GB2156668A - Drawing board and easel unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A drawing board and easel unit has a pair of splayed front legs 10, (12) pivotally connected at the top to a central rear leg 20, enabling the easel to be opened into an inverted V-condition in which it can be locked by a stay in the form of a tray 22. A drawing board 38 is located between two grooved cross- struts (14, 16) which also serve to connect the front legs together. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in drawing board and easel units This invention relates to a drawing board and easel unit, more especially but not exclusively such a unit of simple and inexpensive manufacture for use as a children's toy.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a unit comprising an easel having a pair of front legs fixed together in spaced preferably splayed relationship and on which a drawing board is supported, a rear leg pivotally connected to the front legs so as to fold flat thereagainst for storage or to be opened out therefrom in an inverted V-arrangement in which the easel will stand on the floor, and a stay detachably coupling between the front and rear legs to lock the easel in the inverted V-arrangement, said stay being in the form of a tray which lies in a substantially horizontal plane in locking condition.

In one arrangement, the tray is pivotally mounted between the spaced and preferably splayed front legs and has a detachable connection to the rear leg. This detachable connection may comprise a peg (preferably on the tray) which engages in a hole (preferably in the rear leg).

The tray preferably has an upstanding rim around at least the major part of its periphery, and the pivotal mounting between the front legs may be constituted by opposed pairs of aligned pins and holes, the pins preferably being carried by the tray rim respectively on opposite sides thereof and the holes preferably being formed in the respective front legs.

The pivotal connection between the front legs and the rear leg may conveniently take the form of a rod extending at its central region through the upper end of the rear leg and on either side thereof into holes, preferably blind holes, in the upper ends of the two front legs. Alternatively, a plastics hinge may be employed.

A further aspect of the present invention concerns the mounting of the drawing board, e.g. a blackboard.

Thus, according to this further aspect of the invention, there is provided a unit comprising an easel having a front Jeg assembly including two front legs fixed in spaced preferably splayed apart relationship by cross-struts which define longitudinal opposed grooves into which a drawing board may be detachably located by sliding into position laterally between the grooves.

The board can conveniently have a plastics edge guard, preferably all round but at least along the opposed upper and lower edges which slidably engage into the respective cross-struts.

Releasable clips at the top edge of the board may engage over the upper edge guard to enable a drawing or painting sheet to be clipped in position over the board.

The unit in accordance with the second aspect of the invention preferably is provided with the locking stay in the form of a tray, as described in connection with the first aspect.

In the opened condition of use, the tray will be disposed below the bottom edge of the drawing board.

A practical embodiment of drawing board and easel unit in accordance with the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the standing easel and drawing board from the side; Figure 2 is a front view of the standing easel and drawing board; Figure 3 shows a locking stay in the form of a tray, prior to assembly; and Figure 4 shows detail of a hinge at the back of the easel.

Referring to the drawings, an easel has a pair of front legs 10, 1 2 fixed in splayed relationship by upper and lower cross-struts, respectively 14, 1 6. These parts may conveniently be manufactured of wood lath, and headed staples 1 8 may be employed as the means of fixing the parts together.

A rear leg 20, also of the same wood lath, is hinged to the front legs near the top of the easel. The hinge is shown in Figure 4, and comprises a metal rod 23 extending between blind holes formed in the front legs through an aperture in the rear leg. The hinge 23 enables the legs to fold together, so that the easel assumes a substantially flat condition for storage in which the rear leg is generally coplanar with the splayed front legs.

A stay is provided for locking the easel in the opened out, standing condition in which it is shown in Figures 1 and 2. This stay takes the form of a tray 22, shown in Figure 3 prior to assembly of the easel. The tray has a supporting surface 24, with an interrupted rim 26 upstanding from its periphery. The rim 26 carries wooden pins 27 which are fitted into holes 28 in the front legs 10, 1 2 so as pivotally to suspend said tray 22 between said legs, and also carries a wooden peg 30 which releasably fits into a hole 32 in the rear leg.

