Two-way adjustable copyholder

• US 5,366,197 A
• Filed: 04/30/1993
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rubbermaid Office Products Inc.
• Original Assignee: MicroComputer Accessories, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Westland, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Application Number:
  US08/056,310
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 248/449, 248/448, 248/451, 248/452, 248/453, 248/455, 248/456, 248/444.1, 400/718
• US Class Current: 248/456
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 23/042 Book-rests or note-book holders resting on tables releasably mounted A47B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 23/043 adjustable, foldable
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/143 Pivotable legs

Abstract

A two-way positionable copyholder is provided. A copy support member of the copyholder which receives a document to be transcribed is manually raiseable or lowerable and forwardly or rearwardly tiltable. To this end, the copyholder is provided with a slidable front support leg and a pivotable rear support leg. The front supporting leg engages a rear side of the copy support member, and the pivoting rear supporting leg mounts to the front support leg. A connecting member or tension bar connects the front and rear legs together. A forward end of the connecting member is pivotally mounted to the sliding support leg, whereas a rear or free end of the connecting member is detachably mounted at selected positions along the rear pivoting leg. The height of the copy support member is varied by sliding the front leg with respect to the support member. The angle or tilt of the copy support member is varied by repositioning the free end of the connecting member along the rear leg.

Claims

1. An adjustable copyholder comprising:

a supporting member having a substantially planar front surface and a lower support ledge for supporting a sheet of copy;

means for pressing the sheet of copy against the front surface of the supporting member;

vertical positioning means for jointly raising or lowering the front surface and lower support ledge of the supporting member with respect to a supporting surface, whereby a sheet of copy pressed against the supporting member is jointly raised and lowered with the supporting member; and

tilt positioning means for tilting the supporting member.

2. The adjustable copyholder of claim 1, wherein the vertical positioning means comprises:

a slidable supporting leg having a top end slidably engaged with a rear surface of the supporting member and having a base along a bottom end for resting on the supporting surface; and

locking means for detachably securing the top end of the slidable supporting leg at a selected position along the rear surface of the supporting member, such that the height of the supporting member is adjustable by releasing the locking means, sliding the supporting member with respect to the leg, then resecuring the supporting member with the locking means.

3. The adjustable copyholder of claim 2, wherein the slidable supporting leg engages with vertical tracks provided along the rear surface of the supporting member, and wherein the locking means comprises a screw mounted through the slidable supporting leg, the screw releasably frictionally abutting the supporting member.

4. The adjustable copyholder of claim 3, wherein a shaft of the screw is received within a slot formed within a track along the rear surface of the supporting member, with a head of the screw extending outwardly from the supporting member through the slot and through a bore formed in the slidable supporting leg, with a nut mounted to the shaft of the screw within the track, the slidable supporting leg being locked by tightening the screw onto the nut, thus pulling the head of the screw into frictional abutment against an exterior surface of the track of the rear surface of the supporting member.

5. The adjustable copyholder of claim 2, wherein the tilt positioning means comprises a pivotable support leg having a top end pivotally mounted to the slidable supporting leg and having a base along a free end for resting on the supporting surface.

6. The adjustable copyholder of claim 5 wherein the tilting means further comprises:

a connecting member having a free end and a fixed end pivotally mounted to a rear surface of the slidable supporting leg below the top end of the pivotable supporting leg; and

connecting member mounting means for detachably mounting the free end of the connecting member to one of a plurality of intermediate positions along a front surface of the pivoting leg.

7. The adjustable copyholder of claim 6, wherein the connecting member mounting means comprises:

a set of pairs of notches formed within the front surface of the pivotable supporting leg, each of the pairs of notches sized for detachably receiving and holding opposing corners of the free end of the connecting member.

8. The adjustable copyholder of claim 6, wherein the copyholder is tiltable through a range between a reclined position wherein the free end of the connecting member is mounted in the vicinity of a top end of the pivotable supporting leg and an upright position wherein the free end of the connecting member is mounted in the vicinity of a bottom end of the pivotable supporting leg.

9. The adjustable copyholder of claim 2, wherein the copyholder is adjustable through a range between a maximum height position wherein the top end of the slidable supporting leg is secured in a vicinity of a bottom edge of the supporting member and a minimum height position wherein the top end of the slidable supporting leg is secured in a vicinity of a top edge of the supporting member.

10. The adjustable copyholder of claim 1, wherein the tilt positioning means tilts the supporting member about an axis defined by the intersection of the supporting surface and a plane defined by the forward surface of the supporting member.

11. The adjustable copyholder of claim 1, wherein the copyholder is tiltable through a range between a reclined position and an upright position and wherein the copyholder is vertically positionable through a range between a minimum height position wherein a bottom edge of the supporting member is disposed near the supporting surface and a maximum height position wherein the bottom edge of the supporting member is elevated above the supporting surface.

12. The adjustable copyholder of claim 1, wherein the means for holding the sheet of copy comprises:

paper clamping means mounted along a top edge of the front surface of the supporting member for securely clamping paper to the front surface.

