US3021637A - Support - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1962 K. E. v HUFFMAN SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1959 INVENTOR. KATHRYN EV. HUFFMAN BY W I ATTORNEY Feb. 20, 1962 K. E. v HUFFMAN SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8, 1959 INVENTOR.

KATHRYN EV. HUFFMAN ATTORNEY United States Fatent 3,021,637 SUPPORT Kathryn E. V. Hufiman, 1510 Sleepy Hollow Road, Covington, Ky. Filed Apr. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 805,097 4 Claims. (Cl. 45-57) This invention relates to a support, and more particularly to a support or easel for reading matter.

An object of the invention is to provide a support having a pair of panels, fabricated from a single length of material, which support may be placed upon a fiat supporting surface, or which may be securely though releasably clamped over the edge of a supporting shelflike member, and which additionally is adapted to include a flat, rigid member which is slidably associated with the support for providing a flat writing or desk-like surface immediately adjacent and extending from an edge thereof.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein, and as disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support embodying the teachings of the present invention, supported on a flat surface.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the man ner in which the support may be clamped over the edge or a supporting member.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating another manner in which the support may be associated with a supporting surface.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the support device in conjunction with a fiat, rigid, desk-forming member.

With particular reference to the drawings, the numerals and 12 indicate generally a first and a second panel, the adjacent ends of which are interconnected by an intermediate panel 14 formed whereby to provide an elongated, open-ended channel 16 which includes an elongate, open-ended throat 18 remote from and in spaced parallelism with forward or adjacent edge 26 of panel 10.

Panel 12 extends along the upper or open edge 22 of channel 16 in a direction outwardly and away from said first panel 10 for thereby providing an upwardly and rearwardly inclined supporting surface for a book, pamphlet, paper or the like whose lower edge rests upon intermediate portion 14, of the upper portion of channel 16.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support may be positioned upon a substantially flat supporting surface 30 whereby first panel 10 will serve as a base for the device in the manner illustrated, with panel 12 in upwardly, rearwardly inclined relationship therewith.

In those instances in which it is desirable or necessary to secure the support to a member against accidental and/ or unintentional displacement therefrom, such a member, denoted generally by the numeral 4G in FIG. 3, may be utilized for receiving channel 16, in which event panel 10 will be disposed beneath and in underlying relationship with the under-surface 42 of member 40 and whereby intermediate portion 14 will project around outer edge 44 of member 40 and thence be disposed in overlying relationship with the upper surface 46 of said member. In this manner I have provided simple yet highly effective means for enabling the support to be securely though releasably associated with the edge of a table, desk or the like.

With reference now to FIG. 5, the numeral 60 denotes generally a flat, rigid board or element which is dimensioned whereby to be slidably received within the chanice nelway 16 between intermediate panel =14 and panel 10, for enabling element 60 to be telescopically associated with the support member. As illustrated in FIG. 5, ele meat 60 provides a flat writing surface which extends from and to one side of the support member, said element enabling the support element to be mounted in spanning relationship between a pair of laterally spaced units such as 70 which are spaced apart by a dimension greater thanthe overall length of the support member.

Element 69 likewise permits the support member to be positioned upon the knees or in the lap of a user for providing a supporting surface suitable for use as a writing surface.

The material from which the subject support may be fabricated can be metal, plastic or the like, the only requirement being that the material be sufficiently resilient whereby to permit some flexing along the forward edge of the channel 16.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the device may be utilized by locating end 50 of panel 10 upon a supporting surface 30 with end 52 of panel 12 also engaging supporting surface 30 whereby the material to be supported will be disposed at a lesser incline than when using the device as illustrated in FIG. 2.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the structural details of the device, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A support fabricated from a single length of resilient sheet material bent upon itself to provide in its free form an elongate, open-ended channel having an open throat remote from and in spaced parallelism with an adjacent edge of a first panel such that a support member can be readily slidably received within said channel at all times, and a second panel along the open edge of said channel extending outwardly and away from said first panel at an acute angle thereto such that said second panel forms an inclined supporting surface for supporting a book or the like thereon in a convenient reading position.

2. A support fabricated from a single length of resilient sheet material bent upon itself to provide in its free form a first and a second panel interconnected along their adjacent edges by an open-ended, elongate channel which overlies said first panel and terminates in an open throat remote from and in spaced parallelism with the adjacent edge of said first panel such that a support member can be readily slidably received within said channel at all times, the second panel extending from the upper edge of said channel in a direction outwardly and away from said first panel at an acute angle thereto such that said second panel forms an inclined supporting surface for supporting a book or the like thereon in a convenient reading position.

3. A support fabricated from a single length of resilient sheet material bent upon itself to provide in its free form a first and a second panel interconnected along their adjacent edges by an open-ended, elongate channel which overlies said first panel and terminates in an open throat remote from and in spaced parallelism with the adjacent edge of said first panel such that a support member can be readily slidably received within said channel at all times, the second panel extending from the upper edge of said channel in a direction outwardly and away from said first panel, and a flat, rigid member slidably received within said channel at an acute angle thereto such that said second panel forms an inclined supporting surface for supporting a book or the like thereon in a convenient reading position.

4. A support fabricated from a single length of resilient sheet material bent to provide in its free form a first and a second fiat panel resiliently interconnected along their adjacent portions by an intermediate panel which extendsrupwardly from and in spaced relationship ove the forward portion of the first panel, said intermediate panel defining an elongate, open-ended channel having an open throat remote from the forward portion of the first panel and at the forward portion of the second panel, said channel defining clamping means adapted to secure the support to means introduced into said channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schumann Jan. 7, 1873 Fuller Apr. 19, 1881 Richards Feb. 1, 1916 Stark Jan. 9, 1934 Stark Sept. 24, 1957

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