As an addict of the printed word, I've worked through a few revisions of tools to make reading endlessly a little easier on the body.
Currently up against implementation constraints regarding an ergonomic, versatile book holder, I've decided that it's just a problem of my hand not being large enough. The Hardcover Glove would simply extend the reach of a couple of key fingers, and the base of your palm.
The tips of the fingers would have U-shaped ends to contain the book edges and page stacks.
The palm base would support the primary weight of the book.
All features would have some adjustment latitude. You would probably have to swap to a different model of the glove for significant changes in book size.
COLLEGE TEXTBOOK MODEL AVAILABLE - STRENGTH RESTRICTIONS APPLY - SEE YOUR LOCAL BOOKSELLER FOR DETAILS-- normzone, Nov 13 2003 [normzone] Try a racing-style motorcycle glove ... its got quite a bit of supporting power, but can be relatively pricey ... but [+] because I have friends that are book addicts that could benefit from an invention of this sort-- Letsbuildafort, Nov 13 2003 You can buy book clips to help you hold large/inflexible books open. Not sure if attaching them to a glove helps any.-- DrCurry, Nov 13 2003 I've looked at page turning devices for the handicapped - but they're outrageously priced. The assumption was that the government is picking up part of the tab, is what the distributor told me.
They were based on replaceable sticky surfaces to adhere to the page.
I worked out the linkage and built a prototype using a suction cup approach - but even a slight suction deformed the page, and the pages beneath got drawn up in the deformation.
I'd settle for a stand that held the book at the correct distance and height, but logistics regarding chair vs couch get complex, and to build it on my budget requires lots of scrap metal decor.
Currently fantasizing about a chiropractor's table with eyeslot, and the book on the floor.
Maybe I just read too much....-- normzone, Nov 13 2003 normzone, what if you had something in the way of a music stand or lap desk to support the book while a low reflective glass plate, or two- one for each page, held by clips and tension springs flattened your pages evenly for reading. The glass could have a spring tensioned mount with a small lever that raises the glass just enough to let a finger turn the page. The device could be integrated into a type of lap desk, perhaps even with a height/tilt adjusting stand.-- Tiger Lily, Nov 13 2003 Thanks, Tiger Lily. I've played with both, eventually reading angle / distance needs to be adjusted and I run up against range limitations.
You've got the right idea, though. My ideal would be like a swing-arm lamp like your dentist uses, for the book mount.
And you've pretty much pegged it for the rest of the design, just a matter of omitting every possible moving part, component not readily available off the shelf, heavy or breakable glass, challenging to assemble configurations of dissimilar materials.
Sounds like I'm complaining, sorry, just becomes a challenge to go from prototype to something the girlfriend will let you have in the living room.
I figure when I'm older and my eyesight is even older, I'll be looking at wall projection units....-- normzone, Nov 13 2003 There you go.
A machine that unbinds paperback books then feeds the pages into a projection system in a manner much like a multi talented copier machine handles two sided copying of a large stack of printed material.-- Tiger Lily, Nov 13 2003 I think the chiropractic table is the best idea here.
However, what I really want is the chiropractic table, PLUS the book in an automatic page turner triggered by a small finger movement - and all of this inside an environmentally controlled capsule complete with perfect light levels, filtered and ionized temperature controlled air, and quiet background music. My favorite beverage in a sippy straw would be great.-- drememynd, Aug 12 2007 It's called a house.-- normzone, Jul 15 2008 random, halfbakery