Support base for use on decked surfaces

• US 7,575,215 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: A&J Meier, LLC
• Original Assignee: A&J Meier, LLC
• Inventors: Johnston, Mark, Clark, Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterling; Amy J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Tan
• Application Number:
  US11/034,135
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 248/519, 248/539, 248/529, 248/518, 248/231.9, 248/222.11, 248/222.12, 248/222.13, 248/222.51, 248/507, 248/223.31, 114/230.1, 114/230.29, 114/218, 43/212, 410/116, 410/111
• US Class Current: 248/519
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/10 Supports for rods

Abstract

An anchoring device will cooperate with a slotted aperture in a planked surface, such as a deck or boat dock, is disclosed. An example of the invention includes an internal tube that is telescopically mounted within a hollow cylindrical external tube. A support flange that is mounted to the bottom of the internal tube at one end and to a support flange at the other end extends through the bottom of the external tube. A spring is mounted between the bottom of the internal tube and the bottom of the external tube, so that the spring may be compressed by sliding the internal tube into the external tube. The sliding of the internal tube into the external tube causes the support flange to extend, so that the planked surface may be gripped between the support flange and the bottom of the external tube.

Claims

1. A removable anchoring system for retaining objects, the anchoring system comprising:

a panel having a slotted aperture, the slotted aperture being of a width and extending from an upper surface of the panel to a lower surface that lies behind the upper surface, the lower surface extending away from the slotted aperture;

a support frame, the support frame having sides and a bottom, a frame tube of a first diameter and a cylindrical external tube of a second diameter, the frame tube nesting in a telescopic manner within the external tube and having a spring-loaded lever adapted for engaging an item inserted into the frame tube;

a support flange, the support flange being connected to the bottom of said support frame by a rigid column, the support flange being of a flange length and a flange width, the flange width being smaller than the width of the slotted aperture, and the flange length being larger than the width of the slotted aperture;

a spring, the spring being larger than the width of the slotted aperture, so that the spring cannot pass completely through the slotted aperture, the spring being positioned between said support flange and the bottoms of said support frame, so that insertion of the support flange through the slotted aperture by aligning the length of the support flange with the slotted aperture and then turning the support flange allows the spring to bias the support flange against the lower surface of the panel.

2. A removable anchoring system for retaining objects, the anchoring system comprising:

a panel having a slotted aperture, the slotted aperture being of a width and extending from an upper surface of the panel to a lower surface that lies behind the upper surface, the lower surface extending away from the slotted aperture;

a hollow cylindrical internal tube of a length, the internal tube having an aperture that extends along most of the length of the internal tube, the aperture of the internal tube having sides and a bottom that extends across the aperture of the internal tube and a support device adapted for retaining objects from the internal tube, the support device being mounted from the sides of the internal tube and having a spring-loaded lever adapted for engaging an item inserted into the frame tube;

a hollow cylindrical external tube of a second diameter and a length, the external tube further having an aperture that extends along most of the length of the external tube and terminates in an external tube bottom that extends across the aperture of the external tube, the internal tube nesting in a telescopic manner within the external tube;

a support flange, the support flange being connected to the bottom of said frame tube by a rigid column that extends through the external tube bottom and is fixed to the bottom of the internal tube, the support flange being of a flange length and a flange width, the flange width being smaller than the width of the slotted aperture, and the flange length being larger than the width of the slotted aperture;

a spring, the spring being positioned between bottom of said frame tube and the an external tube bottom, so that insertion of the support flange through the slotted aperture by aligning the length of the support flange with the slotted aperture and then turning the support flange by turning the hollow internal tube allows the spring to bias the support flange against the lower surface of the panel.

3. An anchoring system according to claim 2 wherein said spring is a helical spring mounted along said rigid column.

4. An anchoring system according to claim 2 said spring is mounted next to said rigid column.

5. A removable anchoring system adapted for retaining objects, the anchoring system comprising:

a planked structure containing a slotted aperture, the slotted aperture being of a width and extending from an upper surface of the planked structure to a lower surface of the planked structure that lies below the upper surface of the planked structure, the lower surface of the planked structure extending away from the slotted aperture;

a hollow internal cylindrical tube of a length, the internal tube having an aperture that extends along most of the length of the internal tube, the aperture of the internal tube having sides and a bottom that extends across the aperture of the internal tube and a support device adapted for retaining objects from the internal tube, the support device being mounted from the sides of the internal tube and having a spring-loaded lever adapted for engaging an item inserted into the frame tube;

a hollow cylindrical external tube of a second diameter and a length, the external tube further having an aperture that extends along most of the length of the external tube and terminates in an external tube bottom that extends across the aperture of the external tube, the internal tube nesting in a telescopic manner within the external tube, the hollow external tube further comprising a support strut that is adapted to extend from the external tube to the to the planked structure, so that the strut provides support to the hollow cylindrical internal and external tubes from the planked structure;

a support flange, the support flange being connected to the bottom of said frame tube by a rigid column that extends through the external tube bottom and is fixed to the bottom of the internal tube, the support flange being of a flange length and a flange width, the flange width being smaller than the width of the slotted aperture, and the flange length being larger than the width of the slotted aperture;

a spring, the spring being positioned between bottom of said frame tube and the an external tube bottom, so that insertion of the support flange through the slotted aperture by aligning the length of the support flange with the slotted aperture and then turning the support flange by turning the hollow internal tube allows the spring to bias the support flange against the lower surface of the panel.

6. An anchoring system according to claim 5 wherein said spring is a helical spring mounted along said rigid column.

7. An anchoring system according to claim 5 said spring is mounted next to said rigid column.

8. An anchoring system according to claim 5 wherein said hollow external tube further comprises an upper end and a lower end, the lower end having a support plate that extends from the external tube and provides support for the anchoring device against the upper surface of the planked structure.