US2733032A

US2733032A - Christmas tree stand

Info

Publication number: US2733032A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1956-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 1973-01-31

Description

1956 e. F. FARLEY ET AL 2,733,032

CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Filed 001;. 9, 1955 nggnnpnnnnnnnnnnw //J [F0] Mom 1 5917227; F Ffir/Fy United States Patent Wis., assignors to Spincraft, 'Inc.,.Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 9, 1953, Serial "No. 385,149

.1 Claim. (Cl. 248-44) This invention relates to Christmas tree stands and refers more particularly to a .stand for supporting a Christmas tree, flagpole or the like in an upright position and whiehcomprisesaspun metal base.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive stand for supporting a Christmas rtree, flagpole or the like in an upright position, which :stand .is readily adjustable to accommodate the variations zinzdiameter and roundness which naturally exist between the trunks of various Christmas trees.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of an inexpensive stand of the character described having a circular base of substantial diameter, so as to afford a stable support for a Christmas tree or flagpole, but which is nevertheless attractive in appearance, light in weight and readily adjustable to accommodate a Christmas tree trunk of any ordinary size and shape.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a Christmas tree stand of the character described in whichprovision is made for holding a supply of water at the base of the tree trunk to retard dehydration of the tree.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a Christmas tree stand of the character described which may be so adjusted as to compensate for slight curvature in the trunk of a Christmas tree and to hold the tree as a whole in a substantially vertical position.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claim.

The accompanying drawing illustrates two complete examples of the physical embodiments of the invention constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a Christmas tree stand of this invention showing the bottom portion of the tree trunk in place therein;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the stand shown in Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modified embodiment of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 5 designates generally a Christmas tree stand embodying this invention and having the lower end portion of a Christmas tree trunk 6 secured in place therein.

The stand comprises a unitary metal spinning shaped to provide a central cuplike socket or well 7 in which is received the base of the tree or pole to be supported by the stand, and a concentric radially outer frusto-conical skirt 8, the lower edge 9 of which forms the footing of V be fixed on the platform 2,733,032 Patented Jan. 31, 1956 the stand. The socket-is preferably substantially flowerpot shaped, that is, its frusto-conical side wall 10'diverges upwardly fromafiatbottom '11, and'the'diameter of the socket, at its top, is substantially larger than'that of any Christmas tree trunk which would ordinarilybe received therein. A radially outwardly extending flat rim 12 at the top of the socket, integral therewith, serves as ajunction between the side wall ofthe' socket and the 'top of the frusto-conical skirt 8, which flares downwardly from the rim. This rim 12 thus provides an annular flatplatform at the top of the stand.

The skirt may be ornamented by means of annular flutes or ridges 14 extending circumferentially therearound, as in the Figures 1' and 2 embodiment, or it may be plain, as in the Figure 3 embodimentg To provide the desired stability the lower edge of the skirt defines a circle of substantial diameter lying in aplane which "is level with, or slightly below, the bottom of the socket. Preferably, too,'the lower'edge of the skirt-is rolled, 'as at 15, to give it a smoothly rounded surface which will not mar a polished floor upon which the stand may "be placed, and to also reinforce the skirt.

On the annular "flat 'platform provided by the rim 12 which forms =the junction between thesocket portion of the base 'and the outer skirt, 'a number of clamping screws 16 are threadedly mounted in positions to cooperate with one another in supporting a tree trunk in the socket in upright position. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, these screws are threaded in holes extending radially through an annular upright flange member 18 which is preferably spot welded or otherwise secured to the platform 12 spinning, but if desired, individual lugs 18' may 12 to mount the screws, as shown in Figure 3. In either event, the member or members in which the screws are mounted should be fairly thick, so as to aiford good purchase for the threads of the screws, but since this support for the clamping screws, as shown, lies between the inner and outer edges of the platform 12, the jaw formed by the inner ends of the screws may be opened to the full diameter of the top of the socket.

Thescrews are preferably three in number, and have large heads 19, on the order of wing bolts or (as shown) eye bolts, to facilitate their manual manipulation. The screws are mounted with their axes substantially radial to the axis of the stand, so that as they are threaded into the holes in which they are mounted their inner ends will converge toward one another and toward the tree trunk in the socket, and being quite long their inner ends thus can be brought into close juxtaposition. Accordingly a wide range of tree trunk diameters is accommodated.

At the bottom of the socket is an upwardly projecting spur 20. This may be formed as a separate sheet metal part 21 having sharp cornered, upwardly projecting tangs, as shown in Figure 2, or may be integral with the bottom of the well and bumped upwardly therefrom, as shown at 20' in Figure 3. In either event, when the lower part of a tree trunk is set or stepped into the socket, the bottom of the trunk rests on the spur. The weight of the tree causes the spur to bite into the wood of the trunk, precluding lateral displacement of the tree trunk in the well, and the screws cooperate with the trunk and with one another to steady and firmly hold the trunk on top of the spur.

It will be apparent that the three screws not only provide for ready insertion and removal of a tree trunk of any ordinary size into the socket, but also enable the tree, generally, to be held in an upright position, despite any slight curvature of the bottom portion of its trunk, because the screws are readily adjustable to hold the lower portion of the trunk cccentrically to the axis of the stand.

It will also be apparent that the socket portion of the stand can be kept filled with water to prevent too rapid dehydration of the tree, and because the metal spinning which forms the base is of unitary construction there will be no danger that such water might leak out of a seam in the socket. 7

From the foregoing description, taken together with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that this invention provides an attractive and inexpensive stand for supporting a Christmas tree, flagpole, or the like in upright position, and that the stand of this invention provides an unusually stable support and is easily adjusted to accommodate it to the upright to be supported therein.

What we claim as our invention is:

A Christmas tree stand comprising: a unitary spun metal base having an upwardly tapering substantially izrusto-conical circular skirt, the free lower edge of which provides a stable footing for the stand, a socket portion concentrically disposed inside the skirt, said socket portion opening upwardly but tapering downwardly to receive the lower end portion of a Christmas tree trunk, the upper open end of the socket portion being considerably larger than the largest diameter tree trunk for which the stand is designed, said base also having a substantially wide annular flat platform at its top integrally joined to the upper large diameter end of the socket portion and the upper small diameter end of the skirt; an upwardly projecting spur on the bottom of the socket portion upon which the bottom of a tree'ftrunk in the socket may rest and which bites into the bottom of the tree trunk to prevent lateral displacement thereof; upright flange means solidly fixed to and projecting from the platform, said flange means lying between the inner and outer edges of the annular platform and having threaded holes therethrough radially of the axis of the circular skirt; and clamping screws threaded in said holes so that the radially inwardly facing ends of the clamping screws may be brought solidly against the side of a tree trunk stepped into the socket of the base and thereby cooperate with the spur in holding the tree firmly upright, said clamping screws being long enough to permit their inwardly facing ends to be brought into close juxtaposition so that the stand accommodates a wide range of tree trunk diameters.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,805,649 Wermine May 19, 1931 1,846,891 Miller Feb. 23, 1932 1,855,762 Kaninski Apr. 26, 1932 2,044,192 Templin, Jr. June 16, 1936 2,613,899 Wagner et a1. Oct. 14, 1952