US1876681A - Combination reading desk and bookcase - Google Patents

Description

sept 13, 1932.

J. s. IRWIN 1,876,681 COMBINATION READING DESK' 'AND BOOKCASE Filed' Feb. 17. 1931 WMS/#W 1 5.1 device which' is supportable,

Patented slept. 13, 1932 JoHN srAMivr IRWINforFJAoKsoN HEIGHTS, 'NEWLYonK Applicatiolfniea February 17, 1931.1 ser-iai 'N'o 516,347.

This invention relates tola combination bookcase and reading table.

An; objectV ofthe .invention Y is toprovide a artistic-'looking fandfvvilldtake `up a .minimumg of floor space f when not inV use. .p

Afurther. lobj ect is to provi/de such ade- .vice provided vvithf an .extension shelf to vsup- .110., port a plurality of books thereon, capable. of .fextendingin'lfront .of a..'chair. or Vlounge or "similar seat, vvhile :the vbookcase is disposed x adj-acentthe reader. v v

' further Aobject is .to provide simple-.and

11135. elicient means vvherebytheshelfv may bedisposed to extend indifferent" directions from.

the bookcase. K iA still further Object is to provide simple "andleficient ineans'v'vherebylthe reading shelf 1420""01" table canbe^readily removed from the bookcase and supported'therefrom,f= out of.

` it to extendplaterally; from thefbookcasein sight, When not in use.

Further and more specific .Objects7 features and advantages Will more clearly appear from '=f25 a vconsideration of the specifications herein- 'after taken in connection Withthe accom- 1 a Abevelled..acleatY 'or' asimilar` supporting ele panying dravvinglfvvhich" forms` part ofthe vspecification 'and which illustrates yaf present@` -rear face. pThis -fsupporting11element uis .'jpreferred form of the invention.

" or reclinel in Va sitting position on a couch "or"loulngev vith. a bookcase closely 'adjacent "135 Lthem and vviththe books to be studied spread tout of a convenient shelf Vor table' in" front ,f

" ofthem; thus having'the bookcase handy for 'reference to other `books and V having the feral books'fspre'ad outin frontiof himY for `-comparisonor joint reference.y

@w The'book'case proper, isofany'suitablejdenot too heavy,

.ff of thesbookcase mayv bev ofaany1desiredshape, `but -is `preferably vprovided. With spaced vnotched portions with inclined Vsurfaces actfIn'A brief and Vgeneral terms theinvention is designed forthe use ofstudents Aor readvers Whodesire to sit comfortably in a chair l' The vbookcase is preferably greater inheig'ht than. vin length. The-top.-

ing as asupporting :surface: for-ranshelff-.or table to :be l disposed thereon. .l'lhe shelf fis.: in'vvidth equal to thei-lengthfpofg'the inclined surfacesffon; vthe top of .thefbookcaseg butin length is several times thelengthof the ybook- 'case4 and of l'sufficient dimensions to support .Y several`vbooksV thereon;l .when -.the booksaare y.open-in front of the reader. :The bookcaseV fon each side'visprovided-.With cooperating ...fastening elements so' that` 'either zend; of :the shelf may be fastened to thel corresponding elementsgon the bookcase to hold v.the shelf,y lin place and permitting thegmaj orportioir of one. direction or. thev other,v depending upon -sigmq preferablyI not occupying 'much-1110.01" i `-space and being provided :Withfafplurality of-comp artments for books,l periodicals and newspapers.

Whether the reader requiresthe bookcaseY to be disposed tovhismightxorlefty. Preferably theV shelf'vor tablei .element is providedvvith ment extending transversely; throu'ghzon'the adapted: tol :cooper-ate f andnengage l 'vvitlry a similar element on thefbackfvrall "10a ofithe lbookcase' soV 'that Fwhen theV shelf is'- removed :from its operative-position itfcadbehung vin l back` of the@ book-cased They length ofthe shelfand the height of 'the-bookcase "areaso,

related :th-at When the shelf is;v thus supported l in the fback thereofr. it will be out ,of sight.

