US576113A - Book-rest - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE O. GUNN, OF BURLINGTON, NEIV JERSEY.

BOOK-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,113, dated February 2, 1897'. Application filed March 8, 1894. Renewed October 19, 1896x Serial No. 609,367. (No model.)

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. GUNN, a

- citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Rests 3 and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of my invention are, iirst, to provide an automatic adjustable book-rest by means of which a book can be adjusted to any angle of incline to facilitate writing in or reading it; second, to prevent the book from slipping or falling oif `the desk or support upon which it rests,notwithstandin g the angle of incline, thereby doing away with the necessity of watchin g or making any effort to keep it in position and from slipping or falling off; third, to automatically cause any book to lie open fiat, keeping both pages level with each other, and thus providing an even surface towork upon; fourth, by means of these adjustable features avoiding the necessity of working in an uncomfortable or cramped position and thereby contracting the chest and injuring the spine in the manner usual with those engaged in the occupation of keeping books.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved book-rest. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the book in position.

A is a base-board, made of wood, metal, or any other material, upon which rests a pillow or cushion B, capable of being inflated by means of a pump or blowpipe connecting with the tube b. This cushion is provided around its edge with a rigid strip or border O,

preferably of vulcanized rubber, having rings or eyes a arranged on it along the sides of the cushion at convenient intervals. The said base-board has similar rings or eyes a' are ranged correspondingly. A cord D is laced through these eyes or rings a a', as shown, for securing the said cushion to the said baseboard. By loosening or tightening this cord I provide for the lowering or raising of this cushion. After it is inflated the book is placed on it for reading or writing.

I will now proceed to describe the means I `have adapted for holding the book to the cushion B. Oemented or otherwise secured to the cushion B at each end are iiaps B', having eyeholes b', which are adapted to thumbscrews c, fixed at suitable positions on the cushion B. These iiaps B are adapted to be folded down on the covers of the book, as shown in Fig. 3, and held in position by the thumb-screws c.

I do not limit myself tothe abovespecified means of holding the book to the cushion, as any equivalent means may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention, nor do I limit myself to the manner described of attaching or holding the cushion to the base-board.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a base-board with an air-cushion and adjustable connections between the edges of the said cushion and the -said base-board, the whole constituting an adsubstantially as set forth.

3. In a book-rest the combination of the in,` iiated cushion B flaps B' with the base-board A rings a and a' and -cords D substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. GEORGE C. GUNN. Witnesses:

ALLEN H. GANGEWER, F. P. F. RANDOLPH.

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