Reading material support stand

A reading material support stand is set forth wherein the same is formed of a collapsible interfoldable organization wherein a transparent foldable support surface is generally inclined at an acute angle of approximately 70 degrees to enable a reclining reader to avail himself of reading material positioned on the opposite side of said support surface. The support surface is secured to a foldable framework formed with telescoping legs at peripheral portions of the support surface framework wherein the telescoping legs further include foldable legs latchable into a predetermined orientation relative to the telescoping legs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The field of the invention relates to support surfaces for reading material 
and more particularly pertains to a new and improved reading material 
support stand wherein the same may be interfolded into a compact 
organization for storage and transport of same. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of reading material support stands is known in the prior art. As 
may be appreciated, these devices have normally been configured for unique 
orientations and positions with respect to a user thereof. In this regard 
therefore, they have been of specialized and unique constructions thereby 
limiting their versatility and application to a variety of situations. For 
example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,083,764 to Smith illustrates the use of a "U" 
shaped support bracket securing thereto a transparent sheet pivotally 
mounted in a yoke to orient reading material positioned in the reverse 
side thereof to a reader reclining particularly as in a bed. While an 
interesting organization relating to a particular and specialized 
application, the Smith patent lacks the function and structure available 
in the instant invention to accommodate a variety of reader orientations 
and positions relative to reading material. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,734 to Phillips illustrates an additional bed supported 
book holder wherein a clamp-like arrangement secures a transparent sheet 
to a headboard of an associated bed and wherein an overlying transparent 
sheet supportingly secures a book or the like relative to a reader lying 
in said bed. As in the Smith patent, the Phillips patent provides a unique 
structural arrangement specific to a reader within a bed and is of a 
relatively remote organization to the instant invention. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,546,283 to Webster illustrates the use of a foldable 
transparent one-piece planar support surface for positionally securing 
reading material thereon wherein said organization may be positioned on a 
bed to enable an individual lying therein to avail himself of the reading 
material. The Webster organization is of interest in the manner it solves 
a particular problem but is generally adaptable only to the bedside 
orientation of the organization and is not generally applicable to a 
variety of reading environments as the instant invention is capable of. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,348 to Rustad illustrates an additional solid 
transparent one-piece sheet wherein a collapsible "J" shaped leg 
organization is pivotal to an orientation generally orthogonal to said 
sheet to enable positioning on a bed surface to enable a reader thereof to 
avail himself of reading material overlying the transparent sheet. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,255 to Hill illustrates a relatively complex bracketry 
arrangement to enable positioning of a general "U" shaped leg to a 
sandwiched orientation between mattresses of a bed to supportingly secure 
a transparent sheet that may clampingly secure reading material thereon to 
enable individuals lying in the associated bed to read without the use of 
their limbs for securement of the reading material. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,372 to Ford illustrates a floor mounted clamp wherein 
an overlying yoke pivotally secures reading material wherein a cantilever 
arrangement enables the height and angularity of the support sheet to be 
varied. 
As such, it may be appreciated that there is continuing need for a new and 
improved reading material support stand which addresses both the problem 
of storage, portability, and effectiveness, and in this respect the 
present invention substantially fulfills this need. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
reading material support stands now present in the prior art, the present 
invention provides an reading material support stand wherein the same may 
be compactly stored when not in use and can further be easily and 
efficiently unfolded and extended to provide a reading material support 
stand relative to a user at a variety of orientations and heights relative 
to the support stand. As such, the general purpose of the present 
invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to 
provide a new and improved reading material support stand which has all 
the advantages of the prior art reading material support stands and none 
of the disadvantages. 
To attain this, the present invention comprises a reading material support 
stand which may be compactly folded in half and provided with telescoping 
legs which may be retracted to provide a compact easily storable and 
transported organization. A foldable transparent support surface is 
provided with side rails guidingly accepting extensible and retractable 
legs provided with pivotal feet lockable into a support position. 
Accordingly, the height of support stand may be varied to enable a reader 
to utilize the stand either in a reclined or seated position. 
The invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather 
in the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed and claimed 
and it is distinguished from the prior art in this particular combination 
of all of its structures for the functions specified. 
There has thus been outline, rather broadly, the more important features of 
the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows 
may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to 
the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional 
features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which 
will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled 
in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure 
is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other 
structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of 
the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be 
regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not 
depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is of enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms of phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved reading material support stand which has all the advantages of 
the prior art reading material support stands and none of the 
disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
reading material support stand which may be easily and efficiently 
manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved reading material support stand which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved reading material support stand which is susceptible of a low cost 
of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which 
accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming 
public, thereby making such reading material support stand economically 
available to the buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved reading material support stand which provides in the apparatuses 
and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved reading material support stand which may be compactly folded in 
half and is provided with frame-like side rails telescopingly accepting 
extensible and retractable legs provided with locking feet to orient the 
associated support stand at an angle of approximately 70 degrees to 
accommodate users to avail themselves of reading material both lying down 
and in a seated orientation relative to the support stand. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operation 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof, a 
new and improved reading material support stand embodying the principles 
and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the 
reference numeral 10 will be described. 
More specifically, it will be noted that the reading material support stand 
10 essentially comprises a first transparent support surface 11 hingedly 
secured to a second transparent support surface 12. A top support hinge 13 
secured to top edges of the respective first and second support surfaces 
11 and 12 and a bottom support hinge 17 secured to lower terminal edges of 
the respective support surfaces 11 and 12 hingedly secure the two support 
surfaces together wherein top support hinge 13 includes a right "L" shaped 
attachment bracket securable to the first transparent support surface with 
a left "L" shaped attachment bracket 15 secured to the second transparent 
support surface, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 5. Right "L" shaped 
attachment bracket 14 has integrally secured thereto a pivot boss 14a 
aligned with the short leg of the right "L" shaped attachment bracket 
where a left pivot boss 15a secured to the left "L" shaped attachment 
bracket 15 is positioned underlying the short leg of the "L" shaped 
attachment bracket 15 to enable pivot boss 14a to rotatably slide over the 
left pivot boss 15a by means of the top hinge pivot 16. A free edge 114 of 
the right pivot boss 14a may thereby come into contact with abutment 
surface 115 of the short leg of "L" shaped attachment bracket 15 to 
prevent over-centering of first transparent support surface 11 with 
respect to the second transparent support surface 12 and accordingly 
enable linear alignment of the two support surfaces 11 and 12 in a single 
plane, as illustrated in FIG. 3 for example. 
The bottom support hinge 17 is similar in construction to the top support 
hinge 13 wherein a left "L" shaped attachment bracket is secured to 
support surface 11 and a right "L" shaped attachment is secured to the 
second transparent support 12 in a manner similar to that that as 
illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein additionally the bottom hinge pivot pin 20 
axially aligned with top hinge pivot 16 extends beyond the surfaces of the 
associated pivot bosses, as illustrated in FIG. 4, to project through the 
left shelf 21 and right shelf 22, as illustrated in FIG. 4. 
Secured to outside lateral edges of the support surfaces 11 and 12 are 
tubular support surface frame members 23 each accepting a telescoping leg 
24 and wherein the frame members 23 are secured to the support surfaces 11 
and 12 by "L" shaped frame member brackets 25 formed with an integral 
orthogonal attachment boss 26 accepting a securement element to secure the 
respective frame members 23 to respective frame member brackets 25. 
Each frame member 23 has formed therein a slot 27 extending generally 
orthogonal to the axial center line of each tubular frame member 23 to 
accept a projection 28a orthogonally and integrally part of a capture 
bracket 28 securedly positioned within each respective slot 27 by a 
threaded plug 29 interfitting within a threaded aperture 29a, as 
illustrated in FIG. 4. 
FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6 illustrate a first pivot 30 formed through a lowermost 
portion of a plurality of bifurcated legs of the respective telescoping 
leg 24 slidingly received within each respective tubular frame member 23. 
