EP0461091A1

EP0461091A1 - Electrically adjustable easel

Info

Publication number: EP0461091A1
Application number: EP91830245A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Massimiliano Bernard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-06-07
Filing date: 1991-06-06
Publication date: 1991-12-11
Also published as: IT9048040A1; IT9048040A0

Abstract

A changeable-shape easel for pictures of large size, which is movable and provided with motor assembly for driving the canvas, and especially designed for working on such pictures, and including: a frame formed of two parallel base members connected to each other and provided with wheels; two pairs of rear and fore members hinged on the top to form a triangle, the angular width of which can be varied; two cross-members connecting the two rear members; a motor-driven support formed of two rods, each of them being slidable relative to the corresponding fore members; an upper connecting member and a lower essentially U-shaped member receiving the base of the canvas; the motor assembly including an electric motor driving two gear wheels each engaged to a race attached to the rear side of each hinged fore member, two idle gear wheels journalled on the upper member of the motor-driven support, and four guide and rolling wheels placed in front of each gear wheel, respectively.

Description

The present invention relates to a changeable-shape easel for pictures of large size, which is movable and provided with motor assembly for driving the canvas, and especially designed for working on such pictures, and including: a frame formed of two parallel base members connected to each other and provided with wheels; two pairs of rear and fore members hinged on the top to form a triangle, the angular width of which can be varied; two cross-members connecting the two rear members; a motor-driven support formed of two rods, each of them being slidable relative to the corresponding fore members; an upper connecting member and a lower essentially U-shaped member receiving the base of the canvas.
The easel is also provided with a motor assembly including an electric motor driving two gear wheels engaged each to a rack attached to the rear side of any hinged fore member, two idle gear wheels journalled on the upper member of the motor-driven; support, and four guide and rolling wheels placed in front of each gear wheel, respectively.
As known working on pictures of large size either for painting or for restoring them causes a lot of problems due to the size and weight of the pictures.
On the other hand an easel allowing the position of the picture relative to the light to be easily changed as desired by the painter is not available yet.
The present invention seeks to provide an easel of novel type which allows the position of the picture relative to the room to be changed, the easel being movable, for example, for varying the position of the picture with respect to the light, changing the inclination of the same relative to the vertical, also in this case to make a better use of the light, and finally varying the height with respect to the base.
The easel is easely moved by wheels provided at the lower ends of the easel legs. The change of the inclination of the picture is obtained by varying the angular shift of two pairs of members hinged on the top, the lower ends of which are received into spaced apart notches formed in the two base members. Finally the height of the picture is varied by an electric drive motor so as to shift upwards or downwards the two gears along the respective racks.
In a simplified embodiment the easel provided with wheels to promote the moviment is, however, without motor assembly for lifting and lowering the canvas.
The invention will now be described more in detail with reference to the annexed drawings wherein

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the easel in its preferred embodiment provided with motor assembly;
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the easel of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the easel;
Fig. 4 is a schematic, fragmentary view showing the details of the driven and idle gear wheels, and the guide and rolling wheels in enlarged scale;
Fig. 5 is a perspective top view of the simplified embodiment of the easel; and
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the latter.

