4).
More preferably during operation, and when using the attachment 10 with a tripod easel 19 having two non-pivoting posts 19p, the second rail 30b is clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in such a manner so as to clamp or mount the two non-pivoting posts 19p between itself 30b and the first rail 30a (see FIG. 4). Even more preferably, the frictional engagement of the clamped first and second rails 30a, 30b against the two non-pivoting posts 19p of the easel 19 is sufficient to support substantially all of the weight of the attachment 10 and any canvas assembly 17 that may be mounted thereon, without having to rest the base 14 on the easel's ledge 191. Advantageously, such embodiment of an attachment can also be used with, or clamped to, a traditional tripod that does not have such a ledge.
5 As can be seen in FIGS. 1- 5, in the first embodiment of the invention each of the two canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b is slidably joined to the support member 12 by a bolt 20 having a head lodged against the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the fasteners 16a, 16b may also be slidably joined to the support member 12 using 10 other conventional means. The bolt 20 also passes through one of slot 18a, 18b in the support member 12 and has a washer 22 and wingnut 24 mounted thereon so that the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b can be clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in a fixed configuration along said member 12.
In another embodiment of the attachment (not shown), the bolt 20 has its head countersunk, or lodged in, the fasteners 16a, 16b. In yet another embodiment (not shown) anti-pivoting means are provided to prevent the fasteners 16a, 16b from pivoting with respect to the support member 12 when the bolts 20 are loosened sufficiently to allow sliding of the fasteners 16a, 16b along the support member 12. In one embodiment, the anti-pivoting means comprises a groove cut into the surface of the fasteners 16a, 16b that engages said support member 12, said groove being of sufficient dimensions to receive the width and thickness of the support member 12 so that the sides of the groove engages the sides of the support member 12 during sliding action of the fasteners 16a, 16b along the support member 12, thereby preventing pivoting of the fasteners 16a, 16 relative to the support member 12. In another embodiment, the anti-pivoting means comprises a pin or tab that projects from the surface of the fasteners 16a, 16b and that engages the support member 12 and wherein said pin or tab projects adjacent bolt 20 and also into the fastener's respective slot 18a or 18b, said pin engaging the inside edges of the respective slot 18a or 18b so as to prevent pivoting of the fasteners around bolt 20.
Referring again to the first embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1- 5, when they are not clamped, the bolts 20 are free to be moved along their relevant length of slot 18a, 18b, and the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are free to both slide along, and also pivot with respect to, the support member 12 about the bolt 20.
Thus, a desired configuration including horizontal and vertical placement and angular relation between the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b and the support member 12, can be selected by loosening the wingnuts 24 and moving the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b as desired. The canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b can be retained by tightening the nuts 24 to clamp the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12 in the selected configuration.
Preferably, the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b each further comprise two shoulders, ledges or faces, namely an inside frame ledge 16i and a rear frame ledge 16r (see FIG. 5). When mounting a canvas assembly 17 onto the easel attachment 10, the inside frame ledge 16i of each of the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b engages the inside or interior edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p (see FIGS. 3 - 5). In this embodiment, the inside frame ledge 16i of top canvas assembly 16a engages the inside edge 17i of the top portion of the peripheral frame 17p while the inside frame ledge 16i of bottom canvas assembly 16b engages the inside edge 17i of the bottom portion of the peripheral frame 17p.
Advantageously, by loosening the wingnuts 24 and moving the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to line up with the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame (see FIG. 2), by engaging opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p (see FIG. 3) and by then tightening the wingnuts 24 to secure the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12, the easel attachment 10 utilizes only two canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to securely mount or support a canvas assembly 17. In this embodiment, the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b frictionally engage the top and bottom portions of the inside edge 17i.
In other embodiments (see, for example, FIG. 7), the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b may engage left and right portions of the inside edge 17i depending on the particular orientation the attachment 10 has relative to the easel it is mounted on. More advantageously, by engaging the peripheral frame 17p from behind through opening 17o, and by engaging the inside edge 17i from within, the easel attachment 10 can mount a canvas assembly 17 without compromising the sides 17s of the canvas assembly 17 so that said sides can be easily painted in one sitting or session (see FIGS. 4 and 5).
More preferably, the rear frame ledge 16r of the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b engages at least a portion the rear or posterior edge 17r of the peripheral frame 17p so as to space or position the canvas assembly 17 some distance D from the support member 12 when said assembly 17 is mounted on the easel attachment 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). Advantageously, the distance D
between the support member 12 and the canvas assembly 17 provides some protection from paint transferring to the easel attachment 10 from the canvas 17c as well as providing protection from the easel attachment 10 smudging a portion of the picture painted on the side 17s of the canvas 17c, if the canvas assembly 17 is moved relative to the support member 12 (such as during removal of a painted canvas assembly 17 from the attachment 10 before the paint has fully dried). More advantageously, by engaging only a portion of the rear or posterior edge 17r, and by spacing the canvas assembly 17 some distance D from the support member 12, the easel attachment 10 can mount a canvas assembly 17 without compromising a rear portion 17rc of the canvas 17c so that said rear portion 17rc may even be painted without having to remove the canvas assembly 17 from the easel attachment (see FIG. 5).
