US2771260A - Christmas tree stand - Google Patents

Description

Nov, 20, 1956 c. w. mom 2,771,260

CHRISTMAS TREE} STAND Filed March 20, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN YENTOR 4 TTDRAEYS GARL W. THOM Nov. 20, 1956 c. w. THOM 217715260 CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Filed March 20, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GARL w. mom

Inn/ran United States Patent CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Carl W. Thom, Seattle, Wash.

Application March 20, 1951, Serial No. 216,507

1 Claim. (Cl. 248-44) This invention relates to a Christmas tree stand and, more particularly, to a unitary stand for Christmas trees that may be fabricated from sheet material by conventional punching and cutting operations.

While it is well known that the art of producing stands for Christmas trees and the like is replete with mechanical structures of many kinds, it is my observation that they are too expensive and usually composed of too many parts to be either mechanically practical or within the ken of those unskilled in mechanics. I am unaware and, consequently believe, that no previous attempt has been made to form a unitary stand from sheet material by a single cutting and creasing operation which unit includes all the parts forming both the stand and the tree bracing and securing means in a single unitary element requiring no assembly of parts other than occurs in the bending and assembling of the parts at the point of use.

For simplicity in this description I shall describe my invention as it is produced by the use of cardboard as the source of sheet material. It will be understood however that sheet metal may likewise be employed most satisfactorily without departing from the invention and I, therefore, intend that this patent shall extend to such like substitutions.

It has been among the more important objects of this invention to provide a strong and durable Christmas tree stand which cap be produced en masse by conventional very unskilled without the use of tools other thanthe stem thereabove; to provide a cut tree stand which accom modates a variety of stem sizes with simplicity and convenience; to produce a sheet material stand for out trees in which the stem is braced at its lower end in a manner wherein there is imparted a stiffening and tautening action upon the sheet material forming the stand that makes it very rigid and adequate to its supporting function.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention will be more fully apparent during the course of the following description in which is set forth the preferred form of my invention as well as modifications of features thereof. In the drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure l is a perspective view of my Christmas tree stand;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a typical blank of sheet material cut and creased to form the stand of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the stand of Figure 1 showing a portion of a tree stem being supported thereby;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the stand 2,771,250 Patented Nov. 20, 1956 ICC at the apex thereof showing a manner of centering a tree stem at that point;

Figure 5 illustrates a modified form of brace arm that may be employed in the stand in lieu of that shown in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of base of the stand;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a brace arm; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 88 at the stand corner of Figure 1.

Referring particularly to Figure 2 wherein is shown a blank that has been cut and creased from cardboard sheet material, I have shown a plurality of walls 10, 12, 14 and 16. Each of these walls has the shape of an isosceles triangle and the plurality is joined together in edge-to-edge series by crease lines 18 which form hinges upon erection of the stand. Each of the walls 10 through 16 may have a flange 20 attached thereto at what eventually becomes the bottom edge to either stand inward or outward to stiffen the wall at its wider expanse. These flanges are joined to the walls by crease lines 22.

The series of joined together walls is preferably formed of rather heavy cardboard and I have had particularly fine success in supporting large trees several feet in height by using material approximately .0625 inch in thickness.

When the blank of Figure 2 is erected to form a tree stand, it assumes the shape of a pyramid and to facilitate holding the walls 1016 in that shape the edges of walls 10 and 16 have been provided with tongues 24, 25, 26 and half- tongues 27 and 28 which, at the sides, overhang the material from which they extend to form notches 30. As shown the tongue 24 is insertable between the half-tongue 28 and tongue 26 on wall 16. Likewise tongue 25 is insertable between tongue 26 and the-half-tongue 27. In such condition the overhanging portions of the tongues interfit and interlock and the several walls are rigidly held in upright position as seen in Figure 1. It will of course be obvious to those skilled in the art that other fastening means may be employed between the edges of walls 10 and 16 such, for example, as the normal glue flap hinge joinder common in the carton business. In the latter instance, which is suggested by the numeral 32 in Figures 1 and 8, it is likewise possible to preassemble the walls in a factory and then to collapse them to flat condition for shipment prior to erection.

The apex of each of the walls 10 through 16, in the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, has a transverse crease line 34 spaced from the tip of the wall and, by means of cut lines 36 extending outward from these crease lines I form tabs 38. When the stand is assembled these tabs 38 comprise a collar that may stand up around the tree stern, as in Figure 3, or be bent inward and downward as in Figure 4. In either event these tabs constitute centering means for the tree stem at a point somewhat above the butt of the tree. In Figure 3 I have shown tacks 40 passed through the tabs and into the tree stem to flex the tabs inward and attach them to the woody material. In the case of the Figure 4 arrangement when the stem is passed through the opening encircled by the downwardly bent tabs 38 they tend to spring axisward and thus center the stern as well as to grip it and prevent its upward withdrawal.

