Patent Application
20240215747
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The disclosure relates to support apparatuses and more particularly pertains to a new support apparatus for supporting a curtain rod in a horizontal orientation during installation of the curtain rod.
The prior art relates to support apparatuses including one device disclosed by United Kingdom patent GB 13,843 which comprises a telescopic post mounted on a fixed tripod with a pair of pivotally mounted arms which extend outwardly from the post for supporting a curtain rod. As disclosed in the patent, the device is intended to be lifted by a user to place the curtain rod on mounting hooks above a window.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a post with a top end and a bottom end which is extendable between a retracted position and an extended position. Each one of a pair of extension arms is coupled to the post adjacent to the top end and extends outwardly from the post in one of a pair of opposing directions. Each one of a pair of saddles is coupled to a distal end of an associated extension arm with respect to the post. Each saddle comprises a central member that is coupled to and extends upwardly from the associated extension arm. An upper surface of the central member extends transversely with respect to the extension arm and is configured for supporting the bar, with the pair of saddles being configured for jointly supporting the bar in a horizontal orientation.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A collapsible base 26 is coupled to the bottom end 16 of the post 12 for supporting the post 12 on a support surface 28. The collapsible base 26 is positioned in a deployed position 27 such that the collapsible base 26 extends outwardly from the post 12. The collapsible base 26 is collapsible toward the post 12. The collapsible base 26 comprises a slider 30, a plurality of legs 32, and a plurality of links 34. The slider 30 is slidably coupled to and surrounds the post 12. Each leg 32 is pivotally coupled to the slider 30 such that each leg 32 is pivotable toward and away from the post 12. Each leg 32 extends outwardly from the post 12 and is angled downwardly. Each link 34 is pivotally coupled to the post 12 adjacent to the bottom end 16 and to one of the plurality of legs 32 such that each leg 32 pivots outwardly away from the post 12 when the slider 30 moves toward the bottom end 16 and toward the post 12 when the slider 30 moves away from the bottom end 16.
Each one of a pair of extension arms 36 is coupled to the post 12 adjacent to the top end 14. Each extension arm 36 extends outwardly away from the post 12 in one of a pair of opposing directions. The extension arms 36 are extendable away from and retractable toward the post 12 and are positionable in a shortened position 38 and a lengthened position 40. When the arms are in the shortened position 38, an arm span distance between a distal end 42 of one extension arm 36 with respect to the post 12 and a distal end 42 of another extension arm 36 with respect to the post 12 is less than 3.5 feet. In the lengthened position 40, the arm span distance is greater than 7.5 feet. Each extension arm 36 is also detachable from the post 12. The post 12 has a pair of opposed recesses 44, each of which receives one of the extension arms 36.
Each extension arm 36 comprises a first arm segment 48 that is coupled to the post 12 and a second arm segment 50 which is telescopically engaged to the first arm segment 48. Each extension arm 36 also comprises a securement pin 52 which is coupled to the second arm segment 50 of an associated one of the pair of extension arms 36. The first arm segment 36 of each extension arm 36 has an outer wall 54 and a plurality of securement holes 56 extending through the outer wall 54. The plurality of securement holes 56 is arranged along a line extending away from the post 12 toward the distal end 42 of the associated extension arm 36. The securement pin 52 is spring-biased to insert through one of the plurality of securement holes 56 of the associated extension arm 36, thereby restraining axial movement of the second arm segment 50 with respect to the first arm segment 48.
Each one of a pair of saddles 58 is coupled to the distal end 42 of an associated extension arm 36 of the pair of extension arms 36. Each saddle 58 comprises a central member 60, a pair of prongs 62, and a coating 64. The central member 60 of each said saddle 58 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the associated extension arm 36. An upper surface 66 of the central member 60 extends transversely with respect to the associated extension arm 36 and is concavely arcuate. The upper surface 66 is configured for supporting a bar 68. The bar 68 may be any elongated object including, for example, a curtain rod 70. Each prong 62 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the central member 60 of an associated saddle 58 with the central member 60 extending between each prong 62. The coating 64 is slip resistant and covers the central member 60 and each prong 62 of the associated saddle 58. The pair of saddles 58 is configured for jointly supporting the bar 68 in a horizontal orientation 72.
A pair of tool trays 74 is coupled to and extends downwardly from an associated one of the extension arms 36. Each tool tray 74 comprises a panel 76, a platform 78, a pair of strips 80, and a pair of hooks 82. The platform 78 of an associated one of the pair of tool trays 74 is coupled to a top side 84 of the panel 76 of the associated tool tray 74 and has a top surface 86 which is slip resistant. The top surface 86 is configured for supporting a tool 88 and frictionally engaging the tool 88 to retain the tool 88 on the top surface 86. Each strip 80 is coupled to one of a pair of opposing edges 90 of the panel 76 of the associated tool tray 74 and extends upwardly from the panel 76 toward the associated extension arm 36. Each hook 82 is coupled to an upper end 92 of an associated one of the pair of strips 80 of the associated tool tray 74. Each hook 82 extends upwardly and around the associated extension arm 36, thereby removably hanging the associated tool tray 74 to the associated extension arm 36. Each hook 82 is rotatable with respect to the associated strip 80 such that each hook 82 is positionable to extend downwardly from the upper end 92 of the associated strip 80.
In use, the collapsible base 26 is positioned in the deployed position 27 and placed on the support surface 28. The post 12 is extended or retracted to position the extension arms 36 at a height chosen by a user. The extension arms 36 are also extended or retracted to position the saddles 58 at positions chosen by the user. Then the bar 68 is positioned on the pair of saddles 58. In this manner, the apparatus 10 may aid in the positioning of the bar 68 near a wall for attachment of the bar 68 to the wall. If the bar 68 is a curtain rod 70 for example, the apparatus 10 aids the installation of the curtain rod 70. The tool is placed on the tool tray 74 as needed by the user. The collapsible base 26, the post 12, the extension arms 36, and the tool trays 74 may be stored, for example, in a storage bag 94 when not being used.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
