An easel pad having a ledge for supporting an instrument, such as a marker, or a separate smaller notepad in the cover of the easel pad.
1. An easel pad comprising:
a stack of flexible sheets each of said sheets having a front surface and a back surface positioned in a first major plane;
a cover extending in said first major plane and integrally formed with said stack of flexible sheets to cover at least a portion of the front surface of a top sheet in said stack of flexible sheets or a portion of the back surface of a bottom sheet in said stack of flexible sheets, said cover extending above an upper edge of said stack of flexible sheets; and
a first ledge that defines a ledge surface extending outwardly from said cover substantially perpendicular to said first major plane such that when the front top surface of said sheets is positioned in a substantially vertical upright position, said ledge surface defines a substantially horizontal surface adapted to support an instrument resting thereon.
2. The easel pad of claim 1 wherein said first ledge is integrally formed in said cover, and said ledge comprises a flap in said cover, said flap extending outwardly from said cover substantially perpendicular to said first major plane.
3. The easel pad of claim 2 wherein said flap comprises a generally “u”-shaped cut in said cover.
4. The easel pad of claim 3 wherein said generally “u”-shaped cut comprises a lower fold-line, a left side cut, a right side cut, and an upper cut, and wherein at least one additional cut is made laterally to said lower fold-line, and wherein said cover is folded between said lower fold-line and said upper cut at said additional cut to form a stabilizing flap, said stabilizing flap engaging said first ledge in a removably fixed position.
5. The easel pad of claim 1 wherein said first ledge is stabilized by a stabilizing flap formed in and extending from said cover.
6. The easel pad of claim 5 where said stabilizing flap contains a flap hole.
7. The easel pad of claim 1 wherein said first ledge is integrated with a handle in said easel pad.
8. The easel pad of claim 7 wherein said first ledge comprises a flap formed in said cover, said flap comprising a cut in said cover, and wherein at least a portion of said cut is also used to form said handle.
9. The easel pad of claim 8 wherein said handle comprises an opening in said cover, said opening formed in part from said cut, and said opening is selected from the group consisting of a hole in said cover or a flap in said cover.
10. The easel pad of claim 1 further comprising a second ledge extending outwardly from said cover, said second ledge positioned below said first ledge.
11. The easel pad of claim 10 wherein said first ledge is integrated with said second ledge such that at least one cut in said cover used to form said first ledge is also used to form said second ledge.
12. The easel pad of claim 11 wherein a stabilizing flap extends out from said first major plane to stabilize said first ledge in a removably fixed position.
13. The easel pad of claim 12 wherein said stabilizing flap also stabilizes said second ledge.
14. The easel pad of claim 13 wherein said stabilizing flap removably engages said second ledge in a removably fixed position.
15. The easel pad of claim 12 wherein said stabilizing flap is removably inserted in a slot in said cover.
16. The easel pad of claim 1 wherein said cover comprises a bottom cover panel and a front cover panel, and wherein said first ledge extends outwardly from said front cover panel, said first ledge comprising a foldable flap which creates an opening in said front cover panel, and wherein said bottom cover panel covers at least a portion of said opening, thereby preventing a rollable object from rolling off said first ledge toward said bottom cover panel when said easel pad is in an upright position.
17. The easel pad of claim 1 wherein said stack of flexible sheets has a top edge, and wherein said stack of flexible sheets is positioned on said cover so that said top edge of said stack of flexible sheets is aligned with said first ledge to form a composite ledge comprising said first ledge and said top edge of said stack of flexible sheets.
18. The easel pad of claim 1 wherein said cover comprises a bottom cover panel upon which said stack of flexible sheets is attached, and wherein said bottom cover panel extends beyond an edge of said stack of flexible sheets, and wherein said bottom cover panel is folded adjacent said edge of said stack of flexible sheets along a fold-line to form said first ledge for supporting a writing instrument.
19. The easel pad of claim 18 wherein said bottom cover panel extends beyond a lower edge of said stack of flexible sheets and wherein said fold-line traverses the entire width of said cover.
20. The easel pad of claim 18 wherein said first ledge is stabilized by a stabilizing flap extending from said cover.
21. The easel pad of claim 20 wherein said stabilizing flap is removably inserted into a slot in a stabilizing flange extending from said cover.
22. The easel pad of claim 21 wherein said first ledge and said stabilizing flange are in the same plane but extend outwardly said cover in opposite directions.
23. The easel pad of claim 1 wherein said instrument to be used with said easel pad is selected from the group consisting of a writing instrument or an eraser.