With reference in particular to Figs. 1 to 3 the easel according to the invention includes in combination a frame 10 formed of two parallel base members 11 connected to each other by a cross member 12 and provided with wheels 13; two pairs of rear and front members 14 and 15 hinged on the upper side at 16 to form a triangle, the angular width of which can be varied; two cross members connecting the two rear members and indicated at 18; a motor assembly formed of two uprights 19 movable with respect to the corresponding fore members 15; an upper cross member 20 and an essentially U-shaped lower member 21 receiving the base of the canvas, both connected to uprights 19 so as to form a rectangular frame. A vertically sliding bracket 19A is mounted at the upper part of each upright 19.
As mentioned above the easel is also provided with a motor assembly including an electric motor 30 attached to the lower member 21 and having two output shafts 31 supported by stationary bearings 32, each of which carries at its end a gear wheel 33. Each gear wheel 33 meshes with a rack 34 attached to the rear side of each hinged fore member 15. Furthermore two idle gear wheels 35 are supported by suitable brackets 36 attached to the upper member 20 of the motor assembly, said gear wheels being also engaged with the respective rack 34.
Guide rollers 37 (Fig. 4) rolling on the outer face of members 15 and corresponding to the two pairs of gear wheels 33 and 35 are supported on the upper member 20 and on the lower member 21 to improve the sliding of the motor assembly on the frame.
Finally, the angular position of the two members 14 and 15 hinged at 16 on the top can be varied in order to change the inclination of the canvas as already mentioned. To this purpose the lower ends 23 of rear members 14 are hinged at 24 on the respective base member. On the other hand the lower ends 25 of the fore members 15 connected by a stiffening cross member 26, can be received in one of the pairs of notches 27A, 27B or 27C which are formed in the parallel base members 11 and spaced apart so that the inclination of fore members 15 can be varied relative to the vertical according to what notches the fore members are received in. In order to avoid that picture can tilt and fall forwards in case the inclination of fore members 15 is near the vertical, i.e. lower ends 25 are received in the pair of notches 27A, a bracket 28 holding the upper end of the picture is mounted at the top of each member 19A vertically sliding along uprights 19. Sliding rods 19A allow pictures of different heights to be supported by the easel as the distance of brackets 28 from lower member 21 can be varied.
In use, the desired inclination of the canvas is selected by inserting the lower ends 25 of member 15 into the most suitable pair of notches 27(A,B,C), then motor 30 is actuated to lift or lower the canvas by the pressure on either of buttons 38, 39 so that gear wheels 33 are rotated anti-clockwise (Fig. 4) for lifting the picture or clockwise for lowering the same.
In Figs. 5 and 6 a simplified embodiment of the easel according to the invention is shown. Parts and components having the same or similar structure and/or function as that of the easel of Figs. 1 to 4 are designated by the same numerals increased by 100.
As shown in this second embodiment, the easel essentially includes a frame 110 formed of two parallel lower members 111 connected to each other by a cross member 112 and provided with wheels 113; two pairs of rear and fore members 114 and 115 hinged at 16 on the top to form a triangle, the angular width of which can be varied; and two cross members connecting the two rear members and indicated at 118.
As already described in the former main embodiment, the angle between the two members 114 and 115 hinged at 116 on the upper side can be varied. To this end the lower ends 123 of the rear members 114 are hinged at 124 on the respective lower member 111. On the other hand the lower ends 125 of fore members 115 can be received into one of the pairs of notches 127A, 127B or 127C formed in the parallel lower members 111 and spaced apart so that fore members 115 can take on a different inclination relative to the vertical according to what notches the fore members are received in. In order to avoid that the canvas can tilt and fall forwards in case the inclination of fore members 115 is near the vertical, i.e. lower ends 125 are received in the pair of notches 127A, a bracket 128 holding the upper end of the canvas is mounted at the top of each fore member 115.
Furthermore a plurality of holes 140A spaced apart from one another are formed in each member 115, and the easel is provided with two pairs of pegs 140 and 141 which are received into holes 140A. Pegs 140 supports member 121 in which the base of the canvas (not shown) is received, and pegs 141 connect members 115 the height of which can be adjusted to the upper cross member 120 against which the canvas is leaned. Finally, a bracket 128 holding the top of the canvas is mounted at the top of each member 115.

Claims

A changeable-shape easel for pictures of large size, which is movable and particularly designed for working on such pictures, and including: a frame formed of two parallel base members provided each with several corresponding and spaced apart notches, said members being connected to each other and provided with wheels; two pairs of rear and fore members hinged on the top to form a triangle, the angular width of which can be varied; two cross-members connecting the two rear members; and means supporting the canvas and carried by said pair of hinged fore members, the lower ends of which are received into said corresponding notches formed in said two base members.
The changeable-shape easel of claim 1, wherein said means supporting the canvas are formed by a motor-driven support formed of two rods, each of them being slidable relative to the corresponding fore members; an upper connecting member and a lower essentially U-shaped member receiving the base of the canvas, and wherein the motor assembly includes an electric motor driving two gear wheels engaged each to a rack attached to the rear side of any hinged fore member, two idle gear wheels journalled on the upper member of the motor-driven support, and four guide and rolling wheels placed in front of each gear wheel, respectively.
The changeable-shape easel of claim 1, wherein said means supporting the easel is a lower member and an upper member connected to said fore members by pegs received into holes spaced apart from each other.