Book holder

Claim 1

A book holder for supporting a book in an opened position comprising, a pair of flat separable support members intersecting throughout a substantial portion of their heights along an axis extending in substantially an upright direction, said support members being generally symmetrical with respect to each other and having base portions which dIverge forwardly and rearwardly from the intersection of said support members, one of said support members having an upwardly opening slot at said intersection for receiving therein an upper portion of the other of said support members and the other of said support members having a downwardly opening slot at said intersection for receiving therein a lower portion of said one of said support members, said members being provided at their forward most portions with stops having front edges extending upwardly and thence rearwardly and downwardly in arcuate paths, said members also having upper book supporting surfaces below the upper most extremity of said stops and extending rearwardly from the lower ends of the downwardly extending arcuate portions of the edges of said stops in a direction approximately parallel to the surface of which the book holder may rest for a sufficient distance to provide supports for receiving the lower edge portions of said opened book, the upper ends of said members terminating in substantially the same plane and having, at their upper ends portions, forward edges which are disposed adjacent but spaced from and about parallel to said intersection, said forward edges merging with said book supporting surfaces and a removable abutment plate having one X-shaped slot received transversely of said axis on the upper end portion of said support members, the upper end portions of said support members projecting through said stop, the forward portion of said plate projecting beyond the forward edges of said members for supporting these against the back of the book.