US2774177A - Collapsible adjustable combined bookrest - Google Patents

Description

1956 J. B. MURGIA 2,774,177

COLLAPSIBLE ADJUSTABLE COMBINED BOOKREST Filed Dec. 30, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l 40 35 34 INVENTOR.

30 JOHN fiAzmr-A MUR 67A Dec. 18, 1956 J. B. MURGIA 2,774,177

COLLAPSIBLE ADJUSTABLE COMBINED BOOKREST Filed Dec. 50, 19s; 2 Shets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. JOHN 5112715274 MURGIA A TTORNE Y.

United States Patent COLLAPSIBLE ADJUSTABLE COMBINED BOOKREST John Battista Murgia, Englewood, N. J. Application December 30, 1953, Serial No. 401,278

2 Claims. (Cl. 4560) This invention relates to supports, book rests, tray supports and the like and more particularly to collapsible supports, erectable and suitably adjustable for various supporting purposes though it is noted that in some of the claims the invention is not limited to book rests or tray supports nor even to collapsible supports.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved support of this kind which is collapsible to occupy little space and is erectable to provide a firm level support for a tray, as for instance a breakfast tray in bed, and is also adjustable to various angles suitable for a book support or to a near vertical position suitable for an artists easel.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved book holding ledge for supports of this kind which llS adjustable for various sizes of books and carries improved leaf holding fingers and is also reversible to adapt it to hold a picture on the support when used as an easel.

Another object is to provide improved clamping means to clamp the support in adjusted position.

Additional objects of the invention are to effect simplicity and efficiency in such adjustable collapsible supports and to provide an extremely simple support of this kind which is easy to collapse and adjust and clamp in adjusted position, is strong, durable, and reliable in use and economical to manufacture, store and ship.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described \in the specification and some of the claims, the invention as described in the broader claims is not limited to these, and many and various changes may be made Wlill'OLiiZ departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with an improved collapsible adjustable book rest, tray support and easel which briefly stated, includes a thin flat substantially rectangular somewhat elongated book and tray rest and easel member disposed over supporting structure such as base bars disposed under the end margins of the member by means of normally substantially parallel front and rear struts pivoted to the front and intermediate portions of said structure under said margins, the front struts being pivoted to the adjacent front corners of the member and links pivoted at one end to said member to the rear of the front strut and at the other to the rear strut. Means are provided for adjustably clamping the links and rear struts together in position to hold the memher in different angular positions and horizontally. Legs are pivoted to the lower face of the member and normally disposable close under the member and adapted to rest vertically on said structure, when the member is hori zcntal to hold a tray thereon.

A ledge is adjustably disposed on said member on which the lower edge of an open book on the member may rest when the member is upwardly rearwardly inclined.

A rod pivotally mounted on said ledge carries a pair of fingers adapted to rest on leaves of a book on the member to be held thereby.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, two of many possible embodiments of the invention,

2,774,177 Patented Dec. 18, 1956 "ice Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the collapsible support used as a book rest;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the support collapsed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the collapsed support;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the support erected showeasel comprises a substantially rectangular somewhat elongated thin bookand tray rest plate member 10 having an inwardly curved waist receiving front edge' 12. Front corner plates 14 (Fig. 2) welded or soldered or otherwise secured to the lower face of the front corners of the rest member 10 are provided with downturned front-corner perforated ears 16 parallel to and slightly inset from the end edges of the rest and with intermediate ears 18 disposed a short distance to the rear of the front ears, parallel to the end edges of the rest and nearer the edges than are said front ears.

A pair of spaced parallel base bars 20 are disposed substantially under the end margins of the rest member 10, each bar having a slightly rearwardly downwardly inclined main portion 22 slightly longer than the rest member is wide and having downturning ends serving as feet 24 for the bars. A front strut 26 about half as long as the main portion is pivoted by means of a rivet 28 at one end to the inner face of the front end of each main 7 portion and at the other end fnictionally pivotally riveted to the adjacent corner ear 16 and is adapted to pivotally move to a position along the side of the main portion as in Figs. 3 and 4, or to an upright position (Fig. 4) or to intermediate position as in Fig. 1.

A rear or intermediate strut 39 is pivoted at one end by means of a rivet 32 to the outer side face of each main portion 22 slightly to the rear of the mid part thereof and is disposable substantially upright (Fig. 4) or substantially against the rear part of the main portion (Fig. 3) or at intermediate positions (Fig. 1) parallel or approximately parallel to the adjacent front strut 26. A clamping pivot bolt 34 is passed through the other or free ends of the rear struts and has a head 36 at one end, and threads with thumb or wing nut 38 thereon at the other end. -A link 40 is pivoted at each end on said bolt 34 against the outer face of' each rear strut and at the other end frictionally pivotally riveted to the inner face of the adjacent intermediate ear 1%, whereby said rest member llS movable to approximately vertical and horizontal and inclined raised positions relative to said base bars 20, as shown in dotted and solid lines in Fig. 4 and in solid lines in Fig. l, or to collapsed position adjacent to the base bars as in Fig. 3.

