US2160141A - Book rack - Google Patents

Description

W. E. HASKIN May 30, 1939.

BOOK BACK 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 4,.1935

INVENTOR FVaZZerEfiQsZ uz W W i, ATTORNEYS WITNESSES 5141/. Z4

May 30', 1939.

W. E. HASKIN BOOK RACK Filed Oct. 4, 19335 4 Shets-Sheet s INVENTOR Wall e11? .Haskm WITNESSES BY t ATTORNEYS 2 May 30, 1939.

w. E; HASKIN BOOK RACK Filed Oct. 4, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4- INVENTOR Wzlferfiiflaskm BY Maw 15%. ATTORNEYS Ga 1 [LL E w 5/ M w Patented May 30, 1939 Litdil PATENT FFE BOOK RACK Walter E. Haskin, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to Pressed & Welded Steel Products Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 4, 1935, Serial No. 43,628

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a bookrack, and it is to be understood that in employing the title Bookrack it is used in its broadest sense to include a book cabinet, book casing or other suitable mount for a plurality of pivotally supported book holders, adapted to hold or support certain types of books, which are adapted to be moved from closed position to open position and vice versa.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting for a series of books, which normally supports the books in closed position, but enables any or all of the books to be swung from a closed to open position for ready use and manipulation while in the holder and ready removal from the holder when desired.

My invention is adapted for use in connection with entry books such, for example, as loose-leaf books or binders and, more specifically, of the arcuate prong type, the backs of which are provided with a hinge along the longitudinal center line of the back to enable the respective sets of prongs to be moved laterally toward and away from each other to a partly-open or full-open 25 relation, and vice versa, and particularly relates to that type of such binders which are constructed with flush ends as contrasted with the type con structed with flanged ends.

structurally the invention embodies an improved cabinet or casing for the book holders and books, improved means for removably coupling the books to the book holders enabling the books to be manipulated to a partly-open or fullopen relation of the prongs without removal of the books from the holders, all of which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the com- 40 plete assemblage;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the complete assemblage;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a book in openposition mounted in a book holder in locked position with dotted lines indicating the coupling means in unlocked position;

Figure 4 is an end view of a book holder and book showing the book in position for opening, with its prongs in a fully-shut relation;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the book fully opened and coupled to the holder, with its prongs in a half-open relation;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 5 showing the book still locked in the holder, with 5, its prongs in a full-open relation;

Figure 7 is a sectional plan View of the inner body member of the book holder showing the coupling means in locked position;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the coupling means in unlocked position;

Figure 9 is a broken longitudinal sectional view on the line 99 of Figure 3 showing a book coupled to a holder, with dotted lines indicating the coupling means in unlocked position.

My improved bookrack embodies a cabinet or rack A, a series of book holders B pivotally mounted in the upper portion of the cabinet or rack A, and a series of books C removably connected to the book holders but having a novel arrangement of mounting to permit of ready manipulation while in the holders or ready removal therefrom.

In referring to part A as a cabinet or rack, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to any form or shape of this cabinet, as this may be varied to suit the trade, but a specific form is illustrated which is well adapted for the purpose.

Referring to the cabinet or rack A, this may be made of sheet metal or any other suitable material, and comprises ends l-l connected by front and back members 2 and 3 respectively and by the bottom stringer 4 which also acts as a foot rest. In the construction herein illustrated these members I, 2, 3 and 4 are preferably made of tubing.

The top and upper back portions of the cabinet are mainly open to permit of the book holders and books being rotated about a central pivot point through an arc of 180 without obstruction or interference. The top of the cabinet has what constitute end-leaves 5-5 for supporting the side covers of the next adjacent books when in an open position. The cabinet is preferably mounted on rollers or caster 6 to facilitate mobility from place to place.

