US2855168A - Christmas tree holder - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 7, 1958 P. FQVIGNA CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER Filed July 20, 1954 m Q 5 M Z MM/MMWW H lvlfllllli INVENTOR Pa 2e1- f? ado" 12 a BY Z ATTORNEYS te Statemen 2,855,168 A CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER Peter F. Vigna, Antioch, Calif. Application July 20, 1954, Serial No. 444,609

' 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-48) This invention relates to a stand or holder for a Christmas tree; the present application being a continuation in part of my now abandoned application Serial No. 217,801, filed March 27, 1951.

The holder includes 'a socket-like body to receive and support the lower end of a tree-trunk, and supporting legs radiating from the body to maintain the same in an upstanding, stable and non-tipping position clear of the floor; the major object of the present invention being to provide a Christmas tree holder, of the above type, wherein the body and the supporting legs are detachably connected in a novel manner, so that the device may be knocked down for compact storage when not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Christmas tree holder which can be assembled, and a tree secured therein, by hand and without the need of tools.

Another object is to arrange the body and leg connecting means in such a manner that while no holding screws and the like are necessary, the legs will be maintained against dropping from place in the event that the holder should be lifted clear of the floor. At the same time, the connecting means is such that the legs may be readily disengaged from the body of the holder upon downward pressure being exerted on each leg in turn.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a Christmas tree holder which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical :andreliable Christmas tree holder, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved Christmas tree holder.

Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof, partly in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the improved Christmas tree holder comprises an upstanding, hollow or tubular body 1, preferably of cast metal; such body being open at the upper end and closed at the lower end.

The bore 2 of the body 1 is slightly tapered from its upper end to the inception of the closed lower end 3; the latter being substantially semispherical in configuration. The purpose of the taper bore 2 is two-fold; firstly, to aid in core removal when the body is cast; and, secondly, to form a wedging seat for the tree trunk.

The side walls of the body 1 is in the main relatively thick, but at three symmetrically spaced points, i. e., 120 apart, the body is formed with thickened vertical trip-like portions 4; there being wing bolts 5 threaded through such thickened wall portions 4 radially thereof. The purpose ICE of the wing bolts 5 is to clampingly secure the tree trunk in the bore 2 in centered relation.

Below the wing bolts 5 and substantially centrally between the upper and lower ends of the body 1 the thickened wall portions 4 are formed with outwardly projecting bosses 6, each boss having a downwardly opening taper socket 7 therein.

The numeral 8 indicates the supporting legs of the holder; there being three such legs, each having, at its upper end, an upwardly projecting taper pin 9 which engages in the taper socket 7 in the corresponding boss 6,

, whereby the legs are removably attached to the body 1.

The lower end of each boss 6 and the adjacent upper I end of the corresponding leg 8 are formed with horizontal shoulders which abut in matching engagement, as at 10. This stabilizes the legs against play in a radially extending vertical plane, while lateral motion of such legs out of their proper radial position is accomplished as follows:

The immediate upper end portion of each leg 8 is formed, on its inner face, substantially straight vertically, but with widely divergent or transversely angled face portions 8a; the latter engaging in matching relation in a groove 11 in the side wallof the body (see Fig. 3) immediately below the corresponding boss 6; the groove being open at its lower end.

The V groove and matching leg-faces as above described provide for an eflicient holding action, preventing lateral swivel movement of the legs, without having to accurately machine the cooperating faces as would otherwise be necessary.

From the body 1 the legs 8 extend at an outward and downward incline into floor engagement, being formed at the lower end with feet 12 which curve upwardly and inbundle.

wardly; the bottom of such feet being flattened, as at 13, for effective seat-ing on the floor.

When the described Christmas tree holder is in use, the lower end of the tree trunk seats in wedging relation in the body 1 from its open end, being secured and centered therein by the wing bolts 5, as hereinbefore described. To maintain the tree fresh the body 1 is adapted to be main tained full of water.

If the tree is of very small diameter, the lower end of the trunk portion may reach into the substantially semispherical lower end 3, wherein the sloping internal wall of the latter will receive the trunk in properly centered and stabilized relation.

With a Christmas tree secured therein, the holder supports such tree in a stable manner; such stability of balance being obtained through the use of a relatively heavy structure, and one having legs -8 mounted in tripod form and having substantial reach. Additionally, the connection of the legs 8 to the body 1 intermediate its ends aids in the balance.

When the holder is not in use the legs 8 are detached by simply pulling the pins 9 from the sockets 7, and thereafter the legs 8 and body 1 may be stored in a compact The relative size and positioning of the cooperating parts is such that the pins 9 fit or wedge tightly in the sockets 7, whereby the legs remain in place until forcefully detached. The taper pins and sockets provide for easy entry of the pins into the sockets, while the shoulders 10 prevent undue wedging of the pins in the sockets without interfering with a good frictional hold of the pins such as would prevent the legs faling off should the holder be lifted.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as 3 do not form a'depa'rture from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thu described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desiredz r s In a Christmas tree holder whiehcohiprises an upsmnd in'g tubular body toreceive 'a t ree trunk insupporfting re lation, a plurality of supporting legs for the body-arranged to-fiaringly diverge therefrom, and means to removably mount each leg on the body in radiating relation thereto and comprising a boss on and projectin g 'outw-arc lly from the body, said boss havinga circular 'socket parallel to the axis of the body and open to the lowereitd'of the boss an'd a circular pin on. the up er end of the leg torer'novablyen:

gage inthe socket-to a predetermihed-debth;means lo'c at- 10 ing the leg in aradial-p'osit'ion relative to the bocly'as the pin is inserted into the socket; saidmeans comprising vertical flat cooperating surfaces ofobtus'e-angle; V-shape in transverse section formed on the back of the leg immedi- "ately below the piu'and on-the'adjacent wall 'of the body and preventing rotation of the leg about the pin as an axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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