GB2108835A

GB2108835A - Support base

Info

Publication number: GB2108835A
Application number: GB08231279A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Arthur Chanin
Original assignee: John Brian
Current assignee: John Brian
Priority date: 1981-11-04
Filing date: 1982-11-02
Publication date: 1983-05-25

Abstract

A collapsible tripod support base e.g. for a collapsible rotary clothes drier, loudspeaker assembly, flag pole, T.V. aerial mast, post for a tennis net, having three or more tubular support legs 12 radiating outwardly and downwardly from a column 10, is characterised in that each leg 12 has at its bottom end an outwardly bent ground-engaging portion 12a, which has an inclined through anchorage hole drilled at right angles to the tube axis and coplanar with the axis of the column 10. Anchorage spikes, such as thick wire tent pegs 22, are driven through the holes into the ground. Alternatively, end portions 12a may have ground location means in the form of rubber feet. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Support base This invention relates to support bases for supporting devices or structures which require ground anchorage or location. It is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with support bases to be used for the temporary support of such a device or structure.

With the increased popularity of camping and caravanning, and leisure pursuits generally, there is a growing demand for devices and structures to be readily transportable and adapted for temporary use with a firm ground anchorage or location. One typical example of such a device is a rotary clothes drier which is more normally used with a pennanent ground anchorage provided by a support socket sunk into the ground, and preferably grouted in position, in order to withstand wind forces when in use. Another typical example is a ground-supported loudspeaker assembly as used, for example, in outdoor public address systems and indoors in a disco or the like.

According to the invention a support base has three or more splayed out support legs, preferably three in a tripod arrangement, with lower end portions which are outwardly bent to engage the ground at a relatively acute angle, each of these end portions having ground fixing or location means.

As ground fixing means each leg end portion may have a fixing hole through which an anchorage spike can be driven into the ground.

Alternatively location means of the leg end portions may comprise friction pads, for example rubber feet, which locate by frictional ground engagement and such an arrangement is particularly suitable for use indoors.

Preferably the base is of tubular light metal construction, desirably collapsible for ease of transport, and the fixing holes (when provided) may be positioned and dimensioned so that normal metal tent pegs can be used as the anchorage spikes. The legs preferably meet the ground at an angle of 300 or less, and the base may present an upper end support stub, or socket, to receive the device to be supported and from which the support legs radiate outwardly in plan view. This stub or socket may be provided at the upper end of a central column the bottom end of which is a short distance above the bottom plane of the legs to allow for uneven ground, and so that in the event of overloading the column will contact the ground before damaging flexure of the legs occurs.

The invention in one embodiment provides a combination of collapsible rotary clothes drier and collapsible tripod support base therefor which is easily transported and which, when erected, has a surprisingly firm ground anchorage which is secure in all normal wind conditions. Preferably, considering such a combination in plan view when erected, the distance of the outer run of line from the centre of the drier is approximately equal to the radial extent of the base legs. In other words, there is no overhang beyond the apices of the base triangle defined by the ground contact points.

Such a combination which represents a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, solely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings. The invention will now be further described with reference to these drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the erected clothes drier and support base; Figure 2 is a similar view of the base by itself but to a larger scale: and Figure 3 shows the base in the collapsed condition.

Referring to Figure 1 , the combination illustrated comprises a support base B and rotary clothes drier D the latter of which is of generally conventional form. Thus it comprises a central tubular column 1 supporting three equi-angularly spaced arms 2 which are pivotally attached, at their lower ends, to a three-armed moulding 3 which is slidabie on the column 1. Three links 4 are respectively pivotally attached between the mid-points of the arms 2, at 5, and the corresponding arms on a three-armed moulding 6 mounted for rotation at the top of the column 1.

Thus a collapsible framework is achieved which can be extended, and collapsed, in a manner analogous to an inverted umbrella frame. A series of clips such as 7 mounted on each arm 2 provide attachment points for a length of clothes line 8 wound round and round, in parallel runs, between the three arms 2 in the wellknown manner. A clip 9 retains the slider 3 in the raised position illustrated, to hold the arms 2 in their extended positions.

The base B is also of tubular construction and extends and collapses in a generally similar manner. A central tubular column 10 has a reduced diameter portion 1 1 at its upper end to provide a support stub which closely engages, spigot fashion, within the bottom end of the drier column 1. Three identical and outwardly-splayed tubular support legs 12 are respectively attached by pivots 13, at the upper ends of the legs, to three arms 14 of a moulding 15 which is slidable along the column 10. A corresponding threearmed moulding is fixed at the bottom of the column 10, and three rods 17 provide restraining links for the legs 12. These links have bent up ends which respectively engage, and pivot in, the arms 18 of the moulding 1 6 and pivot bores at intermediate positions 19 on the respective arms 12.