The respective first pivots 30 pivotally secure a support leg 31 formed 
with a locking lug 31a, as illustrated in FIG. 6, projecting upwardly from 
inclined ramp surfaces 31b that engage with lower surfaces of the 
aforenoted bifurcated legs of the telescoping leg 24 to maintain a linear 
alignment of a telescoping leg 24 with a support leg 31, as illustrated in 
FIGS. 2, 3 and 6. 
A support foot 32 is pivotally secured to each support leg 31 by a second 
pivot pin 33 rotatably accepted within second pivot apertures 33a within 
arcuate upstanding flanges 37 orthogonally and integrally formed to outer 
terminal edges of the respective support feet 32, as illustrated in detail 
in FIG. 6. A locking slot 38 is formed in each of the arcuate upstanding 
flanges 37 and is generally orthogonal to the radius of curvature of each 
flange 37 to accept a locking ring 39 formed with pivot legs 40 rotatably 
acceptable within pivot leg bores 41 positioned within the support legs 31 
above the height of the respective arcuate upstanding flanges 37 wherein 
in a locked position, the locking ring 39 is accepted within the 
respective locking slots 38 of the flanges 37 to secure the respective 
support feet 32 at a position angle 42, as illustrated in FIG. 3, of 
approximately 70 degrees to provide a convenient orientation of the 
support surfaces 11 and 12 as a support reading material thereon with 
respect to a user thereof. The position angle 42 may in fact range from 60 
degrees to 80 degrees between a respective support foot 32 and a support 
leg 31 but wherein 70 degrees is deemed to be optimum. It is further noted 
that each lock ring 39 has secured thereto a plurality of positioning 
springs 43 secured to each second pivot pin 33 to maintain the lock ring 
39 either within the respective locking slots 38 or maintain the lock ring 
39 against the arcuate surfaces of each upstanding flange 37 to enable 
effective securement of the lock ring 39 within the locking slots 38 when 
desired. 
Further reference to FIG. 6 will illustrate a locking notch 35 formed 
underlying a respective lock head of telescoping leg 24 wherein, as 
illustrated in FIG. 1, each respective capture bracket projecting through 
a respective slot 27 by means of projection 28a is positioned within each 
locking notch 35 to maintain the center position of the telescoping leg 
24, as illustrated in FIG. 1. 
When interfolding of the apparatus is desired, reference to FIG. 1 will 
illustrate the threaded plug 29 rotated to remove the respective 
projection 28a from its companion slot 27 whereupon telescoping leg 24 may 
be received within each tubular support surface frame member 23, and 
further each support leg 31 may be pivoted orthogonally to each 
telescoping leg 24 about the respective first pivot pin 30 and upon 
removing lock ring 39 from companion locking slots 38 enables a respective 
support foot 32 to be pivoted parallel against an overlying irrespective 
support leg 31 enabling a compact interfolding of the apparatus. 
Reference to FIG. 4 illustrates the left shelf 21 and right shelf 22 
pivoted through the bottom hinge pivot pin 20 whereupon the respective 
shelves 20 and 21 may be locked in an aligned orientation by means of the 
right shelf projections 22a being accepted within the left shelf 21a into 
an orientation, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and 3, to supportingly accept 
reading material thereon. 
Further with reference to FIG. 4, aperture flanges 23a formed onto an 
interior wall of each respective tubular support frame member 23 has an 
aperture formed therein cooperating with a washer 34 to enable securement 
of each respective frame member 23 to each orthogonal attachment boss 26 
by the use of conventional fasteners, as illustrated in FIG. 4. 
Furthermore, it is noted in FIGS. 4 and 5 that conventional threaded 
screws attach the respective brackets to the first and second support 
surfaces 11 and 12 wherein alternative securement means, such as 
adhesives, may be utilized. With further reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, 
it should be noted that the respective left and right shelves 21 and 22 
attach at their terminal ends remote from their pivotal association with 
bottom hinge piot 20 and are integrally secured to the tubular support 
surface frame members 23 thereby providing a rigid framework for 
securement of the respective transparent support surfaces 11 and 12. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly no further 
discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.