US1198186A - Book-rack. - Google Patents

Description

w. A. snowm BOOK RACK.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26, 1915.

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MZierflBmu/n Patented Sept. 12,1916.

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WALTER A. BROWN, 0F AURORA, ILIiIIN'OIS.

' BOOK-RACK.

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Application filed April 26, 1915.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER A. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Racks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,

position and at the proper distance from the reader to permit convenience and ease in reading.

The features of myinvention are directed to a construction for devices of the charter described, designed primarily to be detachably supported on a table or arm of a chair to suit the convenience of the reader, there being provided a suitable clamp for this purpose and, furthermore, a novel arrangement of parts adapted to permit ease in adjusting the position of the book supporting member as required by the nature of the article of furniture to which it is attached, or to suit the convenience of the reader. These features will be set forth in detail as the device is further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View .in. side elevation of the book rack supported upon the edge of a table; Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the adjusting clamp in tightened or clamped position; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the parts of the adjusting clamp in' loosened or unclamped position; Fig. 4c is a detailed cross-sectional view of the adjusting clamp taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an end view of a modified construction of the adjusting clamp; and Fig. 6 isa viewin longitudinal section of the modified form of adjusting clamp.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the draw ngs, the book rack embodies, in general, a vertical standard or rod 10 provided at its lower end with a clamp 11, adapted to secure the device in fixed position to a suitable ob ect or article of furniture, shown herein as secured Specification of Letters Pateiit.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 23,789.

or clamped to-the edge of a table top 12, although it is equally well adaptedto be secured to the arm of a chair or other obect Within convenient access to the user. At right angles to the standard 10 is a rack-supporting arm or rod 13 mounted upon said standard by means of an adjust- .able clamping member 14, which engages both the standard and arm, in a manner to permit of a universal adjustment, as will hereinafter be set forth in describing the adjustable clamping member in detail. The rack-supporting arm consists of a cylindric rod, supported in horizontal position and at right angles to the vertical rod or standard 10, and at one end is provided with a comparatively short arm 15," preferably formed by bending the end portion at right angles to the main or horizontal portion of the arm. The shorter arm 15 normally assumes a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, and supports the rack proper or book supporting frame 16. The book frame embodies the usual features employed in constructing devices of this character, namely, a rectangular frame-work made up of parallel longitudinal and transverse frame members, preferably joined at their ends to one another by pivotal connections, thereby permitting the frame-work to be folded into a narrow and elongated form to afford ease and convenience in carrying or storing. The lower margin of the frame is provided with a flange 17 extending at right angles to the upper surface of the rack and serving, in the usual manner, as a stop for retaining the book or article in position upon the rack.

' The supporting frame or rack proper is detachably mounted upon the horizontal rod 13 by means of a bracket 18 fixed to the under side of the frame in any suitable manner and provided with an arm l8 having an endwise and downwardly opening socket adapted to receive the end of the vertical arm 15 of the horizontal rod or a 1 The arm 18 is arranged at a s'uita le inclination to the plane of the supporting frame to provide the proper angle for said supporting frame, herein shown as approximately 45 to the horizontal, so that the book maybe held in the proper position for reading. By reason of the socket c0m1ection between the supporting frame and the arm 13, said frame may be easily removed and, furthermore, canabe swung about a vertical axis to vary the position of the rack to suit the convenience of the reader.

Referring in detail to the means employed for mounting the device uponthe table as shown, the same consists of the substantially U-shaped clamp member '11 of the usual form, wherein the object or article to which it is clamped is capable of projecting or bethreads. Extending through the sleeve at the upper end of the clamping member 11 is the lower portion of the standard or vertical rod 10, said portion being provided with screw-threads, as at 21. At the lower extremity of the rod 10 is provided a plate 22 pivotally connected to said rod and located intermediate the foot 19 and the sleeve '20 of the clamp 11, said plate being adapted to engage the upper surface of the table top as shown; The plate 22 and foot 19 are in vertical alinement and serve as clamping jaws to engage the surfaces of the article to which the device is clamped, the contactsurfaces of said plate and foot being preferably covered with a layer of felt 23 or like material to prevent the marring of the surfaces. of the table or other article to which the device 'is removably attached. This arrangement aifords a simple and inexpensive form of clamp, wherein the rod 10 serves as the tightening member or screw and is rotated in one-direction or the other to clamp the device to or removeit from the table top in the usual manner. It will be shown that thehorizontal rod 13 can be securely fixed to the vertical rod or standard 10, so that adequate leverage may be obtained in rotating the rod 10 to securely clamp the table top between the plate 22 and foot 19. By this arrangement the use of a separate clamping screw or other tightening means is eliminated, thereby making the device neater in appearance, and, furthermore, providing a construction whereby greater force may be applied in clamping the device to the table top than is possible in usual forms of clamps wherein a clamp screw having a small head adapted to be turned with the fingers is employed.

