Portable easel

Claim 1

IN AN EASEL, THE COMBINATION OF, TWO FRONT LEGS DISPOSED IN A COMMON PLANE AND JOINED TOGETHER WITH THEIR UPPER ENDS CLOSE TOGETHER AND THEIR LOWER END PORTIONS DIVERGING DOWNWARDLY, A REAR LEG PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID FRONT LEGS TO FORM A COLLAPSIBLE TRIPOD, SAID REAR LEG SWINGING TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PLANE TO COLLAPSE AND OPEN SAID TRIPOD, A BOX-LIKE COMPARTMENT NARROWER THAN THE SPACING OF SAID FRONT LEGS NEAR THE LOWER ENDS THEREOF WITH ITS FRONT END PROJECTING BETWEEN AND BEYOND THE FRONT LEGS NEAR SAID LOWER ENDS, A HORIZONTAL BAR SPANNING AND SECURED TO SAID FRONT LEGS ABOVE SAID COMPARTMENT, A HINGE CONNECTING THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID COMPARTMENT TO SAID BAR TO SWING THE COMPARTMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS BETWEEN A HORIZONTAL POSITION AND AN UPRIGHT POSITION IN WHICH THE COMPARTMENT IS DISPOSED BEHIND SAID FRONT LEGS, SAID REAR LEG BEING OFFSET REARWARDLY FROM SAID PLANE A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID COMPARTMENT GENERALLY PARALLELING SAID PLANE WHEN SAID TRIPOD IS COLLAPSED WHEREBY THE COMPARTMENT FITS INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FRONT LEGS AND THE REAR LEG, SAID UPRIGHT POSITION WITH THE REAR LEG EXTENDING ALONG THE UNDERSIDE OF THE COMPARTMENT, A COLLAR PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE REAR END OF SAID COMPARTMENT AND SLIDABLE ALONG SAID REAR LEG AS THE COMPARTMENT SWINGS UP AND DOWN, A STOP ON SAID REAR LEG ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID COLLAR TO LIMIT DOWNWARD SWINGING OF SAID COMPARTMENT WHEN THE LATTER IS HORIZONTAL WHEREBY THE COMPARTMENT FORMS A TRUSS BRACING SAID TRIPOD IN THE OPEN POSITION, AND A CLAMP MOUNTED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID COMPARTMENT ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID REAR LEG TO GRIP THE LATTER WHEN THE TRIPOD IS COLLAPSED THEREBY TO MAINTAIN THE TRIPOD COLLAPSED.