Untitled record

Application filed December 19, 1890. Serial No, 375,216. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Henry J. Harrison, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterloo, in the county of Black Hawk and State 5 of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Supports and Desks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it to appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device to which I have applied my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of my invention.

My improvements relate to book-supports 20 and writing-desks.

The objects of my invention are to provide a holder for the proper support and handling of books and a portable writing-desk, whereby light or heavy books may be kept open at 25 any desired place and angle and provided with an index-pointer for the written or printed page.

The invention consists in the following construction and combination of parts, which will 30 be first fully described in connection with the drawings and the points of novelty then set forth in the claim.

In the drawings, A represents the booksupport and desk.

1 is the main frame or support for the book, which may be paneled, as shown, if desired.

is the bottom ledge, which projects out in front of frame 1, upon which the lower edges 40 of the book rest.

is a hinged bar, hinged at the bottom of frame 1 in the rear.

is a second bar hinged to the first bar 3 and carries a bar 5, projecting rearwardly at 45 right angles thereto.

is a pivoted brace-support hinged at the outer end of bar 5 and is pointed at its opposite extremity 7. 1 is a tooth-rack formed centrally in the rear of frame 1, within which the brace-sup- 50 port 6 adjustably rests.

The hinged bar 3 is hinged at its upper side to the frame 1, and the two bars 3 and 4 are hinged together at their lower edges. One of these bars may, however, be dispensed <<; with, if desired.

is a casing secured to the back of frame 1, near the top, containing a coiled spring or equivalent device.

is a weighted ruler and pointer, which 60 may be employed to hold the book open at the proper place to point to the line or place desired, and, if desired, for ruling lines upon the book.

is a cord leading from opposite sides of 65 the pointer 10 and connecting with the soring inside the casing 9. The weight of the pointer is such as to counterpoise the force of the spring, so that the pointer may be carried to any portion of the vertical height of the book 7 c and held there by friction of the cord lying upon the book and passing up over the booksupport.

The device is placed as shown in Fig. 2 to hold a book, the brace 6 and rack 8 permit- 75 ting it to be held at any desired angle. By turning the book-support over and folding up the brace and bars against the frame my invention forms a very serviceable portable writing-desk. In this position the ledge 2 is 80 underneath and props up the head of the desk, the back of frame 1 forming the face of the slanting desk, and the hinged parts 5 and 6 being folded flat down thereon are out of the way when used for that purpose, as is 85 also the spring-casing 9.