Adjustable copyholder with articulated arms
First Claim
1. In an adjustable copyholder for writing, drafting and display, comprising a base, a cantilever arm having a plurality of cantilever arm segments and said arm attached to said base, a copy support plate mounted at a free end of said cantilever arm furthest removed from an end attached to said base, wherein said cantilever arm segments are pivotable about each other, and said copy support plate is pivotable on said cantilever arm, the pivotability of said cantilever arm segments and said copy support plate being controlled by a plurality of manually adjustable pivot joints each having a securing mechanism associated therewith, at least one handle which acts by means of at least one intermediate member on a plurality of said securing mechanisms, and is mounted at least in the vicinity of said copy support plate, wherein said intermediate members and said securing mechanisms are positioned inside of said cantilever arm segments, and at least one traction line, which crosses a central axis of one of said pivot joints and provided as one of said intermediate members, the improvement wherein said pivot joints of said cantilever arm have pivot axes which are substantially horizontal, and parallel to each other and at least one of said securing mechanisms has at least one arc-segmental brake shoe coaxial with a respective pivot axis, in each of said pivot joints at least one pivot joint passage oriented coaxially to said pivot axis is provided in a first part of one of said pivot joints for extension of said cantilever arm, in which at least one nearly circular, enclosed one of said arc-segmental brake shoes is mounted so as to be spreadable against the tension of an arc-segmental brake shoe spring, wherein said arc-segmental brake shoe is formed as an interrupted ring with a gap between the opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe, said arc-segmental brake shoe by means of a spreading member held in a second part of said one of said pivot joints for extension of said cantilever arm, and engaged between opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe, is united for locking engagement with said second part of said pivot joint, and contacts the surfaces of said pivot joint passage at least with frictional contact, said spreading member being mounted pivotable on a rotational axis parallel to said pivot axes, said rotational axis being positioned between said arc-segmental brake shoe ends facing each other, further said spreading member having an oval shape, wherein the small diameter of said spreading member is generally equal to the distance between said opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe facing each other in said arc-segmental brake shoe when released, while the larger diameter of said spreading member is generally greater than the distance between said opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe when said arc-segmental brake shoe under tension contacts the radially interior sides of said pivot joint passage, a spring member being provided for pivoting said spreading member into a locked position and said traction line being connected to release said arc-segmental brake shoe upon operation by said handle, and that all of said traction lines forming said intermediate members are operable by means of a common one of said handles.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An adjustable copyholder comprises a base and a cantilever arm having a plurality of cantilever arm segments attached thereto, and a copy support plate mounted at the free end of the cantilever arm. The cantilever arm is connected pivotally to the base. The cantilever arm segments are connected pivotally with each other. The copy support plate is connected pivotally to the cantilever arm. The pivot joints used to extend the cantilever arm have single pivot axes which are parallel to each other, horizontal and transverse to the cantilever arm, wherein these pivot joints are manually adjustable, at least controllable frictionally, the pivotability of the cantilever arm segments connected pivotally with each other being associated with a securing mechanism for each pivot joint. In order to provide for a simple more reliable operation at least one handle is provided, which is constructed and arranged to act by means of intermediate members on the plurality of securing mechanisms associated with the pivot joints having a single pivot axis.
