US2729018A

US2729018A - Easel construction

Info

Publication number: US2729018A
Application number: US283431A
Authority: US
Inventors: Morgan Franklin Townsend
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-04-21
Filing date: 1952-04-21
Publication date: 1956-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 1973-01-03

Description

Jan. 3, 1956 Filed April 21, 1952 F. T. MORGAN EASEL CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 flTownsend iloryan/ INVENTOR.

BY MUM? HTTORNE) Jan. 3, 1956 F. T. MORGAN 2,729,018

EASEL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 21, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E Townsend Morgan I N VEN TOR.

" BY w w- ATTORNEY United States PatentO EASEL CONSTRUCTION Franklin Townsend Morgan, Annapolis, Md. Application April 21, 1952, Serial No. 283,431 1 Claim. (Cl. 45-429) This invention relates to easels, and more particularly to easels of foldable construction on which a drawing board may be adjusted to various angular positions suitable to conditions of lighting and terrain.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an improved combination of a drawing board with facilities for carrying essential artists supplies, such as a palette, drawing paper or canvas and detached easel legs, which board may be attached to various types of folding easels and transported therewith from place to place at the convenience of an artist, without detaching the drawing board from the easel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combined drawing board and portfolio for the purpose mentioned of simple and inexpensive construction, and easily attachable to an easel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combination easel, having removable legs, drawing board and portfolio in which the portfolio is adapted to carry all essential artists supplies, including the easel legs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved foldable easel of simple, efficient and inexpensive construction with which a drawing board attached thereto may be adjusted to various angles in frontal and sidewise directions.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of one embodiment of my invention, showing the easel assembled and with the drawing board angularly adjusted to a working position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 2, but showing the combination unit in transporting conditions, with the legs removed from the easel;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the combined unit as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals designate like parts in the several views, the combined drawing board and portfolio comprises a rectangular frame 10 which is closed at one end 12 and open at its other end 14, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6. A drawing board 16 is secured to one face of the frame by screws 18, or other suitable means, and a cover 20 is secured to the opposite face of the frame also by screws 18 or other suitable means. The drawing board 16 may be made of plywood or other suitable material, whereas the cover is preferably made of waterproof, flexible material, such, for example, as that used for convertible automobile tops, although various other materials such as plywood can be used if desired. This construction forms a narrow space 22 between the back of the drawing board 16 and the cover 20, and within the inner walls of the frame 10.

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The space 22 is closed at one end as shown at 12 and open at its opposite end 14. A flap 24, which also may be made of flexible material, is secured at one end by tacks 26 or other suitable fastening means to the back of the drawing board 16. This flap lies between the side members of the frame 10 and is of sufficient length to enclose the open end 14 of the space 22 and to provide an overlapping portion having snap fasteners 28 for detachably securing the flap to the cover or wall 20. The structure described forms a portfolio suitable for carrying a palette, drawing papers, canvas and paintings, and affords protection to such supplies. Attached to the back of cover 20 are two pockets 30 which also may be made of flexible material and sewed at 32 to the cover 20. These pockets are designed to carry paint brushes, detached easel legs and other loose articles.

The portfolio is provided with a holder 34 which preferably has a lower clamp or rest 36 and a cooperating upper clamp 40 which is slidable along the slot 38 in the holder to secure the portfolio and its drawing board surface in place. A bolt 42 extends through the slot 38 and has a head 46 and a wing nut 48 which serve to secure the clamp in any adjusted position for gripping the portfolio.

The rear of the holder 34 is provided with a pair of spaced brackets 50 by which the portfolio and holder may be pivotally mounted in various adjusted positions to insure proper lighting and convenient location of the drawing board surface. The mounting means illustrated include a base member 54 formed with recesses 56 into which legs may be inserted by a screw connection or with a force fit to provide a suitable support for the easel. The upper portion of the base member 54 is formed with a shoulder to present an upper flat surface and a lower flat surface 73 designed to cooperate with the oppositely bevelled surfaces 72 of a connecting member 60. A bolt 66 extends through the upwardly projecting portion of the shouldered base 54 and the downwardly projecting portion of connecting member 60 to permit tilting of the drawing board sideways about the bolt from one limiting position to another as determined by the angular inclination of the surfaces 78. A wing nut 68 on the bolt 66 serves to hold the connecting member 60, holder 34 and drawing board in any laterally tilted position to which they may be adjusted.