The links 17 pivot and the moulding 15 slides along the column 10 to allow the base structure B to collapse to the compact form illustrated in Figure 3, and on erection sliding movement of the moulding 1 5 is limited by a stop pin 20. At this position the bottom ends of the legs 12 are coplanar and a short distance, say 2.5 to 4.0 cm, below the bottom end of the column 10. This allows for uneven ground and if the line is grossly overloaded the column contacts the ground to support directly the excess weight of the clothes being dried.

Each zeg Z as atthe bottzm end anat # outwardly bent portion 1 2a, with a through anchorage hole 21 drilled at right angles to the tube axis and coplanar with the axis of the column 10. Ground anchorage for the base B is provided by thick wire tent pegs 22 which are driven through the holes 21 into the ground. In Figure 1 the pegs 22 are shown as driven fully home, but in Figure 2 they have just been started, to illustrate that the pegs are angled in the correct manner to provide firm fixing, as they would be if used to fix down a tent or to restrain a guy rope.

The end leg portions 1 2a meet the ground at a shallow acute angle A which is approximately 300. As a result the legs do not tend to dig into the ground as much as they would if straight, and flexure of the legs under the weight of clothes hung on the line results in a wedging action which tightens up the whole structure against the pegs 22. In fact, the construction illustrated has been found to provide an unexpectedly firm ground support for the drier D, enabling a base D of surprisingly small dimensions to be used. It is desirable that there should be substantially no overhang of the superstructure beyond the base support. To this end the outer runs of the rope 8, between the arms 2, are in plan view spaced from the column 1 by approximately the same distance as the ends of the base legs 12.

The tubular arms, columns and legs of the described construction are all of light metal alloy (aluminium alloy) to facilitate handling and transport, and it will be appreciated that a base structure generally as described can be used to support a wide variety of devices. Two examples which immediately spring to mind are flag poles, and the posts of nets used in games such as tennis. A further use, of particular interest to caravanners, is the support of a television aerial mast.

For use indoors, for example to support a loudspeaker assembly at a disco or the like, the base B may be provided with friction pads (not illustrated) which frictionally engage the ground, instead of the anchorage holes described. These friction pads, which may be rubber feet providing a somewhat resilient mounting for the loudspeaker, provide adequate ground location for such an application.

Claims

1. A support base having three or more splayed out support legs, preferably three in a tripod arrangement, with lower end portions which are outwardly bent to engage the ground at a relatively acute angle, each of these end portions having ground fixing or location means.

2. A support base according to claim 1, wherein each leg end portion has, as said ground fixing means, a fixing hole through which an anchorage spive wan bedriven into the ground.

3. A support base according to claim 1, wherein location means of the leg end portions comprise friction pads which locate by frictional ground engagement.

4. A support base according to claim 3, wherein the friction pads are in the form of somewhat resilient rubber feet attached to said end portions of the support legs.

5. A support base according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base is of tubular light metal construction.

6. A support base according to claims 2 and 5, wherein each fixing hole is drilled at right angles to the corresponding tubular leg axis and coplanar with a central vertical axis of the base.

7. A support base according to claim 2, claims 2 and 5, or claim 6, wherein the fixing holes are so positioned and dimensioned that normal tent pegs can be used as the anchorage spikes.

8. A support base according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said legs meet the ground at an angle of 300 or less.

9. A support base according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base presents an upper end support stub, or socket. to receive a device to be supported, in plan view the support legs radiating outwardly from the stub or socket.

10. A support base according to claim 9, wherein said stub or socket is provided at the upper end of a central column the bottom end of which terminates a short distance above the ground-support plane of the legs, the arrangement being such that in the event of overloading of the base the column will contact the ground before damaging flexure of the legs occurs.

11. A support base according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base is collapsible for ease of transport and storage.

12. A combination of a collapsible rotary clothes drier and a collapsible support base according to claims 2 and 11.

13. A combination according to claim 12, wherein in plan view with the clothes drier and base erected the distance of an outer run of a clothes line of the drier from the centre thereof is approximately equal to the radial extent of the base legs.

14. A combination according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the support base is a collapsible tripod support base.

15. A support base constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A combination of a rotary clothes drier and a support base, constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.