Easel

Abstract

An upright standard rotatably supports a cross arm on an axis at right angles to the standard so that the cross arm can be positioned rotatably as desired by the painter. The cross arm is adjustable vertically as well as rotatably and has brackets slidably adjustable thereon to hold picture blanks of different sizes. The standard is supported in an upright position by a rear leg assembly which is collapsible to allow the easel to be reduced to a compact unit for storage and shipment.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in easels.

Easels have heretofore been provided for supporting a canvas or other blank on which a painting is to be made. The painter in making the artwork positions himself and his painting arm selectively to reach the necessary areas of the canvas. It is difficult and tiring for him to paint in some of the areas of the canvas such as the upper portions thereof and prior easels have not made provision for adjusting the canvas in substantially all positions relative to the painter to make painting easier. Such easels are thus deficient in this regard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention and forming a primary objective thereof, an easel structure is provided which has selected adjustments facilitating maximum ease of applying the paint on a canvas supported on the easel.

A more particular object is to provide an easel having a canvas supporting holder which is rotatably adjustable on its standard so that the painter can turn the canvas in front of him to more readily reach all the areas on the canvas.

Another object is to provide an easel of the type described which has other adjustable means for the canvas supporting holder facilitating height adjustment to the most convenient place for the painter and also providing adjustable lateral movement of brackets on the cross arm to accommodate canvasses of varying sizes.

Still another object is to provide an easel of the type described having a portion of its structure which is foldable to compact the unit for convenience in storage and shipment.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an easel embodying the present invention, a canvas or painting backing supported thereon being shown in phantom lines and the cross arm being rotatably positioned 90.degree. from its starting or normal position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the easel in set-up position for painting;

FIG. 3 is also a side elevational view of the easel but showing it in folded or compacted condition;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With particular reference to the drawings and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the easel of the invention comprises a standard 10 of board or plate-like construction secured at its lower end to a cross foot 12. The foot 12 has a rear vertical groove 14 for receiving a bottom portion of the standard 10, this groove holding the standard stable in its upright position. A screw 16 holds the foot 12 and standard together in assembled relation but has a wing nut thereon for easy removal so that the foot 12 can be removed in storage or shipment.

A leg assembly 18 supports the standard upright preferably in a slight rearwardly inclined position. This leg assembly is made up of three segments, comprising a pair of upright segments 18a and 18b and a bottom rearwardly extending segment 18c. The upper end of segment 18a has a hinged connection 20 adjacent to the top and on the rear side of the standard 10. The other end of this segment is connected to the segment 18b by means of a pair of screws 22 mounted in the segment 18a and extending through an upright slot 24, FIG. 6, in the segment 18b. Slot 24 extends from a point just short of the upper end of the segment 18b to a point just short of the lower end thereof. Screws 22 hold the segments 18a and 18b together but upon loosening them the segments 18a and 18b can be adjusted lengthwise relative to each other. The lower end of segment 18b has a hinged connection 26 with one end of segment 18c and the latter segment has a hinged connection 28 adjacent to the bottom and on the rear side of the standard 10.

The particular structure of the leg assembly 18 in addition to providing a desired tilt to the standard 10 is collapsible to a flat position, such as that shown in FIG. 3 wherein a minimum space for storage and shipment is consumed. To collapse the leg assembly from the FIG. 2 to the FIG. 3 position, the screws 22 are loosened and the links 18a and 18b slid together and the link 18c raised to lie along the rear side of the standard 10. The screws 22 can be tightened in this collapsed position of the leg assembly to maintain such assembly rigidly in collapsed position.

