1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stands for trees, such as Christmas trees, and more particularly for tree stands with quick acting screw assemblies and a method of using same.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the Christmas season, it is commonplace for individuals and families, particularly of the Christian faith, to adorn their living spaces and/or work places with one or more trees decorated with various lights and ornaments. Although artificial trees are used by some, a great many people still prefer to decorate a “live” or cut tree. This has been a custom for centuries and will most certainly continue indefinitely.
The Christmas tree, whether artificial or live, requires support to maintain the tree upright and prevent it from tipping over. However, the required support for an artificial tree is simpler than for a live tree. Live trees typically require a stand having a base and a water basin or reservoir for providing water essential for maintaining tree freshness and for preventing the cut tree from becoming a fire hazard. As most everyone is aware, live trees are not uniform and symmetrical in shape. To support the tree against tipping, the base of the stand needs to be broad enough to provide stability when the trunk of the tree is mounted within the water basin. Typically, the stand includes a plurality of threaded screws which are tightened against the tree trunk when the trunk's lower end is positioned in the basin.
It would be advantageous to provide a tree stand which can include a broad and shallow basin which will accommodate a range of tree trunk diameters, has an accessible top for replenishing the water supply, and provides ample lateral support for the tree within the basin.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,508 for “Tree Stand With Upward/Extending Support Members Forming Part Of A Water Basin,” issued Apr. 28, 1998, discloses a tree stand having a large water basin and a plurality of extending support members for supporting the tree. The extending support members form part of the sidewalls of the water basin and include threaded bolts or screws to secure the tree trunk to the extending support members. The spacing of the extending support members allows lower tree limbs to extend between the support members and above the lower sidewall portion of the water basin. The tree is secured to the stand by manually rotating and tightening the threaded bolts.
Applicant's tree stand of the '508 patent has been a huge commercial success.
Nearly everyone who has installed a live Christmas tree in a tree stand knows and appreciates that most trees are not the “perfect” tree. The tree may be lopsided; the trunk may be crooked; the trunk may be non-circular at the base, the trunk may have very low limbs which may need to be pruned, etc. These factors can result in much trial and error in adjusting the threaded bolts to secure the tree in the tree stand in a “plumb,” vertical or aesthetically pleasing orientation. The threaded bolts are typically about 5/16″ diameter having approximately 16 threads per inch. Proper positioning and adjusting of the bolts typically requires numerous rotations of each and every bolt spaced uniformly around the tree trunk—a somewhat challenging experience, particularly when lying on the floor beneath the Christmas tree.
It is desirable to have a tree stand that reduces the challenges associated with securing the tree to the tree stand. It is further desirable to have a tree stand that can be quickly adjusted to secure the tree in the desired upright orientation. It is desirable that the securement assembly be easy to assemble and operate, dependable, durable, and provides necessary strength axially and laterally. It is also desirable that the tree stand have a low stacking height and a minimum of loose parts for shipping purposes. It is further desirable that the tree stand could optionally incorporate one or more of the tree stand features disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,508.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a tree stand that reduces the challenges associated with securing a tree to the tree stand and is quickly adjusted to secure the tree in the desired upright orientation. The tree stand has a securement assembly that is easy to assemble and operate, dependable, durable, and provides necessary strength axially and laterally. The tree stand preferably has a low stacking height and a minimum of loose parts for shipping purposes. The preferred embodiment of the tree stand incorporates many of the tree stand features disclosed in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,508.
A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained when the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment is considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:
The present invention incorporates many of the features disclosed in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,743,508 and 6,877,274. Applicant incorporates by reference herein U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,743,508 and 6,877,274.
The tree stand according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is generally referenced in the drawings as number 10. With reference to
Preferably, the water basin 20 of the tree stand 10 is formed from a bottom wall 22 adjoined to a substantially upright basin sidewall 24. As shown in
Referring to
It has been found that elevating the basin bottom wall 22 relative to the floor minimizes the risk that condensation resulting from the difference between the air temperature and the temperature of the water in the basin 20 will cause the underlying floor to become moist. An elevation of ½″ to 1″ is adequate for this purpose. As can be appreciated, distributing the weight of the tree around the large outer spill guard 14 increases the stability of the tree stand 10.
