Supports – Staff type – Stand or base
Patent
1991-01-14
1992-11-03
Foss, J. Franklin
Supports
Staff type
Stand or base
47 405, F10M 1300
Patent
active
051601109
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The instant invention relates to stands and specifically to a stand suitable for holding an object such as a Christmas tree.
BACKGROUND ART
Many forms of stands, and specifically many forms of stands suitable for supporting cut Christmas trees, are known. One such stand is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,242,270 to Sims and discloses a stand supported by a tripod leg arrangement which has a rotating disc at the top thereof. When the disc is rotated, arms are caused to move from adjacent the edge of the disc toward the center thereof and grasp a tree trunk held in the stand. Such action is adequate to grasp the tree, however, does nothing to promote vertical alignment of the tree trunk.
A stand which does provide for vertical alignment is taught by Almer, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 1,076,205, and provides a compressible clamping member through which the tree trunk extends. The clamping member is fixed in a desired location to support the tree. However, this device provides a fulcrum about which the tree may tip if adequate compression is not placed on the compressible member.
Rostomily, U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,983 discloses a tree support device which allows movement of the base of the tree relative to an upper portion thereof to provide vertical alignment of the trunk.
St. George Syms, U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,138 discloses a Christmas tree holder which utilizes a variety of wedge shaped instrumentalities which enable the user to adjust the vertical alignment of the tree in the stand.
The known stands do not provide an easily operated gripping mechanism for holding the tree trunk nor do the stands provide easy-to-operate mechanisms for vertically aligning the object in the stand. The devices disclosed in the aforementioned references, while useful, are not easily adjusted, nor, in some instances, do they provide for positive control over the object mounted in the stand to ensure that the object will remain in a desired vertical position, and will not become loose or tip over.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The stand of the instant invention includes a base which has means for positioning the butt end of an object, such as a cut Christmas tree, in the base. A holding mechanism is mounted on the base and holds the object in an upright condition. In the preferred embodiment, the holding mechanism includes plural gripping arms which grip the object above the butt end thereof. The arms have converging arcuate sides and an elongate, arcuate slot intermediate the ends thereof. The arms have free ends which contact the object and include pivot means at the other end thereof which are pivotably mounted in a ring-like mounting means.
The mounting means includes a top and a bottom ring for securing the arms. A cam ring is located between the top and the bottom ring and carries cam pins thereon. The cam pins cooperate with the elongate slots in the arms and are operable to selectively shift the arms between a gripping and a non-gripping position when the cam ring is moved relative to the top and bottom rings. Rotation/locking means are provided for rotating the cam ring relative to the mounting means and for locking the cam ring into a desired position.
Vertical alignment means is provided and is operatively connected to the mounting means for adjusting the vertical alignment of the object through horizontal shifting of the gripping arms.
An object of the instant invention is to provide a stand which will easily and positively grip an object mounted therein.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a stand which will adjust for the vertical alignment of an object once the object is mounted therein.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a stand which will hold an object therein and which will prevent relative rotation of the object and the stand.
Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a stand which includes a container capable of holding a quantity of material, such as water or sand, to provide ballast for the stand to prevent the object mounted therein from tip
REFERENCES:
patent: 1155383 (1915-10-01), Tischer
patent: 2478278 (1949-08-01), Kiesow
patent: 2535599 (1950-12-01), Preston
patent: 3026915 (1962-03-01), Jones
patent: 3051423 (1962-08-01), Wagner
patent: 3661349 (1972-05-01), Vries
patent: 4913395 (1990-04-01), Juhas
patent: 4936538 (1990-06-01), Royce
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