US547720A

US547720A - Book-holder

Info

Publication number: US547720A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1912-10-08

Description

(No Model.)

0. P. HARRIS BOOK HOLDER.

Patented Oct. 8, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

CHARLES PARSONS HARRIS, on SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 547,720, dated October 8, 18951 I Application filed May '1, 1895- SeriaI No.548,429. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES PARSONS HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Holders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact, description there0f.

My invention relates to a support for books, such as dictionaries and other heavy volumes of reference. i

The object of the invention is to furnish a cheap book-support of simple but effective construction for use especially in places where economy of space is desirable-as, for example, in'a school-room. I provide a movable support which can retain the book at all times, either when the latter'is open or when it is closed, which support with the book can be dropped to a nearly-vertical position against the wall or other place of attachment or can be raised and held at the most convenient angle for examining the book. The support is easily moved and is automatically held in either position without the use of spring catches or bolts, racks, or other devices of such a character.

Another object of my invention is to provide simple means for adjusting the position of the book-support vertically, so that it can be set at a convenient point for reference by persons of any average height. This feature applies more especially to schools where a dictionary is provided for the pupils in each grad p Myinvention in all'its details will be fully herei after described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the booksupport in elevated position. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar elevation with the support dropped down to be out of the way. Fig. 4is an end View of the same. Fig. 5 is a front view, partly broken away, showing the means for adjusting the book-support vertically. Fig. 6 is an end view of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail section of the lock for holding the whole device when vertically adjusted.

In the drawings I will assume. that the book-support is attached to the wall of a room.

A represents the board which forms the support, having a-ledge a of suflicient depth to hold the book when the bo'ard'is nearly vertical, as in Fig. 4. The board is provided with eyes or staples b, by which itis suspended from a transverse horizontal rod B,

. secured to the wall in any suitable manner,

as by the small plates and studs 0. The

board is thus capable of sliding upon the rod and also of swinging upon it toward or fronr the-wall. A stop d is preferably secured to the rod B to limit the sliding motion in one direction. The board A is connected to the wall or other rigid support by anrarm 0. This arm is preferably formed from stiif wire the wall, while the part which I havetermed the-top of the 7 plays in an eye or staple k on the lower side of the board. The angle of the board when drawn out-,as in Fig. 2, depends upon the length of the stem of the 7, which willthen be approximately perpendicular to the plane of the board and will support the latter firmly. By slidingthe board to the left along the rod from which it hangs the bottom of the bent arm 0 will commence -to turn in the staple g. As the movement continues, the arm will swing toward the position shown in Fig. 3, losing its power of resisting the weight of the board and book, and gradually turning inward until its free end rests against the wall, Fig. 4, when the book-support isat its lowest position. Moving the book-board to the right will cause the arm to swing back to its first position, and the stop (1 is so placed on the rod B as to limit the motion at the time when the arm is in the most favorable position for supporting the weight of the board and book. It is not necessary to lift or pull necessary.

be placed at such a height on a wall as will make it convenient for use by people of average height. For usein schools, among pupils in different grades, I prefer to provide means for adjusting the height of the whole attachment. This device is shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, and it will be understood that no change is made in the construction or mode of opera tion of the book supporting device, the changes relating to the manner of connecting it to the wall.

Instead of fixing the rod B, as before de; scribed, such rod has asliding adjustment on parallel guides l l, secured to the wall, as shown. An intermediate guide on is also secured to the wall. To the rod B are secured converging rods 91 n, which at their angle are in proximity to the guide m. A plate ohas the eye or staple g formed in it to receive the end of the arm 0, as before described. A bookbolt 1i secures rigidly but adj ustably together the guide m, rods 72 n, and plate 0 by means of a nut q. By loosening this nut the whole book-board and its supporting-rod can be raised or lowered on the guides Z Z, the hooked bolt sliding on the guide m. OE coursethis adjustment does not alter or change in any way the operation of the book-snpport, since the plate 0 performs exactly the same function as a support for the arm 0 as does the rigidly-attached plate in Figs. 1 and 2. Itis not supposed that the vertical adjustment will be frequently used, and, as before stated, it is not necessary to use it at all, except that in schools where the referenccbooks are to be used in different grades it will be found a desirable feature of the device, since initial adjustments of the proper height can be made in each grade. Of course such adjustments can be changed as often as may be found It should also be stated that while I prefer to make the arm which connects the wall and the book-board of angular form, or bent. into the shape of a figure 7, as before described, yet the shape is not essential, since a straight arm provided with a hook or eye at each end may be connected to the wall and the board and will operate in the same manner.

What I claim is- 1. A book board or bolder having a sliding motion and a swinging motion in combination with a sell? adjusting arm, connected to said book board, and to a rigid support, such as a wall, substantially as described.

2. A book board or holder, suspended from a rod, and having a sliding motion and a swinging motion on such rod, in combination with an arm pivoted at one end to a wall or other rigid support, and passing through an eye or staple on the said board, substantially as described.

3. In a book holder and in combination, a fixed rod secured to a wall or other rigid support, a board suspended therefrom so as to have both a sliding and a swinging movement a plate connected to said rigid support andv having an eye, an eye on the lower surface of the board, and a swinging arm loosely connected to. both of said eyes, and adapted to swing as the board slides on said rod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a book holder, vertical guides, a transverse rod adjustable on said guides, a book board suspended from said rod and capable of sliding thereon, and a self adjusting arm connected to said book board and to an independent support, substantially as described.

5. In a book holder and in combination, the book board, connected rods B 12., Vertical guides, a plate adj ustably secured to one of said guides, and an angular arm loosely connected to said plate, and to said book board, substantially as described.

6. In abook holder and in combination with the suspended book board, a vertically adjustable rod B, a vertically movable plate to which said rod is connected, a guide m, a belt 'for securing said plate to said guide, and for permitting it to move upon said guide, and a swinging arm connected loosely to said plate and to said book board, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of April, 1895.

CHARLES PARSONS HARRIS. Witnesses:

H. D. HAWKS, It. L. AULD.