Preferably each canvas assembly fastener 16a, 16b further comprises a pair of pointed projections 26a, 26b so as to facilitate mounting to a canvas assembly 17. Advantageously, pointed projections 26a, 26b facilitate secure engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b with the peripheral frame 17p of the canvas assembly 17 by embedding themselves, partially or wholly, into the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p (see FIG. 5). More preferably, the pointed projections are made from metal.
A preferred material for the support member 12, base 14 and canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b is wood, but other materials can be substituted and other configurations beyond those specifically described herein can be implemented. In a preferred embodiment, the support member 12 is 26 inches long, 2 and 3/4 inches wide and 5/16th of an inch thick; the base rails 30a, 30b are each 18 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick; the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are each 5 and 9/16 inches long, 1 and 7/16 inches thick and 1 inch deep;
and the slots 18a, 18b are each 9 and 1/2 inches long and 5/16th of an inch wide, each spaced approximately 1 and 1/2 inches from its respective end of the support member and leaving about 4 inches of solid support member 12 in the center between each slot 18a, 18b. As is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, other dimensions can be used, if desired.
Operation:
The method of use of the easel attachment 10 of the first embodiment will be described again with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Preferably, and in the case of an easel 19 having a ledge 191, the easel attachment 10 is positioned on the easel 19 such that the base 14 rests on the ledge 191 and said ledge 191 supporting substantially all of the weight of the attachment 10 and any canvas assembly 17 to be mounted thereon (see FIG. 4). Advantageously, the attachment 10 allows an existing easel 19 to be retrofit to enable it to support or hold an canvas assembly 17 without compromising any of the sides 17s of the canvas assembly 17 so that all of sides 17s can be easily painted in one sitting or session. More preferably, and in the case where the easel 19 is a tripod easel and the base 14 comprises a first and second rail 30a, 30b, the second rail 30b is clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in such a manner so as to clamp or mount the two non-pivoting posts of the tripod easel 19p between itself 30b and the first rail 30a (see FIG. 4).
Advantageously, such clamping provides additional stability to the attachment during operation.
Next the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are lined up with the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame by loosening the wingnuts 24 and moving the fasteners 16a, 16b accordingly (see FIG. 2). The fasteners 16a, 16b are then positioned to engage opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p (see FIG. 3) and are then secured in place by tightening the wingnuts 24 to secure said canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
Preferably, and in an embodiment where the attachment 10 further comprises one or more pointed projections 26a, 26b, the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are positioned to not only engage the opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame, but also positioned to partially or wholly embed the pointed projections 26a, 26b into the peripheral frame 17p (see FIG. 5). Once the pointed projections 26a, 26 are embedded into the peripheral frame 17p, the wingnuts are tightened to secure the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
Additional Embodiments of an Easel Attachment:
Referring to FIG. 6 a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of an easel attachment 10 for an easel 19 is shown. This second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception of the following differences.
The base 14 of the second embodiment of the attachment 10 comprise only a single rail 30a. As in the first embodiment, the single rail 30a of the base 14 is permanently mounted to the support member 12 at end 12b in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the first rail 30a is mounted by means of a pair of screws 34a (FIGS. 6 only shows one of the screws 34a; the view of the other screw is obstructed by the easel 19). As with the first embodiment, the single rail 30a may be permanently mounted to the support member 12 in any other conventional manner, including by means of staples or glue.
In this embodiment, and during operation, the easel attachment 10 is positioned on the easel 19 such that the base 14 rests on the ledge 191 of said easel 19; said ledge 191 supporting substantially all of the weight of the attachment 10 and any canvas assembly 17 to be mounted thereon. The easel 19 in FIG. 6 is a non-tripod easel, but those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the second embodiment of the attachment 10 can also be placed on any easel having a ledge 191, or pegs or horizontal cross members as may be present on a particular form of easel.
Another difference of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, as compared to the first embodiment of FIGS. 1- 5, is that the attachment 10 further comprises a top member 40. Top member 40 is permanently mounted to the support member 12 at end 12t in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the top member 40 is mounted by means of a pair of screws 41 (FIGS. 6 shows one of the pair of screws 41; the view of the other screw is obstructed by a component of the easel 19). Advantageously, top member 40 facilitates mounting of the attachment 10 on easels which have a top frame holder 42 (shown in the present case as further comprising a telescoping member 42t and a thumbscrew 42s).
In all other aspects, the second embodiment of the attachment 10 shown in FIG. 6 is identical to that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5.
Referring to FIG. 7 a front perspective view of a third embodiment of an easel attachment 10 for an easel 19 is shown. This third embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception of the following noted differences.
