US3159137A - Bookmark - Google Patents

Description

F. S. BALDWIN Dec. 1, 1964 BOOKMARK Filed Feb. 11, 1963 INVENTOR.

FURMAN S. BALDWIN ATTORNEYS United States Patent ice 3,159,137 BOOKMARK Furman S. haidwin, 9i) Euclid Ave., Kenmore 17, NY. Filed Feb. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 257,496 1 Claim. (Cl. 116-419) This invention relates to bookmarks, and has for one of its objects to provide a bookmark of simple form which will function with improved ease and facility compared to prior devices for similar purposes.

Thus, a primary object is to provide a bookmark device which will be lifted automatically with improved facility simply upon turning over the page, and which will automatically return into place on the next underlying page without assistance from the reader and/or the forces of gravity. 1

Another object of my invention is to provide a bookmark, of the character described, which is made of inexpensive material, yet which is durable and transparent so as to avoid obliteration of printed material at the top of the pages to be marked, when the device is lapped over the top ends of the pages. 7

Another object is to provide a marking device whereby the marked page may be easily turned and slipped from under the mark without damage of mutilation of the page.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the specification hereinafter and with reference to the accompanying drawing; in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing my bookmark in operation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detached perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of my bookmark fastened to a book back cover;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 illustrates the movement of my bookmark as a page is turned.

As illustrated in the drawing herewith, my bookmark comprises a device having a resilient tongue portion formed of transparent plastic material, and a detachable fastening device 12 which is less flexible than the tongue 10. The fastening device 12 will also be preferably of plastic (thicker and stiffer) but may be formed of any other material, as may be preferred. The resilient tongue or finger portion 19 is arc-shaped in side view as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 5. The fastening device 12 in this instance is shown as being in the form of a clip comprising an outside frame portion and a central tongue 14, formed integral therewith at one end. Thus the parts may be spread and slip-fitted over the edge of the book back cover, whereupon the spring-like characteristics of the tongue 14 operates to hold the device in place.

When mounted over the top edge of the back cover (or rear pages) of a book as explained hereinabove, the

device will bedisposed so that the resilient tongue portion.

10 rests lightly upon the page being marked, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3. Single pages may then be easily turned (FIG. 5) against the only slight force exerted by the member 10, which is in fact only sufficient to insure that the member 10 will fall back into page marking position after each page is turned. Thus, the book pages are 3,159,137. Patented Dec. 1, 1964 such as limp leather bookmarks which obscure the print ing thereunder and must be manually guided into operative position; as well as prior bookmark devices of the spring clip type which also obliterate the printing therebeneath and tend to mutilate the book pages as well as being the source'of a nuisance to the user because of their interferences with free turning of the pages. Thus, it will be appreciated that the bookmark of the present invention provides a degree of convenience for the user not found in any bookmark of the prior art, while at the same time being of extremely simple and inxpenseive fabrication and operative for its intended purposes Without appreciable'awareness thereof on the part of the user.

I claim:

A bookmark device comprising an elongate clip consisting of an outside frame and a central tongue formed integrally therewith and joined with said outside frame adjacent one end of the clip, a resilient tongue port-ion of transparent material, said resilient tongue portion being of arcuate shape and joined with said clip at said one end thereof, said resilient tongue initially extending laterally away from said one end of the clip and being of a length and curvature to extend from said one end of the clip in arcuate overlying relation thereto to terminate at its free end in closely spaced relation to said clip adjacent the opposite end thereof, said resilient tongue being of uniform width throughout its length and of a width substantially equal to that of said clip, said resilient tongue being of substantially less thickness than said clip so as to be readily movable both sideways and away from said clip such as to provide no substantial impedence to intentional turning of a page upon which the resilient tongue may rest, to be unobtrusive to the user, while at the same time being of suflicient resiliency to permit said resilient tongue to return toward the stated closely spaced relation to said opposite end of the clip after each deflection which may be incidental to turning of a page.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,136,326 11/38 Spandorfer 116119 2,328,811 9/43 Kardorif 116l19 FOREIGN PATENTS 700,145 11/ 53 Great Britain.

LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

LEO SMILOW, Examiner.

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