Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7540464 | Book holder The present invention is an improved book holder. In particular, the present invention is directed to a book holder with easy loading and unloading of reading material, a page turning mechanism, book centering mechanism and/or a foldable book holder stand. The book ... | 06/02/2009 |
| 7309052 | Articulated equipment support assembly movable between use and non-use positions The equipment support may include a first support, an actuator arm on the first support, and a second support supporting a piece of equipment. A third support may be provided between the first support and the second support. The first support may be pivotally attach... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7258321 | Laptop support assembly A laptop support assembly includes a pair of elongated bases each having a top side, a bottom side, a first end and a second end. A pair of supports is provided. Each of the supports is attached to one of the bases and extends upwardly therefrom. A panel is attached... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7254850 | Radial arm system for patient care equipment A system for supporting patient care equipment alongside a patient support is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a plurality of arms supported by a support structure. The arms may be pivoted to either side of the patient support. The arms may be stored... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7240887 | Book holder A book holder for supporting and protecting an article of reading material is provided. The book holder includes a spine, a pair of cover panels, each of the cover panels is hingidly to the spine permitting the pair of cover panels to be rotated into an open positio... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7237757 | Article support An article support comprises a supporting plate provided with a resinous slide stopper on a face for supporting an article, and a holding plate, a hinge, a hook bar and an engagement groove as a holding means for maintaining the supporting plates in a predetermined ... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7201353 | Adjustable lectern system A adjustable lectern system for facilitating adjustment and movement according to the particular needs of various sequential users. The adjustable lectern system includes a base portion designed for resting upon a horizontal support surface and having a relatively b... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7172167 | Reading stand The invention provides a reading stand. The reading stand may include a base including a base member case. Further, the reading stand may include a reading lid disposed upon the base member case, the reading lid including a reading platform having a front side and a... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7165750 | Weapon caddy A caddy is provided for supporting a weapon such as a rifle, gun, pistol, cross bow, or long bow while hunting. The caddy serves as an adjustable cradle for supporting the weapon while aiming at a target and a safety device for transporting the weapon. The caddy may... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7152840 | Book holder A book holder removably attachable to a vehicle or structure such as a stroller, walker, wheelchair or car seat for mobile applications. The book holder for holding a book or drawing surface in a usable position thereon for by the occupant of the vehicle. The book h... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7100883 | Document holder for computer workstation A document holder, adapted for use at a computer workstation or word processor, includes an easel supported by spaced apart support arms. The easel and the support arms are connected to each other at respective pivot connections to provide for angular adjustment of ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7083155 | Adjustable reading bookstand A bookstand has a pivotally adjustable book holder having a frame with upper and lower book supporting plates slidable across each other to provide a book supporting surface of variable size for supporting spines and rear covers of open books of different sizes. The... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7065811 | Radial arm system for patient care equipment A system for supporting patient care equipment alongside a patient support is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a plurality of arms supported by a support structure. The arms may be pivoted to either side of the patient support. The arms may be stored... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7040591 | Adjustable book holder assembly A book support is mounted to a vertical upright assembly affixed to a weighted base. The book support is selectively positionable in various horizontal positions by swinging a horizontal swing arm articulated with a pivot connection to a one end of a horizontally ex... | 05/09/2006 |
| 6499766 | Media folder improvements A media folder or book binder provided with a rotor having elastic bands stretched between pins on its opposite ends has mounting brackets which are mechanically fastened to the spine of the folder. The brackets have trunnions facing inwardly toward the o... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6298507 | Hip grip table attachment for operating tables A hip grip table attachment apparatus for positioning and retaining a patient in a position lying on one side during hip or pelvic surgery is disclosed. The hip grip table attachment apparatus attaches to an operating table and has a removable top platfor... | 10/09/2001 |
| 6283432 | Book holder with optional swivel base A book holder in which an open book may be placed and held in the cavity created by the positioning of an angled back piece, end pieces and front tabs joined to a solid bottom piece upon which the lower edge of the book rests with the open pages loosely s... | 09/04/2001 |