In the locking condition, in which the easel can stand on the floor, the supporting surface 24 of the tray lies in a substantially horizontal plane, so as to receive chalks, crayons, paints, duster etc. which may be placed thereon. In the unlocked condition, the tray 22 also folds flat approximately into the plane of the folded legs.

The upper and lower cross-struts define facing grooves 34, 36 enabling a blackboard 38 or like drawing board to be slidably inserted in position from the side, its upper edge engaged in the upper groove and its lower edge in the lower groove. The black board 38 may be made of hardboard treated on one surface to provide a black surface suitable for chalking or crayoning, and is provided with a protective plastics edging 40.

In Figure 2, the reference 42 denotes a detachable peg-type clip which enables a sheet of drawing or painting paper to be suspended over the face of the board.

If desired, a contrasting white surface finish may be provided on the other face of the blackboard, suitable for crayoning or for painting on. This surface can be brought to the front for use by removal, reversal and reinsertion of the board between the crossstruts.

Also if desired, the hinge rod between the front legs and the rear leg may be replaced by a plastics hinge in the form of a folding plastics strip, secured by stapling between the rear leg and the back of the upper cross-strut 14.

The above-described embodiment is also capable of modification in other ways within the scope of the invention hereinbefore defined.

Claims (1)

1. A drawing board and easel unit comprising an easel having a pair of front legs connected together in spaced relationship and on which a drawing board is supported, at least one rear leg pivotally connected to the front legs so as to fold flat thereagainst for storage or to be opened out therefrom in an inverted V-arrangement in which the easel will stand on the floor, and a stay detachably coupling between the front and rear legs to lock the easel in the inverted V-arrangement, said stay being in the form of a tray which lies in a substantially horizontal plane in locking condition.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, having splayed front legs and a single rear leg.

3. A unit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tray is pivotally mounted to the legs at the front or rear and has a detachable connection to the legs at the rear or front.

4. A unit as claimed in claim 3 when appendant to claim 2, wherein the tray is pivotally mounted to the front legs and has a detachable connection to the rear leg.

5. A unit as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the detachable connection comprises a peg and hole connection.

6. A unit as claimed in claim 5 when appendant to claim 4, wherein the peg is carried by the tray and the hole is provided in the rear leg.

7. A unit according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tray has an upstanding rim around at least the major part of its periphery.

8. A unit according to claim 7, wherein the tray is pivotally mounted between the front legs by opposed pairs of aligned pins and holes, the pins being carried by the tray rim respectively on opposite sides thereof and the holes being formed in the respective front legs.

9. A unit according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein a hinge is provided between the tops of the front and rear legs and comprises a plastics hinge.

10. A blackboard and easel unit comprising an easel having a front leg assembly including two front legs connected in spaced apart relationship by cross-struts having longitudinal grooves facing one another in opposed relationship for location of a drawing board between them, with opposed edges of the board received in the respective grooves.

11. A unit according to claim 10, wherein the board has a plastics edge guard facilitating lateral sliding of the board between the opposed and grooved cross-struts.

12. A unit according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the top edge of the board carries releasable clips for fastening a drawing or painting sheet in position over the board.

1 3. A blackboard and easel unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: Claims 1 and 10 above have been deleted or textually amended.

New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows: Claims 11-13 above have been re-numbered as 10-12 and their appendancies corrected.

1. A drawing board and easel unit comprising an easel having a pair of front legs connected together in spaced relationship by upper and lower grooved cross struts between which the drawing board is supported, at least one rear leg pivotally connected to the front legs so as to fold flat thereagainst for storage or to be opened out therefrom in an inverted V-arrangement in which the easel will stand on the floor, and a stay in the form of a unitary component detachably coupling between the front and rear legs to lock the easel in the inverted V-arrangement, said component being in the form of a tray which has fittings for engagement with cooperating fittings on the legs of the easel such that the tray lies in a substantially horizontal plane in locking condition.