The support member 12 of the third embodiment further comprise a first and second member 12i, 12j pivotally connect to each other by bolt 44 having a head (not shown) lodged against first member 12i and passing through corresponding openings (not shown) in both the first and second support members 12i, 12j. Bolt 44 has a washer 44w and wingnut 44n mounted thereon so that the first and second members 12i, 12j can be removably secured to each other in a conventional manner.
The base 14 of the third embodiment is like that of the first embodiment, but is mounted to the first support member 12i at end 12b. The canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are mounted to the second support member 12j. The second support member 12j of this embodiment is an elongate member and has slots 18a, 18b in a similar configuration as the slots 18a, 18b on the support member 12 of the first embodiment.
When it is not clamped, the bolt 44 is free to allow pivotal movement of the first member 12i with respect to the second member 12j about the bolt 44.
Thus, a desired pivotal configuration of a canvas assembly 17 mounted to the second member 12j can be obtained relative to the attachment 10 and any easel (not shown) that the base 14 (which is mounted to the first member 12i) may be placed upon.
Preferably, the third embodiment further comprise a spacer block 46 positioned between the first member 12i and second member 12j as illustrated in FIG. 7 (with bolt 44 also passing through said spacer block 46).
Advantageously, the spacer block facilitates pivotal movement of the first and second members 12i, 12j relative to each other. More preferably, the opening for bolt 44 in the first member 12i is in the form of a slot 48. Advantageously, slot 48 provides for some slidable movement of the first and second members 12i, 12j relative to each other.
Referring to FIG. 8a a front perspective view of a fourth embodiment of an easel attachment 10 for an easel is shown. This fourth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception that the support member 12 has a single slot 18 instead of two slots. Single slot 18 extends along a substantial proportion of the support member's 12 length and terminates short of said members ends 12b, 12t. In all other aspect, including in operation, the fourth embodiment is identical to that of the first embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 8b a front perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the attachment 10 for an easel is shown. This fifth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception that the support member 12 has a single slot 18 and one hole or opening, each receiving one of the two bolts 20 that mount the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12. Accordingly, one of canvas assembly fasteners 16a is mounted to support member 12 through the single slot 18 while the other canvas assembly fastener 16b is mounted to the support member 12 through the hole (not shown). Each of canvas assembly fasteners 16a,16b is joined to the support member 12 by a bolt 20, having a head lodged against the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b, and by use of a washer and wingnut (not shown), in a similar manner as in the first embodiment.
However, in this fifth embodiment, only one of the bolts 20 is free to move along the relevant length of the single slot 18 while the other is retained within the hole or opening. As such, in this fifth embodiment only canvas assembly fastener 16a is free to slide along the support member 12 while the other fastener 16b can only pivot relative to the support member 12, when the wingnuts are loosened.
Operation of this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, with the exception being that only one of the canvas assembly fasteners 16a is slidably moved along the support member so as to lined up both fasteners with the inside edge of the peripheral frame; the non-sliding fastener 16b is lined up with one side of the inside edge first and then the sliding fastener 16a is then lined up with the opposing inside edge. Both fasteners 16a, 16b are then secured in place by tightening the wingnuts to secure the canvas assembly to the fasteners 16a, 16b and to secure said canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in another embodiment (not shown), the non-sliding canvas assembly fastener 16b may be permanently mounted to the support member, by conventional means such as screws, glue or staples, and that only the sliding canvas assembly fastener 16a is mounted to the support member by means of a bolt, wingnut and washer.
Embodiments of an Easel:
Referring to FIG. 9 a rear perspective view of one embodiment of an easel 19 according to the present invention is shown. The easel 19 comprises a support member 12 having slots 18a and 18b and two canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b slidably mounted or joined to said support member 12. The easel of this embodiment is a tripod easel 19 having a ledge 191 and the support member 12 in this embodiment is permanently mounted to the ledge 191, at end 12b, in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the support member 12 is mounted to the ledge 191 by means of a pair of screws 50. The support member 12 may be permanently mounted to the ledge 191 in any other conventional manner, including by means of staples or glue. The support member 12 may also be permanently mounted to the easel 19 in another conventional manner and to another portion other than the ledge 191.
Slots 18a, 18b each extend a substantial portion along said support member's 12 length (as shown), but with each slot 18a, 18b terminating short of the member's ends 12b, 12t. In another embodiment of the easel (not shown), a single slot 18 is provided which extends along a substantial proportion of the support member's 12 length and terminates short of said members ends.
Each of the two canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b is slidably joined to the support member 12 by a bolt 20 having a head lodged against the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b. The bolt 20 also passes through the one of slot 18a, 18b in the support member 12 and has a washer 22 and wingnut 24 mounted thereon so that the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b can be clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in a fixed configuration along said member 12.
