An Improved Book-rest for Use by Persons in Bed or in a Reclining Position.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 4th Sept.. 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Book-rest for Use by Persons in Bed or in a Reclining
Position.
I ELIZABETH GEORGINA PASSMORE of 2 Peel Terrace St. Helier Jersey,
Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to make a simple, portable, and cheap book-rest
for use by persons in bed or in a reclining position.
According to this invention onto two arms formed of metal or other suitable
material I slide a shelf to support the book on, and in such a way that the front of
the book shall come next to the aforesaid arms so as to keep it open.
The arms I prefer to have bent upwards in a curved form and the opposite or
top ends are joined together by a cross piece of such length as to allow the aforesaid
shelf to slide on the said arms.
This improved book-rest is held in position by the person using it springing the
aforesaid curved ends of the arms over his, or her thighs and the book can easily
be adjusted to the required distance, by either pushing or pulling the upper ends of
the arms as may be required.
Dated this 4th day of September 1894.
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inu, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
An Improved Book-rest for Use by Persons in Bed or in a Reclining
Position.
I ELIZABETH GEORGINA PASSMORE, of Peel Terrace, Saint Helier, Jersey,
Married-gentlewoman, 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 :--
The object of this invention is to make a simple, portable and cheap book-rest,
for use by people in bed or in a reclining position.
According to this invention, onto two arms formed of metal or other suitable
material I slide a shelf, on which to support the book, in such a way that when a
book is placed in position on the said shelf, the front of the book shall come next to
the aforesaid arms, which will keep it open.
The arms I prefer to have bent upwards in a curved form, and the opposite or
top ends are joined together by a cross-piece of such length as to allow the aforesaid
shelf to slide on the said arms.
This improved book-rest is held in position by the person using it springing the
aforesaid curved ends of the arms over his or her thighs.
The book can be easily adjusted to the required distance to suit the eyesight, by
either pushing or pulling the upper ends of the arms, as the case may be.
.

page_text: And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood, I will now
proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings accompanying this
Specification in which
:
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of my improved book-rest: Fig. 2 a plan
thereof, and
Fig. 3 a view of the apparatus when in use by a lady in bed.
The same letters of reference are employed to denote the same parts in all the
views.
aa shew two arms, made of hard or springy metal; shews a shelf capable of
sliding on the arms a a, so that the rest may be adjusted to the desired height;
c shews a stop to prevent the shelf b being slid too far down the arms a a.
On reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that when the improved book-rest is in use,
the arms aa are sprung over the thighs of the person in bed or in a reclining
position.
The book may be brought nearer to or pushed further from the person using the
rest by pulling or pushing the cross-bar a', which makes the rest rock on the curved
portion a.
Although I have described the arms a a as being made of metal; they may of
course be made of any other suitable springy material, and may be otherwise
suitably curved or formed, so as to carry out the above object.
Book-rests constructed as hereinbefore described will be found to be very light
and portable they are also very cheap to construct, and will consequently he
within the reach of the poor as well as of the rich.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my suid
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In book-rests the combined arms made of springy material, in combination
with the shelf or rest, for the purposes set forth.
2. The improved book-rest constructed substantially as set forth.
BROWNE & Co.,
9 Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.