Artist{40 s collapsible wall and table mountable easel

[57] ABSTRACT

An artist’s collapsible easel has been provided which can be mounted either on a table or upon a wall and wherein the frames of the same can be angled and rigidly held in the angled positions against collapse upon one another by slide plates having lateral projectons that can adjustably engage between the side edges of the frames close to the point of the pivot bolt connection between the frames and thereby eliminate the need for the usual links or easel brackets at remote positions from their pivot connections with one another and thereby provide for an artist’s easel of the collapsible type which is more compact and without so many parts. U-shaped base and canvas supporting frames are formed of regular tubular or bar stock and brackets for engagment with the upper and lower edges of the artist’s canvas frame are connected in an adjustable manner upon the legs of the canvas supporting frame, while the free ends of the frame legs are joined together by the pivot bolt connections and held against collapse by the lateral projections of slide plates held in common with leg ends and the same pivot bolts.

Claims, 12 Drawing Figures

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ΡΑΓΕΝΤΕ0ΜΑΚ261974 3,799,488

SHEET 1 OF 2

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PATENTED MAR 2 6 1974

3,799,48b

SHEET 2 OF 2

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3,799,488

ARTIST'S COLLAPSIBLE WALL AND TABLE MOUNTABLE EASEL

This invention relates to an artist’s collapsible wall and table mountable easel for supporting canvas paintings or the like.

It is the object of the invention to provide an artist’s easel which is adapted for connection to a wall surface as well as to be supported upon a table and wherein the degree of angular relationship of the frame parts determine the inclination of the canvas supporting parts relative to the base and relative to the wall surface.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a collapsible easel having simple means for holding the canvas and base frames of the easel in their angularly adjusted postions from one another and in such a manner that they cannot be collapsed on one another when in use.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a collapsible artist easel formed of two collapsible Ushaped frames held in angularly adjustable positions from one another by the same pivot bolts that join the frames and by slide plates carried by the same pivot bolt and with lateral extension on one of the slide bolts interfitting between the frame so that the frames may be positively locked, as well as being adjustable, against collapse in their adjusted positions, whereby the usual cumbersome long links remote from pivot connection and with separate bolts will be dispensed with.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a collapsible table and wall mountable artist’s easel which is inexpensive to manufacture, of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, easy to adjust, light in weight durable, of pleasing appearance, effective and efficient in use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an artist’s wall and table mountable easel embodying the features of the invention and with the frames extended and clamped together in a rigid manner to be self-supporting upon a table with illustration being made of a framed canvas on which the painting is to be made.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the hinge connection between upper and lower canvas supporting frame parts and with illustration being made as to the manner in which the frame parts are collapsed upon one another, this view being taken on line 2—2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical view of the connection of the lower frame part with the supporting base frame with portions of the lower frame part broken away to show the manner in which the adjustable canvas support bracket is secured to the tubular leg of the lower frame part, the view being taken generally on line 3—3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a collective perspective and fragmentary view of one of the slide plates and its lateral extension, fragments of the base and canvas supporting frames, a pivot bolt and a winged fastening nut to prevent the collapse of the frames in their different angularly adjusted positions relative to each other.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the easel supported and hung from a wall surface with illustration being made as to the manner in which the inclination of the upper and lower canvas supporting frame parts can be adjusted by the adjustment of the base part with the canvas supporting frame parts and the parts being locked aginst collapse with one another by the slidable lock plate.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the base and canvas supporting frames collaped upon one another to take up little storage space.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of the 10 invention employing but one canvas supporting frame part, with this frame being angled upon a base frame and locked in place by slide supports against angular collapse of the frames upon each other.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of 15 the lock connection of the frames when angled with one another, and of one of the framed canvas holding brackets, the view being taken generally on line 8—8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 9-9 20 of FIG. 7 and through one of the adjustable framed canvas holding brackets.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a modified framed canvas holder brackets adjustable upon a leg of the framed canvas supporting frame part.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the easel of FIG. 7 suspended upon a wall surface wherein the base frame supports the easel by engagement with the wall surface below the hanging connection of the canvas support part therewith, the frames being locked by ³⁰ slide plates in their angularly adjusted position to prevent the collapse of the same one with the other.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the canvas supporting frame part collapsed upon the base frame so as to minimize space taken up by the easel when being ³⁵ stored or transported.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 6, there is shown generally an artist’s easel IS constructed according to the present invention in such a manner that the lower and upper canvas supporting frame parts 16 and 17 when ^υ locked together in their extended positions and connected to a base frame 18 in such a manner that the usual long link braces or brackets for locking the parts together against collapse with respect to one another are unnecessary, thereby eliminating detachable space ⁵ consuming parts. According to this invention, the securing of the easel frame together is effected at the pivotal connection itself of the frames 16 and 17 with the base part 18 in the form of slide plates 21 and 22 re_5Q spectively having laterally struck projections 23 and 24 that can be located in the angle space between the edges of the lower frame 16 and the base frame 18 at any one of a number of positions along the upper edges of the base frame 18 to positively lock the frame parts ₅₅ against angular collapse upon one another. The lower canvas supporting frame part 16 and the base frame 18 are of U-shape and their legs are pivotally connected together by clamping bolts 26 and 27 and their respective wing nuts 28 and 29. The respective bolts 26 and ₆₀ 27 respectively extend through the slide lock plates 21 and 22 in their respective elongated slots 31 thereof. The plates 21 and 22 are thus secured by respective bolts 26 and 27 in such a manner that they can be adjusted fore and aft to locate the laterally struck projec₆₅ tions 23 and 24 at different positions along the top edges of the legs of the base 18 and beneath the lower edges of the legs of the lower canvas-supporting frame part 16 and positively lock these frame parts 16 and 17

