IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK HOLDERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Allison, of 41 Southampton Buildings,
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK HOLDERS" Communicated to him from abroad
by Robert Morris Lambie, of the City and State of New York, United States
of America, Manufacturer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Allison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th August 1882.
HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 41 Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK HOLDERS" a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Robert Morris Lambie, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America, Manufacturer.
This invention relates to an apparatus for holding a dictionary or other large
volume so that it may be readily opened for reference and as readily closed and held
so as to be protected from dust and exposure.
The invention consists in a novel construction, arrangement, and combination of
a pair of adjustable folding leaves, an adjustable base board and frame, a standard,
a folding leg frame, and certain details of various devices, whereby provision is
made for adjusting the leaves to accomodate books of different sizes and holding
them in different positions, and for allowing the apparatus to be folded in small
space when not in use or when packed for transportation, as hereinafter more
particularly described.
The working parts of the apparatus are supported by an adjustable standard and
a folding leg frame.
The standard consists of a rod having at its upper end a socket for the reception
of a pivot, and a set screw for securing the pivot when in the socket. The legs are
of metal, and any number may be employed. The upper part of each leg is formed
into a shank, from two opposite sides of which extend two pivots cast with the
leg and shank. Above these pivots, when the legs are in place, the shank is vertical,
D

page_text: and the portion of the leg below the pivots is curved outward in any suitable form.
Three or more legs are placed together to form a leg frame, by passing the pivots
upward into a pear shaped sleeve, and then inserting the standard between them.
The pivots have bearings in a groove running around the interior of the largest
portion of the pear shaped sleeve, and the shanks rest against the outside of said
sleeve where they are held in place by a ring or band of a peculiar shape, which is
slipped over them. The sleeve is provided with a thumb screw for holding the
standard in place at any desired height. When the ring or band is removed from
around the shanks, the legs are free to swing towards each other, so that the legs
and standard may be packed in a small space.
The book-holder consists of a central base board, and two adjustable swinging or
folding boards. To the base board is attached a skeleton plate or frame consisting
of a quadrangular portion secured to the bottom of the board by screws, and two
semicircular braces extending from the bottom of said quadrangular portion and
crossing each other at right angles.
From two opposite sides of the frame in line with one of the semicircular braces,
extend two arms.
In the upper surface of the quadrangular portion, in line with the arms are two
semicircular depressions which form bearings for the ends of two arms extending
laterally from a bifurcated vertical post, the lower end of which is formed into a
tapering pivot having a peripherical groove around it. The last mentioned arms
extend from one of the branches of the bifurcated post, and the other branch is
provided with a set screw. Between the two branches of the bifurcated post works
one of the semicircular braces and the point of the set screw engages with notches
or depressions in the surface of said brace. By this means the base board may be
made to swing from a horizontal to a nearly vertical position, and is held in place
in either of said positions or any intermediate position by means of the set screw
and depressions.
The adjustable swinging or folding boards are connected to the base board in
the following manner. To the back of each is attached a T shaped plate or bar.
At the ends of the arms of this plate or bar on the side towards the swinging or
folding board are notches or depressions which form bearings for the ends of two
arms extending laterally from a second T shaped plate or bar. The end of the
main bar of this piece is formed into a tube or sleeve and provided with a set
screw.
These tubes or sleeves fit on the arms of the semicircular braces above described,
and are secured by the set screws last named, and by this means the swinging or
folding boards are hinged to the base board, so that they may be made to swing
from a vertical to a horizontal position, after the manner of opening and closing
a book.
The book is held by resting it on the base board and swinging boards, and by
means of the tubes or sleeves and set screws the swinging or folding boards are
adjusted towards or from each other to accomodate books of different thicknesses.
The lower edges of the swinging or folding boards are provided with cleats to
prevent the book from slipping when the boards are inclined from a horizontal
position. These cleats are provided with dowel pins engaging with holes in the
boards, so that they may be readily placed in position and removed at pleasure.
