US3889816A

US3889816A - Book holder and separator

Info

Publication number: US3889816A
Application number: US431989A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rafael Marcelo Herryman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-01-09
Filing date: 1974-01-09
Publication date: 1975-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-17

Abstract

A holder and separator for books including a frame which is adapted to be secured underneath the top shelf of a bookcase, a pendulum having a head end and a free end having a magnet member thereon, the pendulum swinging between a horizontal position adjacent the top shelf of the bookcase above the books contained therein and a vertical position between two books in the bookcase for maintaining these books in a separated condition. A mangetically attractable member is affixed underneath the top shelf of the bookcase and is arranged to be contacted by the magnet member on the free end of the pendulum when the latter is in its horizontal position.

Description

United States Patent n 1 Herryman i 1 June 17, 1975 [76] Inventor:

1 1 BOOK HOLDER AND SEPARATOR Rafael Marcelo Herryman, 121 E. Allegheny St.. Martinsburg. Pa.

221 Filed: Jan. 9, 1974 [21] Appl.No.:431,989

21 1/184 [51] Int. Cl. A4713 65/00 [58] Field 01 Search 211/43, 184. 42. DIG. 1; 248/441. 205 A. 108/60, 61

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 481.505 8/1892 Muir 211/42 534.116 2/1895 Lyons.. .1 211/184 639.063 12/1899 Ladd 211/184 X 657.847 9/1900 Young 211/42 758.868 5/1904 Storm 211/43 809.315 H1906 Maccallum 108/61 1.060.020 4/1913 Pennewill 211/184 X 1.230.653 6/1917 Benedict i l r 211/184 UX 3.146.888 9/1964 Schacfer et a1.. 211/43 3.450.268 6/1969 Sakamoto 211/42 3.604.564 9/1971 Weyll it 211/43 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 196.934 7/1938 Switzerland 211/42 34,766 7/1925 Denmark 211/42 524.080 5/1921 France 211/42 283.000 12/1952 Switzerland 21 H184 282.902 2/1928 United Kingdom A i i 21 1/43 794.035 4/1958 United Kingdom 211/43 Primary Examiner-Roy D Frazier Assistant Examiner-Thomas .1. Holko Attorney. Agenl, 0r Firm-Smith. Harding. Earley & Follmer [57] ABSTRACT A holder and separator for books including a frame which is adapted to be secured underneath the top shelf of a bookcase. a pendulum having a head end and a free end having a magnet member thereon. the pendulum swinging between a horizontal position adjacent the top shelf of the bookcase above the books contained therein and a vertical position between two books in the bookcase for maintaining these books in a separated condition. A mangetically attractable member is affixed underneath the top shelf of the bookcase and is arranged to be contacted by the magnet member on the free end of the pendulum when the latter is in its horizontal position.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures |4 l1HHHHH- HHH H IO BOOK HOLDER AND SEPARATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to accessories attachable to bookcases or any type of shelves used to keep books in a stacked condition such as in libraries or other similar places where books are kept, which accessory serves to facilitate the organization of the books in the bookcase. More specifically, the device in accordance with the invention is designed to keep or mark the place of a book when it is pulled out of a bookcase and to prevent the remaining books from falling to the side into the space caused by the book removal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved holder and separator for books contained in a bookcase or the like, the design in accordance with the invention providing simple and effective means for marking the place of a book which is removed from a bookcase and maintaining the books in a separated condition.

Briefly stated, the general object of the invention is achieved by the provision of a holder and separator which comprises a pendulum member having a head end and a free end having a magnet member thereon, means for supporting the pendulum at its head end on the underside of the top shelf for swinging movement between a horizontal position adjacent the top shelf of the bookcase above the books contained therein and a vertical position between two books in the bookcase for maintaining the books in a separated condition. A magnetically attractable member is affixed underneath the top shelf of the bookcase and is adapted to be contacted by the magnet member when the pendulum member is in its horizontal position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a bookcase provided with the holder and separator in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the frame used in the holder and separator for books in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the holder and separator in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of another form of pendulum member in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a cane-shaped flake; and

FIG. 7 is a front view of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, the book holder and separator in accordance with the invention comprises a frame II) which is a rectangular and comprises a rear leg I2 and a front leg 14 spaced apart and joined by a pair of side legs 16 and 18 (see FIG. 3). The rear leg I2 can be made of various materials such as. wood. metal or plastic and is provided with a plurality of holes 13 spaced along the length thereof and adapted for the insertion of mounting screws. A plurality of generally J-shaped metal hooks 20 are mounted to project downwardly from the underside of leg 12 as is best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The hooks 20 are equally spaced along the length of the leg I2 and have a short vertically extending tail portion 22 spaced from the bottom of the leg I2 as is best shown in FIG. 4.

The leg 14 is made of iron or any other suitable material that is magnetically attractable. Leg I4 is also provided with holes 15 adapted for the insertion of screws for mounting the same on the underside of the bookcase.

While the objective of the

side legs

16 and 18 in the frame 10 is to hold the legs 12 and I4 in spaced parallel relation, it will be apparent that these

side legs

16 and 18 can be omitted and that the front and rear legs 12 and I4 can be attached to the bookcase with screws and placed in the desired spaced position, in which case the rear leg I2 is attached underneath the top shelf of the bookcase and set toward the back and the front leg 14 is attached underneath the top shelf of the bookcase adjacent the front thereof.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 there is shown a cane-shaped flake (thin piece) of iron or any other magnetic material which is optional. The flake 30 is adapted to be hitched onto either the spine or either side cover of a book and can be used for marking the place of the book when it is removed from the bookcase as will appear hereafter.

