US2481107A - Combined rest, magazine support, and bookholder - Google Patents

Description

p 1949- A. J. GORE CQMBINED'REST; MAGAZINE SUPPORT, AND BOQKHOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1946 A/berf J. Gore A. .J. GORE Sfipt 6, 1949.

COMBINED REST, MAGAZINE SUPPORT, AND BOOKHOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1946 gwucmio n 7 Albert J. Gore I Hi 5 Gum W Patented Sept. 6, 1949 COMBINED REST, MAGAZINE SUPPORT, AND BOOKHOLDER Albert J. Gore, Washington, D. 0., assignor of forty-five per cent to Frances Gore Haynes Application March 4, 1946, Serial No. 651,778

12 Claims.

This invention relates to portable rests of the provided with a combined folding support" and base and adapted to be carried upon the person or set up on any available surface to hold a writing tablet, book, magazine, sheet music, map or other article at a convenient height and angle for a person to use in standing, sitting or prone position.

It is tiresome to hold a heavy book in the hands while reading, whether sitting or reclining, and this invention relieves the reader from supporting the book or touching it with either hand except when turning the pages. The invention also permits a note book or writing tablet to be supported in convenient position for writing or making field notes or sketches either sitting or stand= ing while leaving one or both hands free for the work. Musicians and artists will also appreciate the utility of the invention for their work.

Other aims and advantages of the invention appear in connection with the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the invention as arranged for use by a person lying in bed, standing up and sitting down, respectively;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the rest as used for holding a book;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4 showing the rest set up on a flat supporting sur face;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation showing the face of the rest used for supporting a drawing or other fiat articles; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged views of the clamp, Fig. 8 being a cross section on the line 8-6 in Fi '7. V

In the form of the invention illustrated, the support comprises a table or holder l l and a stiff wire frame 12 pivoted thereto by .means of a clamp l3 and provided with a flexible bail M. The table and holder element is preferably made of a sheet of thin plastic, stiff cardboard or vulcanized fiber, the side edges lb of which are folded over on the front side to provide flaps for overlying the back covers of a book 16 spread open on the main portion as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The bottom edge [1 of the sheet is folded up and bent outward slightly to provide a support for the lower edges of the book covers, and the ends [8 of this turned up portion I1 are folded around the side edges of the main portion l l and secured to the rear thereof by staples 19 or other .1?

suitable means along the side and bottom edges as shown in Fig. 6.

This construction permits the lower corners of a map or drawing to be slipped under the corners l8 when the rear face of the rest is in use as the supporting surface, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

An elastic retainer 2| is looped around the support near its top to retain the upper edges of the leaves of a book or magazine in open position for convenience in reading. This retainer consists of a rubber band, long coiled wire spring, or other stretchable material, which passes around the edges of the support and is secured at its ends to the ends of the two sections or links 22, 23 of an adjusting member disposed on the opposite side of the support, as shown in Fig. 6. This adjusting member is preferably made of bent wire in accordance with the disclosure of my patent, No. 2,364,968, dated December 12, 1944, and consists of a zig-za link section 22 with a tranverse ring at one end, and a straight link section 23 passing through this end ring of the zig-zag section and having a flattened transverse ring at its end engaging with the zig-zag portion so that by turning the straight section through it can be made to engage and disengage the zig-zag section to hold the two sections against axial displacement and to permit the zig-Zag portion to slide through the flat loop to adjust the point of engagement as desired for the right degree of tightness in holding different sizes of books.

The stiff frame I2 is preferably made of heavy wire or lighter wire covered with plastic material of which there are some very pretty shades readily available for this purpose. The wire extends through a slightly bent rubber tube 25 at its outer or foot portion, and its ends are passed through the clamp washer 26 and drawn tight by thumb screw 21 on the threaded stern 28 of the clamp as shown in Figs. 7 and. 8. Large washers 29 are advantageously mounted on the clamp screw on each side of the support H to protect it from damage, and a smaller washer 30 is provided for engaging the two ends of the wire frame and the adjacent washer 26 which is tilted by the wires so that the sharp edges of the central hole are caused to cramp or bite the wire and hold it fast.

The bail l4 may be made of any suitable material which has sufficient stiffness to hold its shape without hurting the wearer, such as plastic cov-- ered wire, stiff metallized tape or cord or fine stranded or braided wire. Its ends are bent at right angles and thrust into the rubber tube 25 sufficiently far to be secured by friction therein. The ends of the tube are protected against tearing by small coils of wire 33. This arrangement permits the bail to be lengthened or shortened at will by bending its ends shorter or longer to suit the wearer and the desired height of the rest with relation to his body.

Various ways in which the support can be utilized to advantage will occur to anyone using the invention, as it may be arranged either side up and with the metal frame and bail to hold up its upper edge either as an easel or suspended from the neck of the user. The lower edge of the support when not used as an easel may rest on any convenient portion of the clothing or body of the wearer. If the wearer be standing, the lower edge may be supported by one hand or by a belt hook .or vest button clip if his anatomy does not provide a secure support.

The invention is not restricted to the exact shapes and dimensions shown nor to the materials described. like is used to designate books, magazines, maps, sheet music and tablets or other things that may be read or written upon.