In order to hold the swinging or folding boards in place, with a book either open
or closed, but more especially when the book is closed between the boards, the
following devices are employed. A bar has at one end a lateral arm which
works in bearings consisting of notches in the T shaped plate or bar secured to
the back of the swinging or folding board. A wire spring is wound around the
Interal arm with one end of the wire bearing against the T shaped plate and the
other end engaging with a horn or projection on the lateral arm, with a tendency
to keep the bar with the lateral arm pressed upward.
The outer end of this bar is bent at a right angle to the direction of the lateral

page_text: arm and is formed into a book, which engages with an arm projecting laterally from
the tube or sleeve above mentioned. When the book is closed the tendency of the
springs to raise the bars causes said arms to press against the swinging or folding
boards and hold them firmly against the book, so as to keep it closed. The upward
motion of the bar is limited by the engagement of the hook with the arm pro-
jecting from the tube or sleeve. When the book is to be opened, the hooked arm.
slides over the arm projecting from the tube or sleeve and lies against the back of
the swinging or folding board.
A bar is provided with two claws and a set screw, by which means it may be
attached to the standard. The outer end of this bar is provided with a socket for
the reception of a pivot by which means a desk attachment may be connected to the
apparatus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert John Allison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th February 1883.
"
HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 41 Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK HOLDERS " a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Robert Morris Lambie, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America, Manufacturer.
This invention relates to an apparatus for holding a dictionary or other large
volume so that it may be readily opened for reference and as readily closed and
held so as to be protected from dust and exposure.
The invention consists in a novel construction, arrangement, and combination, of
a pair of adjustable folding leaves, an adjustable base-board and frame, a standard,
a folding leg-frame, and certain details of various devices, whereby provision is
made for adjusting the leaves to accommodate books of different sizes and holding
them in different positions, and for allowing the apparatus to be folded in small
space when not in use or when packed for transportation, as hereinafter more
particularly described.
The accompanying drawing represents an apparatus embodying my improvements.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus in position for use.
Figure 2 is a side view of the upper portion.
Figure 3 is an end view of the same.
Figures 4 and 5 are detail views.
The working parts of the apparatus are supported by an adjustable standard and
a folding leg-frame.
The standard consists of a rod A, having at its upper end a socket a for the
reception of a pivot, and a set-screw a² for securing the pivot when in the socket.
The legs B, are of metal, and any number may be employed. As here shown there
are three.
The upper part of each leg is formed into a shank b, from two opposite
sides of which extend two pivots b², cast with the leg and shank.
Above these pivots, when the legs are in place, the shank is vertical, and the
portion of the leg below the pivots is curved outward in any suitable form. Three
or more legs are placed together to form a leg-frame, by passing the pivots b²
upward into a pear-shaped sleeve C, and then inserting the standard A between
them. The pivots b² have bearings in a groove c running around the interior of
the largest portion of the pear-shaped sleeve C, and the shanks b rest against the
outside of said sleeve where they are held in place by a ring or band E, of the
shape shown in Figure 5 which is slipped over them as shown in Figures 1 and 4.
The sleeve C is provided with a thumb screw e, for holding the standard A in
place at any desired height. When the ring or band E, is removed from around
the shanks, the legs are free to swing towards each other, as indicated by dotted
lines in Figure 4, so that the legs and standard may be packed in a small space.
The book-holder consists of a central base-board, and two adjustable swinging
or folding boards.
To the base-board F is attached a skeleton plate or frame consisting of a
quadrangular portion G secured to the bottom of the board by screws, and two
semicircular braces G2 extending from the bottom of said quadrangular portion and
crossing each other at right angles.
From two opposite sides of the frame in line with one of the semicircular braces,
extend two arms G³.
In the upper surface of the quadrangular portion G in line with the arms G³, are

page_text: two semicircular depressions g, which form bearings for the ends of two arms H ex-
tending laterally from a bifurcated vertical post J, the lower end of which is formed
into a tapering pivot i, having a peripherical groove around it. The arms H extend
from one of the branches of the bifurcated post, and the other branch is provided with
a set-screw j. Between the two branches of the bifurcated post works one of the
semicircular braces G2, and the point of the set-screw j engages with notches or
depressions g² in the surface of said brace. By this means the base-board F may
be made to swing from a horizontal to a nearly vertical position, and is held in
place in either of said positions or any intermediate position by means of the set-
screw and depressions g².
