Gimball Christmas tree stand

• US 4,913,395 A
• Filed: 07/05/1989
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph A. Juhas
• Original Assignee: Joseph A. Juhas
• Inventors: Juhas, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olson, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US07/375,455
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• Field of Search: 248/521, 248/527, 248/519, 248/523, 248/511, 248/514, 248/515, 248/516, 248/517, 248/520, 248/524, 248/529, 248/133, 248/143, 248/371, 248/398, 248/178, 248/179, 248/181 , 248/150, 248/151, 47/40.5, 47/42
• US Class Current: 248/516
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2033/1286 comprising watering means, e.g. a water reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/1226 comprising a ball joint or similar fulcrum surface for straightening the tree

Abstract

The tree stand is adjustable to accept and position vertically, an evergreen Christmas tree with the root portion removed. The adjustable gimballed structure will position vertically a Christmas tree with the trunk or shaft bent or crooked as much as 15 degress. The stand is composed of a minimum of parts and may be completely assembled or disassembled without the use of hand tools of any kind. This invention relates to an adjustable Christmas tree stand or more broadly to a stand for supporting vertically a fir or various evergreen trees with the sub-surface or root portion removed, commonly known as a Christmas tree.

Claims

1. A stand for supporting a christmas tree or similar elongate shaft in a vertical or selectively inclined attitude said stand comprising in combination a gimball assembly having an upper clamp ring receptive of a Christmas tree trunk or similar elongate shaft, said upper clamp ring being attached to the upper ends of two gimball brackets by means of threaded eye-bolts, each of said gimball brackets having a base and two vertical arms, each of said vertical arms having a channel cross section and having a linear upper and lower section separated by an convex arcuate midsection, the radius of curvature of said arcuate midsection being at least equal to the radius of the said upper clamp ring, said arcuate midsection of each of said gimball bracket arms having an elongate slot located at the center of said channel cross section and extending the full length of said arcuate midsection, the bases of said gimball brackets being held in contact and in cruciform orientation by an assembly fitting passing through an assembly aperture slot means in the base of each of said gimball brackets;

a circular formed water storage pan having a radially extending upper flange, said flange having four equally circumferentially spaced rectangular apertures, said water storage pan being supported by four arcuate leg members having a channel cross section each of said leg members terminating in a support foot at the lower end and a right angled securing flange at the upper end, each of said leg members fitted into one of said rectangular apertures in said radially extending flange of said water storage pan, one each of said right angled securing flanges being attached by bolt and wing nut means to one each of the said arcuate midsections of said gimball bracket arms.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said upper clamp ring is attached to the said gimballed bracket by one each of four threaded eye-bolts passing through one each of four equally circumferentially spaced clearance apertures in the said upper clamp ring and threaded through one each of threaded holes in the upper ends of the said gimball brackets.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said gimball assembly is supported by said assembly fitting in contact with the bottom inside surface of the said water storage pan and held in selected attitude by one each of said bolts passing through one each of said elongated slots in the said arcuate sections of said gimball brackets and through apertures in one each of said right angled securing flanges and threadedly secured with one each of said wing nuts.