US2517332A - Christmas tree holder - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 1, 1950 Filed March 26, 1948 H. F. MITCHELL ETAL.

CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Allg l, 1950 H. F. MITCHELL ETAL 2,517,332

' CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26. 1948 Patented Aug. 1,I 1.950

, o Fries CHRISTMAS manpower.

`Henry F. Mit-chen ana-oscar Gilbert,

Mineral Wells,"Tex. Application March 26, 19.48, Serial.No.:L7f,326 1 Claim. (CIQMSf-LM) `.iClur "invention relates to/@holders fopssupporting a stein, such as the stem of a Christmas tree, vertically relative to a supporting surface.

With the foregoing in view, an object of our invention is to provide an improved holder of the class described.

A further object is to provide an improved holder of the class described which is readily demountable into its component parts for storage and/or shipment.

A further object is to provide an improved holder of the class described which is readily and efficiently made of low-priced material and which is capable of being assembled by unskilled personnel.

A further object is to provide an improved holder of the class described which is self-adapting to slightly tilted or uneven surfaces, whereby the supported stem is maintained vertically even though the supporting surface is not precisely horizontal.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, combination and arrangement of the several parts thereof, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification, wherein the invention is shown. described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the holder according to the invention;

, Figure 2 is an elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure l.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, the holder according to the invention includes a socket Ill which is adapted to be vertically disposed on any suitable horizontal supporting surface, such as the floor of a room. The socket I is of hollow tubular configuration and is preferably non-circular, wherein to provide a plurality of side walls II lying in vertical planes in angular relation to each other. Preferably, the socket is made of sheet material, such as sheet metal, whereby it will be slightly yieldable upon al the insertion uofT ia substantially cylindrical stem of slightly over size rlativeto the interior diameter of the socket therein. In the embodiment shown, the socket I0 is square in cross-section and defined by four sides II. To support the socket I0 vertically on a horizontally-disposed supporting surface, there is provided a plurality of feet which are generally indicated at I2 and which preferably correspond in number to the number of sides of the socket. In this case, obviously, the number of feet is four, and each foot comprises a foot portion proper I3 of sheet material and an upwardly-turned leg I4 which lies along the exterior of the lower portion of each side II of the socket. If desired, the Inarginal portions of the feet I2, including the foot portions I3 and leg portions I4, may be inwardly turned to provide double thicknesses, as indicated at I5, whereby to increase the inherent resiliency of the parts. It should be noted at this time that the angle at which the foot portions I3 join the leg portions I4 is slightly greater than a right angle, whereby the foot portions I3 normally depend slightly below the lower edge of the socket I0, as indicated in broken lines, Figure 2. With this arrangement, when the weight of the Christmas tree or the like is borne by the socket, the feet I3 flex upwardly to conform to the slope of the surface. Thus, if the surface is not exactly horizontal, nevertheless the foot portions I3 will lie flatly thereagainst while the socket II) is enabled to extend vertically. The leg portions I4 of the feet I2 are secured to the socket I0 by pairs of bolts I6 extending through the parts and which are vertically spaced above the plane of the foot portions I2, whereby to provide a lower portion of each leg portion which is adapted to be flexed with the foot portions when the same are conforming to an irregular supporting surface. Suitable reinforcing struts Il extend between the foot portions I3 and the leg portions I4 of each foot, whereby to resist flexing of the same. At the same time, the struts I'l permit sufficient flexing to allow the bottom edge of the socket and the under surface of the foot portions I3 to be flatly seated upon a supporting surface.

The struts Il are preferably attached to the feet I2 by welding or soldering, or the like, whereby to form an integral structure therewith. However, we prefer to connect the feet I2 to the socket IIJ by means of bolts, whereby the same may be readily knocked down for storage `between the Christmas seasons.

Moreover, while We have shown and described what is now thought to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, we do not limit ourselves to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove, except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

A Christmas tree stand, comprising an upstanding rectangular tubular socket having iiat substantially vertical sides, L-shaped feet for connection with the socket to maintain the same upright, each of the L-shaped feet including a substantially vertical flat web contacting the outer face of one flat side of the socket and a substantially horizontal fiat elongated web to engage the oor or the like and extending radially from the socket, bolts detachably connecting the substantially vertical webs with the sides of the socket,

and vertically disposed diagonal reinforcing.

substantially horizontal webs, the substantially horizontal webs being somewhat resilient and being arranged at angles slightly greater than right angles with respect to the substantially vertical webs.

HARRY F. MITCHELL. OSCAR L. GILBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '1,421,340 Zelazo June 27, 1922 2,205,271 Pleiss June 18, 1940 2,421,140 Blaner May 27, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number l Country Date 21,479 Sweden Oct. 27, 1906

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