The adjustable clamp 14, shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, is generally cylindric in shape and comprises four circular disks- "24, 25, 26, and 27, loosely mounted upon a shaft 28 extending axially of the disks, said disks being free to rotate on the shaft. The disks are maintained'on the shaft by means of a head 28 at one end of the shaft and a collar 28 rigidly secured. tothe other end of the shaft, the distance between the head and collar being slightlygreater than the combined thickness of said disks to permit the disks to be separated or moved axially to a limited degree, as will hereinafter appear. The clamp 14 may be conveniently considered as consisting of two clamping members, each in turn consisting of a pair of disks. Considered, therefore, in this manner, each clamping member consists of an outer or endmost disk 24 or 27 and its next adjacent inner disk 25 or 26 respectively, or, in other words, the pair of disks 24 and 25 constitute one clamping member, and the pair of disks 26 and 27 constitute the other clamping member. The disks constituting. one clamping member, as for instance the pair 24 and 25, are rotative with respect to-the other pair of disks or clamping member, but the disks of each pair are preferablymon: rotative with respect to each other, and so, also, the disks of each pair may be separated or moved axially relative to each other, and the clamping members may likewise be moved axially with respect to each othen Each clamping member or pair of disks 24, 25 and 26, 27 is provided with a circular bore or aperture 2.9 and 30 respectively, ex-

tending through each clamping member in ofl'set relation to and approximately tangentially with the shaft 28, said bores being preferably arranged at right angles to each other. The bores 29 and 30 are formed by providing a substantially semicircular slot in the adjacent inner surfaces of each air of disks constituting a clampin mem er, the bores thus formed being slightly less in their longitudinal dimension than the diameter of the rods 10 and 13, so that, when the disks arecompressed together in the manner hereinafter described. the rods will be gripped tightly between the disks. The horizontal rod 13 extends through the bore 29 of the disks 24, 25, and the vertical rod or standard 10 extends through-the bore I 30 of the disks 26,27 and at approximately right angles to the rod .13, although the .bores may be arranged with respect to each other to permit any desired angular relation between the rods.

Referring now to the means whereby the rods may be loosened or. tightened within the clamping members, the coacting faces of the innermost disks of each pair, namely, the disks 25 and 26, are provided with cam surfaces, which may be described .as follows: Arranged at equal distances about the inner face of the disk 25 are a series of four similar cam surfaces 31 j (Fig. ,4) inclined at a slight angle to the plane -'.of the disk, each cam surface being preferably separated byan intermediate space having a straight or uninclined face as at 32 (Figs.

masses cam surfaces 34: of the disk 26 are inclined at the same angle and in the same direction as the cam surfaces 31 of the disk 25, so that by rotating one pair of disks relative to the other the cam disks.25 and 26 will approach or depart from each other, depending on the direction in which the pairs of disks are rotated, by reason of the sliding action of the cam surfaces upon each other.

Since all of the disks are capable of axial movement upon the shaft relative to each other, the relative rotation of the pairs of disks or clamping members. in one direction will tend to compress the disks, and the relative rotation in the opposite direction will separate the disks. Thus, if in Fig. 2 the disks 24, and 25 are rotated'in a direction from right to left, the cam action will efi'ect an approach of the cam disks toward each other and a consequent separation of the disks of each pair. Fig. 3 shows the pairs of disks after being rotated from right to left and the increased space between the disks of each pair. By reason of this separation it is apparent that the rods 10 and 13 become loose within the bores 30 and 29 respectively, and they are free to be moved endwise or rotated; By rotating the pairs relatively to each other in the opposite direction, the clamping members or pairs of disks are again separated and the disks of each pair compressed, the rods being thereby securely gripped between the pairs of disks and held rigidly in place.

. Bearing in mind the operation of the adjusting clamp as just described, its application to the book rack is readily appreciated. In Fig. 1 the book rack is shown in fixed position, as indicated in full lines. In

this position the rods 10 and 13 are at right angles and the clamp arranged on said rods,

so that the downward swinging movement of thehorizontal rod tends to tighten the adjusting clamp 14 and thus hold the rods securely together, not only in a fixed angular relation, but also grips each rod so as I to prevent the turning of the horizontal rod 13 about its axis and the swinging of said horizontal rod and the supporting frame 16 about the vertical rodlO.