A stiff metal tube 41 on said bolt 34 is engageable with said rear struts, whereby said thumb nut may be turned on the bolt to clamp the rear struts to the links to cooperate withthe unavoidable inherent friction of the rivets 28, 32 and the rivets in the cars 16 and 18 tohold the links, struts and rest member in any of said around and anchored on said handle 68 serves [to. ca use v for compactnessQforstorage or'shipping, when the sup- 'p'ort is, collapsed. I

dicular' to the rest member, and a base 52 disposed flat V 7 justably' hold the; ledge in position to hold-, for instance,

a book 66. The rivet heads 48 -may be moved to. and 10 passed. throughthe larger notches to remove the ledge from or onto, therest member. 7 V i A pair of alined bearings ,titiymounted on; the outer. 1 edg f f; he dg 50. frontward; 0.1:- below the extended plane; of the. active; face; of the ledge receive a; rod 62 Partially rotatable; insaidbearingsandcarrying a pair- Of; approximately radial: fingers. 64i mounted .onisaid rodnear the ends thereof and adapted simultaneously to. rest' on the leayesof a book 66 to be held open thereby. A

handlefifaston therod' extendsfrontwardof the rod; and acoiled spring 70 coiled aroundsaid rod with. one end, pressing on the lower. face of the. ledge and: the other end anchored on said handle, serves. to cause the fingers topress on the rest member, or. against leaves of an open book thereon, to. hold. the book open a nd the leaves in proper position for. reading.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of leaf holder for holding. sheets on the rest member and for holding a book open on the rest member. Said modified form of leaf holdercomprises a single pieceof wire bent to form two straight alined rod portions 62' disposed substantially endto-endiand partially rotatablein a pair of alined-bearings 60 mounted on the outer edge of the ledge. 50 front- 7 ward or below the extended plane of the active face of the ledge, the outer ends of saidportions being bent frontwardly a short distance as at 63 and thenupwardiy I and rearwa'rdly to form approximately radial fingers 64 adapted simultaneously tov rest on the leaves of a book to be held open thereby. The wire at the inner ends of said rod portions is bentfrontwardly andforrnedintoi 40 a handle 68. *A coiled spring 70' coiled around one. of

said rod portions 62 and having one end pressin v on the lower face of the ledge andthe other endwrapped the fingers 64' to press on the book rest member or I. against sheets of paper on the rest member or leaves of V an open book on the rest.

My-collapsible support is alsov very suitablie for use as an artists easel 'to hold a canvas or pioture'for' paint 5O disposed'at the angle shown by the dotted line ofeFig,

bar-.48 may-be reversed as shown by the dotted lines of them. from interfering with the painting or marri g the As shown by the dotted line .QfFig, 3, theangle. bar 7 48 maybe removed from the upper face'of the rest me'mn My improved collapsible 7' support is also usefuljfori holding a tray 72 in position, for instance, for a person. 1

lower .face of the frean cornersjfof the 'restfmemberf K 1 parallel to the rear edge. ofthe latter havfe'ilegs 161 vfrictionally pivotally riveted theretofand-"normal'ly.dis i a r posable' against the lower face of the' r'earimargin of 'theZrest-member 1 am provided: with'notches. 78111 the eating a meal inbed.. Ears 74 mg. Zlmounted on the 7 free ends" adapted to receive the rear part of zsald ma nf portionsZZ of the base bar-when the book'res tis ho'ri i zontal and said legSThfe} substantially; verticalas in the solid' line. of Fig. 4, thereby to 'hol'd -Itherest; member- 10 in horizontal: position to serve asl atrayiholder, 1: s

The'rest member 10 may be made of metal, wood,

fiberboard, plastic .or other suitable material, and the other parts of the support may be made of suitable metal or material. s

I clainias my invention:v

1. A collapsible support comprising a}, thinsubstan: tially rectangulansomewhat elongated member; a pair of spaced parallel base bars disposedunder the end marginsof the member; a front strut frictionally pivotally riveted at one end-tothe frontend portion; offj each bar and at the other. end. tothe adjacent front corner of the member; a rear strut frictionally pivotally riveted atone end to. each. bar. slightly to :the. rearv of thelmid par-t thereof; a clamping pivot boltpassed througlnthe; other end of eachv rear, strut and having aheadt at. one;

end and threads with thumb-nut thereonatthe-other. end-y aflink pivoted at one end. on said bolt and atthe other:

end to said member a short-distance to the rear ofithel' pivot point on: the member of the front strut; wherebysaid book rest is movable to. approximately vertical and:

edge of the member and provided *with notche sinthe free end adapted toreceive thebar when the member is horizontal and said legs are substantially vertical."

2; A collapsible support comprising a thin flatsubstantially rectangular somewhat elongated bookjfrest member having at each front corner a downturned front corner ear, and a downturned intermediate-ear just to the rear of the frontcorner ear;a pair of spaced par allel-jbase bars disposed substantially'under the end margins of the rest member; said bar having a slightly rear wardly' downwardly inclined mainportion slightly longer than the book rest is'widehaving'downturning HdSfSGITVE ing as feet for the bars and support; afront strut about;

half as long as the'main portion frictionally pivotally riveted'at one endgto the innerfac'e of. the front end .of each main portion and at the other. end-to each front corner ear of-said member and adapted to pivotally move to a position alongthe side of'the main portion onto an upright position or to'intermediate.gpositions; a rear struct frictionally' pivotally riveted at one end to the outer 0,. side face of said main portion'slightly to thelrear ofjthemid part thereof and disposable upright or against the offeach rear strut andhavinga 'h'ead lat one end and threads with. thumb nut thereon at the other end; a link f pivoted' a't'one end on said bolt' a'gainst'thefinner:face.

- of the rear strut and at therother'fe nd frictionally piyi H ota lly riveted to the intermediate. eafron fthe' lower face 'of the rest member to the. rearof. the front corner part;

whereby said booli, rest is movableto'approxirnately ver-. tical and horizontal and; intermediate 'positionsj'frela tive to said base bars; and'astifi metal tubeon saidi bolt enga'geable' withsaid rear struts, whereby said thumbgnut may be turned to 'clamp'the rear struts tol'thelinks in any position of the book rest. a

: lleferences-Citedinthe file-:of this-patent

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