Preferably, a plurality of tree securement assemblies 40 are connected, joined or integrally formed with the sloping exterior wall 12 and/or the water basin 20. Preferably, three or four tree securement assemblies are desirable to secure a tree trunk T (
In the preferred embodiments of the invention as shown in the figures, each securement assembly 40 includes an upright support member 42 joined at its lower end to the bottom wall 22 and has an upper end extending above the height of the water basin 20 as shown in
In the preferred embodiment, a centrally-facing surface 42b of the support member 42 is arcuate, preferably having a radius lying on a circle common to all of the centrally-facing surfaces 42b of the spaced support members 42. Such an arrangement provides greater flexibility to maneuver the tree trunk T within the basin 20 as will be described below. In a twenty inch diameter stand 10 having four equally spaced securement assemblies 40, the centrally-facing surfaces 42b near the bottom wall 22 may lie on a 3″ radius circle to accommodate trees having a trunk diameter up to approximately 6″. Additionally, each centrally-facing surface 42b can have a 2″ arc length which provides ample space along the 3″ radius circle to position irregular trunk cross-sections, bumps, or low tree limbs (see
With reference to
A more detailed discussion of the fast-acting screw assembly 100 of the tree securement assembly 40 follows. The bolt 50 is preferably a threaded fastener having a threaded shank 52 and a handle portion 54 to facilitate rotation of the threaded shank 52. The bolt 50 has an inner end 56 adapted to engage the tree trunk T. Alternatively, the inner end 56 may be adapted to receive an end cap 58 (
As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The assembly of the preferred embodiment of the fast-acting screw assembly 100 as depicted in
With the slide engager 60 positioned in the slide guides 48a and 48b, a first end of the spring 80 may be slid onto the post 46 in the slot 44 with the second end of the spring 80 abutting the slide stub 60a. The button 70 is attached to the slide engager 60 from the upper side of the upright support member 42 by forcibly pressing the slide stub 60a extending through the elongated slot 44 into the button socket 72. The spring 80 is thus substantially circumferentially surrounded by the walls of the elongated slot 44, the ramp channel 60d and the button channel 74 as shown in
The bolt 50 is installed by inserting the inner end 56 into the outer circular bore portion 43a and through the bolt passageway 43. As the bolt 50 is axially inserted in the passageway 43 toward the center of the tree stand 10, the bolt threads 52 come into contact with the threaded recess 62a of the slide engager 60 when the slide engager 60 is in the biased position. Preferably, the axial force exerted on the bolt 50 exceeds the spring-bias acting on the slide engager 60 and causes the slide engager 60 to move slightly up the sloped upper surface 42c, further compressing the spring 80. Preferably, the amount of centrally-directed, axial force on the bolt 50 required to overcome the spring bias is insubstantial. The position of the slide engager 60 during this sliding insertion of the bolt 50 along the threaded recess 62a is referred to as the biased and disengaged position as the bolt threads 52 are not threadedly engaged with the threaded recess 62a. Upon removal of the axial force, the threaded portions of the bolt 50 and the slide engager 60 will be permitted to engage each other as a result of the spring bias. This position is referred to as the biased and engaged position.
It is to be understood that the fast-acting screw assembly 100 permits the bolt 50 to be rapidly advanced in the passageway 43 toward the center of the tree stand 10 without rotating the bolt 50. When the axial force is removed, the spring force pushes the slide engager 60 down the sloped upper surface 42c to the engaged position in which the threaded shank 52 threadedly mates with the threaded recess 62a of the slide engager 60.
