US388674A

US388674A - Book-support for shelves

Info

Publication number: US388674A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-08-28
Anticipated expiration: 1905-08-28

Description

(No M0del M. W. HARRINGTON. BOOK SUPPORT FOR SHELYES.

' No. 388,674. Patented Aug. 28, 1888.

' mwww w, 1* mm :7 a 'fi wq UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARK W. HARRINGTON, OF ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

BOOK-SUPPORT FOR SH ELVES.

EPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,674, dated August 28, 1888.

Application filed March 30, 1888 Seriai No. 269,605. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK W. HARRINGTON, residing at Ann Harbor, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Supports for Shelves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved booksupport for shelves, designed to be used when the shelf is only partially filled with books, and in order to maintain the books in an upright position, and the object of my invention is to provide a support which shall be selfclamping upon the shelf and adapted to shelves of varying thicknesses.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l is a perspective view showing the support applied to a shelf partially filled with books. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the support detached. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the support applied to a thinner shelf than that shown in Fig. 1, designed to illustrate the position which the support will assume when applied to such thinner shelves.

In said drawings, A represents the shelves, and B books placed thereon. The support itself is composed of the body portion (3, having the foot 0, intended to rest upon the top of the shelf when in use.

D is a downwardly-projecting arm, which connects the body portion 0 with the longitudinal arm E, which latter extends transversely of the shelf and beneath the same, and provided with the clamping-bar F, which may, as shown, extend longitudinally of the shelf and transversely to the arm E. The bearing for the under side of the shelf is beyond the book-support is rendered self-clamping by so constructing it that the center of gravity is at one side of the center of rotation when the support is applied to the shelf. Thus in the construction shown the center of rotation will be a point intermediate of the point of contact of the bar F and the foot 0, while the center of gravity is in front of said points, thus causing the body portion to fall forward and the points a and F to press, respectively, against the upper and lower surfaces of the shelf. This peculiarity of construction adapts the support for use with shelves of varying thickness. The size of the opening to receive the edge of the shelf is determined by the vertical distance be tween the foot 0 and the bar F, and this opening should be large enough to admit the thick est shelves in general use, as the support will adapt itself to thinner shelves without any change of construction. To enable the support to rock forward when it is applied to a shelf of less thickness than the vertical distance between the foot 0 and the bar F, and thereby clamp itself upon the shelf, the portion of the bracket in front of the foot 0 is arched upwardly, so that a clear space is left between the arm F and said arched portion of the bracket, as clearly shown in the drawings at G. As shown in the drawings, the bar F extends to a greater distance on one side of the arm E than the other. As the strain comes from the direction of the row of books, of course this long member of the bar F should be on the side next to the books. The purpose of the short arm of the barF is to enable the device to maintain its upright position upon the shelf should the book next to it be removed, and also while adjusting the support along the shelf.

I claim-- 1. A book-support for shelves, comprising in combination a body portion to support a book placed against it, a foot on said body portion adapted to press upon the upper surface of the shelf in use, an arm projecting from the body portion below said foot to permit the entrance of the edge of the shelf, and said body portion being arched or extended upwardly in front of said foot and above said arm, whereby the support may rock forward and is made self-clamping upon the shelf, substantially as described.

2. A book-support for shelves, comprising in combination a body portion to support a l in frontof saidfoot and abovesaid arm, where- IO book placed against it, a foot on said body portion adapted to press upon the upper surface of the shelf in use, an arm projecting from the body portion below said foot to permit the entrance of the edge of the shelf and beyond said foot, whereby the center of gravity is in front of the center of rotation, and said body portion being arched or extended upwardly by the support may rock forward and is made self-clamping upon the shelf, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

MARK \V. HARRINGTON.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK O. GooDWIN, E. L. HUBER.