By grasping; the horizontal rod and moving it upwar to say the position shown in dotted lines, the pair of disks 24 and 25 are rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, which corresponds to the right-to-left direction of rotation in Figs. 2 and 3. As a result, the adjusting clamp is loosened, as shown in Fig. 3, and the rack can be admitt justed either by raising or lowering the supporting rod 13- and the adjusting clamp 14 upon the vertical rod, or by increasing or decreasing the length of the arm 13 by article obviously acts to-maintain the members securely in locked position. As beforementioned, the adjusting clamp when in tightened position locks the rods 10 and 13 together with adequate security to permit the horizontal arm to be used as a lever to tighten and loosen the lower clamp in applying the rack to a table or chair, or for changing it from one to the other, as the desire of the reader dictates.

As a modified form of adjustable clamp 35, Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a desirable departure from that, already described, where- I in the shaft 36 thereof is provided at one end with a screw -threaded portion projecting beyond the adjacent disk and a wing nut 37 mounted on said threaded portion. This wing nut replaces the washer shown at one end of the clamp 14 in the form'before described, and is preferablv mounted on the shaft in such manner that it cannot be rotated except when conditions require. To accomplish this end, the wing nut 37 is provided with a flange 38 having diametrically arranged, elongated slots '39 arranged at suitable intervals aboutitssurface. Adjacent to the end of the shaft is a bore 40 extending diametrically therethrough and adapted to receive a cotterpin 41, which also engages oppositely disposed slots 39 of the flange 38 of the wing nut. By this construction it is apparent that the wing nut cannot be rotated, and hence moved lengthwise of the shaft, without first removing the cotter pin 41. The purpose of this arrangement is to provide means for decreasing the longitudinal space occupied .by the disks upon the shaft 36 and consequently the amount of space that separates the disks. Where the disks, and particularly the camdisks, are made of comparatively soft metal, the constant wear between the coacting faces will in time wear down the cam sur faces until the cam surfaces will not produce the proper gripping action in the clamp, but will slip over each other, due to excessive play between the disks. By providing a wing nut that may be adjusted by hand to decrease the effective length of the shaft, the excessive play may be eliminated and the difliculty before mentioned avoided. By providing the wing nut with the looking feature, said nut is held from rotation upon the shaft, due to the action of the disks thereon. Qbviously any other form of nut capable of being locked to the shaft, such as 21 1am nut or suitable lock nut, may be employed to prevent the undesirable rotation of the nut upon the shaft.

The features embodying my invention are capable of application in devices other than those herein referred to, and, furthermore, the specific featuresof construction may be variously modified without departing from the spirit of my invention. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the specific embodiment herein shown and described, except in so far as expressly set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of two rods, and clamping means comprising coacting ,members, one having sliding engagement with one of said rods, the other having sliding engagement with the other of said rods, said coacting members being provided with cam surfaces acting to effect the clamping of said rods together by the swinging movement of one rod with respect to the other.

2. In a "device of the character described, the combination of two rods, and means for adjustably clamping, said rods together, comprising clamping members rotative with respect to each other and provided with cam surfaces upon their coacting faces, one of said clamping members being slidably engaged by one of said rods and the other clamping member being slidably engaged by the other of said rods, said cam faces acting to move said clamping members into position to tightly grip said rods when said clamping members are rotated relatively to each other by the swinging of one rod about an axis transverse to the axis of the other rod.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of two rods, and means for adjustably clamping said rods together,

comprising clamping members rotative with respect to each other, eachmember consisting of parts between which one of said rods is slidably retained, said clamping members being provided with coacting cam surfaces adapted to compress the parts of each clamping member together to grip said rods, when said members are rotated relatively .to each other by the swinging of said rods with respect to each other about an axis transverse to the axes of said rods.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of two rods, and means for 'adjustably clamping said rods .together, comprising clamping members rotative with respect to each other, and each consisting of a pair of separable disks, each rod being capable of slidable retention between each pair of said disks, the adjacent disks of each pair being provided with coacting cam surfaces acting to compress the disks of each pair to grip said rods, when said clamping members are rotated relatively to each other by the swinging of said rods relatively to each other about an axis transverse to the axes of said rods.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of two rods, and means for adjustably clamping said rods together, comprising clamping members, each consisting of a pair of axially movable disks provided with grooves in their adjacent surfaces adapted to be slidably engaged by one of said rods, said clamping members being mounted on a shaft and adapted to be rotated relatively to each other, the adjacent disks of each of said clamping members being provided with coacting cam surfaces adapted to compress each pairof disks together to grip each of said rods, when said clamping members are rotated relatively to each other by the swinging of said rods with respect to each other about the axis of said shaft.

In testimony, that I, claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of April, A. D. 1915 WALTER A. BROWN.

Witnesses:

, C. L. PEOPLES,

EUGENE C. WANN.

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