The adjustable swinging or folding boards are connected to the base-board F, in
the following manner. To the back of each K is attached a T-shaped plate or
bar L. At the ends of the arms of the plate or bar L on the side towards the
board K are notches or depressions l, which form bearings for the ends of two arms
extending laterally from a T-shaped plate or bar M. The end of the main bar of
the piece M is formed into a tube or sleeve m, and provided with a set-screw n.
These tubes or sleeves m fit on the arms G³ above described, and are secured by
the set-screws n, and by this means the boards K are hinged to the base-board F,
so that they may be made to swing from a vertical to a horizontal position, after
the manner of opening and closing a book.
The book is held by resting it on the base-board F, and swinging boards K, as
shown clearly in Figure 3, and by means of the tubes or sleeves m, and set-screws n,
the boards K are adjusted towards or from each other to accommodate books of
different thicknesses.
The lower edges of the boards K, are provided with cleats k, to prevent the book
from slipping when the boards are inclined from a horizontal position. These
cleats are provided with dowel pins, engaging with holes in the boards, so that
they may be readily placed in position and removed at pleasure.
In order to hold the boards K, in place, with a book either open or closed, but
more especially when the book is closed between the boards, the following devices
are employed. A bar P has at one end a lateral arm p, which works in bearings
consisting of notches in the plate or bar L. A wire spring Q, is wound around the
arm p, with one end of the wire bearing against the plate L, and the other end
engaging with a horn or projection p², on the arm p, with a tendency to keep the
bar P, pressed upward.
The outer end of the bar P is bent at a right angle to the direction of the arm p,
and is formed into a hook p³, which engages with an arm m³ projecting laterally
from the tube or sleeve m. When the book is closed the tendency of the springs Q
to raise the bars P, causes said arms to press against the boards K, and hold them
firmly against the book, so as to keep it closed. The upward motion of the bar is
limited by the engagement of the hook p³, with the arm m³. When the book is to
be opened, the hooked arm p³ slides over the arm m³ and lies against the back of
the board K, as shown in Figure 3.
Referring to Figure 1, R represents a bar provided with two claws r, r, and a
set-screw S, by which means the bar may be attached to the standard A. The
outer end of the bar is provided with a socket V, for the reception of a pivot by
which means a desk attachment may be connected to the apparatus.
Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is :-
:―
1st. The combination with the standard A, of the legs B provided with the
shanks b and pivots 62, the pear-shaped sleeve C provided with the groove c and
set-screw e, and the ring or band E, fitting outside of said shanks b, substantially
as and for the purpose herein shown and described.
2nd. The con bination with the standard A, provided with the socket a and set-
screw a³, of the post J provided with the pivot i, substantially as and for the
purpose berein described.
3rd. The combination with the base-board F of the skeleton plate or frame G

page_text: provided with the semicircular braces G² and lateral arms G³, substantially as and
for the purpose herein described.
4th. The combination of the skeleton plate or frame G provided with bearings g,
and the post J provided with the lateral arms H, substantially as herein described.
5th. The combination with the skeleton plate or frame G and the semicircular
braces G provided with notches or depressions g³, of the post J, provided with the
set-screw j, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
6th. The combination with the skeleton plate or frame G and lateral arms G³, of
the T-shaped plate or bar M provided with the tube or sleeve m and set-screw n,
substantially as herein described.
7th. The combination with the swinging board K and the T-shaped plate or
bar M, of the T-shaped plate or bar L provided with the bearings 1, substantially
as herein described.
8th. The combination with the swinging board K, the T-shaped plate or bar L,
and the T-shaped plate or bar M provided with the arms m³, of the bar P provided
with the arm and book p³, and the spring Q coiled around said arm and engaging
with the arm p², as shown and described for the purpose specified.
9th. The combination with the standard A, of the bar R provided with claws »,
set-screw S and socket V, as shown and described for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Allison, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.