In a similar manner the upper portion of the connecting member 60 is formed with inclined surfaces 76 for engagement with the lower surface of the holder 34 to limit tilting movement of the drawing board about a bolt 62 which passes through the connecting member and the spaced brackets 50 on the holder. A wing nut 64 serves to secure the drawing board in any tilted position to which it may be moved. The

bolts

62 and 66 are positioned at right angles to each other and therefore afford universal movement of the drawing board within the limits permitted by the

angular surfaces

76 and 78 on the connecting member which respectively engage the lower surface of holder 34 and the

surfaces

70 and 72 of the base member 54 as stop means.

The portfolio assembly and easel support thus provided are readily demountable for ease in transportation and reassembly. A handle 52 is carried by the portfolio and as shown is preferably located on or near the rearwardly projecting brackets 50 on the holder 34. The legs 58 are detachable from the base member 54 and these as well as brushes, paints and other equipment may be conveniently stored in pockets 30 for carrying the disassembled easel.

When the site is reached for painting or sketching the legs are attached to the base 54 and the drawing board is tilted to the desired position for proper lighting and convenience. The

thumb nuts

64 and 68 are tightened in place to secure the portfolio in place with the drawing board at the proper angle. The drawing board itself is secured in place on the holder 34 by means of the

clamps

36 and 40. If a sketch or drawing is only partly finished it may be removed and placed in the portfolio space 22 and another sheet or canvas can be applied to the drawing board. In the alternative, a different drawing board of conventional or portfolio type can be substituted on the holder by release and readjustment of the clamp on the holder 34. Thus, the assembly is capable of the greatest flexibility in use and a small drawing board can be slipped within a larger portfolio carrier and substituted on the holder to complete an unfinished work or to produce a new drawing or painting.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the combination drawing board, portfolio and easel set up for work, and it will be readily seen that the drawing surface can be angularly adjusted in a frontal or a sidewise direction, and also that the board is shown at its limit of adjustment forwardly. However, it can be adjusted rearwardly to a reverse angle corresponding to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the board may also be clamped in a level position, if desired. Removable legs of different lengths may be furnished as desired by users.

Various changes may be made in the detailed con struction of my combination drawing, portfolio and easel within the spirit and scope of my invention and it should be understood that the embodiment of my invention shown and described is intended to be illustrative only and not limited to such details of construction.

I claim:

An easel comprising a drawing board support formed with an elongated slot adjacent the upper end thereof and having an outwardly projecting portion adjacent the lower end of said support, a clamp member secured to said support adjacent said slot and adjustable along the length of said slot to retain a drawing board between said outwardly projecting portion and said clamp, 21 pair of spaced parallel flanges projecting rearwardly from said support, a connecting member pivotally secured to said flanges to permit forward and rearward tilting of said drawing board support, said connecting member being formed with a pair of upwardly converging surfaces meeting in a line extending transversely of said support and engageable with said support whereby said surfaces provide abutments to limit the forward and rearward tilting movement of said support, means for securing said support to said connecting member in a desired position, a base member pivotally secured to said connecting member to permit sideward tilting of said drawing board support, said connecting member having a pair of downwardly converging surfaces meeting in a line extending axially of said support and engageable with said base member whereby said surfaces provide abutments to limit the sideward travel of said support, means for securing said connecting member to said base member in a desired position, said base member being provided with a plurality of downwardly opening inclined recesses, and a plurality of removable legs engageable with said recesses to maintain the easel in an upright position,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 278,116 Fisher May 22, 1883 352,358 Scherer Nov. 9, 1886 979,070 Hoifman Dec. 20, 1910 1,496,465 Jackson June 3, 1924 1,751,368 Swift Mar. 18, 1930 1,753,760 White Apr. 8, 1930 2,064,232 Tepper Dec. 15, 1936 2,414,183 Wolf Ian. 14, 1947 2,550,550 Goodstein -2 Apr. 24, 1951 2,583,532 Havens Ian. 29, 1952 2,586,097 Scheu Feb. 19, 1952