Structure of an Inclined Book Holder

The present invention relates to a holder for books and similar articles that are generally rectangular in form, and more particularly to a holder which facilitates the support of such articles from an edge portion of a desk or table or from an elevated surface such as a shelf with the article being held in an inclined orientation with respect to a user.

Though various forms of book holders are known from the prior art, most comprise relatively flimsy foldable wire or sheet stock frames that are best suited for supporting relatively small books or which can only accomodate books whose dimensions fall within a narrow range. As the holders themselves rest over a table or the like no firm securement is provided therefor, and more significantly space on the tabletop which would otherwise be available for other uses becomes occupied. Furthermore, conventional forms of book holders usually do not provide a means of support from an elevated platform and are useable only from a horizontal surface such as a table or desk top.

It was in light of these deficiencies of the more conventional forms of book holders that the present invention was accomplished, in order to provide a more versatile book holder that can accomodate books or other articles of widely varying dimensions and which can support the articles from an elevated surface as well as over a tabletop, while still being fully collapsible for efficient storage.

The present invention has as a main object to provide a book holder having an S shaped clamping member that defines respective opposed clamps for securement with a projecting surface such as an edge portion of a desk or an elevated shelf, and which has an elongate support member that adjoins with the clamping member at an acute angle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a book holder further characterized in having at least one elongate auxiliary member that is selectively positionable along the support member and which can be varied in angular orientation therewith.

A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a book holder as characterized which further includes thumbscrews which are threadedly engageable with cooperating holes formed in upper and lower clamping portions of the clamp member so as to enable the rigid securement of a projecting surface within either clamp therein.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a book holder that is easily folded or disassembled so as to facilitate the storage thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a book holder of greater versatility that can be used with books or other articles of varied dimensions, and which can support the articles at selectable orientations with respect to a user.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention as well as the details of their actualization will become apparent by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof provided below along with accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the inclined book holder.

FIG. 2a is a side view showing the clamp portion of the inclined book holder with the lower clamp thereof clamping an edge portion of a table.

FIG. 2b is a side view showing the clamp portion of FIG. 2a with the upper clamp thereof clamping an opposing edge portion of a table.

FIG. 2c is a side view showing the clamp portion of FIG. 2a inverted with the lower clamp thereof clamping an elevated edge portion of a shelf.

FIG. 2d is a side view showing the clamp portion of FIG. 2a with the lower clamp thereof clamping an edge portion of a table with the aid of an external wedge.

FIGS. 3a and 3b are side views showing a cross member and a pair of lateral members of the book holder respectively attached to a support member thereof.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the inclined book holder having a pivoting support bar.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a first embodiment of the inclined book holder of the present invention comprises a crenelated metal strip 10 having an inclined main support bar 11, a pair of lateral members 31,32 selectively positionable along the support bar, and a swivelable cross member 40 also adjustably positioned thereon.

The elongate support bar 11 adjoins with a roughly S shaped clamp portion 20 on the lower end thereof. Clamp portion 20 comprises an upper clamp plate 21, a parallel medial clamp plate 22, and a parallel lower clamp plate 23, with clamp plates 21,22 and 22,23 being joined by respective juncture plates 24 and 25 at opposing rear and front edges thereof. The support bar 11 adjoins with the front edge of clamp plate 21 and defines a roughly 45 degree angle therewith. A pair of thumbscrews 50 provided with the holder can be engaged through a pair of threaded holes 21a,21b on plate 21 or a similar pair 23a,23b on plate 23.

Note that all directional references described herein, such as front, rear, upper and lower, are with respect to the depictions in the drawings for purposes of greater clarity and should not be construed as limitations on the orientation of the book holder or any of its members. FIGS. 2a to 2c show the use of clamp portion 20 in clamping the book holder onto an edge of a desk or the like, or from an elevated surface such as a shelf. As can be seen, the book holder can be clamped over a proximal edge portion A of a table, with respect to a user situated adjacent therewith, by first sliding the clamp portion thereon over edge A so that the edge is between clamp plates 22,23 and then rotating thumbscrews 50, which are positioned in the lower plate, until they press tightly against the lower surface of edge A. The book holder is similarly clamped to a distal edge portion B across the table from the user by inserting the edge between clamp plates 21,22 and tightening the thumbscrews, which are now positioned in the upper plate below the support bar, thereagainst. When clamped to a shelf board C or other elevated ledge, the projection is clamped between plates 21,22 with the thumbscrews being positioned in the inverted plate 21 which is below the shelf board where they can be easily accessed. A resilient wedge 60 is further provided in order to facilitate the rapid clamping of relatively thin edges or boards, as shown in FIG. 2d, wherein the wedge is usable between either pair of clamp plates.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and to 3, the pair of lateral members 31,32 and the cross member 40 are each attached to support bar 11 by a respective pairs of oblate bolts 71 and wing nuts 72. A plurality of holes 111 are formed at predetermined intervals along the support bar so that the lateral members and cross member can be selectively positioned thereon to accomodate books or other articles of varying dimensions. The pivot ends 311,321 of the lateral members are secured to one of the holes 111 using a nut and bolt 71,72 with each member spread apart at a substantial angle so as to support a lower edge of a book near the corners thereof with upturned brackets 312,322 formed on the opposing ends thereof. The central portion of cross member 40 is similarly secured to one of the holes 111 which is usually higher than the one carrying the lateral members and is usually swung into a perpendicular orientation with respect to the support bar to support the back of the book. Both the lateral members 31,32 and the cross member 40 can be selectively positioned at any of the holes 111 with the lateral members and cross member usually being disposed on opposite sides of the support bar 11 so that they can be swung into alignment or near alignment with the support member without interference. Storage of the book holder is thus greatly facilitated.

An alternate embodiment of the book holder is shown in FIG. 4, wherein a separate support bar 11' is pivotably attachable to the clamp portion 20'.

The lower end of support bar 11' is securable with a forward portion of clamp plate 21' using a nut and bolt 71,72 similar to those used with the lateral and cross members. The support bar could thus be pivoted about the clamp plate by first loosening the securing nut and re-tightening after the support bar and a supported article were moved to desired orientation with respect to a user. As with the members carried on the support bar of both embodiments, the bar 11' can be separated from the members connected therewith to facilitate compact storage of the book holder.

Many further variations and refinements to the present invention not described in the present disclosure could also be accomplished by a person of average skill in the art without departing from the scope thereof. For example, provision could be made for further appendages on either or both the cross member and lateral members, such as spring clamps or the like, so as to facilitate the retainment of various articles or parts thereof, such as artboards, the pages of a book, etc. Similarly, further cooperating members could also be added thereon to enable a sliding engagement on the support bar so as to be infinitely adjustable. Furthermore, the clamp portion can also be modified to effect a better engagement with various seating surfaces by adding one or more elements thereto, or even simplified by eliminating the thumbscrews if the clamp plates were provided with sufficient resilience to directly clamp a surface.

Hence, the exact spirit and scope of the present invention should not be inferred from the specificities of the exemplary embodiments thereof provided above, but instead should be determined from the appended claims and their legal equivalents.