Artist's maulstick

Claim 1

An artist's maulstick comprising, in combination, a pair of channel like members, an outer one and an inner one slidable longitudinally with respect to the other in which the outer channel member includes inturned arms for embracing the inner channel member, a depending bracket at each end of said members, means for locking said members at predetermined lengths thereof, means for preventing separation of said members during extension thereof, said depending bracket at one end of said outer member including a flange for engagement with a side of a support on which the maulstick is to be mounted, a shoulder on said bracket adapted to rest upon the support for elevating the maulstick above the surface of the support, means for securing said bracket to one end of said channel members, said depending bracket at the other end of said channel members including a flange for engagement with an opposite side of said support on which the maulstick is to be mounted, a shoulder on said second bracket adapted to rest upon the support for elevating the maulstick above the surface of the support, means for clamping said maulstick to the sides of the support, means for securing said bracket to an other end of said members, said clamping means including a thumb screw threadedly carried by said flange, wherein a shank of said screw extends through said flange and its free end is adapted to engage the side of the support, said clamping means further including a "U" shaped member having a clear opening in one of its legs for passage of said screw shank therethrough, said "U" shaped member straddling said flange and movable longitudinally under influence of the thumb screw, said one leg of said "U" shaped member being disposed on an outer side of said flange contiguous to a head of said thumb screw and the other leg of said "U" shaped member being disposed on the inner side of said flange for engagement with the side of the support by impression of the end of the screw, a resilient element being interposed between said one leg and a side of said flange for retracting the "U" shaped member as the thumb screw is unthreaded, and said flange on its inner surface having a recess into which said one leg is received upon retraction by the thumb screw of the "U" shaped member.