US1842011A - Easel - Google Patents

Description

,Jan. 19.1932. R. BRUNSWICK EAvSEL Filed April 4, 1951 Patented Jan. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice RAYMOND BRUNSWICK, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 M. RICE C0.,

OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF FENNSYLVANIA EASEL .Application led April 4,

This invention relates to florists easels and has for its primary object the provision of a simple easel that can be manufactured at low cost and will support a wreath firmly so as to prevent it from swaying in the wind. n

Another object of the invention is to provide a stand that will positively support the wreath at any desired angle while avoiding the danger of the easel folding up or collapsing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wreath stand that will permit the use of a smaller size easel than is now pos sible as my stand holds the wreath considerably higher than one of the usual stands of exactlythe same size.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wreath stand in which the legs and the fork are rigidly secured together, preferably being integral.

An important feature of my invention concerns the formation of the several wire members of the stand in such fashion as to permit a greater number of easels being packed in a box of given dimensions for my wreath stand is of less collapsed thickness than the usual stands.

There is on the market at present a wreath stand or florists easel which is made of two pieces of stif wire bent and hinged together to form a tripod just below the top of which is provided a single hook for supporting the wreath in front of two of the tripod legs. Some disadvantages of this device are that it is troublesome to manipulate; it will stand with firmness in only one position for if placed in any other position it will fold up and fall over; it allows a Wreath to sway in the wind about its single hook support and it is relatively expensive to manufacture since in addition to the rear leg and the bowed piece forming the two front legs, at least three smaller pieces of wire must be used to hold the legs, the hinge, and the hook in proper relation.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front View of the easel in use.

Figure :2 is a side view of the easel as 1931. Serial No. 527,823.

manufactured and shipped, that is before bending for use.

Figure 3 is a section thru the neck.

Y Figure 4i shows a modification.

In the preferred form of my device illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the easel consists of only four parts, two of which are identical, these two portions being the wires which form the front legs and the prongs. The third member of the easel is the rear leg which may be of greater length than the front legs as in Figure it, but preferably is slightly shorter as in Figure 1. The fourth member of the group is a short cross-piece or strut serving to position and strengthen the two front legs.

The two front leg members are identical, the mid portions 10 touching each other in parallel relation and diverging at the point 11 to form the front leg portions 12, the preferred angle being about 30. Above the neck or mid portion these two wires separate from the point 14 forming oppositely directed horizontal portions 15 preferably alined. The ends of these two horizontal portions 15 may be sharpened to form prongs but I prefer to bend each horizontal portion at right angles either forwardly or backwardly or, better still, vertically upward as at 17. l/Vhile not necessary I much prefer that the prong ends be sharpened by a double bevel. The lower ends 19 of the leg portions 12 will also be made sharp but in this case I preferably make the penetrating end by a single slanting cut, this being just as efficient and a bit cheaper, economy of manufacture being a quite important point.

The third leg member consists vof a horizontal neck member 2O and an integral rear leg 21. The portion 20 is of practically the same length as the neck portions 10 of the front leg wires as in Figure 1 or, as shown in Figure 4, this rear member can extend considerably above the neck portion forming a prong 22 which, while it may be straight, is preferably of wavy form as shown as I find that the placing in this single prong of a plurality of bends makes the prong more serviceable for particular styles of wreaths. In Figure 4 the two front leg members end as at 22:5 at the top ot the neck which consists of the three parallel wires and in this case the horizontal portions and the upwardly directed portions 17 are omitted by preference altho it desired all three prongs can be used.

lhe three parallel portions l0, l0, and 20 are not only parallel but in close engagement with each other and are held in such position in some secure fashion7 my preference being to spot weld these members as indicated at and 2G. The front cross piece 27, which is a simple horizontal strut, is spot welded or other iso secured to each front leg as at 28, this cross bar beinO' placed either in front of the two legs as in l* igure l, or behind the two legs as in Figure 2. Each Yform has-advantages, the placing ot' the Cross piece in front reducing slightly the packed thickness or the easel while the rear placing ot the cross piece or strut simpliies the spot welding of the stand. A feature of particular merit of. the present invention is the format-ion of the elements in such a way that the manufacturing` cost and the packed dimensions are lessened.

My preferred .method ot making` the easel to cut wire of a single diameter into great number of the three lengths required, and then bend all the longer pieces, which will be twice as great in number as the two shorter pieces, to torni the front legs, necks and prongs. All the bends of these pieces are in a single plane so that these front leg portions will lie flat upon the work table. Two of these are laid side by side facing in opposite directions. rlhe rear leg piece is not bent in any way but is laid on top ot and in engagement with both of the neck portions. l/Vhile so held with the three neck portions contacting thruout their ent-ire length, the wires are spot welded together at the two points such as 25 and 26. The nearly completed easel is now turned over and the horizontal cross piece 27 spot welded in place as at 29.

The easel is shipped in this condition and is ready for use by the mere bending at 30 ot the straight rear leg. The amount ot bending is determined by the user who selects any angle whatsoever he wishes for the display of the flowers. ln all other devices with which l am familiar the angle is predetermined but in my device the angle can be anything from a very upright easel to an eX- tremely slanting one and in whatever position the wreath is positioned the easel maintains its position positively and there is no possibility whatsoever of its collapsing in use as was a frequent occurrence in the old hinged type.

To place a wreath on the stand, the wreath, it the prong ends are oppositely disposed and horizontal,` is first inserted on one prong, pushed to its limit, then caught by the other prong and finally moved to mid position.

While this is satistactory for some kinds oi wreath, I much prefer the type shown in Figure l and in this torm the wreath is simply pushed gently downward on the two pronged ends 1,8 simultaneously but the wreath should be pushed down a suiiicient amount to make a tirm hold which not only maintains the wreath on the stand but prevents the flowers from swinging around to di tlerent angles as in former devices.

lVhat l claim is:

l. A florists easel comprising a plurality of spread legs meeting at their tops and merging into a single stem, a pair ot said legs continuing thru said stem and forming a two pronged fork thereabove.

2. The device of claim l in` which the prongs, the neck and said two legs are in one plane.

3. rllhe device ot claim l in which the legs are three in number, two of said legs, the stem and the prongs lying in one plane and the third leg is of bendable material at its junction with the neck whereby the angle which said plane makes with a supporting sui-tace may be positively varied by bending said leg.

4. The device of claim l consisting oi' three pieces of wirerod of which the top portions oil two are bent to torni the said two prongs and the lower portions form the two legs and being welded at the intermediate portions to the top portion of a third piece of wire rod to form the stem, the lower part ot said third piece forming the third leg ot said tripod.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

RAYMOND BRUNSWICK.

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