A cross arm 30 is supported on the standard 10 for holding a canvas C or other picture blank. The canvas or picture blank C is generally of somewhat rigid material so that it will stand upright, such usually comprising a canvas with a support backing or a paint receiving surface which itself is self-sustaining. The cross arm 30 is attached to the standard by a swivel connection 32 comprising a pair of frictional plates one of which is attached to the rear side of the cross arm 30 and the other of which is attached to the front of the standard 10. Attachment of the friction plate to the standard is accomplished by screws 34 mounted in the said plate and projecting through upright slots 36 in the standard. By suitable tightening and loosening of the nuts on screws 34, the cross arm can be adjusted to various heights on the standard to best position the canvas according to the desires of the painter. Swivel connection 32 may comprise any suitable swivel structure but preferably is of an arrangement which has sufficient friction to hold the cross arm in place during the painting operation but which will allow the painter to rotate the cross arm to any adjusted position.

The cross arm 30 supports a pair of brackets 38 each having a plate-like body portion 40, FIGS. 1 and 5, bearing against the front surface of cross arm 30 and having rearwardly extending flanges 42 disposed on opposite longitudinal edges of the arm and each having a tongue and groove connection 44 with the cross arm. The body portion 40 and the flanges 42 are shown as separate pieces and attachable together by screws 46, but clearly the bracket may be formed of a single piece. The brackets 38 have slidable engagement on the cross arm 30, and to provide a set position thereof on the cross arm they are provided with set screws 48. These set screws have threaded engagement in a nut 50 embedded in a rear recess 52 and terminate at their inner ends in enlarged ends 54 adapted to bear on an abutment strip 56 such as metal secured in a groove 58 in the front face of cross arm 30. Each of the brackets 38 is thus adapted to be anchored in a positive position on the arm 30 by tightening its set screw 48 but is readily adjustable along the cross arm by loosening the set screw 48.

Each body portion 40 of the brackets has a transverse bar 60 integral therewith, and these bars have lip portions 62, best shown in FIG. 4, for holding the canvas C on the cross arm.

According to the present invention, the canvas is mounted securely on the cross arm 30 by clamping it between the bars 60 of the brackets 38, such brackets being adjustable toward each other for such purpose. These brackets being adjustable along the entire length of the cross arm accommodate canvasses of different sizes. The cross arm 30 may be vertically positioned on the standard to suit the painter. As the painter progresses with his artwork, the canvas may be rotatably adjusted to any desired position such as for example to the FIG. 1 position which is rotated 90 degrees from the normal or start position of the canvas. Such is merely an exemplary showing, however, since the cross arm may be rotatably position to any other degree of rotation according to the desires of the painter, even upside down.

The canvas is thus capable of being presented to the painter in the most convenient position to him, namely it can be tilted with the standard 10, it can be vertically positioned and it can be rotatably positioned.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An easel for supporting a picture blank facewise to a person positioned in front of it comprising,

a. an upright standard,

b. a rear leg assembly on said standard for supporting the latter in upright position,

c. said leg assembly including a rearwardly extending segment hingedly connected at one of its ends to said standard and hingedly connected at its other end to one end of an upright segment,

d. the other end of said upright segment being connected with one end of a second upright segment in a releasable slidable joint,

e. said second upright segment having its other end hingedly connected to said standard above the hinge connection of said rearwardly extending segment with the standard, whereby said leg segments can be folded up against the back of said standard by releasing said slidable joint between said two upright segments and pivoting the rearwardly extending segment and said second upright segment toward the standard,

f. a cross arm on said standard,

g. connecting means rotatably connecting said cross arm on said standard with the axis of rotation extending from front to rear of said easel whereby said cross arm and picture blank thereon can be rotatably positioned in front of the person,

h. said rotatable connecting means comprising a friction connection whereby said holder will remain in its rotatably adjusted position except when intentionally rotated,

i. said rotatable connecting means between said cross arm and said standard being vertically adjustable on said standard to position said cross arm at the desired height,

j. a pair of brackets on said cross arm between which a picture blank can be clamped for firmly holding it on said arm,

k. at least one of said brackets being adjustable along the length of said cross arm to adjust to different dimensioned picture blanks,

l. and releasable connecting means between said movable bracket and said cross arm for anchoring said latter bracket in a selected position.