What I claim is as follows:

1. A portable rest comprising a holder of light weight sheet material having its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over the edge portions of the holder, a bottom edge portion folded upwards and overlying the lower edges of the side edge portions, the ends of said bottom edge portions being extended and folded around the ad.- jacent side edges and attached to said holder on the rear face, an open frame member pivotally clamped to said holder near its upper edge to swing at an angle thereto, said frame member belng adapted to serve both as a prop and as a suspension means for supporting said holder in working position, and a semi-flexible bail pivotally secured to said frame member at its edge remote from said holder, said bail being of such size and shape as to embrace the neck of a user and support said frame member at a convenient height with respect to the user.

2. A portable rest comprising a holder of light weight sheet material having its side edges folded inwards upon tl-iemselves over the edge portions of the holder, a bottom edge portion folded up wards and overlying the lower edges of the side edge portions, said side portions being loose at their edges to engage a book-like article, an open frame member of generally quadrangular form pivotally clamped to said holder near its upper edge to swing at an angle thereto, said frame member being adapted to serve both as a prop and as a suspension means for supporting said holder in working position, and. a semi fiexible bail pivotally secured to said frame member at its edge remote from said holder, said bail being of such size and shape as to embrace the neck of a user and support said frame member at a convenient height with respect to the user.

3'. in a holder as described in claim 2, a clamp member for adiustably securing said open frame member comprising a screw stem extending throng .1 said holder, a tilted washer having a hole large enough to receive said screw stem and said frame member, and a thun'ib nut engaging said stem and adapted to clamp said tilted washer against both sides of said frame member.

4. A holder of the type described in claim 2, in which the ends .of the bail are adjustable in length and enclosed in a tube mounted u on the side of said open frame remote from said clamp.

5. A holder of the type" described in claim 2,

in which a tube enclosing the side of said frame In the claims, the term booki 4 remote from the hinge clamp constitutes the hinge connection for said bail, the ends of which are encompassed thereby.

6. A portable rest comprising a holder formed of light weight sheet material having its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over the edge portions of the holder and adapted to overlie the covers of a book lying open on the rest, said holder also having a bottom edge portion folded upwards and overlying and securing the lower edges of the folded side edges of the holder with its upper edge spaced from'the face of the holder to form a support for the lower edges of the book, and elastic means encircling said holder near its upper edge to encompass the open leaves of the book, in combination with means for supporting said holder at a convenient angle with respect to the body of a reader.

'7. A portable rest comprising a holder formed of light weight sheet material having its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over the edge portions of the holder and adapted to overlie the covers of a book lying open on the rest, said holder also having a bottom edge portion folded upwards and overlying the lower edges of the folded side edges of the holder with its upper edge spaced from the face of the holder to form a support for the lower edges of the book, and means for fastening said bottom edge portion in folded position, said fastening means being disposed at the sides of said holder to avoid interference with articles on said holder retained thereby, in combination with means for supporting said holder at a convenient angle with respect to the body of a reader.

8. A portable rest comprising a holder formed of light weight sheet material having its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over the edge portions of the holder and adapted to overlie the covers of a book lying open on the rest, said holder also having a bottom edge portion folded upwards and overlying the lower edges of the folded side edges of the holder with its ends formed with a diagonal edge extended and folded around the adjacent side edges and attached to said holder on the rear face, the folded end portions of said bottom edge portion being attached to said holder along its margins only so as to leave the diagonal edges overlying the rear face of said holder free to receive and hold fiat sheet material resting upon said rear face, in combination with means for supporting said holder at a convenient angle with respect to the body of a reader.

9. A portable rest comprising a holder formed of light weight sheet material having its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over the edge portions of the holder and adapted to overlie the coversof a book. lyin open on the rest, said holder also having a bottom edge portion folded upwards and overlying the lower edges of the folded side edges of the holder with its upper edge spaced from the face of the holder to form a support for the lower edge of the book, and means for fastening said bottom edge portion in folded position, in combination with means for supporting said holder at a convenient angle with respect to the body of a reader, said supporting means comprising a substantially rectangular frame pivoted to the upper edge of said holder and adapted to swing to extend at an angle with respect to either face thereof to constitute a prop when in one position and a suspension means when in the other position.

10. A rest of the kind described in claim 9 wherein the supporting means is provided with an adjustable bail to adapt it to the person of a user for convenient use in a standin or sittin posture.

11. As a new article of manufacture, a rest of the character described comprising a holder portion having folded margins to support a booklike article on one face, said margins having portions folded behind said face and providing support for fiat sheet material on the opposite face, in combination with an open frame pivoted thereto adjacent its upper edge and adapted to be swung at an angle to either face thereof to serve as a prop or suspension means in either position of use.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a rest of the character described comprising a holder portion having folded margins to support a booklike article on one face and flat sheet material on the other face as set for in claim 11, a rigid support pivoted to one edge of said holder, and a semi-flexible support attached to said rigid sup- 6 port at a place removed from the pivot axis of said rigid support, said rigid support being adjustable to different angles to hold said rest at a convenient Working angle and said semi-flexible support being adjustable in length to suit the person of the user.-

ALBERT J. GORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 648,742 Hassellund et a1 May 1, 1900 1,317,934 Mohr Oct. 7, 1919 1,841,741 Labadie Jan. 19, 1932 1,911,823 Harrison May 30, 1933 1,971,926 Weakley Aug. 28, 1934 2,044,079 Frese June 16, 1936 2,053,615 Krueger Sept. 8, 1936 2,140,805 Marseglia Dec. 20, 1938

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