An Improved Appliance for Supporting Books, Papers, and other Articles on the Person of the User.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1897
1000
ALL
1000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for Supporting Books, Papers, and other
Articles on the Person of the User.
I, HENRY BEAUMONT WATSON, of 489, Oxford Street, London, W., Surgeon, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
―
re-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus for supporting books, papers,
and other articles. It is applicable as a book or newspaper holder, music
stand, sketching easil, waiters tray, pedlars stand, writing table,
freshment table for invalids, holding shorthand writers note book and
for any analogous purposes, the object being to leave the users hands free.
In carrying it into effect, I provide a piece of wire of suitable length and bend it
at the centre of its length, so that the bent portion can be put over the users head,
and rest against the back of his neck, while the free ends are hanging down in
front of him. The free ends are connected by a wire passing from the one to the other:
or this part of the apparatus can be made as much as possible from one piece
of wire. Sliding on each of the side wires of this frame is a tube which can be
kept at any required position by a thumb screw, rack and pinion, or by other
means. To these sliding tubes are hinged the opposite lower corners of a table,
on which to rest a book or other article or articles. The table has a raised ledge
or raised ledges, to prevent the articles slipping off. There is a rack behind the
table in the teeth of which is placed the outer side of a wire frame, the opposite side
of which is hinged to the cross wire of the first mentioned frame, to which cross
wire is also hinged a second frame, one side of which is curved somewhat inwardly.
By sliding the tubes up and down the height of the table may be adjusted, and by
putting the side of the above mentioned frame into a suitable tooth of the rack,
the inclination of the table can be varied, and by causing the curved side of the
second frame to rest against the person, the cross wire end of the original frame
can be pushed out, thus affording further means of adjustment.
Slides or other arrangements can be provided for increasing the supporting width
of the table, and catches can be attached for keeping the book or other article
open or in place. When not in use, the various hinged parts can be shut up over
or under one another, so as to occupy a small space.
thin 10th dov of December 1897
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London; E.C., Agents for Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Appliance for Supporting Books, Papers, and other
Articles on the Person of the User.
I, HENRY BEAUMONT WATSON, of 489, Oxford Street, London, W., Surgeon, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus for supporting books, papers
and other articles. It is applicable as a book or newspaper holder, music
stand, sketching easil, waiters tray, pedlars stand, writing table, re-
freshment table for invalids, holding shorthand writers note books, and
for any analogous purposes, the object being to leave the users hands free.
In carrying my invention into effect, I proceed substantially in the following
manner, making reference to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 of which is an
isometrical, and Fig. 2, a side view of the appliance complete. Fig. 3, is a plan
of the table of the appliance. I provide a piece of wire a of suitable length and
bend it at the centre of its length so that the bent portion a¹ can be put over the
users head and rest against the back of his neck while the free ends hang down in
front of him. The free ends are. connected by a cross wire 6 passing from one
to the other; a a¹ and 6 forming a frame. The wire b may be a portion of that
forming a a¹. Sliding on each of the side wires of this frame, is a tube c which
can be kept at any required position by a thumb screw, rack and pinion, by spring
catch and rack e or by other means. To the sliding tubes are hinged at c¹
the opposite lower corners of a table f on which to rest a book or other article or
articles. The table f has a raised ledge g to prevent articles slipping off. There
is a rack h behind f and into the teeth of h can be placed the outer side of a wire
frame i, suitably hinged to b. A second frame j is also hinged to b and may have
a curved portion k. By sliding tubes c up and down, the height of the table f
may be adjusted and by putting the side of the frame into a suitable tooth of h
the inclination of f can be varied, and by causing the curved part k of j to rest
against the person, the b end of the frame a a¹ b can be pushed out, thus affording
further means of regulating the angle of the whole appliance. To f are hinged
at and m the frames n and o which can be opened out as shown by the dotted lines
so as to increase the width of f. n and o can be kept at an angle if required by
raising the small catches p hinged to the down-turned edge q. Sliding clips r
are provided for keeping in place the paper or other article on f. At s is a
hinged lid shutting down with a snap fastener and covering a box provided below f
for containing tobacco. At one of the upper corners of f is a similarly hinged lidt
covering a box to contain matches, and at u is a similar lid covering a box to
receive tobacco ash, which can be let out of the box by a sliding or other lid
at the back. A friction surface may be provided on which to strike a match..
Rule joint hinges may be provided at w so that a can be folded down behind f,
and tubes can be provided for slipping over w to keep the joint from shutting 4
up when in use. The boxes s, t, and u can of course be devoted to other uses than
those mentioned, according to the requirements of the user. The appliance can
be shut up when not in use by sliding c towards b shutting f against a, shutting g
and j, against f and folding down a¹. Wood, vulcanite or any other suitable
substance or combination of them can be used wherever they can be appropriately 4
employed in making the appliance.
I do not restrict myself to the precise shapes relative proportions or disposition

page_text: of parts as shown in the drawings, as they can be considerably varied without
departure from the essential features of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
CLAIMS.
1. An improved appliance for supporting books, papers and other articles,
on the person of the user, the said appliance consisting essentially of a frame
like structure having a curved portion to go over the users head and to rest on
the back of his neck, a table sliding on the frame and hinged thereto, and having
a rack behind into which can be stepped one side of a frame hinged to the lower
part of the frame like structure, a second frame being also attached thereto for
the purpose of keeping the appliance at an inclination with the users person,
the said table being provided with hinged frames for increasing its width, and
with hinged lids covering boxes for containing tobacco, matches, or other articles
or substances, clips being provided for keeping in place articles put on the table,
the whole substantially as described in the above specification and exemplified
in the accompanying drawing.
2. An improved appliance for supporting books, papers and other articles on
the person of the user, the said appliance being constructed, and operating sub-
stantially as described in the above specification, and exemplified in the accom-
panying drawing.
Dated this 1741,
J
1000
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.