There is provided a pendulum member 40 which is best shown in FIG. 4 and which is adapted to fit inside the hooks 20 so that it can be slid to the left or right along leg 12 to a place where a book is removed from the bookcase as is shown in FIG. 1. The pendulum 40 comprises a body portion 42 which is preferably made of aluminum and is in the form of a hollow cylinder. The pendulum 40 also comprises a cylindrical head portion 44 adapted to be inserted within the hooks 20 for rotation therein to permit a swinging movement of the pendulum 40. The pendulum 40 also comprises an extension 46 which is mounted for slidable telescoping movement within the body 42 between the extended position shown in FIG. 4 and a retracted position. At the free end of the extension 46 there is provided an elongated magnet 48 which can be positioned to extend transversely to the plane of the swinging pendulum.

The pendulum 40 is constructed and arranged for swinging movement from the vertical position shown in solid lines to a horizontal position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4. In the vertical position the extension 46 can be pulled to the fully extended position as is shown in solid lines in FIG. 4. The extension 46 can also be pushed to a retracted position within the hollow cylindrical body and swung to a horizontally extending position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4 with the magnet 48 in magnetic engagement with the iron leg 14. This is the position to which the pendulum 40 is moved when it is not in use, it being noted that this position is adjacent the underside of the top shelf of the bookcase and above the books contained in the bookcase. Since the leg 14 is made of iron these parts stay in the horizontal position once the magnet 48 is placed in contact with the leg 14 until such time as they are manually sepa rated.

In FIG. 5 there is shown an alternative embodiment in which the head end 44 is shaped in the form of a football as opposed to the cylindrical shape of a head end shown in FIG. 4.

In FIG. I there is shown the application of the invention for holding and separating books in a small bookcase 50 containing books beneath a top shelf 52 on which the frame 10 is secured as shown. Obviously, the invention can be adapted to any size bookcase by merely lengthening the

legs

12 and 14 and enlarging the extent of hooks 20 and the pendulum 40 as desired, so long as the penduium 40 is proportional to the hooks 20 and fits within them so that it can be moved along the hooks to the desired location. To this end, the head end portion of body 42 is designed to fit within a suitable clearance between the tail end 22 of each hook 20 and leg 12. Also, where desired more than one pendulum 40 is mounted within the hooks 20 in those appli cations where many books are taken out at the same time.

In use, the pendulum 40 is normally maintained in the horizontal position above the books. When a book is removed from the bookcase as is shown in FIG. I. the pendulum 40 is released from its magnetically held horizontal position and swung to the vertically extending position. The extension 46 is pulled out of the body 42 as desired and positioned between the books adjacent to the book that has just been removed as is shown in FIG. 1. The elongated magnet 48 is positioned to maintain these books in a separated condition and mark the place of the removed book.

Optionally, in the event that metal flakes are provided, a flake 30 is removed from its hitched position on the book which has just been removed from the bookcase and placed in contact with the magnet 48 as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1. The flake 30 is marked with the title of the book and thus provides a visual indication of the book which has been removed from a particular location.

I claim:

1. A holder and separator for books in a bookcase or the like having a top shelf above the books comprising a pendulum member having a head end and a free end,

said free end having a magnet member thereon and being elongated so as to be extended transversely to the swinging path of said pendulum member, means for supporting said pendulum at said head end for swinging movement between a horizontal position adjacent the top shelf of the bookcase above the books contained therein and a vertical position between two books in the bookcase for maintaining the books in a separated condition, and a magnetically attractable member affixed underneath the top shelf of the bookcase and adapted to be contacted by said magnet member when said pendulum member is in its horizontal position.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said pendulum member comprises a body portion having said head end located at one end thereof and an extension portion having said free end located at one end thereof. said body portion and said extension portion being telescopically mounted together so that said extension is movable from a retracted position to an extended position.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said supporting means for said pendulum comprises a plurality of hooks spaced along the bookcase underneath the top shelf thereof, said head end of said pendulum member being constructed and arranged to be slid along the top shelf of the bookcase within said hooks to various positions.

4. A device according to claim 1 comprising a rectangular frame including said pendulum supporting means and said magnetically attract-able member.

5. A device according to claim 1 including a cane shaped thin strip of magnetically attractable material adapted to be supported on said magnet member.

Claims

1. A holder and separator for books in a bookcase or the like having a top shelf above the books comprising a pendulum member having a head end and a free end, said free end having a magnet member thereon and being elongated so as to be extended transversely to the swinging path of said pendulum member, means for supporting said pendulum at said head end for swinging movement between a horizontal position adjacent the top shelf of the bookcase above the books contained therein and a vertical position between two books in the bookcase for maintaining the books in a separated condition, and a magnetically attractable member affixed underneath the top shelf of the bookcase and adapted to be contacted by said magnet member when said pendulum member is in its horizontal position.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said pendulum member comprises a body portion having said head end located at one end thereof and an extension portion having said free end located at one end thereof, said body portion and said extension portion being telescopically mounted together so that said extension is movable from a retracted position to an extended position.

4. A device according to claim 1 comprising a rectangular frame including said pendulum supporting means and said magnetically attractable member.

5. A device according to claim 1 including a cane-shaped thin strip of magnetically attractable material adapted to be supported on said magnet member.