Supports – Easel; book – copy or music score holder – Knockdown or collapsible
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-30
2001-03-20
King, Anita M. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Easel; book, copy or music score holder
Knockdown or collapsible
C248S165000, C248S464000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202974
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a novel portable easel with an adjustable board support, and is more particularly concerned with such a display holding device which is easily and rapidly set up, is capable of adjustably securing a graphic display in a selected position, and which may be selectively quickly collapsed and set up again without special tools or capabilities and which may be conveniently stored and transported in minimum space.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional easels usually comprise a tripod or similar arrangement of legs comprised of telescoped tubes or foldable struts which may be extended linearly to a desired height and which have a display support platform across one or more of the tubes or struts, The tubes or struts are usually held in extended position by means of a thumb or set screw or screw collar or similar fastening means locking one tube or strut to the adjacent tube or strut. To collapse the tubes or struts, the thumb screw or screw collar is turned-and one tube is telescoped into an adjacent tube, or the struts are pivotally folded together.
Likewise, the display platform may be adjustable along the tubes or struts and conventionally secured at a desired height by conventional fastening means.
In all known prior art easels, some manipulation of screw-like or similar fastening members is required to lock the easel leg members together linearly. These fastening members require time, space and effort to selectively manipulate them for setting up or collapsing the easel. Frequently, it is necessary to remove the display support platform from the legs or to fold this support or move the support out of its desired display supporting position when collapsing the easel legs, and to reverse the procedure when setting up the easel. Often the display supporting platform must be moved to a selected height when the easel is again set up for use. Usually, the collapsed conventional easel is too bulky to permit it to be carried and stored conveniently, for example, no known full height easel can be carried in a conventional brief case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, a plurality of sets of tubes or legs (usually preferably three sets) are pivotally connected together at one end or the head of the easel tripod. These sets may be pivotally spread apart, with one end of each set secured to the tripod, to form legs for the easel. Usually, the head includes means for limiting the spread of the legs. Each set of tubes comprises a tripod leg, and each leg is made up of several interlocked sections, preferably telescoped together. Each telescopic section has an end of reduced diameter, and that reduced diameter end is fit interlocked into the other end of the adjacent section.
Within the tubes of each leg is a bungee cord like elastic rope, connected at one end near the tripod head to its adjacent uppermost section and at the other end near the foot of the leg on the last tubular section in the set remote from the head. This elastic rope is under tension, tending to pull the tubular sections together, but still allowing them to be pulled apart by hand manipulative force. When the tubes are folded side to side, the sets are compact and the tube section are not arranged linearly and are separated from one another, forming a bundle of side to side sections. When the tripod head is held and the legs are allowed to fall or shaken in a downward direction, the elastic rope allows each section to swing free and be drawn together telescopically, with the reduced diameter end of one section being drawn home into the open end of the adjacent tube.
A pair of novel display board holders or supports are arranged preferably one each on two of the three tripod legs. This support has two positions: one extended from the leg on which is mounted or a second position folded against the leg on which it is mounted. When extended, the support is locked into position on its leg, and the support is capable of holding a display spanning both like supports at a selected height. When folded, the support is not only compactly arranged and folded against the leg, but also it may be slid along the section of the leg on which it is mounted or onto an adjacent section into another selected position, to the full height of the leg, so that display boards of selected various heights may be handled. These locking, binding and sliding positions for the support depend upon whether nubs or projections on the support engage the leg. The adjacent legs sections must be of a constant diameter to permit the support to be moved upwardly or downwardly from interlocked section to the adjacent section of the leg.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a portable easel with an adjustable board support of the character described.
Another object of the invention is to provide a portable easel composed of interlocked telescoped tubular sections urged together by elastic means.
Another object is to provide a portable easel composed of multiple legs and a cooperating adjustable display support, each leg having co-planar sections which may be selectively interlocking or collapsed, each section having a surface for adjustably moving the display support from section to section.
Another object is to provide a tripod type easel having an adjustable display support, wherein an elastic cord is secured to its legs at its tripod end and at the end of the easel remote from its tripod end within multiple interlocking tubular sections normally urged into tensioned interlocking engagement but which can be separated and folded against one another when not in interlocking engagement.
Another object is to provide a tripod type collapsible easel having an adjustable display support which is composed of folded multiple sections joined together by an elastic cord, which may be set up by manipulation of its tripod to arrange the sections in linearly interlocked extended position.
Another object is to provide a tripod type collapsible easel having a plurality of legs each consisting of interlocked members and having a display support arranged on one or more of the interlocked members, wherein the display support may be pivotally folded away from a leg for supporting a display on the easel and pivotally folded against the leg for adjustment of the height of the display support along the leg and for transport and storage.
Another object is to provide a display support for a tripod type collapsible easel which has nubs to selectively secure the display support in an extended position for mounting a display on the support or in a folded position when collapsing the easel or adjusting the height of the support on the easel.
It is also the object to provide a novel easel having an adjustable display board support which is simple and easy to efficiently manufacture, assemble, ship, set up, collapse, transport, store, use and reuse, without special tools or knowledge.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 260068 (1882-06-01), Van Kirk
patent: 2744712 (1956-05-01), Brandt
patent: 2973933 (1961-03-01), Howell
patent: 3886700 (1975-06-01), Lambert
patent: 4017049 (1977-04-01), Albee, Jr.
patent: 4171116 (1979-10-01), Carver et al.
patent: 4320832 (1982-03-01), Edstrom
patent: 4326687 (1982-04-01), Clyburn
patent: 4712756 (1987-12-01), Kester et al.
patent: 5125613 (1992-06-01), Albee, Jr. et al.
Faier Martin
Faier & Faier P.C.
General Binding Corporation, Quartet Mfg. Co. Divison
King Anita M.
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