Easel structure for painting
United States Patent [191 Hughes Apr. 29, 1975 EASEL STRUCTURE FOR PAINTING [76] lnventor: Beacher V. Hughes, 1 16 E.  
 Railroad. Prophetstown, ll]. 61277 [22] Filed: Nov. 8, 1972 [21] App]. N0.: 304,670  
 {52] U.S. Cl 353/44; 353/l20 [5 l] Int. Cl. G03b 21/00 [58] Field of Search ..353/44.45 79;350/12l [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 239,322 3/188] Fcnety v 353/44 I,4l6.l54 5/l922 Ahbe 353/44 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS |,l46.2l6 3/[969 United Kingdom 353/44 Primary EmminerRichard E. Aegerter Assistant ExuminerA. J. Mirmito [57] ABSTRACT An easel structure that includes a base support and an easel carried on the support and which carries a canvas-like sheet composed ofa front side of fabric and a rear side of a layer of plastic that stiffens the sheet. The sheet is translucent. Supported on the opposite end of the base support is a slide projector that is adapted to project a picture on the rear or plastic side of the sheet so that it may be painted on the fabric side.  
 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PHENIED APR 2 9 M5 FIG. 3  
 :II&#39;I&#39;IIII&#34; FIG. 5  
 FIG. 6  
 EASEL STRUCTURE FOR PAINTING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an aid to a painter for providing an easy method of painting. either in oil or water color. a portrait or other scenic arrangements on a fabric-type canvas. In many practices of teaching. it is common to provide a photo reproduction on a glass or screen. Such is commonly used as teaching aids in school. It is also commonly known to provide aids for painters such as using numbers on sections of paintings, each number indicating a color or paint to be used. However, such an arrangement of painting cannot be used when it is desired to paint a scene or a portrait of an individual that is known to the painter. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide an easel structure in which common scenes may be directed on a fabric that appears to be a painters canvas so that the painter may copy directly on the canvas a photo reproduction of the scene or individual.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the above in mind, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an easel structure that has in combination a base structure with front and rear ends and a support on the front end of the base structure an easel that carries in upright position a canvaslike sheet composed of a front side of fabric and a rear side of plastic. Due to the body that is given to the fabric by the plastic. the fabric can be relatively thin so that an image of a photocopied scene or photocopy of an individual which is projected on the rear side will be seen from the front side. The plastic layer is. of course, translucent so that the image will project through the sheet. The base support carries on its rear end a projector that is directed at the rear side of the sheet and which may receive slides so that the image on the slides is projected on the sheet. The base support is adjustable transversely as well as fore and aft so that different sizes of sheets and different portions ofa photo reproduction can be projected on the sheet-like canvas.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view taken from the front and to the left side of the easel structure.  
  FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a modified form of the invention.  
  FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.  
  FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.  
  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the easel and its support taken from the rear and right side of the ease] structure and showing a modified form of the invention.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The easel structure is composed of a base, indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10, having a front end I] and a rear end 12. The base is composed on each side ofa front outer fore-and-aft extending side member 13 and a rear inner foreand-aft extending side member I4. The side members 13, 14 are disposed in side-by-side relation and the outer side member is provided with an elongated horizontal slot 15 that receives a pair of bolts I6 extending through matching slots 17 in the inner member 14. Wing nuts I8 cooperate with the respective bolts 16 to detachably connect the inner member 14 to the outer member 13 at the desired foreand-aft position. Carried on the forward side members 13 at their forward ends are upright U-shaped easel supports 20, 21 respectively. The supports 20, 21 open inwardly to receive opposite edges of an easel 22. As will later become fully appreciated, the outer portions or borders of the easel 22 are enlarged. Small bolts 23 extend through the rear leg portions of the respective supports 20, 21 for holding the easel 22 in a fixed location with respect to the supports. The bolts 23 serve two purposes. the first being to fix the easel 22 in the supports 20, 21 and the second being to utilize the structure of the easel 22 to provide transverse rigidity to the forward end of the base support 10.  
  The rear end 12 of the base support 10 is composed in part ofa transverse horizontal plate 25 which has on its left end parallel transverse slots 26 and on its right end transverse parallel slots 27. The slots 26 receive threaded studs 28 which are fixed to and project upwardly from the upper edge of the side member I4 on the left-hand side of the support. The right-hand slots 27 receive threaded studs 29 that are fixed to and project upwardly from the upper edge of the inner foreand-aft side member 14 on the right-hand side of the support. Wing nuts 30, 31 are provided for the respective studs 28, 29 and permit the plate 25 to be fixed in any desired transverse position with respect to the side members 14.  
  Centrally located on the plate 25 is a slide projector indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 35. The rear portion of the projector 35 is carried on the plate 25 by a transverse horizontal hinge 36 and at its front end by a tapped member 37 that extends through nuts 38, 39. As may be readily apparent, the angle of projection by the slide projector 35 may be adjusted by suitable use of the nuts 38, 39 on the threaded member 37.  
  Carried in the vertical slots of the U-shaped supports 20, 21 is the easel 22 composed of a central sheetlike section 40. The sheet 40 is composed of a front layer 41 of fabric material, normally of a white color so as to simulate an artist&#39;s canvas. A rear layer 42 of plastic material is bonded to the rear surface of the fabric layer 41. A bonding agent may be used between the two lay ers 41, 42. Normally, the fabric is of a thin gauge and the plastic layer 42 is used to give body and stiffness to the fabric layer 41. However. the layers 41, 42 when bonded together are translucent so that a picture projected from the projector 35 will appear on the front face of the layer 41.  
