US1740814A - Bookrest - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 24, 1929. P. c. HUNTER BOOKREST Filed March 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 24, 1929 P. c. HUNTER BOOKREST Filed March 26, 1927 2 Shees-Sheel Patented Deo. 24, 1929 FUN! artnr omer,

BOOKBEST Application led March 26, 1927, Serial No. 178,538, and in Great Britain January 21, 1927.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in book rests of the type adapted to be detachably secured to a book and carried along with the book in a pocket or other receptacle.

In devices of the kind referred to it has been found that the stay connected to the book-engaging means and which supports the book in the open position, does not provide a steady and even support. Furthermore,

in some cases the leaves of the book when turned will not lie flat. lt is the object of this invention to remedy these defects by forming the stay in two parts which can be opened and closed with respect to each other like Compasses and together opened and closed with respect to the book-engaging means. For the purpose of keeping the leaves down as they are turned, a strip of iiexible material and a spring clip are employed.

This invention consists of a book rest adapted for attachment to books of dierent sizes and stated broadly comprises in combination book-engaging means, two stays, a

hinge connecting the stays to the book-engag- 5 ing means and a hinge connecting the stays together. More specifically, the book-engaging means consists of an extensible and contractible clamping device and the two stays are hinged together to open and fold upon 3@ each other while they are both hinged to the clamp to open and fold in unison upon the clamp. rlhe extensible and contractible clamp may take various forms of construction as also may the supporting stays so long as they provide a suitably'wide base. Further features of the invention reside in means for limiting the opening movements of the stays with respect to each other and with re- AO spect to the book-engaging means; a book- 7 marker provided with a spring clip for holding down the pages of a book and means for retaining the several parts in folded relationship. Further details will transpire in the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation showing the book rest attached to a book.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation showing the 5G stays opened.

Figure 3 is a front elevation showing the stays folded.

Figure 4lis a detail of the book-engaging hooks.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figures 6 and 7 are details of the hinge.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a modification.

Figures 9 and 10 are side and rear elevations of a further modification.

Figures 11 and 12 are rear and side elevations of a further modification and,

Figure 13 illustrates still another form of construction.

Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the device comprises a book-engaging element 1, stays 2 and 3 pivotally mounted at l on the flap 5 of a hinge attached to the book-engaging element. rlhis element consists of a channel shaped, strip 6, see Figures 4 and 5, and a flat strip 7 arranged to slide therein. At the lower end of the channel strip a tang S is punched out to form a book-engaging hook while the perforated extremity is turned back in the opposite direction to form a clip 9 serving to accommodate the free ends of the stays 2 and 3 when the latter are folded as shown in Figure 3. r1`he free extremity of strip 7 is formed into a spring hook 10. The arrangement of this book-engaging element is telescopic that is to say eXtensible and contractible to fit books of different sizes. In operation strip 7 is extended and hook 8 brought into engagement with the lower edge of the front or rear book cover and the strip 7 is then pushed down in the channel strip 6 until the hook 10 clips the upper edge of the book cover. The fit between the sliding parts is advantageously made friction-tight to avoid accidental displacement.

The connection between the stays and the book-engaging element consists of a hinge formed about the pin 11. For this purpose a tang 12 is formed at the upper end of the channel strip 6 and shaped to embrace the pin 11. rl'his tang is cut away to form shoulders 13and 14 which act as stops by engaging corresponding shoulders 15 and 16 formed on the hinge flap 5. This arrangement limits the angular movement of the hinge flap 5 and consequently the degree to which the stays 2 and 3 can be spread away from the book.

The stays 2 and 3 are hinged on the pin 4 carried by the flap 5 and their angular displacement with respect to each other, that is to say the degree to which they can be spread apart, is limited by tangs 17 and 18 formed on the stays 2 and 3 respectively and turned over the edge of the flap 5. These tangs come into contact with the extremities 19 and 2O of the hinge, see Figure 3, when the stays are spread apart about 60 as shown in Figure 4t.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when the device is fitted to a book, the pair of stays pivoted on flap 5 can be spread away from the book to an extent which leaves the book at a convenient angle for reading. The stays may also be independently spread away from each other to a limited extent to extend the supporting base line and thus increase the stability of the device in use. Moreover, with the stays spread apart the book is supported evenly and will not wobble nor twist when the weight of leaves on either side of the book is greater than on the other side.