*Thusthebookcase being of relatively lightweight and .not of.7 greaterl length cantbe .readily picked. vup and carried to. any fdesired position, preferably being. disposed yalong a Wall', out of the Way, vvhen not. inA use; .When it is desired to useit, 1t is moved adjacent yone side or the .other of afchair .orlounge andthe shelf is then fastened in position across the top of the bookcase to extend laterally therefrom in a desired direction over in front of a chair or lounge so that books may be disposed on the table element or shelf, at hand to the reader.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention with the shelf in place;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the shelf as it is disposed when hung on the back of the bookcase.

The present preferred form of the invention comprises a bookcase having side walls 10 and 11, spaced apart by shelf elements 12, 13 and 14, providing compartments A and B,

for books, periodicals, news-papers, and the like. Preferably the upper compartment A is used for books and the lower compartment B for magazines and larger periodicals. The height of the bookcase is considerably greater than the length between walls 10 and 11. It will be noticed that the top portion of the wall members 10 and 11 are provided with a notch 15 and rearwardly inclined surfaces 16. This notch portion together with the rearwardly inclined surface forms a support for a shelf 17. This shelf preferably having bottom and lateral flanges 18 and 19. The shelf 17 is preferably two or three times as long as the bookcase. The ends of the shelf are provided with hook elements 2O which are adapted to engage respectively with corresponding eye portions 21 which are disposed on the outside of the walls 11 and 10 .near the notch portions 15. In this manner the shelf 17 can be disposed on top of the bookcase and fastened to extend laterally therefrom in one direction or the other, as shown in Fig. 1. On this shelf one or more books may be spread out for study and examination at the same time.

This laterally'extending shelf on the top of the bookcase will permit the reader to sit in a chair or in a reclining position on a lounge and study, while having a port-able bookcase disposed adjacent him for ready reference. After the reader is finished the books are restored to their proper shelf, and the hook 2O is released and the shelf 1'? can be removed from the top of the bookcase. The shelf at its rear surface is provided with a bevelled cleat 22 adapted to cooperate with a similar bevelled cleat on the back 10a of the bookcase as shown in Fig. 3. This cooperation will permit the shelf to be supported in backV of the bookcase when not in use, and thus dispose it compactly ready for use, out of sight, especially when the bookcase is moved to a position along a wall, out of the way.

It will thus be seen that the invention afbookcase and reading table readily portable to any position adjacent a lounge or chair with the books available for ready reference, and those in use disposed handily on the shelf in front of the reader. The table element or shelf can be quickly placed in position or removed therefrom and when not in use can be disposed out of sight on the back of the bookcase, and the bookcase moved to a convenient position out of the way.

Vhile the invention has been described in detail and with respect to a present preferred form thereof it is not to be limited to such details and forms since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in Vits broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. A combination reading desk and bookcase which comprises a bookcase unit, a shelf detachably disposed thereon, bevelled cleats on the back of the shelf and the unit to engage and support the shelfvertically in back of and from the unit when not in use.

2. A combination'reading desk and bookcase which comprises a bookcase unit having notched portions at the top thereof forming rearwardly and upwardly inclined surfaces, a shelf disposable in said notched portions and against said surfaces and of a length to extend laterally from the unit over a chair or lounge.

3. A combination reading desk and bookcase which comprises a bookcase unit having notched portions at the top thereof forming rearwardly and upwardly inclined surfaces, a shelf disposable in said notched portions and against said surfaces and of a length to extend laterally from the unit over a chair or lounge, and means on the unit and shelf to cooperatively engage to hold the shelf in position on the top of the unit.

4f. A combination reading desk and bookcase which comprises a bookcase unit having notched portions at the top thereof forming rearwardly and upwardly inclined surfaces,

.a shelf disposable in said notched portions and against said surfaces and of a length to extend laterally from the unit over a chair or lounge, and means on the unit and shelf to cooperatively engage to hold the shelf in position on the topof the unit, and means on each side of the unit and each end of the shelf to respectively engage to hold the shelf in position to extend laterally from the unit in one direction or opposite.

5. A combination reading desk and bookcase which comprises a bookcase unit, the upper portion of which is provided with a notch portion forming rearwardly and upwardly inclined surfaces, a fastening element on each side of the unit adjacent the notched portion, a flanged shelf disposable in said notched portion, and means on each end of the shelf to engage the respective fastening '6; elements on the unit to hold the shelf in position to extend laterally from the unit in either direction. Y

Signed at Jackson Heights, N. Y., in the county of Queens and State of New York l0 this 13th day of February, A. D. 1931.

JOHN STAMM IRWIN.

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