Tree Stand

This invention relates generally to stands for trees such as Christmas trees and the like and, more particularly, to such stands which require no trunk-encircling ring to restrain the inner ends of the stand's legs against outward movement as the trunk is clamped therebetween.

Perhaps one of the most well-known types of tree stands includes a bowl adapted to receive the trunk of the free therewithin, and a plurality of supporting legs which engage the bowl and, at inner ends thereof, engage a trunk encircling ring (canopy) through which trunk clamping screws are threaded, the ring preventing the outward movement of the leg inner ends as the clamping screws are tightened against the trunk. An example of such a tree stand is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,740 to Schuz. The provision of such a ring presents certain drawbacks. One such drawback is that the ring often requires that the lowermost branches of the tree be trimmed from the trunk to allow the trunk to pass through the ring. Removal of such branches is not only an inconvenience to the user but may detract from the appearance of the tree. Such rings also contribute to the cost of the stand, the labor required in assembling the stand, and limit the size of the tree trunk with which the stand may be used.

Recently, tree stands which require no trunk encircling ring have been developed. Typically, such stands employ legs which engage the bowl at rim and sidewall portions thereof. Inner ends of the legs are provided with trunk engaging screws which clamp the trunk therebetween, reaction forces on the legs from the engagement of the screws with the trunk pivotally urging the legs about the bowl rim into firm compressive engagement with the bowl sidewall. Examples of such ringless tree stands are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,026,075 to Phelon et al and 4,006,560 to Schulz. While these stands do represent departures from certain of the drawbacks associated with ring-type stands, improved ringless stands have been sought. One area in which improvements have been sought is that of bowl structure. Ringless stands often require intricate ribs, flanges or other mounting surfaces on the bowl for adequate location and engagement of the legs with the bowl rim and sidewall. Similarly, such stands have required complex bowl engaging contours of the leg medial and inner end portions. Certain ringless stands such as that shown in the Schuz patent require links which join the inner leg ends with the bottom of the bowl. It will be appreciated that such complexities in stand structure may render the stand no more convenient to use than the prior art ring-type stands noted hereinabove and may in fact, render the stand more costly to manufacture than ring-type stands of similar capacity.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a ringless tree stand which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a stand characterized by simplicity in form of the component parts thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a stand characterized by an overall economy of structure and manufacture.

It is yet another object to provide such a stand characterized by convenience in assembly and use.

These and other objects which will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the appended claims and accompanying drawing are achieved by the present invention which, in accordance with one aspect thereof, includes an improved pivotal engagement of the legs with the bowl rim at spaced apertures through which the legs are received. Such engagement of the legs and bowl rim obviates the need for providing these members with interengaging portions of complex shape. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the sidewall of the bowl is provided with a plurality of simple ears by which struts, connected to the legs are located in compressive engagement with the bowl sidewall. In accordance with yet another object of the present invention, the struts are pivotally connected with the legs for ease in assembly of the stand and compact storage thereof when the stand is disassembled. The legs and struts are of simple channel and U-shaped structure respectively for strength and economy of form.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tree stand of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the tree stand illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is fragmentary view in partial section of the tree stand taken in the direction of line 3--3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing in general and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the tree stand of the present invention shown generally at 10 comprises a bowl 15 adapted to receive the trunk (not shown) of a tree therewithin and a plurality of legs 20 which support the bowl and, by means of trunk clamping bolts 25 threaded into holes in the radially inner ends of the legs, vertically support and laterally stabilize the tree.

Bowl 15 is of a simple, unitary structure comprising a generally planar floor portion 30 and extending from the edges thereof, a smooth upstanding sidewall portion 35. Sidewall 35 terminates in a radially outwardly extending rim portion 40 apertured at spaced locations 45 thereon to receive legs 20 therethrough. The floor may, if desired, be provided with upstanding sharpened prongs or spikes 50 on which the bottom of the tree trunk may be impaled for enhanced maintenance of the vertical alignment of the tree. As shown, the prongs may comprise upturned corners of a rectangular plate secured to the bowl floor by any suitable technique appropriate for the materials employed.

Legs 20, received through apertures 45 in the bowl rim, extend upwardly and radially inwardly from the rim, terminating in inner end portions 55 which are provided with apertures through which clamping bolts 25 are threaded. As shown, the bolts may be provided with handles such as eyes 56 by which the bolts may be manually turned into compressive engagement with the tree trunk thereby clamping the trunk therebetween. Legs 20 also extend radially outwardly and downwardly, terminating in outer end portions 60 including enlarged feet 65 which support the stand on a horizontal surface such as a floor, platform or the like.

The legs are economically formed from generally straight channel stock having a simple upward bend at the inner end portion. The channel stock includes a central web portion 70 and generally parallel sidewall portions 75 bent downwardly from the edges of the web. The web may be provided with a raised detent 76 thereon and the radially inner and outer portions of the lower sidewall edges may be laterally offset as at 77 to define a notch, the detent and notch providing enhanced retention of the legs within apertures 45 as the clamping bolts are tightened against the tree trunk. It will be appreciated that channel shape of the legs prevents excessive radially outward deformation thereof as bolts 25 are tightened against the trunk.

Each leg is provided at a generally medial portion thereof with an inwardly extending U-shaped strut 80. Each strut comprises at the inner end thereof a central bight portion 85 and extending generally radially outwardly from the ends of the bight portion, a pair of generally parallel leg portions 90. As best seen in FIG. 4, leg portions 90 are pivotally mounted to the leg sidewalls 75 as by a pin 95.

The strut bight portions engage sidewall 35 of the bowl, being located thereagainst by circumferentially spaced ears 100. As best illustrated in FIG. 3, each of the ears includes a mounting flange 105 at which the ear is secured to the bowl sidewall by any suitable technique and a tab portion 110 integral with and radially outwardly offset from the mounting flange for spacing from the sidewall. The bight portion of each of the struts is received within such spacing. The width of the spacings may be made less than the thickness of the strut bight portions whereby the bight portions are compressively held between the tabs and bowl sidewall by the inherent resilience of the tabs.

From the above description, it will be appreciated that the tree stand of the present invention is characterized by an economy of construction. The bowl may be formed by, for example, ordinary die forming of sheet metal or the like. Alternatively, the bowl may be manufactured from any of various known synthetic plastics by common molding techniques. Likewise, the legs and struts may be economically constructed from sheet metal by any of various known forming techniques, the channel and U-shape forms of these members imparting the requisite strength thereto.

Assembly and take-down of the tree stand is conveniently accomplished. In assembly, the legs are inserted in the apertures in the bowl rim with the locating surfaces of the legs in registry with the apertures. The struts are then pivoted upwardly for location of the bight portions thereof in engagement with the bowl sidewall between the sidewall and ear tabs. The tree is then inserted in the stand and the clamping bolts turned into engagement with the tree trunk whereby the trunk is gripped between the bolts. Engagement of the bolts with the trunk causes a radially outwardly directed reaction force to be applied to the legs, pivotally urging the inner leg ends outwardly about the edges of the apertures in the bowl rim. This causes the leg portions located outwardly of the bowl to be pivotally urged in a radially inward direction whereby the struts are urged inwardly into firm compressive engagement with the bowl sidewall. Such engagement of the screws with the tree trunk and struts with the bowl sidewall provides a rigid assembly for enhanced support and stabilization of the tree within the stand.