| 6270049 | Tabletop easel with page retention An easel or book stand for the support of a book or booklet utilizing front and rear panels movable into a spread-apart relationship. An elongate base member attached between the lower edges of the panels includes a first flexible elongate component hinge... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6250599 | Universal book holder The Universal Book Holder permits a person to read from supine, sideways facing, sideways-upward facing as well as from the usual forward and downward facing postures. The book holder accepts hard cover books, paperbacks, magazines and newspapers. Inserti... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6220559 | Reading assistive device for individuals A reading assistive device 10 that suspends reading material above a reclining or supine user. Reading assistive device 10 communicates with the reading material using wing folds 20, 22 of page support 12. The reading material is fit through a central win... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6164218 | Supine activity table A supine table comprises a rectangular base, a pair of L-shaped side panels and an inverted U-shaped transparent table top connected to the side panels; wherein the transparent table top is adjustable in height relative to the base.... | 12/26/2000 |
| 6045107 | Holder for reading material A holder for reading material while reclined such that the holder is light, portable, and easy to use. The holder allows for easy turning of pages and sufficient support for the reading material. The holder for reading material comprises a pair of horizon... | 04/04/2000 |
| 6019339 | Book holder A flexible resilient book holder which permits an open book to be placed between a first and second planar surface keeping the pages on each side of the book in a relatively flat plane to permit the reader to read both pages.... | 02/01/2000 |
| 5971344 | Method of using an open book securing device for hands-free reading of an open book A platform assembly is provided with a raised edge at the bottom against which a bottom edge of the open book rests. A securing device is provided with a bar with a hook at each end of the bar, first and second prongs extending downwardly from the lower s... | 10/26/1999 |
| 5971343 | In-bed book stand A book stand (10) including a book rack (24) configured for coupling with a pair of support members (12,14) in a spanning relationship. The support members (12,14) are coupled with a pair of bases (16,18) for engaging the support surface. The book rack (2... | 10/26/1999 |
| 5918907 | Compact reading apparatus A reading apparatus capable to support a book with adjustable angle includes: a base having a guiding groove and two sleeves, a supporting mechanism for supporting the book, and a clamping member for clamping the book on the supporting mechanism. The supp... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5913502 | Document holder The present invention is a unique solution to the problem of holding a document in a position to read the document while reclining in a bed or on a horizontal surface. In the prior art attempt to achieve positioning a document relative to a reclining user... | 06/22/1999 |
| 5655744 | Device for holding printed material The present invention is a device for holding printed material over a viewer laying supine such that the material can be viewed from below and overhead illumination is reduced. The device comprises two horizontal supports slidably affixed to at least two ... | 08/12/1997 |
| 5590864 | Easel for handicapped artists A handicapped artist's easel is constructed with a horizontal baseboard and an easel board pivotally mounted at the front end of the baseboard for rotation through substantially 180° relative to the baseboard. At least one extendable and retractable arm ... | 01/07/1997 |
| 5485980 | Inverted book stand An inverted book stand having a book support platform comprised of two pivotally connected, transparent panels. The panels can be moved from a first, stowed position, where the panels are folded together and in close proximity to each other, to a second, ... | 01/23/1996 |
| 5458312 | Inverted book holder A book holding structure is provided having means to position a book in two positions, one for turning the pages of the book the other for reading from a supine position, means to flatten and to illuminate it and to convert it into a conventional easel.... | 10/17/1995 |
| 5351927 | Book holder for use with stand assemblies A book holder with a back plate, a transparent cover plate movable relative to the back plate, and a connection between the back plate and the cover plate which permits the cover plate to move relative to the back plate so as to provide guided movement of... | 10/04/1994 |
| 5259581 | Inverted book holding and page turning device A book holding structure is provided having means to position the book in two positions, one for turning the pages of the book and the other for reading.... | 11/09/1993 |
| 5129616 | Book support for supine or seated readers A highly adjustable and simple to use book holder for supine or seated readers is provided by pairs of legs joined near their tops by slotted brackets, which pairs of legs define vertical planes straddling the reader. The slotted brackets allow the relati... | 07/14/1992 |
| 5112021 | Bookholder A bookholder device includes a main arm portion for hinged attachment to a wall (or alternatively, for free standing support on the floor). A clutch assembly portion is attached to the main arm, and releasably engages a rod member. A tray bracket is pivot... | 05/12/1992 |
| 5058848 | Reading material holder A device for positioning reading material for use by a person in the horizontal position. The device includes a frame, including a base, a vertical arm extending above the base, and a horizontal arm extending over the location of the person. Also included... | 10/22/1991 |
| 4925144 | Portable bookholder A bookholder is described, relying on a single unitary or articulated main member to support a book in contact with one end thereof, with the aid of crossbars and/or clamps mating therewith.... | 05/15/1990 |
| 4867407 | Portable book holder A support is characterized by having a bendable arm that has an inner nonmoveable, longitudinal end portion thereof retained in a stationary position and an outer bendable free end portion extending through and in supporting contact with a wall that forms... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4840407 | Sheet music binder A cylindrical array of cables that hold sheets of music in a binder are connected to and stretched along a center post mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the centerline of the spine of the binder. In use, a first sheet of music is slipped betw... | 06/20/1989 |
| 4718630 | Portable reading in bed book holder and lap writing surface A portable supporting device is provided and has a frame having an upper and lower surface with a transparent sheet member secured in a recess in the upper surface and a plurality of hollow tubes providing leg mounting means on the lower surface of the fr... | 01/12/1988 |
