US283576A - Book-holder - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) T. A. GRABTREE.

41300K HOLDER.

No. 2835576* A Patented Aug. 2 1, 1883K Rif/mm1. Hunan?? m lmulll l A N. vsvcns. Pmwmusmpmn wurm-gm.. nc.

THOMAS ALDIN CRBTBEE, OF EAST SURRY, MAINE.

4,eooK-H0LDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,576, dated Augustai, 1883.

Application filed April 5, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. CnilnrnEE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bast Surry, in the county of Hancock and State of Maine, have invented cert-ain new and .useful Improvements in Book-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be av full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompany, ing drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a device for holding down the leaves of an open book, its object being to provide alight, cheap, and handy device of this class, which sh all combine with its function of holding the leaves open and down thefurther oiiice of a point-er or marker, to assist the reader in following the printed lines or to designate the line or point where reading has been suspended or to which. attention is desired to be directed.

Theinvention consists in a novel construction and combination of parts, which will be readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, -in connection. with the following particulardescription, and which will be definitely pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view oi' .my improved book-holder. Fie'. il is a front'view of an open hook having two such holders applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a side view of the device with the jaws held open.

The letters A A designate two rigid clamping-jaws having handles or thumb and finger pieces .B B extending divergently therefrom.` C is V-shaped or semi-elliptic spring arranged between the handles B B, with its inner curve or concavity turned in the direction of the jaws and its opposite ends secured to the handles, respectively, Aintermediat-ely of their length. so that the ends of the springs will serve as fulcra or pivotal points, upon which the handles may turn when their outer ends are pressed toward each other for the purpose oi" separating the jaws, which thc spring is adjusted to hold normallyin contact, or, at least, close to each other.

To thc inner face oi' one of the jaws-the jaw A. in the drawings-is pivoted one end of a finger or pointer, D, which may be swung laterallyr to bring its tip to any intermediate line or point of a page, to assist the reader in keeping the place.7

' The letter E indicates an elastic band embracing the two handles. This band` should preferably have a tension somewhat stronger than that of the spring C, and it may be used in two capacities, one being to assist in pressing the jaws toward each other when applied to a heavy book, in which case the band will be adjusted close up to the jaws or to a point between them and the attached ends of the spring, .while in its other capacity the band serves to hold the jaws apart, andl in this case said band is slipped back beyond the ends oi' the spring and near the ends of the handles, thus overcoming the tension of the spring and holding the jaws open, so that they may be readily applied to a book.

The manner of using my invention will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings. The outer ends of theV handles being pressed together, and the jaws thus opened, one of said jaws is placed behind the back of the book and the jaw carrying the pointer is placed upon the front oi' one of the opened leaves, the pointer ,being adjusted as desired. each division of the open book, asshown.

Having nowdescribed my invent-ion and explained the manner of using the same, Irwish it to be understood that I do vnot confine myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the drawings, as

they may be obviously varied without depara,

ing from the principle of the invention. For instance, the spring C might be arranged with its outer or convex curve toward the jaws, and the pointer 1n of the jaw.' I however prefer to turn the concavity of the springtoward the jaws, as this arrangement enables the jaws to be advanced 'farther up the page.

' Ina book-holder, the two jaws having projecting handles, in combination with the intermediate spring connected tothe respective jaws, as described, so as to press the jaws together, and the pointer pivoted to one of said jaws, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signatnrein presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS ALBIN 'CRABTREE lVitnesses:

Oris S. PLUMER, GEO. iV- Corwin.

One of the holders maybe used on ight be pivoted to the outer face

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