US470207A - Book-support - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. H. MORRISON. BOOK SUPPORT.

Patented Mar. 8,1892.

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\VILLIAM H. MORRISON, OF HOLHESBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOOK-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,207, dated March 8, 1892.

Application filed January 13, 1891- Serial No. 377,641. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. MORRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holmesburg, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Book-Support, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to book-supports; and the object of the same is to produce an improved device of this character.

To this end the invention consists of the details of construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the two sheets of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a general elevation of the device suitably supported from the arm of a chair. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one end of the rack, showing the foot as raised in full lines and as lowered in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the rack and foot. Referring to the said drawings, the letter C designates the clamp; U, the upright; S, the sleeve; B, the ball-and-socket joint; R, the rack; F, the foot, and H the connection between the last two members, these parts being, respectively, of the following construction:

The upright U may be supported in any suitable manner and on any convenient object, but, as illustrated, is clamped in position to the arm of achair, as shown in Fig. 1, by the clamp O.

The clamp C comprises an inner member 2, having a semicircular groove in its face and having horizontal flanges 4, adapted to pass, respectively, above and below the arm of a chair, the edge of a table, or other similar piece of furniture, a thumb-screw 5 passing upwardly through the lowermost flange and bearing against the under face of the part between the flanges whereby this member is held thereon. This clamp also comprises an outer member 6, having a similar groove registering with that in the inner member, and the members are loosely connected at one side of the grooves by screws 7, while a thumb-screw 8 passes loosely through the outer member and takes into a threaded hole 9 in the inner member at the other side of the grooves, by which means the two members may be brought together.

The sleeve S is of metal, shaped to fit loosely upon the horizontal arm 11 of the upright,

and a set-screw 13 through this sleeve impinges against said arm to prevent movement of the sleeve thereon after its adjustment.

The ball-and-socket joint B is mounted upon the sleeve, (or in some cases directly upon the upper end of the upright,) and it comprises a lower member 20, which is hol-" low, an upper member 22, formed in the shape of a hand-nut and which screws upon the lower member 20 by means of threads 23, and a ball 24 within the nut and resting upon the cushion. By a slight modification the lower member 20 could be made solid and the ball could be coated with rubber, although I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate this feature. Rising from the ball 24 is a stem 25, b'olted or screwed to the rack R, as shown. The foot F extends along. the lower edge of said rack, to which it is connected by the hinges H, the latter being of the following construction: A plate 30 is secured to the end of the foot and has a projecting tongue 31.

A plate 32 is secured to the end of the rack,

and its lower end 33 passes over the tongue 31 and is pivotally connected thereto by a rivet 34. By this means when the foot is lowered, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, the tip of the tongue 31 presses upwardly against the front edge 35 of the plate 32, which is turned over on the face of the rack; but

' when the foot is raised, as shown in full lines,

the tip of the tongue extends slightly beyond the rear edge of the plate 32.

36 is a spring secured to the rear face of the rack with its free end downward, and 37 is a screw seated in the back of the rack, but not screwed tightly down upon this spring, through which latter the shank of the screw extends.

38 is a finger on the free end of the spring,

which engages the tip of the tongue. By this construction when the foot is raised the finger automatically engages the tongue and holds the foot in that position; but when it is desired to lower the foot the finger 38 is pressed to the rear by the operator, whereby it is caused to disengage the tip of the tongue, and hence the foot is allowed to turn around its pivot 34 into alignment with the rack, the tip of the tongue striking the turned-over edge 35 and holding the parts in that condition. The combined rack and foot may then be used as a writing-desk by tilting them to the proper angle, or by setting them level they may serve as a dentists or other table to support light articles.

40 are L-shaped retainers, one arm of each of which is journaled in the edge of the foot and the other arm projects over above the rack in order to hold the leaves of a book open in a manner which will be obvious, and ll is a U-shaped retainer, onearm of which is journaled in the upper edge of the rack and the other arm of which extends downwardly over the upper edge of a sheet of music or of the leaves of the said book.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lower edge of the rack R is preferably square, as at 42, and the contiguous edge of the foot is grooved, as at 43, in order that these parts may turn one upon the other and may make a smooth table or desk top when they stand in alignment. However, the pivots 34 at the ends of the rack and foot will generally serve to quite firmly connect these members.

By adjusting the connection H the foot F can be set at an angle to or in alignment with the rack.

The uses to which this device may be put having a tongue 31, a pivot 3t, connecting said lower end and tongue, and a spring 36, secured to the back of the rack with the free end engaging the tip of said tongue, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a book-su pport, the combination, with an upright and a rack supported thereby, of a plate 32, secured to each end of the rack and having a free lower end 33 and a front edge 35 bent over the front of the rack, a foot F, a plate 30, secured to each end thereof and having a tongue 81, a pivot 34, connecting said lower end and tongue, a spring 36, secured to the back of the rack and having a finger 38, adapted to engage the tip of said tongue, and a screw 37, passing through said spring into the rack and having its head slightly raised above the spring, all substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM H. MORRISON.

WVitnesses:

ALBERT D. WILsQN, GEORGE R. SNowDEN.

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