During operation, an in a manner similar to the operation of the easel attachment of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1- 5), the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b of the easel 19 of this embodiment are lined up with the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame by loosening the wingnuts 24 and moving the fasteners 16a, 16b accordingly. The fasteners 16a, 16b are then positioned engage opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p and are then secured in place by tightening the wingnuts 24 to secure said canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
Preferably, and in an embodiment of the easel 19 where the fasteners 16a, 16b further comprises one or more pointed projections (not shown), the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are positioned to not only engage the opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame, but also positioned to partially or wholly embed the pointed projections into the peripheral frame 17p. Once the pointed projections are embedded into the peripheral frame 17p, the wingnuts are tightened to secure the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
The present invention has been described with regard to a number of preferred embodiments. However, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.
In this embodiment, the support member 12 is an elongated member having two slots 18a, 18b, each of which extends a substantial portion along the support member's 12 length, but with each slot 18a, 18b terminating short of the member's ends 12b, 12t. In another embodiment (e.g. FIG. 8), a single slot 18 is provided which extends along a substantial proportion of the support member's length and terminates short of said members ends.
During operation, the easel attachment 10 of this embodiment is positioned on, or mounted to, an easel 19 so as to position support member 12 in a substantially vertical orientation (see FIG. 4). When support member 12 is in such a substantially vertical orientation, reference to the support member's first and second ends 12b, 12t can be made by referring to the first end 12b as a bottom end 12b and to the second end 12t as a top end 12t. Likewise in this embodiment, when the support member 12 is in a substantially vertical orientation, the first canvas assembly fastener 16a can be referred to as the top canvas assembly fastener 16a and the second canvas assembly fastener 16b can be referred to as the bottom canvas assembly fastener 16b. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other orientations of the support member 12 are possible (see for example the embodiment of FIG. 7).
In this embodiment, the base 14 is mounted to the support member's end 12b and further comprises a pair of parallel rails 30a, 30b. Preferably, both rails 30a, 30b are mounted substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support member 12, so that when the easel attachment 10 is positioned on, or mounted to, an easel 19 the rails 30a, 30b are positioned in a substantially horizontal orientation (see FIG. 4). More preferably, and in the case of an easel 19 having a ledge 191, the easel attachment 10 is positioned on the easel 19 such that the base 14 rests on the ledge 191 and said ledge 191 supports substantially all of the weight of the attachment 10 and any canvas assembly 17 that may be mounted thereon (see FIG. 4).
In another embodiment (not shown), the attachment 10 does not have a base and thus the first, or bottom, end 12b of the support member 12 is used to position the attachment 10 on the ledge 191 of an easel 19.
The first rail 30a of the base 14 is permanently mounted to the support member 12 in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the first rail 30a is mounted by means of a pair of screws 34a, 34b (see FIGS. 2 and 4 which partially show the pair of screws 34a, 34b; the rest of the view of screws 34a, 34b are obstructed by the second rail 30b). The first rail 30a may be permanently mounted to the support member 12 in any other conventional manner, including by means of staples or glue.
The second rails 30b is removably secured to the support member 12 using bolt 32, washer 36 and wingnut 38. Bolt 32 has its head lodged against the first rails 30a and passes therethrough. In another embodiment (not shown), the bolt 32 has its head countersunk, or lodged in, the first rail 30a. The bolt 32 also passes through the bottom end 12b of the support member 12. The second raii 30b has a passage or opening (not shown) to accept passage of bolt 32 therethrough.
Preferably this passage or opening is located at a substantially central position along the length of the second rail 30b.
Washer 36 and wingnut 38 cooperate with bolt 32 in a conventional manner so that the second rail 30b can be clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in a fixed configuration. Preferably, the second rail 30b is clamped or mounted to the support member 12 so that the second rail 30b is substantially parallel to the first rail 30b and substantially perpendicular to the support member's longitudinal axis (see FIGS 1- 4).
More preferably during operation, and when using the attachment 10 with a tripod easel 19 having two non-pivoting posts 19p, the second rail 30b is clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in such a manner so as to clamp or mount the two non-pivoting posts 19p between itself 30b and the first rail 30a (see FIG. 4). Even more preferably, the frictional engagement of the clamped first and second rails 30a, 30b against the two non-pivoting posts 19p of the easel 19 is sufficient to support substantially all of the weight of the attachment 10 and any canvas assembly 17 that may be mounted thereon, without having to rest the base 14 on the easel's ledge 191. Advantageously, such embodiment of an attachment can also be used with, or clamped to, a traditional tripod that does not have such a ledge.
5 As can be seen in FIGS. 1- 5, in the first embodiment of the invention each of the two canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b is slidably joined to the support member 12 by a bolt 20 having a head lodged against the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the fasteners 16a, 16b may also be slidably joined to the support member 12 using 10 other conventional means. The bolt 20 also passes through one of slot 18a, 18b in the support member 12 and has a washer 22 and wingnut 24 mounted thereon so that the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b can be clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in a fixed configuration along said member 12.