The backs of the book holders B and the end leaves 5-5 aredisposed at an angle of approximately 30 from the horizontal which is a convenient angle for positioning the books when in open position so that reference or entries may be conveniently made thereto while the operator is in a sitting posture, although it is to be distinctly understood that the angle of disposition of the book holders may be varied as desired. The angular disposition of the books is ei fective in providing sufficient leg room for an operator in a sitting posture to manipulate the books and make entries therein.

All of the book holders B are of generally oblong, hollow, box-like form preferably made of sheet metal. They are pivotally supported on a round rod 1, which extends. longitudinally through the upper portion of the cabinet and transversely through all the book holders, the pivotal connection between the book holders and the rod being slightly nearer one end of the book holders than the other, so that the preponderance of the Weight of the book holders and books is at one end, specifically the upper and rear end, to insure a complete opening and closing movement due to gravity as the parts reach the extremes of their movement. The said pivot rod may be removably secured in the cabinet in any approved manner to permit of the ready assemblage of the parts and the removal and replacement of the parts as occasion may require.

The books, coupled to the said book holders, when in their normally closed position in the cabinet, rest upon a cushion as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. For this purpose is provided a supporting member 8 extending longitudinally of the cabinet between the ends [-1, upon which is mounted a cushion member IE! preferably of sheet sponge rubber, the exposed surface of which contacts the edges of the side covers of the books. When the books are in open position one end of the book holders rests upon the bumpers H properly positioned on the front member 2 of the casing A to limit the rotation of the books, as is illustrated in Figure l of the drawings.

All of the book holders B are identical in size and structure so that the description of one will apply equally to all. Referring to Figures 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, it will be noted that the body of a holder comprises two main constituent parts, an outer member l2 and an inner member l3, assembled in telescopic arrangement, both members being of generally channel shaped formation. The outer member l2 has at its sides and approximately at the center longitudinally but slightly nearer one end than the other, extruded apertures l4 through which the pivot rod 1 passes and which constitute bearings on which the holder is rotated on the rod. At one end of the outer member i2 is provided a finger grip i5, as shown in Figure 9, which facilitates grasping the holder for opening and closing the book. It will be noted that the longitudinal edges of the outer member I2 are folded to an open U shaped formation is adapted to receive and retain an intermeshing formation on the inner member I3.

The inner member I3 is formed with projecting flanges ll adapted to enter and intermesh with the U shaped folded edges I6 above mentioned so that the two parts may be telescoped on assemblage. The member l3 has round apertures at its sides positioned to exactly register with the extruded apertures l4 so that when the pivot rod 1 is passed through both members of the holder on assemblage they will be securely held in coupled relation. This arrangement enables the two main members of the holder to be readily assembled or disconnected for the repair or replacement of parts by dispensing with the use of rivets or other permanent coupling means.

Referring to Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, positioned inside and at one end of the inner body member i3 is an auxiliary structure comprising a platform I8 with an outer end flange l9 and inner end flange 28. Mounted on the end flange 20 is a bracket 2i supporting a fixed fulcrum pin 22. A U shaped swingable operating lever 23 is arranged to fulcrum on the pin 22 and is enabled to swing from side to side by reason of the slots 24 and 24' in the end flange i9 through which it projects. Mounted on the lever 23 is an actuating pin 25 projecting through a diagonally positioned slot 26 in the platform 58 and through a similar diagonally positioned slot 21 in an angle plate 28 mounted to slide on the platform l8. As is illustrated particularly in Figures '7 and 8 of the drawings, the diagonal slot 2? in the angle plate 28 is positioned at the opposite angle to the diagonal slot 26 in the platform l8 so that, when the swinging of the lever 23 from side to side causes the pin 25 to move in the slots, it exerts a cam action to cause the angle plate 28 to move forwardly or outwardly to an unlocked position or inwardly to a locked position as the case may be. It is to be especially noted that one end of each of the diagonal slots 26 and 21 is developed into the reverse extensions 26 and 2'! so that when th angle plate 28 is in locked position, as shown particularly in Figure 7, it will not be dislodged by reason of any end thrust exerted by the book,-

particularly that resulting from the impact of the book on the rubber cushion in the operation of closing.

As illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, a pair of angular slots 29 are juxtaposed in the upward extending leg of the angle plate 28. An exactly similar pair of slots 29 are positioned in the fixed end plate 30 attached to the opposite end of the inner member I3.

A book or lose-leaf binder of the arcuate prong type with flush ends is illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings. In order to provide coupling means for engagement with the book holder B, a pair of rods 3|, illustrated in Figure 3, are positioned in the lower corners of the binder back, as clearly shown in Figure 4. These rods are permanently attached to the binder and are arranged to project outwardly through apertures in the flush ends 32 and extend slightly beyond the same. The rods preferably have rounded ends for ready engagement with the respective slots. For the purpose of separating the prongs 33 of a binder of the type described, a hinge 34 extending longitudinally of the binder at the center of the back is provided and the hinge action is governed by integral locking means controlled by the latch 35. The side covers 36 are attached to the binder back by the hinges 31.

In the operation of the book holder the swing- 1 able operating lever 23 is swung to the position shown in Figure 8 of the drawings, thereby projecting the angle plate 28 outwardly a sufiicient distance to allow clearance at one end for the protruding rods 3! of a book or binder, as clearly indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 9 of the drawings. A book is now entered in the holder, the protruding ends of the rods 31 being first entered in the slots 29 in the fixed plate 383 at the rear end of the holder, as illustrated in Figure 9. The swingable operating lever 23 is thereupon swung to the opposite hand, or to the position shown in Figure '7 of the drawings, causing the angle plate 28 to be projected inwardly or from the position shown by the dotted lines to that shown by the solid lines in Figure 9. The slots 29 of the angle plate engage the outwardly protruding ends of the rods 3| and the book thereby becomes securely coupled to the holder and enabled to be rotated to a closed position inside the cabinet.

If it is desired to open the book for reference or posting, the side covers 36 are laid over the backs of the adjacent book holders 38 and 38' and the book is thereby supported in position for use. As is characteristic of the type of armate prong binders herein illustrated, there is a certain degree of what is termed roll to the leaves which is detrimental to'ready posting of entries when the book is held, by its integral locking means, in the fully-shut relation of the prongs, as shown in Figure 4. To overcome this disadvantage and facilitate the posting of entries, binders of this type are provided with means to separate the prongs laterally a given distance. The arcuate prongs,3 3 are formed to a radius of which the longitudinal hinge 34 is the center. By releasing the locking means con-. trolled by the latch 35, the operator is enabled to adjust the binder in the holder to an intermediate or half-open relation of the prongs, as is particularly illustrated in Figure of the drawings, which is the preferred posting position and serves to eliminate the roll above mentioned. It is to be noted that in this operation the longitudinal hinge 34 has been elevated from a position substantially in the same horizontal plane with the coupling rods 3|, as shown in Figure 4, to a position above the said rods and that the respective rods 3| have been brought towards each other but in the same horizontal plane, the angular slots 29 and 29' having been adapted to permit of such horizontal movement of the rods 3|.

If it is desired to remove an account from the binder or insert one therein, by releasing the integral locking means controlled by the latch 35, the operator is enabled to further adjust the binder in the holder to a full-open relation of the prongs, as particularly illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings. It is to be noted that the side covers 36 of the binder are resting upon and are supported by the backs of the adjacent book holders 38 and 38. By grasping the prongs 33 and exerting an upward pull thereon, the operator is enabled to create a gap between the ends of the respective sets of prongs so that the account may be removed or inserted. In this operation the hinges 3'! act as pivots about which the two sections of the back of the binder are rotated. It will be clearly seen that the longitudinal hinge 34 has been elevated still further in a vertical plane and that the coupling rods 3! have likewise been elevated and drawn obliquely still further towards each other than as shown in the half-open relation of the prongs, the angular slots 29 and 23' having been adapted to permit of such obliquely upward and converging movement of the rods 3|.

