GB2272370A

GB2272370A - Flat-folding easel

Info

Publication number: GB2272370A
Application number: GB9224081A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David James Fowler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-11-17
Filing date: 1992-11-17
Publication date: 1994-05-18
Anticipated expiration: 2012-11-17
Also published as: GB9224081D0; GB2272370B

Abstract

An easel comprises a flat support 10 formed from a single sheet of material and a stay pivoted to the rear of the support 10. Slots 14A, 14B are formed in the support 10, and the stay is formed using the strips of material 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b removed to form the slots. The stay is pivoted at one end to the upper portion of the support 10 and its other end adjustably engages with the lower portion of the support, so as to hold the support 10 in the upright position. When not in use the stay can be folded flat to lie within the slots 14A, 14B. <IMAGE>

Description

An Easel This invention relates to an easel for artists and the like.

Artist's easels generally comprise a wooden A-frame supported by a stay which is pivoted to its rear. These types of easel are cumbersome and expensive to manufacture.

I have now devised an easel which is easy to carry and which is cheap to manufacture.

In accordance with this invention there is provided an easel comprising a flat support formed from sheet material and a stay pivoted to the rear of said support, the stay being arranged to fold generally within the plane of the support when not in use.

Preferably the stay folds into an aperture formed in the support.

Preferably the stay is formed using the sheet material which is cut out from the support to form said aperture.

Preferably the stay comprises a first arm pivoted at its upper end to an upper portion of the support and at its lower end to a second arm, the free end of the second arm being arranged to engage with a lower portion of the support so that when erected the support is rigidly held in the upright position. Preferably the free end of the second arm projects through said aperture.

Preferably the free end of the second arm adjustably engages with the lower portion of the support so that the angle of the support can be adjusted.

Preferably a member extends transversely across the support, the member being vertically movable along the support so that in use the lower edge of a workpiece can be rested on the transverse member.

Preferably the transverse member serves to retain the stay in the folded position when the easel is not in use.

Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective front view of an easel in accordance with this invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the easel of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the easel of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a front view of the easel of Figure 1 when folded; Figure 5 is a side view of the easel of Figure 1 when folded; Figure 6 is a side view of the easel of Figure 1 when partially folded; and Figure 7 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of an easel in accordance with this invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings there is shown an artist's easel comprising a support 10 e.g. for an artist's canvas or sketchpad and a stay pivoted to the rear of the support 10. Two parallel extending slots 14A, 14B are formed vertically in the support 10, and the waste material from the slots 14A, 14B may be used to form the stay. The stay comprises a pair of first arms 11A, 11B pivoted at their upper ends to the upper edges of the slots 14A, 14B respectively.

The lower ends of the arms llA, 11B are interconnected by a foot 13. A pair of second arms 12A, 12B are pivoted to the foot 13 and are laterally offset outwardly from the first arms 11A, 11B respectively. The free ends of the arms 12A, 12B extend through the slots 14A, 14B respectively and are interconnected by a strut 19 adjacent the front surface of the support 10. A plurality of apertures e.g. 25 are formed along the length of the second arms 12A, 12B. A removable elongate fastening element 20 is provided with a pair of depending pins e.g. 26 as shown in Figure 4. The pins e.g. 26 engage with the apertures e.g. 25 in the arms 12A, 12B. The fastening element 20 is retained in a pair of brackets 21, 22 disposed on opposite sides of the slots 14A, 14B respectively.In use, the fastening element 20 can be disengaged from the brackets 21, 22 whilst the second arms 12A, 12B are repositioned so as to alter the angle of the support 10.

A rest 18 is mounted transversely across the front of the support 10 by bolts e.g. 24 which extends through elongate vertical slots 16, 17 formed in opposite sides of the support 10. Wing nuts 28 engage with the bolts e.g. 24 to hold the rest 18 in place on the support 10. The rest 18 can be moved vertically on the support 10 so that sketchpads and canvases of different sizes can be accommodated in the easel. An aperture 23 is formed in the top of the support for carrying the easel.

Referring to Figures 4 to 6 the easel may be folded when not in use. The easel is folded by removing the fastening element 20 from its brackets 21, 22 so that the stay can be pivoted. The strut 19 is lifted upwardly so that the arms 11A, 12A and llB, 12B fold into the slots 14A, 14B respectively.

A locking element 27 is disposed on the rear face of the support 10 to lock the lower ends of the arms 11A, 12A and 11B, 12B in the folded position. The rest 18 is also moved upwardly to prevent the arms 12A, 12B from pivoting forwards when folded. The fastening element 20 may be retained in the brackets 21, 22 when the easel is not in use.

The above mentioned easel is preferably formed from wood, the support 10 and arms llA, 12A, 11B, 12B preferably being formed from the same sheet of plywood.

Referring to Figure 7, in an alternative embodiment the support 10 and arms llA, 12A, llB, 12B may comprise a one-piece element formed from a single sheet of plastics material. This arrangement is simple to produce because only single cuts 61A, 61B have to be made to form the arms 11A, 12A and 12A, 12B from the single sheet of plastics material folds may then be made at 62A, 62B and 63A, 63B so that the arms can be pivoted out of the plane of the support 60.

Claims

1) An easel comprising a flat support formed from sheet material and a stay pivoted to the rear of said support, the stay being arranged to fold generally within the plane of the support when not in use.

2) An easel as claimed in claim 1, in which the stay folds into an aperture formed in the support.

3) An easel as claimed in claim 2, in which the stay is formed using sheet material cut out from the support to form said aperture.

4) An easel as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, in which the stay comprises a first arm pivoted at its upper end to an upper portion of the support and at its lower end to a second arm, the free end of the second arm being engageable with a lower portion of the support.

5) An easel as claimed in claim 4, in which the free end of the second arm projects through said aperture.

6) An easel as claimed in claim 5, in which the free end of the second arm adjustably engages with the lower portion of the support.

7) An easel as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a member which extends transversely across the support, the member being movable vertically along the support.

8) An easel as claimed in claim 7, in which the member retains the stay in the folded position when not in use.

9) An easel substantially as herein defined with reference to the accompanying drawings.