US758924A - Book-holder. - Google Patents

Description

No 758,924; PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

S. H. LAW.

BOOK HOLDER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 25, 1903. N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1' No. 758,924. PATBNTBD MAY 3, 1904. s. H. LAW. BOOK HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1903.

2 sums-sum 2.

.NO MODEL.

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Patented May 3, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. LAlV, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,924, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed March 25, 1903.

T0 (LZL/ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. Law, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Book-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

y invention relates to a book-holder which is adjustable for holding books of varying dimensions in an open position; and said invention consists in the novel features of construction to be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings furnished and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 illustrates my improved book-holder secured to a bracket which is designed to be attached to the arm of a chair or to a table or other support. Fig. 2 is a view of said holder provided with hinged legs for supporting it at a convenient angle on a desk or table. Figs. 3 and -l illustrate said holder in front and side views, respectively, a portion of the base-section being broken away in Fig. 4 for disclosing the adjusting-screw. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views of said holder on lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 7 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 5 and showing a section of a book in position in the holder.

As illustrated in Figs. 8 and 4:, my improved book-holder is composed of a base-section A and an adjustable top section B, to which are secured clamping devices or memhers I! and 1), adapted to respectively engage the bottom and top edges of the cover of an open book, said clamping devices being moved toward and from each other by relative movements of the sections A and B to accommodate books of varying dimensions and to permit of proper clamping adjustment.

The base-section A is preferably composed of a section of thin metal tubing of sufiicient diameter to receive the lower end of the top section B and of sufficient length to admit of the desired range of movement of the clamping device.

The clamping member or device a is secured to the upper end of the base-section A,

Serial No. 149,534. (No model.)

and consists of a thin metal plate a, bent at its lower edge to form a ledgeor flange (1 which at each side of the base-section is provided with upturned portions or lips a, forming channels or grooves for receiving the lower edges of the side boards of the cover of an open book, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive. The flange between the lips or upturned portions (4", projects sufficiently forward to afford a support for a leafholder O, to be hereinafter described.

The clamping device a is preferably mounted across the upper end of the base-section A so as to leave only about one-half of said end open for receiving the adjustable top section B, the latter being half-round in cross-section and of the proper size to freely slide in the opening which is left in the top of the basesection.

The clamp member or device b, which is secured to the upper end of the adjustable section B by means of a rivet or pin 0', consists of a metal plate 5 having downturned portions 6 at its upper edge at each side of said section, which downturned portions are adapted to engage the upper edges of the bookcover and cooperate with the clamping member a for firmly holding a book in position in the holder.

The lower end of the adjustable section B is housed within the hollow base-section A and is moved up or down for adjusting the clamping devices a and l) by means of a screw 1), which is rotatively mounted in the basesection and which engages a screw-threaded opening (Z in the end of the adjustable section B. Said screw D is mounted to revolve in a bearingblock (1, which is secured in the lower end of the base-section, and said screw is held in said block by a shoulder (Z and a milled head (1, which is secured to the projecting shank of the screw for the purpose of revolving it, as will be readily understood.

The leaf-holder O consists of an appropriately-shaped sheet-metal plate which is pivotally mounted on the base-section A, so that it may swing in a vertical and also in a horizontal plane, said plate being backed by a spring and so located as to bear against the leaves on both sides of the central line of an open book secured in the holder. Said leafhold er is provided with ears 0 0, which are mounted between similar ears 0 e on a baseplate E and is hinged to said base-plate by a pintle c. A spiral spring 6 mounted on said pintle and having one end 6 bearing against the plate E and the other end bearing against the leaf-holder C, serves to press the edge 0 of the latter toward the plate a of the clamping device a, and said leaf-holder is moved away from said plate by means of the projection or thumb-piece 0 which is pressed down when a book is to be inserted in the holder or when a leaf is to be turned, as will be readily understood. The base-plate E is pivotally secured to the flange a of the clamp member a by means of a pivot or pin 6* to permit the leaf-holder to swing in a horizontal plane and bear with equal pressure on both sides of the book regardless of the point at which said book is opened. This will be readily understood by referring to Fig. 7 of the drawings.

When a book is to be inserted in the holder,

the clamp members a and b are adjusted a sufficient distance apart to properly receive the book, this adjustment being effected by means of the screw D, as already described. he leaf-holder is then moved away from the clamping member a by pressing down on the thumb-piece 0 and the open book is inserted with its back against the adjustable section B and with the lower edges of the side covers in proper position in the clamping member a. The clamp member 6 is then moved down by means of the screw D until it engages the upper edges of the book-cover, as will be readily understood. The leaf-holderC being mounted to swing in a horizontal plane as well as in a Vertical plane will adjust itself to the leaves on each side of the open book and bear with equal pressure thereon and may be readily moved outwardly to permit the leaves to be turned, as already described.

It will be noted that my improved bookholder is compact in structure and will occupy little space when out of service. When in use, it may be secured to a table or to the arm of a chair by means of an adjustable bracket,

(illustrated in Fig. 1,) or it may be provided with hinged legs f f for supporting it at a convenient angle on a desk or table, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The weight of the holder will add very little to the weight of a book secured therein and may therefore be conveniently employed when the book is to be supported by the hand of the reader, the basesection A affording a convenient handle for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a book-holder, the combination of a hollow tubular base-section having a bookclamping member mounted thereon, said basesection extending below said clamping member to afford a handle or sup ort, a top section carrying a cooperating book-clamping mem her and having its lower end slidably mounted in said base-section, and a relatively movable screw and nut within the tubular base-section respectively secured to said sections for relatively moving the same and varying the distance between the book-clamping members carried thereby, substantially as described.

2. In a book-holder the combination of a hollow base-section, and an adjustable top section slidably mounted therein and supported thereby, a screw-threaded opening in the lower end of said top section, clamping devices carried by said sections adapted to respectively engage the bottom and top edges of the cover of an open book, and a screw rotatively mounted in and housed by said base-section said screw engaging the screw-threaded opening in said top section, substantially as described.

3. In a book-holder the combination of a hollow base-section and an adjustable top section slidably mounted therein and supported thereby a screw-threaded opening in the lower end of said top section, clamping devices mounted on said sections adapted to respectively engage the bottom and top edges of the cover of an open book, a screw rotatively mounted in said base-section and engaging the screw-threaded opening in said top section, and a leaf-holder pivotally mounted on said base-section and adapted to swing both in a horizontal and a vertical plane substantially as described.

4:. In a book-holder the combination of a base-section and an adjustable top section each being provided with a clamping member adapted to respectively engage the bottom and top edges of an open book, means for adjusting said sections relatively to each other, and a leaf-holder pivotally mounted on said basesection and adapted to swing both in a horizontal and a vertical plane substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL H. LAW. Witnesses:

EDWARD V. BOWLES, PATRICK H. CoLLINs.

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