If it is desired to restore the book to its normally closed position in the cabinet, the operator grasps and raises the side covers 36. This movement of the side covers restores the binder to a fully-shut relation of the prongs so that the holder can thereupon be rotated on its pivot and the book returned to the cabinet.

While I have illustrated what I believe to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that various changes may be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, hence I do not limit myself to the specific details set forth but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A book rack, including a support, a pivot rod mounted on the support, a book holder pivotally mounted between its ends on the rod, said book holder comprising outer and inner body members assembled in telescopic arrangement forming a hollow box-like structure held in coupled relation by the said rod passing transversely through both of said members.

2. In combination, a book holder comprising outer and inner body members assembled in tel scopic arrangement forming a hollow box-like structure, a rod passing transversely through both of said members intermediate the ends thereof and holding them in coupled relationship, a book, integral projecting coupling devices on each of the opposite ends of the book, and slotted coupling means at the ends of the book holder 'operatively engaging the said devices whereby the book is securely coupled to th holder.

3. A device of the character described, including a book holder having a flange fixed at one end and a flange carrying element movably mounted at the other end thereof, each of said flanges having coupling slots therein, a book having integral coupling projections at the ends thereof adapted to enter the said slots for coupling engagement, a swingable operating lever fulcrumed at one end of the book holder, a fixed plate in the book holder having a diagonal slot therein, said movable flange carrying element also having a diagonal slot therein but at an opposite angle to the last mentioned slot, an actuating pin fixed to the said lever and projecting through both the said diagonal slots whereby the swinging movement of the lever exerts cam action on the flange carrying element to cause the same to move inwardly and outwardly for coupling engagement with a book in the holder, the said diagonal slots being at one end extended in the reverse obliquity whereby when the actuating pin reaches the extreme of its movement in the slots the flange carrying element Will be locked against accidental movement.

4. In combination, a binder holder, an arcuate prong hinged back loose leaf binder having flush ends normally coupled to the holder in a closed position and having a pair of rods integral with and positioned at the outer corners of the back of the binder extending therethrough longitudinally and projecting beyond the ends thereof, a fixed rigid vertical flange at one end of the holder, a movable element bearing a rigid vertical flange at the opposite end of the holder said flanges each having a pair of similar oppositely disposed angular slots therein for engaging the ends of the rods whereby the binder is securely coupled to the holder in any position thereof, the said angular slots permitting the manipulation of the binder in the holder to the full open relation of the prongs, and means for shifting said movable element between coupled position with the slots engaging the ends of the rods and uncoupled position with the slots free from engagement with the rods.

5. In combination with a hollow binder holder an arcuate prong flush end type loose leaf binder having a pair of integral coupling projections positioned at the outer corners of each of the opposite ends of the back thereof, a fixed rigid vertical flange at one end of the binder holder and a movable element carrying a rigid vertical flange at the opposite end thereof, said flanges each having a pair of similar slots therein to receive the said projections and securely couple the binder to the holder in any position of the binder, said binder having a hinged back whereby the binder may be manipulated in the holder to sepa rate the prongs laterally by movement of the hinged back causing the projections to move in the slots, and means for shifting the said movable element between coupled position with the slots in the flange engaging the projections and uncoupled position with the slots in the flange free from engagement with the projections.

6. A device of the character described including a hollow binder holder, a visible loose leaf binder of the flush end arcuate prong type with longitudinal center hinge in the back having a pair of coupling rods positioned at the outer corners of and extending through the back of the binder and integral therewith and projecting beyond the ends thereof, a rigid vertical flange fixed at one end of the binder holder, a movable element carrying a rigid vertical flange at the oppowhen moved in either pivotal direction, and means, 10

mounted on said binder holder for shifting the movable element between coupled position with the slots of the flange engaging the projecting rods and uncoupled position with the slots of the flange free from engagement with the pro- 15 jecting rods.

WALTER E. HASKIN.

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