US2374409A - Bookstand - Google Patents

Description

April 1945- P. J. BRENNAN 2,374,409

sooxsmtm Filed April 21, 1944 m "mw I'IUIIL I INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 24, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT gOFFlCEh BOOKSTAND Patrick J. Brennan, Bay City, Mich.; Ellen Gallagher administratrix of the estate of said Brennan, deceased Application April 21, 1944, Serial No. 532,167 Claims. (01. 45 s0) This invention relates to bookstands, and more particularly to a bookstand for holding books and other readin material in open position and at the proper degree of inclination to facilitate reading the same.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a bookstand which is especially adaptable for use by students in schools and educational institutions in general, and by means of which the book, or other sheets of reading matter, may be so supported and held, that the reader may sit upright, with shoulders back in easy, restful position, promoting correct posture, minimizing body fatigue and eye strain which occurs when the book or material is laid fiat on a desk or table.

Another object is to provide a balanced bookstand which lends itself to quantity production, which is of substantial construction, which requires a minimum of materials to construct, and which is very easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

A further object is to provide a bookstand which is of approximately the same marginal dimensions as the textbooks in daily use by students, and books used by the general public, and provide horizontally extensible means associated with the bookstand, said means being easily and quickly extensible for supporting sheet music or other papers of greater marginal dimensions than the textbooks, and further serving as a clasp for securing the base and backrest together when the structure is in collapsed position.

Still a further object is to design a bookstand including means for holding the leaves of the book in open position, and which can be readily swung back to permit the leaves to be turned when desired.

A further object still is to design a bookstand in which the legs are formed from the backrest, and in which the leg reinforcing and connecting strip is cut from the base, making for very substantial and economical construction.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the form, size, proportion and minor details of construction, without depart;- ing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing: 7

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my bookstand in set-up position for use;

Fig. 2 is an edge view showing a book in position thereon;

Fig. 3 is also an edge view illustrating the bookstand collapsed;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front elevational view showing the extensible members;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the backrest and leg structure;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, part sectional, front view illustrating the page holding means; and,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional plan view of the backrest and extensible means.

The structure is designed primarily for use in the school rooms and institutions of learning, but it will be understood that it is equally useful and desirable for use in the home and in public institutions in general.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing in which I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 8 indicates the base of the bookstand, and this can be formed of any desired material, but I find it both economical and satisfactory to form it of cardboard, the center section being cut away as shown at 9, so that the cut out section may be used in the construction of the remainder of the structure, and as will be hereinafter described.

Corrugated strips or sections Ill are provided hingedly connected at its upper end to the main body of the backrest by an adhesively secured strip I4, the lower ends of the legs being connected and tied together by an elongated strip l5, thus forming a substantial balanced leg strucdegree of inclination of the backrest can be determined and maintained by the engagement of the free ends of the legs l3 with the teeth I! formed by the corrugations I 0.

A supporting shelf I8 is hingedly secured to the lower edge of the backrest by means of an adhesively secured fabric strip l9, this strip being on the upper face of the shelf as shown, so that the shelf can be swung upwardly when the structure is folded, and as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and further so that the flat edge of the shelf butts solidly against the backrest when the shelf is swung ,down A foldable leg ,20; is provided on the lower face of the shelf l8 and serves toreinforce the shelf when in its open position.

A lip 2| is hingedly connected to the outer free.

edges of the shelf 18 by an adhesive stripIZ, the strip being on the upper face so that the lip can be swung upwardly andlin, a; weight 23; being inserted i a, pocket-'fl pro'vided on the inlbroken lines Fig, 2rjof the, drawing, so, that the pages can be freely turhedg and ,the,jlip" is then swung back to original positionrthis is very efiective and convenient and prevents accidental turning of the pages. l v

