US2645441A - Adjustable holder - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1953 w. R. MEREDl'fl-l 2,645 441 ADJUSTABLE HOLDER Filed Sept. 9. 1948 5y 7 3. INVENTOR. Wilbur E. Meredizh Patented July 14, 1953 QUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Wilbur R. Meredith, South Euclid, Ohio Application September 9, 1948, Serial No. 48,389

2 Claims. (01. 248-48) 1 V This invention relates to an adjustable holder and more particularly to a device for adJustably supporting a Christmas tree, flag pole, sign post or like article.

It is among the objects of the present invention" to provide a device for supporting Christmas trees and like articles which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture andmay be easily and readily assembled and disassembled; Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable device for supporting a Christmas tree or like article which embodies means for compensating for irregular supporting surface so that the article may be held me substantially vertical position. A further object of the invention is to provide a device for supporting a Christmas tree or similar article which readily adapts itself larly enumerated will become more apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters denote corre sponding parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device made in accordance with this invention showing a portion of the trunk of a Christmas tree supported thereby,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view, I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the side braces, and

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the base members. I

With reference to the accompanying drawing the numeral I0 broadly indicates a device made in accordance with the present invention for supporting a Christmas tree A or other Slmllar article comprising a plurality of elongated side braces I I and base members I 2. I preferably 2 i employ three base members I2 which are identical, one of said members being shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. Each of the base members I2 is formed of sheet material, preferably'metal, whichis longitudinally channeled as at I13 intermediate its ends in order to reinforce it and permit the use of lighter gauge material. One end of the base member I2 is suitably flattened to form an end portion I4 which is apertured at I5 to facilitate the reception of a fastener I6 for securing the base members to the lower surface of the article A. Adjacent the outer end thereof the base member I2 is of longitudinally spaced apertures I8.

Associated with each base member I2 is a side brace I I which is best shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. The side brace II is made of sheet metal and preferably shorter and of less width than the base member I2, being longitudinally channeled at H for reinforcement. The upper end of the brace I I is'bent to form an angulated portion I9 which is apertured at 20 for the reception of fastening means 2! for securing the portion I9 to the outer surface of the article at a point spaced from the lower end thereof. The opposed end of the side brace II is suitably cut away to form an outwardly extending tongue 22 which is adapted to engage the apertures I8 when the device is in assembled relation with respect to an article. I

In using the device of the present invention to support a Christmas tree or similar article a plurality of base members I2, preferably three or more, are assembled with the aperture I5 of the end portions I4 in alignment. A suitable fastening means I6 is inserted through the apertures I 5 and secured to the bottom of the article A thereby attaching the base members firmly to the base of the article. The portions I9 of side braces II corresponding in number to the num- 'ber of the base members I2 are secured in spaced relation about the circumference of the article at a point spaced from the lower end of the article.

The point on the article at which the upper end of brace II is secured is determined by first inserting the tongue 22 in the most appropriate aperture I8 on base member I2 and springing the outer end of member I2 slightly downwardly so that the angle between the base member and the vertical axis of the article is greater'than ninety degrees. After the portion I9 of the brace has been secured to the tree, the tongue 22 may be withdrawn from such aperture I8 of the base member I2 and moved along the memprovided with a plurality ber l2 and inserted in an appropriate aperture so that the support engaging end of the base member is positioned with respect to said supporting surface as to support the article with its'axis in a vertical position. Thus moving the brace H increases or decreases the angle between the vertical axis of the article and base member l2 and raises or lowers the bottom of the article above the supporting surface and the plane through the outer ends of the base members.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to obtain by Letters Patent is defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. 'A holder for supporting a Christmas tree or similar article upon a supporting surface end surface thereof, said brace members adapted to be secured to the article in substantially the same horizontal plane, said brace member hav ing a tongue formed at one end thereof for engagement withan aperture of said base member so that the angle between the base member and the article is greater than ninety degrees and the outer extremity of the base member will be depressed below a horizontal plane through the lower end surface of the article, said base members and brace members being so arranged with respect to the article supported thereby that the free ends of the base members can be adjusted universally to support the article on an irregular supporting surface, and wherein compressive force is exerted between the point of engagement of the brace member with the article and its associated base member to maintain the article in a fixed upright position.

2. A holder for supporting a Christmas tree or similar article upon a supporting surface including a plurality of independently adjustable angularly disposed semi-rigid base members having aligned openings through which means extend for securing the same to the bottom surface of the article supported by the holder, said base members having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures adjacent the free ends thereof, and semi-rigid brace members arranged to have their upper ends secured to the article in substantially the same horizontal plane at a point spaced from the lower end thereof such that upon engagement of the free end of the brace with the apertures of its associated base member the angle between the base member and the longitudinal axis of the article is greater than 90 degrees whereby the article will be supported with its lower end spaced from the supporting surface, said base member and brace members being so arranged that the free ends of the base members can be adjusted universally to support the article .on an irregular supporting surface, each of said brace members exerting compressive force between the point of engagement with its associated base member and V the point of attachment to the article whereby the longitudinal axis of the article is maintained in a fixed vertical position, said compressive force being independent of any upward directing force from the supporting surface.

WILBUR R. MEREDITH.

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 808,308 Riek Oct. 31, 1905 1,319,481 Mahon Oct. 21, 1919 1,540,025 Le May June 2, 1925 1,653,225 OLoughlin Dec. 20, 1927 1,912,054 Wright May 30, 1933 2,410,227 Matthews Oct. 29, 1946 2,416,435 Carlberg Feb. 25, 1947 2,518,421 Freel Aug, 8, 1950 2,561,693 Frye July 24, 1951

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