US3604727A

US3604727A - Copyholder and assembler

Info

Publication number: US3604727A
Application number: US647969A
Authority: US
Inventors: Douglas G Wilkin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-08-04
Filing date: 1969-08-04
Publication date: 1971-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-14

Abstract

A device for holding open a book to expose selected pages. The device comprises a rigid flat body, preferably of plastic, having three coplanar prongs extending in the same direction from a common base. The first and second prongs extend from ends of the base, while the intermediate, longer third prong is situated relatively closer to the second prong to form therebetween a narrow slot. To hold open a book, the third prong is inserted beneath several leaves on one side of the spine, the second prong is placed atop the same leaves, and the first prong is positioned over the leaves on the other side of the spine. The resultant arching of the leaves retains the device in place and holds open the book.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Douglas G. Wilkin 3061 Evelyn St., La Crescenta, Calif. 91014 [2]] Appl. No. 861,532 [22] Filed Aug. 4, 1969 [23 Division of Ser. No. 647,969, June 22, 1967,

Pat. No. 3,484,072 [45] Patented Sept. 14, 1971 [54] COPYHOLDER AND ASSEMBLER 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 281/42, 1 16/1 19 [51] Int. Cl B42d 9/00 [50] Field of Search 281/42; 116/1 19; 24/66 B, 137, 71.3, 259 PL [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 467,317 l/1892 Thompson... 281/42 UX 1,273,038 7/1918 Crowell 281/42 1,502,274 7/1924 Scott 24/137 1,618,384 2/1927 Morris 24/137 3,242,542 3/1966 Tako 24/71.3 3,402,437 9/1968 Meletti 24/137 FOREIGN PATENTS 400,348 10/1933 Great Britain 281/42 Primary Examiner-Jerome Schnall Attorney-Flam and Flam ABSTRACT: A device for holding open a book to expose selected pages. The device comprises a rigid flat body, preferably of plastic, having three coplanar prongs extending in the same direction from a common base. The first and second prongs extend from ends of the base, while the intermediate, longer third prong is situated relatively closer to the second prong to form therebetween a narrow slot, To hold open a book, the third prong is inserted beneath several leaves on one side of the spine, the second prong is placed atop the same leaves, and the first prong is positioned over the leaves on the other side of the spine. The resultant arching of the leaves retains the device in place and holds open the book.

COPYI-IOLDER AND ASSEMBLER CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED CASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to stenographic aids, and particularly to a device for holding a book in open position to facilitate copying therefrom.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification, and which drawings are true scale. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a copyholder supporting a book held open by a holder in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the book holder shown in FIG. 1, the book being illustrated in phantom lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The copyholder shown in the drawings comprises a generally rectangular support or plate A made of lightweight molded plastic material. At the lower end of the support is a ledge or shelf 10 forming a rest for a stenographers notebook, a book or sheet material. A center leg extends rearward of plate A to provide support for the copyholder, as described in US. Pat. No. 3,484,072.

When the lower edge is used to support a book (FIG. 2) a clip E may be provided for holding it open. The clip E is made of relatively rigid flat plastic material having three

prongs

40, 42 and 44 extending in the same direction from a common base with two of the

prongs

40 and 42 located quite close to each other. The spacing between the prongs may be of the order of one-quarter inch. The

adjacent prongs

40 and 42 are inserted on one side of the book shown in FIG. 2, with the end leg of 40 uppermost and the intermediate leg 42 inserted behind a certain thickness of leaves. The opposite prong 44 overlies the leaves on the opposite side of the book. The space between the center prong 42 and the distant prong 44 is adequate to bridge the spine of the book. The center prong 42 serves as an effective anchor because the intermediate leaves are caused to arch substantially due to the slight clearance between the

prongs

40 and 42. This occurs since the clip E is relatively rigid and the prongs remain in the same plane. The arched leaves due to the wraparound effect, impose forces on the end prongs keeping them in place.

The device E may be used effectively with virtually any book, independently of thickness, size, shape or rigidity of covers. By virtue of the provision of the device E, no separate spring structure need be provided for this purpose on the copyholder itself.

I claim:

1. In combination with a book having a spine and a plurality of leaves extending from said spine, means for holding said book open to expose a selected pair of said leaves comprising a rigid flat body having three prongs in the same plane extending in the same direction from a common base, each of said prongs having a pair of parallel edges perpendicular to said common base, a first of said prongs extending from one end of said base, a second of said prongs extending from the other end of said base, and a third of said prongs extending from an intermediate point on said base between said first and second prongs and being closely spaced from' said second prong to form a relatively narrow slot between opposed edges thereof, said prongs having a width substantially greater than the width of said slot, said third prong being longer than said first and second prongs and being received beneath a number of said leaves on one side of said spine, said number of leaves extending through said slot and beneath said second prong, said first prong being relatively widely spaced from said third prong a suflicient distance to be positioned over the leaves on the other side of said spine, the relative widths of said slot and prongs and the spacing of said first prong from said third prong being such that said number of leaves are caused to arch and impose forces on said first and second prongs to retain them in place, the rigidity of said prongs being such that they remain in said same plane when subjected to said forces.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the distance between the said opposed edge of said third leg and said opposed edge of said second leg is about one-quarter inch whereby a high wraparound tension is developed with a small number of book leaves.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said rigid flat body comprises transparent plastic material.

Claims

1. In combination with a book having a spine and a plurality of leaves extending from said spine, means for holding said book open to expose a selected pair of said leaves comprising a rigid flat body having three prongs in the same plane extending in the same direction from a common base, each of said prongs having a pair of parallel edges perpendicular to said common base, a first of said prongs extending from one end of said base, a second of said prongs extending from the other end of said base, and a third of said prongs extending from an intermediate point on said base between said first and second prongs and being closely spaced from said second prong to form a relatively narrow slot between opposed edges thereof, said prongs having a width substantially greater than the width of said slot, said third prong being longer than said first and second prongs and being received beneath a number of said leaves on one side of said spine, said number of leaves extending through said slot and beneath said second prong, said first prong being relatively widely spaced from said third prong a sufficient distance to be positioned over the leaves on the other side of said spine, the relative widths of said slot and prongs and the spacing of said first prong from said third prong being such that said number of leaves are caused to arch and impose forces on said first and second prongs to retain them in place, the rigidity of said prongs being such that they remain in said same plane when subjected to said forces.