In cases where the leaves of the book owing to the nature of the material or the manner of binding will not lie flat when turned over, a strip of flexible material 21 may be attached to the book-engaging element, for example, to the spring hook 10 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. To the free end of this strip is attached a spring clip 22 which is adapted to be clipped to the edge of the book cover at either side. ln the position shown in Figure 1, the leaves 23 are held down by the strip 21 and as each new leaf is turned it can be readily slipped under the strip. This arrangement also constitutes a bookmarker.

The invention above described may be carried out in a variety of forms some of which will now be described by way of example.

Referring to Figure 8, a single book-engaging hook member 24 is employed. The hook is preferably formed as a spring, like hook 10 in Figure 4;, and is pressed down over the edge of the cover 25. rlhe stays 26 may be constructed and attached to each other and to the member 24 in the manner hereinbefore described or alternatively as hereinafter described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. rllhe stays may also be made adjustable in length by forming them of two telescopic members.

The arrangement shown in Figures 9 and 10 consists of a book-engaging hook 27 having an elongated body portion 28 provided with a series of perforations 29. The second book-engaging hook 30 is attached to one end of a strip of elastic 31, the other end of which carries a locking hook 32 which can be irrsertedv into any of the perforations 29. This arrangement permits of the book-engaging element as a whole being tted to books of different sizes, suflicient tension being put on the elastic-by moving hook 32-to hold the device firmly in place on the book. The stays are constructed and attached to each other and to the elongated body portion 28 in the manner hereinbefcre described.

The simple form of construction shown in Figures 11 and 12 consists of a strip of thick rubber 33 having a sheet metal hook, 34 and 35 respectively, at each end. These hooks are riveted or otherwise attached to the rubber. Intermediate the hooks, a clip 36is attached to the rubber and this clip has two lugs 37 which are drilled to form a journal or bearing for the hinge part lof the stays 38. The stays are integral and consist of a hairpin spring wire, the hinge between the two stays being at the bight. Hook 35 is formed as a clip to hold the stays in the folded position when pressed together and sprung into the clip. The rubber being extensible and contractible can be stretched to fit the device to different sizes of books.

The telescopic form shown in Figure 13 consists of two tubes or a tube and rod designated 39 and fr0 respectively each having a book-engaging hook at the free extremity. The fit between the parts may be frictiontight or a locking screw l1 may be provided to hold the parts in any predetermined adjusted position. In this ease the stays are preferably formed and attached to one of the telescoping members, in the manner described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Alternatively, the stays may be formed of sheet metal and attached in the manner described with reference to Figures 1 to 7.

The flexible strip 21 and clip 22 of Figure 1 may be used in combination with any of the embodiments shown and described with reference to Figure 8 et seq.

' l claim v 1. A book rest comprising in combination a tube and a rod constituting an extensible and contractible clamp, a book-engaging hook at the free extremity ofthe tube, a book-engaging hook at the free extremity of the rod, a hinge member connected to one element ofsaid clamp, two stays formed by a hairpin spring journalled at the bight in said hinge member and a clip on one element of said clamp for retaining the parts in folded relationship.

2. A book rest comprising in combination a book-engaging hook having an elongated body portion, perforations in said body portion, an elastic strip, a second book-engaging hook connected to one end of said strip, a locking hook connected to the other end of said strip to engage in said perforations, a hinge mounted on said elongated body portion and two stays pivotally mounted in one member of said hinge.

3. A book rest comprising in combination an eXtensible and contraetible clamp, bookengaging means Connected to each end of said clamp, two stays, a compound hinge connecting the stays to the clamp whereby both stays may be moved relatively to said clamp and relatively to each other independently of said clamp, means for limiting the movement of the stays relatively to said Clamp and means for limiting the movement of said stays relatively to each other.

4. An attachment for books constituting a collapsible book rest and comprising in oombination a clamp adapted to be attached to books of diiierent sizes, two stays hinged to the clamp, a hinge between the stays, means for limiting` the relative movement between the stays and the Clamp7 means for limiting the relative movement between the stays and means for retaining the several parts in collapsed relationship.

5. An attachment for books comprising the elements set forth in claim 4f in combination with a flexible bookmarker and a book-engaging spring clip attached to the free extremity or" said book-marker.

6. A folding book rest comprising in oornbination a book-engaging clamp, two stays, a hinge whereby said stays may be opened and folded relatively to each other, a hinge whereby said stays may be opened and folded in unison relatively to said clamp7 means for limiting the opening movement or" the several parts in the booksupporting condition and means for retaining the several parts in the folded position on the book.

PHILIP CARLETON HUNTER.

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