US1855824A

US1855824A - Flagstaff

Info

Publication number: US1855824A
Application number: US547741A
Authority: US
Inventors: Francis D Crichton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-06-29
Filing date: 1931-06-29
Publication date: 1932-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 1949-04-26

Description

A ril 26, 1932.

F. D: CRI'CHTON FLAGSTAFF Filed June 29, 1951 INVENTOR rancis DCIiCAtOh,

BY z

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE FLAGSTAFF Application filed June 29,

My invention relates to improvements in flag staffs of the type that are designed to be displayed from window sills or other suitable supports and it consists in the combinations,

constructions and arrangement herein de scribed and claimed.

This invention is an improvement on that disclosed in myprior Patent No. 1,295,274, of February 25, 1919. In said prior patent 19 a flag staff was disclosed in which a fiag-' holding member was rotatably mounted on the staff, the main purpose of the invention being to prevent the coiling of the flag around the staff.

The present invention has for its purpose the provision of means which will better prevent the coiling of the flag around the staff.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned in which the flag-holding member not only is rotatable around the flag stali, but which is provided with a counterweight operating, as will be explained later, to insure the unwrapping of the flag if it is blown over the flag staff.

A further object is to provide a revoluble ball at the end of the flag staff which will move when the flag is wrapped around it and will facilitate the bringing of the flag into its normal position.

Other objects and advantages will appear 7 in the following specification and novel features of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims. 4

My invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings forming a part of this application, in which V Figure 1 is apersp'ective view showing one embodiment of my invention, I a

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the device showing the mounting of the counterweighted flag-holding member,

Figure 3 is a reduced section along the line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the ball at the end of the staff and the mounting therefor.

In carrying out my invention I make use of any suitable support suchas a window sill 1. Upon this is mounted a base plate 2, hav- 1931. Serial No. 547,741.

ing upstanding ears 3 arranged to receive a plate 4, which is pivotedat 5 and which bears at its ends a tube or socket 6. Arranged to fit into this socket is an extension 7 which may be of wood or any suitable material, the end being reduced to enter the socket as shown in dotted lines.

The opposite end of the member 7 is provided with a metal sleeve 8 and is recessed as shown at 9 in Fig. 2, to receive the main member of the staff proper 10. The latter may be made of wood or metal as desired.

Secured to the stafi member 10 is a ring 11, seeFig. 2. A metal sleeve 12 is provided whichsurrounds the stali 10 and has annular rings 13 arrangedto receive the stall member 10. Anti-friction balls 14 are placedin position inraces formed between the rings 13 and 12and between the rings 13 and 15, the latter being integrally formed with a reduced portion 16. The ring 15 is soldered after the balls 14 are in position. The sleeve 12 bears an annular flange or stop member 17, the purpose of which will'be explained later.

Surrounding the major portion of the rod 10 is a tube 18 which is provided with an inwardly extending annular ring 19 and'this ring, together with an outwardly extending flange or ring 20 on the staff rod 10, constitutes a ring for the anti-friction members 21 The opposite end of the staff member 10 has a reduced portion 22, as shown in Fig. 4. The tube 18 is provided with a block 23, to which an annular ring 24 is secured. A ring 25 on the reduced portion 22 of the rod 10 forms with this ring 24 a ball race for the anti-friction members 26. I

Surrounding the endof the tube 18 is a cylindrical member 27 which is preferably made of metal. This member is revolubly mounted on'the reduced portion 22 by cross bars 28 through which the portion 22 passes loosely. Stop pins 29 are carried by the cylindrical member 27, as shown in the drawings.

A ball shaped end member 30 is provided having an opening arranged to receive the cylindrical member 27. This ball-shaped member is provided with 'an interior cross member 31 having an opening through which the member 22 extends. The ball has a bearing surface 32 through which the reduced portion 22 passes. This bearing surface is in rotating engagement with a washer 33 which is held by a screw 34 at the end of the reduced portion 22.

The flag-holding member proper is shown at 35. It has an end piece 36 provided with an integral ring 37 which is split at 38 (see Fig. 3) for a purpose hereinafter described. A counterweight 39 is provided on the opposite side of the ring from the end piece.

The opposite end of the member has an end piece 40 which has an integral split ring 41.

