Patent ID: 8146871
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: E01F,G09F

Abstract:
1. A portable sign stand comprising: a mast for supporting a sign thereon; a bracket disposed on said mast for supporting said sign; a plurality of support legs for supporting the mast; and a heart plate assembly comprising a heart plate for pivotally receiving and attaching to top ends of two of said plurality of support legs, said heart plate being a unitary piece comprising opposing open ends into which the top ends of two of said support legs are inserted, fastener apertures disposed adjacent each of said open ends for receiving shaft fasteners to create said pivotal attachment, and a horse collar into which a third one of said support legs is inserted, fastener apertures being disposed on said horse collar for receiving a shaft fastener to create said pivotal attachment, said heart plate further comprising a top planar surface with an aperture structured and adapted to accommodate a center tube therethrough that is substantially orthogonally disposed relative to said top planar surface of the heartplate, said center tube having a hollow interior for slidably receiving said mast, said center tube extending through said heart plate and having a lower end which extends below a bottom edge of said heart plate; wherein an upper end of said center tube extends upwardly a fixed predetermined distance of at least four inches from the top planar surface of said heart plate and wherein said fixed predetermined distance of said center tube is adapted to allow an average user's whole hand to be wrapped around it in order to prevent pinch point injury while adjusting the length of said mast.