  In the preferred form of the invention. the central sheet portion 40 is bordered by a simulated mat section 45 that has a front surface forwardly of the face of the fabric layer 41. The plastic border 45 also has an inclined surface 47 which extends between the front face of the layer 41 and the front surface 46 of the mat. Thus. the mat portion 45 gives the appearance ofa conventional mat. For purposes of protecting the mat portion 45 from being covered accidentally by paint. a paper layer of protective material 48 is placed over the mat surfaces 46, 47. The protective layer 48 may be removed from the surfaces 46, 47 when the painting is complete. The mat portion 45 is integral with the plastic layer 42 and may be molded when the original plastic sheet is molded.  
  lntegral with the mat portion 45 and extending outwardly as a second border is an enlarged border member 50. The portion 50 may be molded to simulate a frame on a picture. For purposes of the present inven tion only the forward corners have been rounded off. However. any other designs may be molded in the border portion 50 to thereby simulate a more ornate-type of frame. The outer border or frame portion 50 is integral with the mat portion 45.  
  in use. the entire easel structure is placed on a table or other area so that the fabric layer 41 faces a painter. The entire easel 22 is dropped into the slots of the supports 20, 21 and the bolts 23 lock the easel 22 in position. The thumb nuts 16, and 31 are loosened and the frame support 10 is adjusted so that the projector 35 projects the preferred size image on the sheet-like center section 40. The thumb nuts are then tightened. The nuts 38. 39 which hold the projector and the entire device is locked in position. The painter then approaches the easel and paints on the fabric layer 41 the picture that is projected on the plastic side 42. By locking the frame structure in its desired position, the entire structure may be set aside or the painting stopped without fear of the image being changed or moved with respect to the easel 22. Following finishing of the painting, the entire easel 22 may be removed from the supports 20, 21 and the frame portion painted to the de sired colorv Following this. the paper protection for the mat surfaces 46. 47 may be removed and the mat surfaces 46. 47 will give a smooth, dull white appearance of a typical painter&#39;s mat.  
  Reference is now made to FIGS. 3 and 6 for showing modified forms of the invention. In this invention, the center sheet portion 40 is merely formed with the mat portion on its outer border surface. The mat portion has its outer edge stapled or otherwise fixed to a typical wooden-type easel frame 53. The support members 20, 2 1. Following painting the paper surface 48 is again removed and the painting is then inserted in a frame of a desired nature.  
  in FIG. 6, the easel structure as shown in FIG. 3 is merely supported on a pair of wooden legs 54, hav ing notches 56, 57 that receive the easel border 53. The notches 56. 57 are so shaped that the supports 54, 55 will be at an angle when the easel and legs are positioned on a table. In such an arrangement. any projector may operate and the easel structure may be moved toward or away from the projector to provide for the correct image on the back side of the easel.  
 I claim:  
  I. An easel structure for a painting composed of a base having a front end and a rear end; an easel detachably supported in upright position on the front end of the base; a canvas-like sheet of material supported on the easel having a fabric facing on the front side of the sheet and a relatively stiff plastic layer bonded to and on the rear side of the sheet. said sheet further being translucent and capable of showing from the front a slidetype projection projected on the rear surface of the sheet; a projector for showing slide projections sup ported for fore-and-aft movement on the base adjacent the rear end thereof and directed so as to project slidetype photo reproductions on the plastic side of the sheet.  
  2. An easel structure for a painting composed of a base support; an easel detachably supported in upright position on the base support; and a canvas-like sheet of material supported on the easel having a fabric facing on the front side of the sheet that faces a painter and a relatively stiff plastic layer bonded to and on the rear side of the sheet. said sheet further being translucent and capable of showing from the front a slide-type projection projected on the rear surface of the sheet.  
  3. The ease] structure as set forth in claim 2 in which said sheet is characterized by having a plastic border molded to represent a frame that is fixed to the edges of said sheet.  
  4. The easel structure as set forth in claim 3 in which the plastic border is integral with the plastic layer on the rear side of said sheet.  
  5. The easel structure as set forth in claim 2 in which said sheet is provided around its edges with an integral portion having an offset surface parallel to but forwardly of the plane of the fabric surface and with an inclined surface joining the fabric surface and said offset surface whereby the offset and inclined surfaces repre&#39; sent a picture mat extending around and at the edges of the sheet.  
  6. The easel structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the offset surface and inclined surface is provided with a coating that is removable upon completion of a painted picture on the sheet.  
  7. The easel structure as set forth in claim 5 further characterized by a border formed of plastic and extending outwardly of the offset portion and molded to represent a frame extending outwardly of the offset portion.  
  8. The easel structure as set forth in claim 2 further characterized by said support having adjustably fixed thereto a projector support positioned rearwardly of the easel and adapted to move toward and away from the easel so that a projector mounted in the projector support may project on the rear surface of the sheet a photo image of the desired size.  
  9. An easel structure for a painting composed of a base support; and a canvas-like sheet of material supported on the base support having a fabric on the front side of the sheet that faces a painter and including a relatively stiff plastic layer on the rear side of the sheet and bonded to the fabric to effect relative rigidity thereto, said sheet further being translucent and capable of showing from the front a slidetype projection projected on the rear surface of the sheet.