The flag 42 is provided with rings 43 for attachment to eyes 44 carried by the member 35.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device the operation may be readily understood. The parts 1 to 6, inclusive, form a bracket. Before the extension 7 is placed in position the flag-holding member 35 is placed in position by passing the end of the device bearing the sleeve 12 through the rings 41 and 37 so as to bring the fiag-holding member 35 in the position shown in Fig. 1, these rings 41 and 37 being of sufficient diameter to pass over the stop member 17. The intermediate member 7 is then secured to the staff member 10 at one eng and inserted in the socket 6 at the other en After the flag staff is assembled it is almost impossible for the flag to wind up on it. If a sudden wind blows the flag upwardly in a manner tending to wrap it around the staff, the momentum acquired by the counterweight will tend to carry it past the point where it would naturally fall on the tube 18 and the weight of the flag will bring it into its normal position. If, however, the flag should fall on the tube 18, the latter being mounted on ball bearings, will turn and will a slide the flag ofi.

It sometimes happens that the wind will car a portion of the flag over the end of the staff, that is to say, covering the ball but the ball being rotatable on the bearings at 28 and 32, will also tend to slide the flag off and its weight will bring it together with the holder 35 into normal position.

I have found by actual trial that this device will successfully prevent a flag which is of relatively light weight from wrapping around the staff. A wind which is strong enough to blow the flag upwardly in a position where it will fall on the staff is always suflicient to give to the counterweight momentum enough to carry the flag and its holding-member 35 over the tube 18 so as to restore the flag to its. normal position. The fact that the tube 18 is mounted to turn readily insures this'action.

When it is desired to take in the flag it may be done without removing the flag staff from its holder. The ring 37 is lifted slightly to clear the stop member 17 which normally holds it in the position shown in Fig. 1. The ring and the holding member 35 are now pulled toward the bracket and the ring is turned so that the opening 38 registers with the plate 4 of the bracket and the holder may be pulled until the split portion of the ring 27 also clears the member 4 of the bracket when the flag and its holder 35 may be entirely removed.

I claim:

1. The combination with a fixed rod, of a sleeve surrounding the rod and mounted to rotate thereon, a flag-holding bar disposed in parallel relation with said sleeve, a ring at each end of said bar arranged to loosely receive the sleeve, and a counterweight carried by one of said rings on the opposite side of the sleeve from the flag-holding bar.

2. The combination with a central rod, of a sleeve arranged to receive the rod and mounted to rotate thereon, a ball rotatably mounted on the rod at the end thereof, a flagholding bar disposed in parallel relation with the sleeve, end members carried by said flagholding bar, a ring carried by each end member and adapted to loosely receive said sleeve, a counterweight carried by one of said rings on the opposite side of the ring from the flag holding bar, and a stop member in engagement with one of said rings for holding the flag-holding bar in normal position.

3. The combination with a central rod, of a sleeve arranged to receive the rod and mounted to rotate thereon, a ball rotatably mounted on the rod at the end thereof, a flagholding bar disposed in parallel relation with the sleeve, end members carried by said flagholding bar, a split ring carried by each end member and adapted to loosely receive said sleeve, a counterweight carried by one of said rings, a stop member in engagement with one of said rings for holding the flag-holding bar in normal position, a bracket having a socket arranged to receive the rod and being provided with a supporting plate adapted to pass between the ends of the split rings to permit the removal of the flag-holding bar.

4. The combination with a central rod, of a sleeve to receive the rod and mounted to rotate thereon, a flag-holding bar disposed in parallel relation with the sleeve, end members carried by said flag-holding bar, a split ring carried by each end member and adapted to loosely receive said sleeve, a stop member in engagement with one of said rings for holding the flag-holding bar in normal position, a bracket having a socket arranged to receive the rod and being provided with a supporting plate adapted to pass between the ends of the split rings to permit the removal of the flag-holding bar.

5. The combination with a central rod, of a sleeve arranged to receive the rod and mounted to rotate thereon, a flag-holding bar disposed in parallel relation with the sleeve, end members carried by said flag-holding bar, a split ring carried by each end member and adapted to loosely receive said sleeve and a ball rotatably mounted on the rod at the end thereof and having an independent movement from that of the sleeve.

6. The combination with a central rod, of a sleeve arranged to receive the rod and mounted to rotate thereon, a ball rotatably mounted on the rod at the end thereof and having a movement independent of the sleeve, a flag-holding bar disposed in parallel relation with the sleeve and a ring at each end of said flag-holding bar adapted to loosely receive said sleeve.

FRANCIS D. CRICHTON.