-
Citations
18 Claims
- 1. In an adjustable copyholder for writing, drafting and display, comprising a base, a cantilever arm having a plurality of cantilever arm segments and said arm attached to said base, a copy support plate mounted at a free end of said cantilever arm furthest removed from an end attached to said base, wherein said cantilever arm segments are pivotable about each other, and said copy support plate is pivotable on said cantilever arm, the pivotability of said cantilever arm segments and said copy support plate being controlled by a plurality of manually adjustable pivot joints each having a securing mechanism associated therewith, at least one handle which acts by means of at least one intermediate member on a plurality of said securing mechanisms, and is mounted at least in the vicinity of said copy support plate, wherein said intermediate members and said securing mechanisms are positioned inside of said cantilever arm segments, and at least one traction line, which crosses a central axis of one of said pivot joints and provided as one of said intermediate members, the improvement wherein said pivot joints of said cantilever arm have pivot axes which are substantially horizontal, and parallel to each other and at least one of said securing mechanisms has at least one arc-segmental brake shoe coaxial with a respective pivot axis, in each of said pivot joints at least one pivot joint passage oriented coaxially to said pivot axis is provided in a first part of one of said pivot joints for extension of said cantilever arm, in which at least one nearly circular, enclosed one of said arc-segmental brake shoes is mounted so as to be spreadable against the tension of an arc-segmental brake shoe spring, wherein said arc-segmental brake shoe is formed as an interrupted ring with a gap between the opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe, said arc-segmental brake shoe by means of a spreading member held in a second part of said one of said pivot joints for extension of said cantilever arm, and engaged between opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe, is united for locking engagement with said second part of said pivot joint, and contacts the surfaces of said pivot joint passage at least with frictional contact, said spreading member being mounted pivotable on a rotational axis parallel to said pivot axes, said rotational axis being positioned between said arc-segmental brake shoe ends facing each other, further said spreading member having an oval shape, wherein the small diameter of said spreading member is generally equal to the distance between said opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe facing each other in said arc-segmental brake shoe when released, while the larger diameter of said spreading member is generally greater than the distance between said opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe when said arc-segmental brake shoe under tension contacts the radially interior sides of said pivot joint passage, a spring member being provided for pivoting said spreading member into a locked position and said traction line being connected to release said arc-segmental brake shoe upon operation by said handle, and that all of said traction lines forming said intermediate members are operable by means of a common one of said handles.
-
13. In a copyholder for use in a writing, drafting, display, or the like workplace comprising a base, a cantilever arm having a plurality of cantilever arm segments pivotally connected to said base, a copy support plate attached pivotally to a free end furthest removed from an end of said arm connected to said base of said cantilever arm, wherein a plurality of manually adjustable pivot joints control the pivotability of said cantilever arm on said base, said copy support plate on said cantilever arm, and said cantilever arm segments with respect to each other, and are each provided with a securing mechanism, each of said pivot joints for extension of said cantilever arm having a first part rotatable with respect to a second part thereof, said copyholder further comprising at least one handle and at least one intermediate member connected to said handle and to at least one of said securing mechanisms for control thereof, wherein at least one traction line is provided as one of said intermediate members, the improvement wherein at least one of said securing mechanisms is formed as at least one nearly circular enclosed arc-segmental brake shoe formed as an interrupted ring with a gap between the opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe, and mounted between said first and said second parts of one of said pivot joints for extension of said cantilever arm in a pivot joint passage in a circular groove thereof in said one of said pivot joints coaxial with said pivot axis, said arc-segmental brake shoe being dimensioned, so as to be spreadable against the tension of an arc-segmental brake shoe spring for frictional engagement with surfaces of said circular groove between said first and said second parts by means of a spreading member operable indirectly by said handle, said spreading member being mounted pivotally between said opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe, and having an oval shape, wherein the small diameter of said spreading member is equal to the distance between said opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe facing each other in said arc-segmental brake shoe when released, while the large diameter of said spreading member is greater than the distance between said opposing ends of said arc-segmental brake shoe when in a locked, secured position, and a turning lever extends from each of said spreading members, on which a spring member for pivoting said spreading member into said locked engaged position and a traction line assigned to release said arc-segmental brake shoe connected to said handle act at least indirectly, and said intermediate members are all operable by means of said handle.
-
14. A copyholder for flat sheets comprising a base rotatable about a vertical axis:
-
an articulated arm swingably mounted on said base at a first horizontal axis defined by a pivot joint, said arm having two segments connected pivotally together at another pivot joint having a second horizontal axis, each of said pivot joints comprising; inner and outer parts coaxial with one another at the rspective axes and relatively rotatable, an arc-segmental brake shoe disposed between said parts and formed as an interrupted ring having opposing ends, a spreader between said opposite ends of said shoes and mounted on said inner part for rotation between positions in which said ends are spread apart to urge said brake shoes against said outer part and in which said ends approach each other when said brake shoes are released from engagement with said outer part; and spring means for biasing said spreaders into said position wherein said ends are spread apart; a copy support plate pivotally connected to said arm at an end thereof furthest removed from an end of said arm mounted on said base; a handle on said plate; and at least one traction element operatively connected to said handle and to said spreaders for rotating said spreaders against the force of said spring means to disengage said brake shoes from the respective outer parts. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification