GB2207891A - Drawing board with supply of paper - Google Patents

Abstract

A drawing board (14) has, adjacent one edge, a store for a continuous supply of paper, e.g. roll (18), clamps (32) being provided to secure the paper adjacent an edge of the board (14) remote from the one edge and a second clamp (24) being provided to secure the paper adjacent the one edge. The drawing board may be part of an easel arrangement. It may also have a matt black surface enabling, it to be used without paper, as a blackboard. Alternatively, it may have a light non-porous surface enabling it to be used with marker pens. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in Drawing Board Arrangements This invention relates to a drawing board arrangement and has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive arrangement for locating paper over a drawing board. The invention is especially applicable to children's drawing board arrangements wherein it is required to make available a ready and substantial supply of relatively inexpensive paper.

The invention provides a drawing board having a store for a continuous supply of paper on one side thereof, first clamp means on an opposite side thereof for clamping paper adjacent said opposite side and second clamp means for clamping paper adjacent said one side.

The supply can be a roll or a folded stack.

According to a further feature of the invention, a drawing board arrangement comprises a supporting frame which includes two opposed sides between which a drawing board is supported, said two opposed sides projecting beyond the board at least at one of the edges of said board which extends between said two opposed sides, mounting means on the projecting regions of said frame sides beyond one edge of the board for mounting a roll of paper between said frame sides parallel to and adjacent said one edge of the board, a paper clamp releasably mounted between the two opposed frame sides adjacent said one edge of the board and in use serving at said one edge to hold down a portion of paper drawn from the roll, and fixing means adjacent the opposite edge of the board for releasably securing the leading edge of the portion of paper drawn from the roll.

The paper clamp can be a bar and can be releasably mounted by clips, springs, screws or the like, or can be mounted using co-operable touch fasteners such as hook-and-pile fasteners sold under the Trade Mark 'VELCRO'.

The arrangement is preferably dimensioned to receive a roll of wall lining paper or equivalent wall covering which at least, on one side provides a white or near white surface suitable for drawing upon with crayons, pencils, felt pens or the like. Such rolls are typically 52.1 cm long, this being the standard width of wall covering paper. The length of paper available on such a roll is usually about 10.6 m. An arrangement dimensioned to accept a roll length half this size is possible.

The drawing board is preferably a "blackboard", that is to say a board coloured black, green or any other colour but adapted to be written on erasably by means of chalk. Of course, the arrangement can be dimensioned to accommodate paper rolls of any convenient width, greater or less than the width of rolls of lining paper. For example, much wider rolls can be provided for artists. Dimensions accepting a fractional width e.g. half the width of a roll of lining paper are suitable for children. In its primary application as a children's toy, therefore, the arrangement offers the option of a blackboard for drawing upon with chalk, no paper being drawn from the roll, or of paper for drawing upon with other materials.In the latter case, when the piece of paper initially pulled out over the board is used, it may be released at its leading edge and torn off, using the clamping bar as a tear-off guide, either to enable use of the blackboard or to permit a further portion of paper to be pulled from the roll and located in position over the board.

In one embodiment the drawing board is supported in a sub-divided rectangular frame having a major area occupied by the board and a minor area for accommodation of the paper supply roll.

In another embodiment, the drawing board arrangement is incorporated in an easel, preferably a double sided easel which has two pairs of legs forming an inverted V-shape, with a drawing board supported between each of said pairs of legs. Thus, the two legs of a pair constitute the said two opposed sides of the supporting frame between which the. drawing board is supported and the mounting means for the paper roll may be provided on the said legs just below the bottom edge of the board.

Two practical embodiments of drawing board arrangement in accordance with the invention will now be descried with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows one embodiment in front elevation; and Figure 2 shows a blackboard and easel incorporating the drawing board arrangement.

Referring to Figure 1, a rectangular frame 10 (of wood or plastics for example) is subdivided by a cross-piece 12 (largely hidden in the illustration) into a major area occupied by a board 14 having a surface finish enabling its use as a blackboard, and a minor area 16 for accommodation of paper roll 18, conveniently a roll of wall lining paper cf 52.1 cm standard width. Headed pegs 20, at least one of which is removable, fit through aligned apertures in opposed sides of the frame to support the paper roll in a manner which allows it to rotate as paper is drawn from it (see arrow 22).