Referring back to Figure 2, each of the walls 10 through 16 has punch-cut therefrom a brace arm 42 as is defined by out line 44 and crease line 46. These braces have at their ends opposite the hin'ging crease lines 44 an opening 48 which in the erected condition of the blank, underlies the upper opening of the stand. In the preferred form of the invention openings 48 are relatively small by comparison with the tree stem to be accommoof the-stem from the desired upright position.

ranging'thatthe distance marked A from crease or hinge dated but are surrounded by a rim of teeth 50 which are hinged tothe brace arm and will defiectdownward when a fairly large stem is inserted and grip and center the stem as shown'in Figure 3. It is desirable that theteeth "'50 behingedly joined to the arms'42 by cut-score lines so that easy bending is had and theentrance of thetree butt isfacilitated. '-It will be noted'that these teeth bend another spot in a room.

The erection of the stand shown in blank form in Figure. 2 is as follows: the four walls are brought into pyramidal shape and the interlocking tongues at the free ends of the series of walls are interengaged whereupon the stand will retain its shape. The bottom" edge flanges 2.2 are turned out or in as desired and the brace arms42 are caused to be pressed inward of the hollow stand body somewhat as shown in Figure 1. Then to mount a tree all that-need be done is to spread the tabs 38 and insert the butt'of the stem first through the upper opening and then through the openings 48 in the brace arms. The stem will be caused to enter the stand sufiiciently that it'touches and rests upon the fioor or other support. In

- the case of an opening-48 having surrounding teeth 50 the latter are bent downward by the passage of the stern and will tend to spring back to the stern and to bite or grip the stern in quite a tight manner. if it is'desired to tighten the tabs 38 around the stern at the upper opening thumbtacks, or other fasteners, oradhesive tape may be used; or the tabs may be'bentdown and inward as in Figure 4' where they will function much as'the teeth 50.

In Figure 5 I haveshown a brace arm 62 of somewhat modified form wherein, instead of a complete stem- 'receiving'opening, is included a notch 64"that engages against the tree stem. it will be readily seen that notch 64-is merely a part of the structure included in the opening 50 above described and that it functions, in conjunction with the other arms, in muchthe same manner. To

put it another way, when several arms are brought together at the aXis-of'the stand a stern encircling opening is also formed and each-of the arms will tend to resisttipping By arline 44 to the baseof the crotch 64 is only slightly less than the distance from line 44 to the real axis of the stand it is possible to create actual and constant axisward pressureupon the tree stem from the directions of each of the: arms. This latter conditionxis-shown in Figure 6 wherein the arms 42, are bowed slightly and press against the tree. and likewise tend to flex and bind the walls of the stand structure itself. This very desirably assists in maintaining the tree upright and the whole structure taut.

It is of course well known that a Christmas tree to which water is supplied is not only prettier but less likely to dry to an unsafe condition. I have shown in Figure 6 a shallow pan'P having water therein and with the stem end immersed. ln such a case access to the pan for filling purposes may be had through the openings rrom which the brace arms-42 have been removed and the spaces near the inner corners of the stand as can be clearly seen in Figure 1. Because of the deleterious effect of moisture on cardboard, as might occur both because of its contact with the tree foliage, and its nearness to the water in the pan P, I find it bestto wax-coat the cardboard to reduce its water absorption factor.

In Figure 6 the flange 26 is shown bent up inside the wall 14 to which it may be secured adhesively to stiffen positively such wall edge.

For shipping the stand,'and for storing it following use, it is collapsedby disengaging the interlocking tongues 24, 25 and 26, and the half- tongues 27, 28 whereupon walls 10, l2,= 14" and :16 may -bespread-out flat as shown in Figure 2. The brace arms 42tarelilrewise disposed in the plane of 'the walls with which they are associated. Also the flanges20 are spread flat. [ Walls 14 and 12 can be folded upon the adjacent pair of walls 14 add 16 through the hinging action of the crease line 18 between walls 12 and 14 to dispose the pairs of 'walls in face relation and the arms inlike condition to each other.

it will'naturally occur to those skilled in the art that slight changes and modifications may be made. Such of those asfairly come within the spirit and scope 'of the "body formed'of a single, unitary piece of cardboard having at least three walls each having a generally triangular "shape with a horizontallydisposed base edge and two side edges of equal length, s'aid walls beinghingedly counected together serially side-by side by' sco relines at adjaeentside edges and the side edges atthe ends of the series having joinder' means-forming a hinged connection there between, said-body having an'opening at its apex adapted "to pass 'the trunk'ofsuch Christmas tree with the edges of the opening pressing there against, at least three of --U-shaped llne with the'lower ends or said U-shaped line said sidewalls being each cut on agenerally inverted being joined together by a score'line close to'and parallel to the base edge of the -wall forming a hinge' line andthe material cut out-by said U-sh-aped line being bent inwardly forming brace arms withstheinnermost endportion lying adjacent the axis of the 'bodyand having tree-abutting means formed therein which includes a crotch-like edge -facing and 'closetosaid-bodyaxis -adapted-to grip such 'tree trunk; said apex opening in said body being formed by having'a horizontal upperscore line in each of said walls spaced a shortdistance from the junction of its side edges, the side edges of-adjacenbwalls being divided from body apex to the level of said upperscore line whereby the wan material thereabove forms hinged tabsdisplaceable to' pass such tree trunk and biased thereagainst in various directions.

References Citedin'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Harris Sept. 9, 1947

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