Improvements in Folding Reading or Music Stands and Easels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1882
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Reading or Music Stands and Easels.
THOMAS PURSEY, Artist, residing at Seven St. Fillans Terrace Edinburgh do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I take six pieces or strips of wood or other suitable material cut exactly of
the same length, width and depth. I place them in pairs of two and fix each
pair together at the centre, the pieces being placed diagonally over each other.
I then attach the three pairs together at regular angles by placing one of them
called the centre pair between the other two pairs, the top arms of the centre
pair being attached to the inner top arms of the outside pairs and the lower
arms of the centre pair being attached to the inner lower arms of the outside
pairs respectively-when thus fixed the arrangement resembling a piece of lattice
work which can be extended outwards or inwards. Across the lower part of
this arrangement I fix a support or tray on which the article, book or picture
required to be held is placed. This support or tray consists of two strips of
wood or other suitable material of the same dimensions hinged together in such
a manner at proper points along their whole length and when opened up forming
a right angle. One of the strips is attached to the foregoing lattice work
arrangement at two points therein, viz. :-at the two points where the lower
arms of the centre pair are attached to the inuer lower arms of the two outside
pairs. In the centre of this support or tray there is a division which is suitably
hinged to enable the two ends to fold over each other. The foregoing arrange-
ment when properly supported forms a folding reading stand or easel and the
following is the manner in which I support it. I take two slender bars or strips
of wood or other material of the saine dimensions and each of such length as
will extend from the centre of the outer pairs being the point where these
pairs are fixed, to a point somewhat higher than the centre of the centre pair.
I call these the upper brackets. I fix one end of each of these brackets to the
centre of the outer pairs and bring the other ends thereof to the above point
over the centre of the centre pair where they are attached to one side of a
hinge. To the other side of this hinge is fixed a stay which extends backwards
to any suitable angle necessary for supporting the apparatus. To give strength
to this stay I attach by suitable hinges or flexible fixings two slender bars
called the lower brackets between the two points at which the lattice work is
fixed at the bottom, and the middle of the stay, thus giving the whole apparatus
firmness and rigidity. The apparatus can thus be folded up or opened out
immediately.
Dated this Eighth day of October 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Reading or Music Stands and Easels.
I, THOMAS PURSEY, of 122 George Street, (formerly of 7 St. Fillans Terrace)
Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian, North Britain, Artist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in folding reading stands and easels.
In order that my invention may be pronerly understood and readily carried into

page_text: effect I have hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings which I will now
proceed to describe.
Figure 1 is a front elevation showing my improvements.
Figure 2 is an end view.
Figure 3 is a view showing the stand collapsed or folded.
1 take six pieces or strips A', A', A³, A', A', Aº of wood or other suitable
material of the same dimensions place them in pairs and connect each pair together
at their centres by pins B, that is to say, A' to A2, A³ to A', and A' to A°. I then
connect the three pairs together at regular angles by placing the centre pair A* A*
between the other two A', A², and A, A, the upper end of Abeing connected with
the upper end A², and the upper end of A with the upper end of A, all by pins C ;
and the lower end of A' with the lower end of A', and the lower end of A with the
lower end of A, all by the pins D. When thus fixed the arrangement resembles a
piece of lattice work which can be extended outwards or inwards at will. Across
the lower part of this arrangement of strips I fix a support or tray, on which the 1
book, picture, or other article is placed when the stand is to be used. This tray is
in two parts E and E', which are hinged together at F. The other ends are
respectively connected with the lower ends of the strips A' and A' by pins G.
The support or rest for the foregoing arrangement consists of two strips H
and H', one end of each of which is connected to the centre of the outer pairs A³, A³, :
and A. A by the pins B,.and the other ends are hooked or hinged on to another
strip I which extends backwards to any suitable angle necessary for supporting the
apparatus.
To make the apparatus more stable when being used I provide a thin bar of
metal J which passes through a small hole K in the middle of the stay I, and the :
ends are hinged to the lower ends of the strips A and A' in any convenient
manner.
When the apparatus is not required for use, or when it is to be carried about, the
two halves of the tray are raised, and the whole apparatus collapses as seen more
particularly in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
It is to be understood that although I have only described and shown on the
drawings three pairs connected together, a greater number may be used when it is
desired to have a larger stand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The general arrangement, construction and operation of the parts constituting
my improved reading stand or easel, substantially as herein before described and
shown on the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Dated this 8th day of July 1892.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.