Additionally, it is to be understood that the bolt 50 can be freely inserted in the passageway 43 by manually sliding the button 70 up along the sloped upper surface 42c (towards the center of the tree stand 10) to a displaced and disengaged position. In the displaced and disengaged position, the slide engager threaded recess 62a is displaced and does not contact the threaded shank 52 as the bolt extends through the passageway 43. It is to be further understood that in the displaced and disengaged position the bolt 50 can be slid axially within the passageway 43 in either direction.
Preferably, the slide engager 60 of the fast-acting screw assembly 100 is spring-biased to the biased and engaged position. As described above, an axial force acting on the bolt 50 from the handle portion 54 towards the inner end 56 will overcome the spring force and disengage the mating threads and allow the bolt 50 to travel towards the center of the tree stand 10. However, an axial force acting on the bolt 50 in the opposite direction (i.e., from the inner end 56 towards the handle portion 54) in the biased position causes the wedge-like shape of the slide engager 60 to be wedged more tightly between the bolt 50 and the sloped upper surface 42 of the upright support member 42. Thus, the threaded portions 52 and 62a remain firmly mated and the bolt 50 is prevented from moving in an outward direction (i.e., away from the center of the tree stand 10)—unless the bolt 50 is rotated. It is to be understood that in the biased and engaged position, the bolt 50 can move axially in the passageway 43 in either direction by rotation.
During the procedure of placing and securing a tree in the tree stand 10, the bolts 50 are preferably initially retracted such that each bolt inner end 56 is adjacent the respective upright support member 42. The cut end of the tree trunk is positioned, preferably fairly centrally, within the water basin 20. The tree is mounted to the tree stand 10 by placing any interfering lower tree limbs between the upright support members 42, if necessary, and the restraining device 26 is then embedded within the trunk end. The bolts 50 are pushed inwardly until the inner ends 56 contact or are adjacent to the tree trunk T. With the tree in its desired upright position, final tightening of the bolts 50 is accomplished by rotating the bolts 50, preferably no more than one or two revolutions. Each bolt 50 should be rotated at least a quarter turn to a half turn to ensure a secure friction fit between the mating threaded components. When the bolts 50 are tightened securely against the tree, the button 70 and slide engager 60 are prevented from being moved to the disengaged positions—i.e., displaced and disengaged position and biased and disengaged position—because of the threaded frictional engagement of the bolt 50 and the slide engager 60 and the wedge action described above.
To remove the secured tree from the tree stand 10, at least one of the bolts 50 is rotated in the direction to loosen, typically counter-clockwise rotation, to relieve the wedging action caused by the axial force on the bolt 50 and permit the button 70 to be manually slid to the displaced and disengaged position at which time the bolt 50 is free to slid within the passageway 43. Preferably, the button 70 is free to be manually slid to the displaced and disengaged position after loosening the bolt 50 one revolution or less.
In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of pins 28 extend upright from the bottom wall 22 as shown in
Preferably, the tree stand 10 is suitable for closely nesting several stands 10 together—one on top of the other—by reason of having the tree securement assembly 40 made with openings in the bottom of the tree stand T.
In the preferred embodiment, the upright support members 42 together with the inner surfaces of the upright sidewall 24 and the bottom wall 22 define the water basin 20, and the support point for each bolt 50 at the upright support member 42 is located in proximity to the tree trunk T and close to the center of the stand 10. When the bolts 50 are tightened, particularly on rough or irregularly shaped tree trunks, the bolts 50 tend to shift to the side and create lateral and other stresses on the bolts 50, which is minimized when the bolts 50 are supported closer to the tree.
Injection molded plastic is an ideal material for the container of the present invention. Due to the weight of a typical tree, a high impact plastic such as polyethylene or polypropylene is preferred. The plastic material (1) enables the stand 10 to be injection molded, (2) provides a rustproof structure, and (3) provides sufficient resilience to enhance distribution of uneven loads caused by unbalanced trees.
