Year: 1886

page_text: I, JOHN GRIFFIN HAYMAN, of 17, Park Street in the City and County of.
Bristol, Dental Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists in improvements in the construction of frames designed
to hold single books and to be conveniently held in one hand of a reader.
According to one form of construction of holder, that part which constitutes the
back, against which the covers of the book lie, is fitted towards the bottom with a
ledge springing perpendicularly therefrom for the support of the book-Extending
downwards from below the ledge is a handle which may be made in one piece with
or secured to the back-At or near its middle the ledge is fitted with springs the
inner ends of which are secured to the ledge or are otherwise fixed, and the outer
ends of which are free-These springs extend outwards from the points of attach-
ment towards opposite sides of the holder, that is to say, one spring extends
towards the right and the other towards the left-A pair of elastic bands or cords
of india rubber or other like material are at one end attached to the top of the
back of the holder, their other ends being normally free.
In placing a book in the holder, the elastic bands or cords are brought over the
inner faces of the opened covers of the book and, after they have been strained to
the requisite degree, their free ends are inserted in incisions or slots made in the
extremities of the ledge upon which the book is at the bottom supported―The
covers are thus held permanently open while the book is in the holder-The free
ends of the springs aforesaid are made to bear upon the pages of the book which
is thus kept open at any desired part-The book is now in position to be read,
and the handle of the holder or rest is for that purpose grasped in one hand of the
reader.
The pages are readily withdrawn from behind one spring and, when turned,
placed behind the other in the process of reading.
According to another form of construction, the back is made up of a horizontally
divided central member and side pieces or wings between which the lower part of
the central member is free to be moved up and down. The handle is hinged to
the lower part of the central member of the back-The wings or side pieces of the

page_text: back are grooved to receive guide pins which are secured to the sliding part of
the central member-While the hinge is kept above a stop bar placed across the
rear of the back of the holder, the handle is not free to turn on the hinge, and
the holder may be handled and used in the same manner as that first before
described If the sliding part of the central member be drawn down so as to
bring the hinge below the said stop, the handle may then be turned upwards
behind so as to form a base for the holder or rest which may then be placed on a
table, the book being maintained in an inclined position adapted for reading-
Elastic bands or cords are used to hold back the covers, and springs to bear upon
the pages of the book, as in the arrangement first before described.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JOHN GRIFFIN HAYMAN, of 17, Park Street, in the city and county of
Bristol, dental 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 :-
. This invention consists in improvements in frames or holders for holding books.
The frames are adapted either to be held in the hand or for use as rests to be
placed on a table or in any other convenient place.
Above the handle, by which the frame is intended to be held when in use, is a
ledge springing from that part which constitutes the back and against which lie
the covers of a book when placed in the frame. Upon the said ledge the bottom
or lower end of the book bears. By means of bands or filaments of elastic or
other similar or suitable material secured at the top of the frame and inserted
below into slots or grooves provided in the ledge on which the book stands, the
covers of the book are held open. By means of springs fixed to the ledge on
which the book stands, the pages thereof are held back. The springs bear lightly
on the open book, and the pages are easily withdrawn from behind one spring and,
when turned, placed behind the other at the opposite side.
According to a modification under which a frame may be used either as a book
holder for hand use or as a book rest to be placed on a table or in any other
suitable place, the central member of the back is divided and the handle is hinged
to the lower part thereof. While the hinge is kept above a stop bar placed behind
the back of the holder the handle is not free to turn on the hinge, and the holder
may be handled and used in the same manner as that first before described.
That part of the central member to which the handle is hinged is free to be
moved up and down. It is guided by a pin extending on either side into grooves
formed in the back. It may be otherwise guided. When the sliding part of the
central member is drawn down so as to bring the hinge below the stop bar afore-
said, the handle is free to be turned upwards behind to form a base for the holder
which may be then placed on a table, the book being maintained in an inclined
position adapted for reading.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet 1,
represents a front view of a book holder constructed in accordance with one part
of this invention. Fig. 2 is a front view showing an open book in position in
the holder for reading. Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2. Under this form of
construction the holder is rigid and is designed for being held in the hand when
it is desired to read a book placed in the holder.
Above the handle a by which the frame is grasped is a ledge b springing from
the back c against which the covers of the book lie, as seen at Figs. 2 and 3. At
the bottom the book is supported on the ledge b. By the elastic bands d, secured
at the top of the back c and inserted below into slots or grooves made at the ends
of the ledge b, the covers of the book are held extended, and by the springs e,
fixed at their inner ends to the ledge b, the pages of the book are held back
and the book is thereby kept open at any desired part. The free outer ends of the

page_text: springs bear lightly on the open book and the pages thereof are easily withdrawn
from behind one spring and, when turned, placed behind the other at the opposite
side. At Fig. 4, Sheet 2, of the accompanying sheets of drawings is represented
a front view, and at Fig. 5 a back view of a modification of the holder under
which it is adapted for use either as a book holder for the hand or as a book rest
for a table.
The central rib of the back c is divided into two parts, the upper part of which
is fixed. To the lower part c¹, which is free to move up and down, the handle a is
connected by the hinge g. While the hinge g is kept above the stop bar h fixed
behind the back of the main frame c the holder remains rigid, the handle not being
free to turn back on the hinge. In this position the holder is intended to be
handled and used as a book holder for the hand like that first before described.
By drawing down the lower part c' of the back so as to bring the hinge g below
the stop bar h the hinge is free to act and the handle may then be turned upwards
behind, as seen in side view at Fig. 6, to form a base for the holder which is now
converted into a book rest to be placed on a table or in any other convenient place,
the book being inclined at a convenient angle suitable for reading..
As in the modification first above described, the covers of the book are kept
extended by elastic bands d and the pages by the springs e.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. An improved holder or hand frame for holding or containing books and the
like, consisting of a back board with handle such as a, ledge such as b for
supporting the book, and having springs such as e for keeping the pages extended
and bands or filaments of india rubber or other suitable material such as d for
holding back the book covers, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, Sheet 1, of the accompanying sheets of drawings.
2. An improved holder or frame for holding or containing books, consisting of a
back board with handle such as a, ledge such as 6 for supporting the book and
having springs such as e for keeping the pages of the book extended and bands or
filaments of india rubber or other suitable material such as d for holding back the
covers, the handle being hinged to the back in such manner that when the hinge
is above a stop bar such as h the holder is rigid, but when the hinge is drawn
down clear of the stop bar the handle is free to turn on the hinge to form a base
for the.holder when placed upon a table or in any other convenient place as a
book rest, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 4, 5 and 6,
Sheet 2, of the accompanying sheets of drawings.