In another embodiment of the attachment (not shown), the bolt 20 has its head countersunk, or lodged in, the fasteners 16a, 16b. In yet another embodiment (not shown) anti-pivoting means are provided to prevent the fasteners 16a, 16b from pivoting with respect to the support member 12 when the bolts 20 are loosened sufficiently to allow sliding of the fasteners 16a, 16b along the support member 12. In one embodiment, the anti-pivoting means comprises a groove cut into the surface of the fasteners 16a, 16b that engages said support member 12, said groove being of sufficient dimensions to receive the width and thickness of the support member 12 so that the sides of the groove engages the sides of the support member 12 during sliding action of the fasteners 16a, 16b along the support member 12, thereby preventing pivoting of the fasteners 16a, 16 relative to the support member 12. In another embodiment, the anti-pivoting means comprises a pin or tab that projects from the surface of the fasteners 16a, 16b and that engages the support member 12 and wherein said pin or tab projects adjacent bolt 20 and also into the fastener's respective slot 18a or 18b, said pin engaging the inside edges of the respective slot 18a or 18b so as to prevent pivoting of the fasteners around bolt 20.
Referring again to the first embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1- 5, when they are not clamped, the bolts 20 are free to be moved along their relevant length of slot 18a, 18b, and the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are free to both slide along, and also pivot with respect to, the support member 12 about the bolt 20.
Thus, a desired configuration including horizontal and vertical placement and angular relation between the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b and the support member 12, can be selected by loosening the wingnuts 24 and moving the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b as desired. The canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b can be retained by tightening the nuts 24 to clamp the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12 in the selected configuration.
Preferably, the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b each further comprise two shoulders, ledges or faces, namely an inside frame ledge 16i and a rear frame ledge 16r (see FIG. 5). When mounting a canvas assembly 17 onto the easel attachment 10, the inside frame ledge 16i of each of the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b engages the inside or interior edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p (see FIGS. 3 - 5). In this embodiment, the inside frame ledge 16i of top canvas assembly 16a engages the inside edge 17i of the top portion of the peripheral frame 17p while the inside frame ledge 16i of bottom canvas assembly 16b engages the inside edge 17i of the bottom portion of the peripheral frame 17p.
Advantageously, by loosening the wingnuts 24 and moving the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to line up with the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame (see FIG. 2), by engaging opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p (see FIG. 3) and by then tightening the wingnuts 24 to secure the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12, the easel attachment 10 utilizes only two canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to securely mount or support a canvas assembly 17. In this embodiment, the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b frictionally engage the top and bottom portions of the inside edge 17i.
In other embodiments (see, for example, FIG. 7), the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b may engage left and right portions of the inside edge 17i depending on the particular orientation the attachment 10 has relative to the easel it is mounted on. More advantageously, by engaging the peripheral frame 17p from behind through opening 17o, and by engaging the inside edge 17i from within, the easel attachment 10 can mount a canvas assembly 17 without compromising the sides 17s of the canvas assembly 17 so that said sides can be easily painted in one sitting or session (see FIGS. 4 and 5).
More preferably, the rear frame ledge 16r of the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b engages at least a portion the rear or posterior edge 17r of the peripheral frame 17p so as to space or position the canvas assembly 17 some distance D from the support member 12 when said assembly 17 is mounted on the easel attachment 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). Advantageously, the distance D
between the support member 12 and the canvas assembly 17 provides some protection from paint transferring to the easel attachment 10 from the canvas 17c as well as providing protection from the easel attachment 10 smudging a portion of the picture painted on the side 17s of the canvas 17c, if the canvas assembly 17 is moved relative to the support member 12 (such as during removal of a painted canvas assembly 17 from the attachment 10 before the paint has fully dried). More advantageously, by engaging only a portion of the rear or posterior edge 17r, and by spacing the canvas assembly 17 some distance D from the support member 12, the easel attachment 10 can mount a canvas assembly 17 without compromising a rear portion 17rc of the canvas 17c so that said rear portion 17rc may even be painted without having to remove the canvas assembly 17 from the easel attachment (see FIG. 5).
Preferably each canvas assembly fastener 16a, 16b further comprises a pair of pointed projections 26a, 26b so as to facilitate mounting to a canvas assembly 17. Advantageously, pointed projections 26a, 26b facilitate secure engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b with the peripheral frame 17p of the canvas assembly 17 by embedding themselves, partially or wholly, into the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p (see FIG. 5). More preferably, the pointed projections are made from metal.
A preferred material for the support member 12, base 14 and canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b is wood, but other materials can be substituted and other configurations beyond those specifically described herein can be implemented. In a preferred embodiment, the support member 12 is 26 inches long, 2 and 3/4 inches wide and 5/16th of an inch thick; the base rails 30a, 30b are each 18 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick; the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are each 5 and 9/16 inches long, 1 and 7/16 inches thick and 1 inch deep;
and the slots 18a, 18b are each 9 and 1/2 inches long and 5/16th of an inch wide, each spaced approximately 1 and 1/2 inches from its respective end of the support member and leaving about 4 inches of solid support member 12 in the center between each slot 18a, 18b. As is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, other dimensions can be used, if desired.