An alternate embodiment of the tree stand, referred to as 10′ is shown in
The restraining device 26′ will be described with reference to
The fast-acting screw assembly 100′ will now be described with reference to
As discussed above, the bolt 50 preferably has an inner end adapted to receive an end cap 58 (
Referring to
Preferably, the pivotal engager 60′ has a lower face 62′ including a threaded recess 62a′, preferably extending axially along the length of the lower face 62′ as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The assembly of the second preferred embodiment of the fast-acting screw assembly 100′ as depicted in
The bolt 50 is installed by inserting the inner end 56 into the outer circular bore portion 43a′ and through the bolt passageway 43′. As the bolt 50 is axially inserted in the passageway 43′ toward the center of the tree stand 10′, the bolt threads 52 come into contact with the threaded recess 62a′ of the pivotal engager 60′ when the pivotal engager 60′ is in the biased or normal position. Preferably, the axial force exerted on the bolt 50 exceeds the spring-bias acting on the pivotal engager 60′ and causes the pivotal engager 60′ to slightly rotate about the axis of the axles 66′ in a clockwise direction in
It is to be understood that the fast-acting screw assembly 100′ permits the bolt 50 to be rapidly advanced in the passageway 43′ toward the center of the tree stand 10′ without rotating the bolt 50. When the axial force is removed, the spring force rotates the pivotal engager 60′ in the counter-clockwise direction to the biased and engaged position (
Additionally, it is to be understood that the bolt 50 can be freely inserted in the passageway 43′ by manually pulling or “cocking” the lever 70′ toward the outer edge of the tree stand 10′ to a displaced and disengaged position. In the displaced and disengaged position, the pivotal engager threaded recess 62a′ is displaced and does not contact the threaded shank 52 as the bolt 50 extends through the passageway 43′. It is to be further understood that in the displaced and disengaged position the bolt 50 can be axially slid within the passageway 43′ in either direction.
Preferably, the pivotal engager 60′ of the fast-acting screw assembly 100 is spring-biased to the biased and engaged position. As described above, an axial force acting on the bolt 50 from the handle portion 54 towards the inner end 56 will overcome the spring force and disengage the mating threads and allow the bolt 50 to travel towards the center of the tree stand 10. However, an axial force acting on the bolt 50 in the opposite direction (i.e., from the inner end 56 towards the handle portion 54) in the biased and engaged position causes the pivotal engager 60′ to slightly rotate and provide even greater threaded frictional engagement between the bolt 50 and the pivotal engager 60′. Thus, the threaded portions 52 and 62a′ remain firmly mated and the bolt 50 is prevented from moving in an outward direction (i.e., away from the center of the tree stand 10)—unless the bolt 50 is rotated. It is to be understood that in the biased and engaged position, the bolt 50 can move axially in the passageway 43 in either direction by rotation.
During the procedure of placing and securing a tree in the tree stand 10′, as with the previous embodiment, the bolts 50 are preferably initially retracted such that each bolt inner end 56 and end cap 58 is adjacent the respective upright support member 42′. The cut end of the tree trunk is positioned, preferably fairly centrally, within the water basin 20. The tree is mounted to the tree stand 10′ by placing any lower tree limbs between the upright support members 42′, if necessary, and the trunk crown 26′ is embedded within the trunk end. With the tree in its desired upright position, the bolts 50 are pushed inwardly until contacting or adjacent the tree trunk T. Final tightening of the bolts 50 is accomplished by rotating the bolts 50, typically only one revolution or less. The bolts 50 should be rotated at least a quarter turn to a half turn to ensure a secure friction fit between the components.
When the bolts 50 are tightened securely against the tree, the lever 70′ is prevented from being moved to the displaced and disengaged position because of the threaded frictional engagement of the bolt 50 and the pivotal engager 60′. As best illustrated in
In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of pins 28 extend upright from the bottom wall 22 as shown in
In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the support member passageways 43, 43′ have an axis 43c′ (
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as the details of the illustrated operation and construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/838,020, filed Aug. 16, 2006, and also claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/843,964, filed Sep. 12, 2006. Applicant incorporates by reference herein U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 60/838,020 and 60/843,964 in their entireties.
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