Patent Application
20100263968
Planters, bird feeders, lighting fixtures, and similar container/receptacles are often mounted on poles and many are designed to be vertically adjustable, up and down the pole. Examples of such manually adjustable systems are disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/228,108 entitled Modular Bird Feeder System, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/381,346, Entitled Height Adjustable Container System. These and similar pole mounted systems employ vertical stop means to maintain their pole supported containers in the desired vertical heights. However, many of these stop means are ineffective and still others will not prevent the container from unintentionally sliding down and descending from its elevated position on the pole. There is currently no device which will both maintain a pole supported container at the desired height and also allow measured adjustment along the pole. There is also no device which could also provide a backup stopping or braking action to maintain the container in position on the pole until the container is actually going to be moved. Such a device should be configured to be mounted on the pole and be connected directly to the container in order to quickly, easily, and safely move the container up and down the length of the pole. The device also should be adaptable for use on a horizontal pole or support to control movement of a container or object horizontally along the pole or support.
The pole mounted brake of the present invention meets these objectives. It serves as an effective stop to maintain containers vertically on poles and generally in controlling the movement of such containers along poles. The present invention not only acts as a brake device to maintain an elevated container in position on the pole, but also could be used as a safety backup to a primary stop means, ensuring that the container remains in that elevated position without unexpected movement. The pole mounted brake of the present invention, mounted on the pole and secured to the elevated container, also permits incremental movement of the container vertically along the length of the pole.
These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention, a pole mounted brake device comprising a unitary body through which the pole extends. The body is connected to the bottom of the planter, bird feeder, light fixture, or other container which is height adjustably mounted on the pole. A control element is biasedly positioned within the body for adjusting the vertical position of the body and the container on the pole. The control element is configured such that when it is pressed, pushed, or otherwise actuated and slid downward within the body, the brake device which is connected to the container controls the movement of the container along the pole. When the pressure on the control element is released, the brake device and thus the container become immobilized on the pole. The pole brake also has application in controlling the movement of horizontally positioned, pole supported containers or objects.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its design, construction and use, together with additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
As best seen in
Brake control or stop element 20 comprises bottom surface 24 and ledge 26, inclined at the same angle as ledge member 14 within opening 10. Control element 20 is located within opening 10, such that its ledge 26 rests flush on ledge surface 16 of ledge member 14. Tab 28 is upstanding from control element 20. By actuating tab 28, in this case pressing the tab down, control element 20 is slideable up and down ledge surface 16.
Control element 20 also comprises extension 30 on which one end of spring 32 is mounted. The other end of spring 32 is in flush contact with the lower end of side wall 12. This spring, or equivalent biased actuating means, is configured and particularly positioned and biased within opening 10 to compel control element 20 upward against the upper end of side wall 12, as best seen in
When control element 20 is biased up against the upper end of side wall 12, as seen in
When it is desired or necessary to slide container 60 up or down pole 50, tab 28 is simply actuated or pressed downward, as shown in
When the desired position of container 60 on pole 50 is reached, pressure is simply removed from tab 28. As seen in
While other uses of pole brake 1 are contemplated, it is anticipated that the placement of the pole brake, as seen in
It is evident that pole brake 1 can be used to adjust and then maintain the position of different pole mounted containers such as planters, birdfeeders, light fixtures and the like. However, it also can serve as a valuable, back-up safety stop device when used with another stop means, the pole brake being employed as a secondary stop to ensure that pole mounted containers are not unintentionally caused to freely slide downward on their poles.
It is also anticipated that pole brake 1 could be used to control horizontal movement of a container or other object along a pole or equivalent horizontally positioned support member. For this use, as well, tab 28 would be actuated to control the movement of pole brake 1 and hence the movement of the object along the horizontal support member. When tab 28 is released, bottom surface 24 of control element 20 contacts the surface of the support member to maintain the container or object in place on the support member.
Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