Operation:
The method of use of the easel attachment 10 of the first embodiment will be described again with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Preferably, and in the case of an easel 19 having a ledge 191, the easel attachment 10 is positioned on the easel 19 such that the base 14 rests on the ledge 191 and said ledge 191 supporting substantially all of the weight of the attachment 10 and any canvas assembly 17 to be mounted thereon (see FIG. 4). Advantageously, the attachment 10 allows an existing easel 19 to be retrofit to enable it to support or hold an canvas assembly 17 without compromising any of the sides 17s of the canvas assembly 17 so that all of sides 17s can be easily painted in one sitting or session. More preferably, and in the case where the easel 19 is a tripod easel and the base 14 comprises a first and second rail 30a, 30b, the second rail 30b is clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in such a manner so as to clamp or mount the two non-pivoting posts of the tripod easel 19p between itself 30b and the first rail 30a (see FIG. 4).
Advantageously, such clamping provides additional stability to the attachment during operation.
Next the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are lined up with the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame by loosening the wingnuts 24 and moving the fasteners 16a, 16b accordingly (see FIG. 2). The fasteners 16a, 16b are then positioned to engage opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p (see FIG. 3) and are then secured in place by tightening the wingnuts 24 to secure said canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
Preferably, and in an embodiment where the attachment 10 further comprises one or more pointed projections 26a, 26b, the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are positioned to not only engage the opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame, but also positioned to partially or wholly embed the pointed projections 26a, 26b into the peripheral frame 17p (see FIG. 5). Once the pointed projections 26a, 26 are embedded into the peripheral frame 17p, the wingnuts are tightened to secure the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
Additional Embodiments of an Easel Attachment:
Referring to FIG. 6 a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of an easel attachment 10 for an easel 19 is shown. This second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception of the following differences.
The base 14 of the second embodiment of the attachment 10 comprise only a single rail 30a. As in the first embodiment, the single rail 30a of the base 14 is permanently mounted to the support member 12 at end 12b in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the first rail 30a is mounted by means of a pair of screws 34a (FIGS. 6 only shows one of the screws 34a; the view of the other screw is obstructed by the easel 19). As with the first embodiment, the single rail 30a may be permanently mounted to the support member 12 in any other conventional manner, including by means of staples or glue.
In this embodiment, and during operation, the easel attachment 10 is positioned on the easel 19 such that the base 14 rests on the ledge 191 of said easel 19; said ledge 191 supporting substantially all of the weight of the attachment 10 and any canvas assembly 17 to be mounted thereon. The easel 19 in FIG. 6 is a non-tripod easel, but those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the second embodiment of the attachment 10 can also be placed on any easel having a ledge 191, or pegs or horizontal cross members as may be present on a particular form of easel.
Another difference of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, as compared to the first embodiment of FIGS. 1- 5, is that the attachment 10 further comprises a top member 40. Top member 40 is permanently mounted to the support member 12 at end 12t in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the top member 40 is mounted by means of a pair of screws 41 (FIGS. 6 shows one of the pair of screws 41; the view of the other screw is obstructed by a component of the easel 19). Advantageously, top member 40 facilitates mounting of the attachment 10 on easels which have a top frame holder 42 (shown in the present case as further comprising a telescoping member 42t and a thumbscrew 42s).
In all other aspects, the second embodiment of the attachment 10 shown in FIG. 6 is identical to that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5.
Referring to FIG. 7 a front perspective view of a third embodiment of an easel attachment 10 for an easel 19 is shown. This third embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception of the following noted differences.
The support member 12 of the third embodiment further comprise a first and second member 12i, 12j pivotally connect to each other by bolt 44 having a head (not shown) lodged against first member 12i and passing through corresponding openings (not shown) in both the first and second support members 12i, 12j. Bolt 44 has a washer 44w and wingnut 44n mounted thereon so that the first and second members 12i, 12j can be removably secured to each other in a conventional manner.
The base 14 of the third embodiment is like that of the first embodiment, but is mounted to the first support member 12i at end 12b. The canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are mounted to the second support member 12j. The second support member 12j of this embodiment is an elongate member and has slots 18a, 18b in a similar configuration as the slots 18a, 18b on the support member 12 of the first embodiment.
When it is not clamped, the bolt 44 is free to allow pivotal movement of the first member 12i with respect to the second member 12j about the bolt 44.
Thus, a desired pivotal configuration of a canvas assembly 17 mounted to the second member 12j can be obtained relative to the attachment 10 and any easel (not shown) that the base 14 (which is mounted to the first member 12i) may be placed upon.
Preferably, the third embodiment further comprise a spacer block 46 positioned between the first member 12i and second member 12j as illustrated in FIG. 7 (with bolt 44 also passing through said spacer block 46).
Advantageously, the spacer block facilitates pivotal movement of the first and second members 12i, 12j relative to each other. More preferably, the opening for bolt 44 in the first member 12i is in the form of a slot 48. Advantageously, slot 48 provides for some slidable movement of the first and second members 12i, 12j relative to each other.
