US2155535A - Book holder - Google Patents

Description

April 25, 1939. 5 E ELLIOTT 2,155,535

BOOK HOLDER Filed May 29, 1957 161% ZZZ/1'01! Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to book holders and has as an object the provision of a device that shall act as an easel for the book when in use and which may remain in place when the book is laid away.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a book holder having a part foldable to lie inside the closed book when not in use.

It is a further object to provide a device of the character referred to which carries a spring leaf-holder.

Further objects will appear from the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawing showing an illustrative em- 5 bodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of an open book showing the device in place;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of a portion of a closed book showing two of the devices of the invention in place and folded; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device laid flat.

The device of the invention is particularly useful for students, where a textbook must be held open and referred to while the hands of the user are needed for other uses than holding the book.

To receive a lower edge of the cover of the book, there is shown a clasp portion 10 formed of two plates H, l2. The two plates are shown as formed integral through the doubled portion I 3 the loop of which is utilized as one portion of a hinged connection with the foot I4 being connected thereto by means of a pintle l5.

To serve as an abutment'for the edge of the book cover as I6, tongues l1, 18 are shown turned from the material of one plate as H toward the other plate.

The foot 14 is shown as cut away at its cen- 4O ter portion at l9 to receive the portion l3 of the clasp. Pintle receiving eyes 20, 2| are shown turned from the metal at each side of the cutaway portion. To stiffen the toes 22, 23 of the foot 14, they are shown as formed with ridges 24, 25. The lower surface of the foot M or of the toes 22, 23 may be provided with any desired cushioning material (not shown) which may be of felt or rubber.

To prevent the clasp portion standing at too flat an angle to the foot portion in the position of Fig. 2, a margin 32 of the foot l4 opposite the cut-away i9 is shown as turned at an angle to impinge the clasp in operative position.

To hold the leaves of a book open, a spring 55 wire 26 is shown passed through openings 21, 28

in plate H, the end of the wire being turned at an angle at 29 to serve as a spring anchor. The remaining end of the wire 26 is shown turned to provide a bight 30 to engage a leaf of the book and the extremity is formed into a finger piece 3|.

The material of which the device is formed should have some resilience and the spacing of the plates ll, I2 should be slightly less than the thickness of the average book cover, in order that the device may remain in place on the covers.

Two devices of the invention are desirably used to hold a book. When the book is put away the feet I4 are turned to the position shown in Fig. 3, to lie inside the covers and the book may be laid away with the devices in place ready for the next use of the book. When folded it will be seen that the lips 32 and the springs 263ll will lie between the two and below the edge of the book. If desired, felt may also be applied to plate I l in order to avoid scratching furniture upon which the closed book is laid.

Minor changes may be made in the physical embodiment of the invention within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A book holder comprising, in combination: a cover clasping portion applicable to the bottom edge of a book cover; a foot portion hinged to an edge of said clasping portion, swingable from a position of contact with the inner surface of a book cover clasped by the first-named portion through an arc of at least 270 to a book-supporting position; and parts of said portions interengaging to hold the book in reading position.

2. A book holder comprising, in combination: a cover-embracing portion formed of spaced plate portions to receive the lower edge of a book cover therebetween; registering margins of said portions projecting and bent to form an integral hinge member; a foot portion having at one edge a hinge member complemental to said first named member and a pintle passing through said members to complete the hinge; said foot member movable through an arc of at least 270 about said pintle; and a flange struck up from the material of said foot portion to abut said cover-embracing portion to limit motion about the pintle in one direction to support a book in position to be read; said foot portion swingable into position in contact with the inner surface of the cover whereby to close fiat with the closed book.

SETH E. ELLIOT'I.

Images