Extensible members ZS'fareYprovided on 'the back face of the backre'st'lZ and adjaeentthe upper, edge thereof, and a e; designed. to support sheet music or pamphlets (not s own! offlarser ma ina ime icn fih a h ba k est; a pogket .lfirbein g provided on e back est and in which the, members 25 are slidabl Qm' unted, g the i, outer end of each member 25 beingtuhrigid asiat,. 2fl,rto form, a, clasp; and when thefbooks'tandft isgbo1- lapsed, these turned, ends f2] ovei;. the} edges of the base l0, thus locking the backrest a'ndfthe base together in folded position, and forming a ht com t-bund e lav hi h. i at e ame aranal. di n a he teixl a cl extboo s? a 1 1a- ,l -y beeesvi y' and Warsaw and adjusted; 7 e

he, fact tha t thellip. 2] is, weighted ,a'ndf is normally disposed inwardly nsures tne, page's be ng etain dx P 19116 psitibntanqbrewe i s-the l i ll bwb iQ ha fih a i l of nc in t on h re d ng mat s-c nhea justed .to a suit the readerfs equ r m m mm h el r en g s i g rt etrea rbend nspe m mmp ditieln i b; the ye ew? F t a a v arp an e rom: the o e o ng pt 0n 1: e i! appa nt ihatw h i tedt. simple, substantial, and relatively inexpensive bookstand; for supporting books, pam -phlets' -end 'reedingtma te w ll i ,whatl claim-iszy r 1.

1., A,fol dagbl .bopkste diconm "mes-ga f ntledee of 2,374,409 T a i the base member and foldabl snugly against the base when the structure is in folded position, legs cut from the side edges of the backrest and hingedly secured thereto in original position, said legs being foldable with the backrest a forwardly projecting shelf hingedly connected to the bachest and foldable against the backrest, and a hingedly connected foldable lip on said book shelf and forming a flat extension of the shelf when the bookstand is folded.

2. A foldable bookstand comprising a flat base, a backrest hingedly connected to the front edge of the base, legs cut from the sides of ,said backrestand hingedly connected in original position, at their upper ends to said backrest, a plurality of 'spaced apart teeth formed on said base for engagement by said legs, a horizontally disposed reinforcing strip connecting said legs at a, point intermediate their length, a shelf on the backrestand havinga lip hingedly connected to the free end-thereof, and adjustable means on the upper edge of said backrest and engageable with said base to secure the parts in collapsed position when the bookstand is folded.

, 3. A foldable bookstand, comprising, atbase, teeth (provided on and adjacent the 'sid'ed'ge's of the base,' a backrest jhingedly securedflt'Q' the forward edge of thebase, legs out from the, op posite sides of the backrestand' hineedly'con nected, at the upper ends, to said backi'estgtwlth their lowerends detachably engaging said j teeth, a book shelf hingedly connected to thefiac'of the backrest,' and aj weighted lip hingedly connected ,to the outer ed'e'elthereof'. I l' 4. A foldable bookrestjf of the character .described, comprising ,.a; base, teeth provided, there} on, a backresthingedlylsecuredjto vtheforiijani edge of the base, legfs'cutfirdxh the sidesfldges vof the backrest Yan'd hingedlyconn'ected thereto with the lo'we'rends eng'ageable with said teeth,

, a-book,sl1elf hingedly secured to the facejof gthe jof vcorrugations formii teeth, ,adiacenththelside edges thereof, a baekrest hingedly connected -to the forward edge ,of; the base; legs ,cut. from the side edges of the backrest and hingedlyisecured, at their upper ends to ,saidhackrest; a stripico'n meeting the lower ,ends of .the legs ,tot ,form ;a unitary structure] a .booki shelf hingedl'y co nheated to the Iaceof the backrest, a lip hingedly connected to :thefree .edge vof the shelf and. norm lly-. v rhangir g aid Shelf, and; ya hingedly Conn-Quad leg deh i a d nerma l bee -i s against. the.'backrest when the shelf 5 is in position tosupporta book) PATRICK J. BRENNAN;

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