Referring to FIG. 8a a front perspective view of a fourth embodiment of an easel attachment 10 for an easel is shown. This fourth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception that the support member 12 has a single slot 18 instead of two slots. Single slot 18 extends along a substantial proportion of the support member's 12 length and terminates short of said members ends 12b, 12t. In all other aspect, including in operation, the fourth embodiment is identical to that of the first embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 8b a front perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the attachment 10 for an easel is shown. This fifth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment with the exception that the support member 12 has a single slot 18 and one hole or opening, each receiving one of the two bolts 20 that mount the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12. Accordingly, one of canvas assembly fasteners 16a is mounted to support member 12 through the single slot 18 while the other canvas assembly fastener 16b is mounted to the support member 12 through the hole (not shown). Each of canvas assembly fasteners 16a,16b is joined to the support member 12 by a bolt 20, having a head lodged against the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b, and by use of a washer and wingnut (not shown), in a similar manner as in the first embodiment.
However, in this fifth embodiment, only one of the bolts 20 is free to move along the relevant length of the single slot 18 while the other is retained within the hole or opening. As such, in this fifth embodiment only canvas assembly fastener 16a is free to slide along the support member 12 while the other fastener 16b can only pivot relative to the support member 12, when the wingnuts are loosened.
Operation of this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, with the exception being that only one of the canvas assembly fasteners 16a is slidably moved along the support member so as to lined up both fasteners with the inside edge of the peripheral frame; the non-sliding fastener 16b is lined up with one side of the inside edge first and then the sliding fastener 16a is then lined up with the opposing inside edge. Both fasteners 16a, 16b are then secured in place by tightening the wingnuts to secure the canvas assembly to the fasteners 16a, 16b and to secure said canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in another embodiment (not shown), the non-sliding canvas assembly fastener 16b may be permanently mounted to the support member, by conventional means such as screws, glue or staples, and that only the sliding canvas assembly fastener 16a is mounted to the support member by means of a bolt, wingnut and washer.
Embodiments of an Easel:
Referring to FIG. 9 a rear perspective view of one embodiment of an easel 19 according to the present invention is shown. The easel 19 comprises a support member 12 having slots 18a and 18b and two canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b slidably mounted or joined to said support member 12. The easel of this embodiment is a tripod easel 19 having a ledge 191 and the support member 12 in this embodiment is permanently mounted to the ledge 191, at end 12b, in a conventional manner. In this embodiment, the support member 12 is mounted to the ledge 191 by means of a pair of screws 50. The support member 12 may be permanently mounted to the ledge 191 in any other conventional manner, including by means of staples or glue. The support member 12 may also be permanently mounted to the easel 19 in another conventional manner and to another portion other than the ledge 191.
Slots 18a, 18b each extend a substantial portion along said support member's 12 length (as shown), but with each slot 18a, 18b terminating short of the member's ends 12b, 12t. In another embodiment of the easel (not shown), a single slot 18 is provided which extends along a substantial proportion of the support member's 12 length and terminates short of said members ends.
Each of the two canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b is slidably joined to the support member 12 by a bolt 20 having a head lodged against the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b. The bolt 20 also passes through the one of slot 18a, 18b in the support member 12 and has a washer 22 and wingnut 24 mounted thereon so that the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b can be clamped or mounted to the support member 12 in a fixed configuration along said member 12.
During operation, an in a manner similar to the operation of the easel attachment of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1- 5), the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b of the easel 19 of this embodiment are lined up with the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame by loosening the wingnuts 24 and moving the fasteners 16a, 16b accordingly. The fasteners 16a, 16b are then positioned engage opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame 17p and are then secured in place by tightening the wingnuts 24 to secure said canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
Preferably, and in an embodiment of the easel 19 where the fasteners 16a, 16b further comprises one or more pointed projections (not shown), the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b are positioned to not only engage the opposing sides of the inside edge 17i of the peripheral frame, but also positioned to partially or wholly embed the pointed projections into the peripheral frame 17p. Once the pointed projections are embedded into the peripheral frame 17p, the wingnuts are tightened to secure the canvas assembly fasteners 16a, 16b to the support member 12.
The present invention has been described with regard to a number of preferred embodiments. However, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.
Claims (14)
1. An easel attachment for holding a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side, said easel attachment comprising:
a support member;
a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member;
wherein at least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member, said slidable canvas assembly fastener being adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and being securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening.
a support member;
a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member;
wherein at least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member, said slidable canvas assembly fastener being adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and being securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening.
2. The easel attachment of claim 1 wherein said easel attachment further comprises a base.
3. The easel attachment of claims 1 to 2 wherein said at least one of said canvas assembly fasteners is slidably pivotally connected to the support member.
4. The easel attachment of claims 1 to 3 wherein the canvas assembly fasteners further comprise at least one pointed projection.
