Collapsible multi-position easel

Claim 1

AN EASEL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME INCLUDING A CENTRAL LEG, A PAIR OF SIDE LEGS AND A PAIR OF BOTTOM FRAME MEMBERS; MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID SIDE LEGS TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID CENTRAL LEG; SAID CENTRAL LEG HAVING A GUIDING FORMATION EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF; MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE OUTER END OF EACH BOTTOM FRAME MEMBER TO A RESPECTIVE SIDE LEG ADJACENT THE BOTTOM END OF THE LATTER; PIVOT MEANS HINGEDLY INTERCONNECTING THE INNER ENDS OF SAID BOTTOM FRAME MEMBERS AND SLIDABLE ALONG SAID GUIDING FORMATION; AND SUPPORT LEG MEANS PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID CENTRAL LEG FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT PERPENDICULAR TO THE GENERAL PLANE OF SAID FRAME, TO FORM A TRIPOD STRUCTURE INCLUDING SAID SIDE LEGS AND SAID SUPPORT LEGS; WHEREBY SAID EASEL, WHEN IN THE COLLAPSED CONDITION, MAY BE ERECTED BY SWINGING SAID SIDE LEGS OUTWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID CENTRAL LEG TO CAUSE SAID PIVOT MEANS TO MOVE DOWNWARDLY ALONG SAID GUIDING FORMATION; SAID GUIDING FORMATION INCLUDING MEANS LIMITING DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID BOTTOM FRAME MEMBERS TO A POSITION IN WHICH THEY ARE RECTILINEARLY ALIGNED AND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL; SAID EASEL BEING COLLAPSIBLE BY MOVING SAID PIVOT MEANS UPWARDLY ALONG SAID GUIDING FORMATION WITH INWARD PRESSURE ON SAID SIDE LEGS TO SWING SAID SIDE LEGS TOWARD SAID CENTRAL LEG.