A paper clamping bar 24 is mounted to the frame 10 substantially to overlie the cross-piece 12.

Mounting is by means of a peg or pin 26 at one end of the bar and which can serve as a pivot, and a removable peg or pin 28 at the other end of the bar.

When the pin 28 is removed, the bar 24 can be rotated about the pivot pin 26, as indicated by the arrow 30, into a vertical portion (as drawn) in which it lies clear of the board and a portion of paper can be free-ly pulled out from the roll 18 to extend over the board. The leading edge of the paper can then be fixed into two securing clips, conveniently hinged plastics clips 32, folding as indicated by arrow 34, with a press-stud type fastening. The clips 32 may be mounted to the support frame or, as illustrated, to the board adjacent the frame. The edge of the pulled out paper adjacent the roll is held down by restoring the clamping bar to its horizontal position, over the top of the paper.

When an initially pulled out portion of paper is finished with, it may be torn off against the clamping bar, exposing the blackboard 14 ready for use or enabling a fresh portion of paper to be pulled from the roll 18 after release of the clamping bar 24.

Figure 2 shows a foldable blackboard/easel construction in which the same drawing board arrangement is incorporated, as apparent from the use of similar reference numerals.

The easel is double sided, having a board supported between each of a pair of front legs 40 and a pair of rear legs 42. The two sides of the easel are the same. Thus, a view from the rear will present substantially the same appearance as the illustrated front view. When opened out by virtue of a top hinge, conveniently a plastics strip hinge 44, the easel assumes a conventional inverted V-shape, and it is fixable in this open condition by means of a rimmed tray 46 which is releasably fixed in position by means of four headed pegs or pins 48, one such pin for each leg. If desired, two such pins 48, either at the front pair or the rear pair of legs, may be non-removable, serving as pivot pins which allow the tray to drop against the legs when the easel is to be folded closed.

It will be noted that the illustrated construction of easel mounts the paper roll 18 below the board 14, but this is not essential. Moreover, it would obviously be possible to provide the paper option on only one side of the easel.

In a variation (not illustrated) the paper clamp, such as a bar 24, can be secured by screws, clips or springs, but desirably by touch fasteners such as hook-and-pile fasteners sold under the Trade Mark 'VELCRO'.

The paper store can be a roll as illustrated or can be some other convenient supply such as a stack of folded computer paper resting on a shelf or some other support.

Of course, the arrangement can be dimensioned to accommodate paper rolls or any convenient width, greater or less than the width of rolls of lining paper. For example, much wider rolls can be provided for artists. Dimensions accepting a fractional width e.g. half the width of a roll of lining paper are suitable for children.

Various other modifications are possible within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (14)

1. l. A drawing board having a store for a continuous supply of paper on one side thereof, first clamp means on an opposite side thereof for clamping paper adjacent said opposite side and second clamp means for clamping paper adjacent said one side.
2. 2. A drawing board arrangement comprising a supporting frame which includes two opposed sides between which a drawing board is supported, said two opposed sides projecting beyond the board at least at one of the edges of said board which extends between said two opposed sides, mounting means on the projecting regions of said frame sides beyond one edge of the board for mounting a roll of paper between said frame sides parallel to, and adjacent said one edge of the board, a paper clamp releasably mounted between the two opposed frame sides adjacent said one edge of the board and in use serving at said one edge to hold down a portion of paper drawn from the roll, and fixing means adjacent the opposite edge of the board for releasably securing the leading edge of the portion of paper drawn from the roll.
3. 3. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the supply is a roll.
4. 4. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein the store includes removable pegs for entering opposite ends of a central aperture of the roll.
5. 5. A drawing board arrangement as claimed. in any preceding claim, wherein the board is part of an easel arrangement.
6. 6. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the board has a matt black surface enabling it to be used as a blackboard without paper.
7. 7. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the board has a light non-porous surface enabling it to be used with marker pens without the paper.
8. 8. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first clamp means includes a plurality of individual grippers or clips.
9. 9. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second clamp means is in the form of a bar.
10. 10. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bar is pivoted at one end and securable at the other.
11. 11. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bar is detachable at both ends.
12. 12. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the bar is provided with touch and close fasteners.
13. 13. A drawing board arrangement as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12, wherein the bar has a clamp surface of resilient material.
14. 14. A drawing board substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.