13. The adjustable copyholder of claim 1, further comprising:

a line guide means for marking a vertical position along a sheet held by the copyholder.

14. An adjustable copyholder comprising:

a supporting member having a substantially planar front surface for supporting a sheet of copy;

paper clamping means mounted along a top edge of the front surface of the supporting member for securely clamping papers to the front surface;

vertical positioning means for raising or lowering the supporting member with respect to a supporting surface; and

tilt positioning means for tilting the supporting member.

15. An adjustable copyholder comprising:

a planar supporting member having front and back sides and top and bottom edges;

a shelf mounted along the bottom edge of the front side of the supporting member;

a paper clamp mounted along the top edge of the front side of the planar member;

a sliding supporting leg slidably engaged with the rear side of the planar supporting member;

a pivoting supporting leg pivotally mounted to an intermediate portion of a rear side of the sliding supporting leg; and

a connecting member pivotally mounted to the rear surface of the sliding supporting leg below the intermediate portion, the connecting member having a free end detachably engaged with an intermediate portion of a front surface of the pivoting leg.

16. An adjustable copyholder comprising:

a planar supporting member having front and back sides and top and bottom edges;

a shelf mounted along the bottom edge of the front side of the supporting member;

a sliding supporting leg slidably engaged with the rear side of the planar supporting member;

locking means for detachably securing a top end of the sliding supporting leg at a selected position along a rear surface of the planar supporting member, said sliding supporting leg engaging with vertical tracks provided along the rear surface of the planar supporting member;

a pivoting supporting leg pivotally mounted to an intermediate portion of a rear side of the sliding supporting leg; and

a connecting member pivotally mounted to the rear surface of the sliding supporting leg below the intermediate portion, the connecting member having a free end detachably engaged with an intermediate portion of a front surface of the pivoting leg.

17. An adjustable copyholder comprising:

a supporting member having a substantially planar front surface for supporting a sheet of copy;

means for holding the sheet of copy on the front surface of the supporting member;

vertical positioning means for raising or lowering the support member with respect to a supporting surface, the vertical positioning means comprising a slidable supporting leg having a top end slidably engaged with a rear surface of the supporting member and having a base along a bottom end for resting on the supporting surface;

locking means for detachably securing the top end of the slidable supporting leg at a selected position along the rear surface of the supporting member, such that the height of the supporting member is adjustable by releasing the locking means, sliding the supporting member with respect to the leg, then resecuring the supporting member with the locking means; and

tilt positioning means for tilting the supporting member.

18. The adjustable copyholder of claim 17, wherein the slidable supporting leg engages with vertical tracks provided along the rear surface of the supporting member, and wherein the locking means comprises a screw mounted through the slidable supporting leg, the screw releasably frictionally abutting the supporting member.

19. The adjustable copyholder of claim 18, wherein a shaft of the screw is received within a slot formed within a track along the rear surface of the support member, with a head of the screw extending outwardly from the support member through the slot and through a bore formed in the slidable supporting leg, with a nut mounted to the shaft of the screw within the track, the slidable leg being locked by tightening the screw onto the nut, thus pulling the head of the screw into frictional abutment against an exterior surface of the track of the rear surface of the support member.

20. The adjustable copyholder of claim 17, wherein the tilting means comprises a pivotable support leg having a top end pivotally mounted to the slidable supporting leg and having a base along a free end for resting on the supporting surface.

21. The adjustable copyholder of claim 20, wherein the tilting means further comprises:

a connecting member having a free end and a fixed end pivotally mounted to a rear surface of the slidable supporting leg below the top end of the pivotable supporting leg; and

connecting member mounting means for detachably mounting the free end of the connecting member to one of a plurality of intermediate positions along a front surface of the pivoting leg.

22. The adjustable copyholder of claim 21, wherein the connecting member mounting means comprises:

a set of pairs of notches formed within the front. surface of the pivotable supporting leg, each of the pairs of notches sized for detachably receiving and holding opposing corners of the free end of the connecting member.

23. The adjustable copyholder of claim 21, wherein the copyholder is tiltable through a range between a reclined position wherein the free end of the connecting member is mounted in the vicinity of a top end of the pivotable supporting leg and an upright position wherein the free end of the connecting member is mounted in the vicinity of a bottom end of the pivotable supporting leg.

24. The adjustable copyholder of claim 17, wherein the copyholder is adjustable through a range between a maximum height position wherein the top end of the slidable supporting leg is secured in the vicinity of a bottom edge of the supporting member and a minimum height position wherein the top end of the slidable supporting leg is secured in a vicinity of a top edge of the supporting member.

25. An adjustable copyholder comprising:

a supporting member having a substantially planar front surface for supporting a sheet of copy;

a shelf mounted along a bottom edge of the front surface of the supporting member;

vertical positioning means for raising or lowering the supporting member with respect to a supporting surface; and

tilt positioning means for tilting the supporting member.