3,799,488 with respect to the base frame 18 against collapse of one with the other as the easel is rested upon a table surface or upon the easel being hung upon a wall as shown in FIG. 5 by its loop 55. The slide plates 21 and 22 are fixed in their positions by the wing nuts 28 and 5 29 upon the respective bolts 26 and 27 and at the same time the frames will be held against outward angular displacement with with respect to one another by a friction tight grip afforded by the tightening of the wing nuts upon their respective bolts. 10

The canvas-supporting frame part 16 is formed of tubular stock of square section. Its legs respectively have elongated slots 32 and 33 extending upwardly from the lower end thereof and through the top end of the frame for the purpose of receiving framed canvas support 15 brackets 34 and 35 that can be adjustably locked upon the legs at different frame elevations for the supporting of the artist’s canvas frame as indicated in dotted lines

36, FIG. 1.

These framed canvas support brackets 34 and 35 are 20 generally L-shape with an upwardly bent lip 37, FIG. 3, and vertical portions 38 which are secured clamp bolts 39 extending through the respective slots and locked tight against the undersides thereof by respective nuts 41. At times when the easel is being collaped, these 25 framed canvas support brackets 34 and 35 can be removed by loosening the clamping bolts 39 and pulling the assemblies outwardly through the top ends of the leg slots when the upper frame part 17 has been collapsed or hinged downwardly upon the lower frame ³⁰part 16.

The U-shaped upper frame part 17 as best seen in FIG. 2 is connected by its bight end portion 43 to the closed upper bight end portion of the lower frame part 16 by a hinge 42 lying on the rear face thereof. This ³⁵frame part has open legs extending upwardly from the opposite sides thereof correspondingly to the respective legs of the lower frame part 16. The front face of the bight portion 43 of the frame part 17 has a slot 44 for receiving an elongated bolt 45 which extends up- ⁴⁰wardly through the bight portion of the frame part 16 as best seen in FIG. 2 and into slot 44 and is tightened by wing nut 46 to thereby lock the frame parts to one another in their extended postions by their bight portions and provide a thereby one elongated framed can- ⁴⁵ vas angled support for the framed canvas 36. The legs of the upper frame part 17 respectively have elongated slots 47 and 48 that are open at the bight portion 43 and extend upwardly to near the upper ends of the legs. Framed canvas holding brackets 49 and 51 are respec50 tively mounted upon the legs and respectively held in place in their adjusted positions by respective clamps bolts assemblies 52 and 53. These framed canvas holding brackets 49 and 51 engage in the reverse manner from brackets 34 and 35 with the top edge of the framed canvas 36 and cooperate with the bottom holding brackets 34 and 35 to keep the framed canvas rigid upon the extended frame parts 16 and 17 and against displacement therefrom and in an inclined position when the easel is mounted upon a table and such that the artist can easily paint thereupon.

The upper ends of the open legs of the upper frame part 17 joined by a transverse piece 54 that has a loop thereon adapted so that the easel can thereby be hung on a wall surface and the frame parts 16 and 17 retain the framed canvas 36 in an inclined manner as shown in FIG. 5. The inclination of the extended frame parts 16 and 17 can be varied upon the wall as well as on the table by the slide plates 21 and 22 with their respective laterally struck projections 23 and 24 to different positions as illustrated in FIG. 5 so that base frame part 18 can be angled closer to frame parts 16 and 17 by pushing the slides 21 and 22 further inwardly so that the projection 24 is extended a greater distance from the pivot bolts 26 and 27 so that the angle between the frames 16 and 18 is less and thereby allowing the framed canvas to be positioned at less inclination as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5. The frames cannot collapse so long as the struck projections 24 are located between the frames 16 and 18 and the slide plates are always available for easy adjustment.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 to 12, there is shown a somewhat more simplified construction than with the form of the invention just described. Instead of two frame parts 16 and 17, this easel indicated generally at 60 has but one frame 61 for supporting a framed canvas 62 and is formed of bar stock bent into U-shape to provide legs extending from a bight portion 63 that has a hanging loop 64. A base supporting frame 65 is also formed of bar stock and has a bight portion 66 interconnecting its legs. The legs of both frames 61 and 65 are joined together by a through one bolt 67 threaded at its opposite ends to receive inner wing nuts 68 and outer wing nuts 69. The opposite leg ends of the frames 61 and 65 and slide angle adjusting plates 71 and 72 are held secure in place upon the rod 67 by the tightening of respective inner and outer wing nuts 68 and 69. The slide plates 71 and 72 respectively have laterally struck portions 73 and 74 FIG. 12 which are located between the opposing edges of the two frames when angled from one another in a manner best shown in FIGS. 7 and 11 so that the amount of the angle and consequently the degree of inclination of the frame 61 for the framed canvas 62 can be altered and put in the most desirable position with easy manipulation of the slide plates. Each of the plates 71 and 72 have elongated slots to which the threaded ends of the bolt 67 extend and once the adjustment is made, the clamping wing nuts 68 and 69 can be made tight to hold the frames rigidly connected with one another and the struck portions 73 and 74 in place to prevent the collapse of the frame and thus the framed canvas 62 in the desired inclined position at all times. With the easel made rigid in this manner, it can be rested upon a supporting surface by its base supporting frame 65 in the manner shown in FIG. 7 or it can be hung by its loops 63 upon a nail 76 in a wall surface 77 and with the bight portion 66 of the frame 65 engaging the wall surface 77, the inclined framed canvas supporting frame 61 being locked in its inclined position and against movement relative to the wall without first adjusting the slide plates.

Upon the legs of the canvas supporting frame 61 are adjustable slide brackets 78 and 79 for supporting the lower edge of the framed canvas 62 and opposing upper slide brackets 81 and 82 that engage the upper edge of the framed canvas 62 whereby the framed canvas will be secured to the frame 61.

As best seen in FIG. 9, each bracket is held in place upon the legs of the frame 61 by a clamp screw 83 that is threaded into a double claw member 84 that hooks over the edges of the leg of the frame 61 so that the clamping screw 83 engages the outer face of the leg to put the claw 82 in tight gripping engagement therewith. All brackets 78, 79, 81 and 82 have a hooked end 85

3,799,488 as best seen in FIG. 8. In FIG. 10, there is shown a more or less one piece bracket that can be used in lieu of the framed canvas retaining brackets 78, 79, 81 and 82. This bracket has a sleeve portion 86 that surrounds the leg bar and carries a clamping bolt 87. This sleeve portion 86 has an upstanding tongue 88 with a bent hook end 89.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided an artist’s wall and table mountable easel in which the framed canvas supporting frame parts can be angled with respect to base frame and held rigidly in this angular relationship without the need of long links or struts that are usually used to hold the parts together outwardly at some distance from the pivot connection between frames making for many more parts, less compact and the parts difficult to manipulate. By the use of the present slide plates mounted on the pivot bolts the frame parts can be held angled from one another against collapse at varying angles by merely adjusting the struck portions of slide plate to different locations between the frame parts thereby allowing for different angular adjustments. It will also be seen that the clamp brackets for the canvas can be readily adjusted to the different size of canvas and clamped to the legs of the frames for tight rigid engagement of the canvas with the canvas supporting frame.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.