5. The easel attachment of claims 1 to 4 wherein the base further comprises a first and second rail, said first rail being permanently mounted to said support member and said second rail being removably secured to said support member;
wherein when the attachment is mounted to a tripod easel having two non-pivoting posts, the second rail is mounted to the support member so as to clamp said two non-pivoting posts between said first and second rails.
wherein when the attachment is mounted to a tripod easel having two non-pivoting posts, the second rail is mounted to the support member so as to clamp said two non-pivoting posts between said first and second rails.
6. The easel attachment of claims 1 to 5 wherein the support member is an elongated member having two slots, each of said slots extending a substantial portion along the support member's length.
7. The easel attachment of claims 1 to 5 wherein the support member is an elongated member having one slot along a proportion of the support member's length.
8. An easel for holding a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side, said easel comprising:
a support member;
a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member;
wherein at least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member, said slidable canvas assembly fastener being adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and being securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening.
a support member;
a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member;
wherein at least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member, said slidable canvas assembly fastener being adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and being securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening.
9. The easel of claim 8 wherein said at least one of said canvas assembly fasteners is slidably pivotally connected to the support member.
10. The easel of claims 8 to 9 wherein the canvas assembly fasteners further comprise at least one pointed projection.
11. The easel attachment of claims 8 to 10 wherein the support member is an elongated member having two slots, each of said slots extending a substantial portion along the support member's length.
12. The easel attachment of claims 8 to 10 wherein the support member is an elongated member having one slot along a proportion of the support member's length.
13. A method of mounting a canvas assembly having a peripheral frame defining an inside edge and with a canvas mounted on one side of said peripheral frame and a central opening on the other side, said method comprising:
providing a support member;
providing a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member, wherein at least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member, said slidable canvas assembly fastener being adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and being securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening;
engaging the canvas assembly fasteners with said inside edge of the peripheral frame; and securing all of the slidable canvas assembly fasteners to the support member.
providing a support member;
providing a plurality of canvas assembly fasteners mounted on said support member, wherein at least one of the canvas assembly fasteners is slidably connected to the support member, said slidable canvas assembly fastener being adjustably located along at least part of the length of said support member and being securable at a set location along said adjustable length so as to enable engagement of the canvas assembly fasteners to said inside edge of the canvas assembly's peripheral frame through the central opening;
engaging the canvas assembly fasteners with said inside edge of the peripheral frame; and securing all of the slidable canvas assembly fasteners to the support member.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:
providing at least one pointed projection on each of said canvas assembly fasteners; and embedding said pointed projection into the peripheral frame when lining up said canvas assembly fasteners with said inside edge.
providing at least one pointed projection on each of said canvas assembly fasteners; and embedding said pointed projection into the peripheral frame when lining up said canvas assembly fasteners with said inside edge.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2622065 CA2622065A1 (en) | 2008-02-21 | 2008-02-21 | Painter's easel, easel attachment and method of mounting a canvas |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2622065 CA2622065A1 (en) | 2008-02-21 | 2008-02-21 | Painter's easel, easel attachment and method of mounting a canvas |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2622065A1 true CA2622065A1 (en) | 2009-08-21 |
Family
ID=40983682
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2622065 Abandoned CA2622065A1 (en) | 2008-02-21 | 2008-02-21 | Painter's easel, easel attachment and method of mounting a canvas |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2622065A1 (en) |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2013059872A1 (en) * | 2011-10-28 | 2013-05-02 | Jasco Pty Ltd | Stretching support structure for an artist canvas |
| CN107215150A (en) * | 2017-07-01 | 2017-09-29 | 江苏森洋巨星机械有限公司 | A kind of Portable type art drawing board |
| EP3375627A1 (en) * | 2017-03-17 | 2018-09-19 | Painters AREA I/S | Studio for painters |
| CN112172403A (en) * | 2020-09-29 | 2021-01-05 | 何翰禹 | Sketching drawing board |
| DE102020006765B3 (en) | 2020-09-28 | 2022-02-10 | Sayyed Hassan Rouhani | easel |
| CN114454645A (en) * | 2022-02-28 | 2022-05-10 | 杨慧华 | Think political affairs education with little blackboard convenient to use |
-
2008
- 2008-02-21 CA CA 2622065 patent/CA2622065A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2013059872A1 (en) * | 2011-10-28 | 2013-05-02 | Jasco Pty Ltd | Stretching support structure for an artist canvas |
| EP3375627A1 (en) * | 2017-03-17 | 2018-09-19 | Painters AREA I/S | Studio for painters |
| CN107215150A (en) * | 2017-07-01 | 2017-09-29 | 江苏森洋巨星机械有限公司 | A kind of Portable type art drawing board |
| DE102020006765B3 (en) | 2020-09-28 | 2022-02-10 | Sayyed Hassan Rouhani | easel |
| WO2022083813A2 (en) | 2020-09-28 | 2022-04-28 | Sayyed Hassan Rouhani | Easel |
| CN112172403A (en) * | 2020-09-29 | 2021-01-05 | 何翰禹 | Sketching drawing board |
| CN114454645A (en) * | 2022-02-28 | 2022-05-10 | 杨慧华 | Think political affairs education with little blackboard convenient to use |
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