Abstract:
A fireworks stand for elevating fixed-position fireworks, especially cone type fountains, having a body with an inner cavity for storing the fireworks and an upper platform for supporting the fireworks during discharge. The platform is nested into an upper end of the body and receives an upper keeper that is sized and shaped to fit inside of the nested platform in order to secure the fireworks. The cavity has a lower keeper and base structure that is removed to provide access to a plurality of inserts, which house the fireworks.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to fireworks and containers therefor and, more specifically, to an improved pyramid-shaped fireworks base having an inner fireworks storage cavity for transport and sale and a fireworks mount at an upper end of the pyramid that is equipped with a nesting platform and keeper for securely mounting fireworks for discharge and display in an elevated position. 
   Cones, fountains and related types of display fireworks come in many shapes and sizes designed to produce a variety of displays. Cones and fountains are popular types of firework displays that generally project an upward steady stream or varying stream of sparks to a certain height or varying heights after which the sparks flow downward in a manner intended to emulate the flow of water projected from a traditional water fountain and similar devices. The fountain effect is enhanced by maintaining airborne for as long as possible and that the sparks remain ignited for as long as possible and ideally from when the sparks exit the firework shell until the sparks contact the ground. 
   Such fireworks are often packaged in a cone shape structure, which are intended to be placed on the ground for safe usage. Such cones have a two fold and opposed problem. In order to be stable during discharge, the cones are manufactured with a wide base for stability such that the size of the cone is much larger than necessary to hold the actual material that is burnt to produce the fireworks effect. A second inherent limitation of such fountain displays is the height at which the display can project sparks. Consequently, cones are normally much taller and have much wider bases than is necessary to simply contain the substance of the display. 
   Accordingly, it is desirable to have such fountain fireworks where cones or the like can be made relatively small for transport and display at the time of sale, but whereas the cones can be stable during use and the display is elevated to provide advantages of such elevation. 
   For such fireworks to be used safely, support platforms for the shells must be designed to meet certain safety criteria, including that platforms not explode and provide a stable platform for launching the fireworks. In particular, a fireworks base that is designed to support a firework during discharge needs to have a minimum foot print or base size that engages the ground and stabilize the device for support. In particular, the base size is designed to provide adequate support in order to insure that the base does not upset or tip over during discharge and accidentally project its contents in an undesired sideways or lateral direction which could cause the fireworks to hit bystanders and/or create fire hazards by hitting houses, grassy areas or other highly flammable locations. 
   Furthermore, fireworks&#39; shipping or merchandising boxes or packaging must be large enough to receive multiple cones. Because conventional cones must be relatively large, such packaging must also take up substantial space which is directly related to shipping, storage and display expense at the time of sale. 
   Accordingly, it is desirable to have such a fireworks stand where the cones or the like consume a minimal amount of space and where the overall product can be placed in a comparatively low profile package that is economical to ship and store. It is also desirable that such fireworks be lightweight, easy to use and inexpensive, so as to encourage consumers to acquire and use the product. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present application is directed to a system and structure for providing a purchaser with a plurality of ground display fireworks in the form of cones or the like. The structure includes a container structure for holding and shipping the individual cones or other display fireworks. The container has a large footprint base that provides stability to the container when placed on the ground. The container further includes a receiver on the upper end thereof that is sized and shaped to selectively receive the individual fireworks, for example, individual cones, in an elevated position above the ground and so as to hold the fireworks in a stable manner during discharge. 
   Preferably, the container which becomes a stand during discharge is pyramidal shaped and has an upper platform to provide an elevated support wall for the shell during discharge. Furthermore, the stand has an inner storage cavity in order to store the individual fireworks prior to discharge and especially during shipping in order to minimize shipping costs. 
   OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
   The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a combined fireworks display stand and shipping container for individual fireworks having a pyramidal shape with a base having an upper launching platform with a receiver for holding individual fireworks, such as cones, a stable ground engaging footprint and an inner cavity for storing the individual fireworks in mass; to provide such a stand having sufficient stability to reasonably insure that the contents of the individual fireworks are directed skyward during discharge; to provide such a stand wherein it is simple to remove the fireworks from storage and to mount sequentially each of the fireworks on the stand; to provide such a stand that is manufactured out of material that is lightweight and will not form shrapnel or fragment into potentially harmful flying debris should the fireworks being used therewith malfunction and explode; to provide such a stand that does not upset or tip over easily during use; to provide such an overall system wherein the individual fireworks can be in a relatively smaller size which can be stabilized during use by frictionally mounting on the stand; and to provide such a stand which is relatively easy to use, inexpensive to produce and particularly well-suited for its intended usage. 
   Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. 
   The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a combined shipping container and fireworks stand having an upper platform with a fireworks receiver keeper, a base, and a side-view window in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded side elevational view of the fireworks stand showing fireworks contained therein during transport. 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged top plan view of the fireworks stand. 
       FIG. 4  is a side plan view of the fireworks stand with an individual fireworks device mounted in the receiver of the upper platform. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged and fragmentary side elevational view of the fireworks stand illustrating an individual fireworks device mounted in the receiver with portions broken away to show detail thereof. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
   The reference numeral  1  generally identifies a combined shipping container and fireworks stand in accordance with the present invention. The stand  1  includes a body  2  that is pyramidal shaped with four outer side walls  3 . The illustrated body  2  is substantially taller than wide at the bottom thereof. The side walls  3  extend along the entire length of the body  2 , which has upper and lower ends  4  and  5 . Near the upper end  4  is a platform  7  with a nested individual fireworks receiver  8  for receiving a fireworks cone  9 . It is foreseen that the individual fireworks displays could be packaged in other sizes and shapes than a cone that can be received in the receiver  8 . When one of the cones  9  is nested into the receiver  8  as depicted in  FIG. 5 , the cone  9  rests against a bottom wall  11  of the receiver  8 , which is surrounded by four perimeter side walls  12 . An upper keeper  15  with side walls  16  and a top wall  17  is used to secure each cone  9  in the receiver  8 . Specifically, the keeper  15  has a plurality of pre-shaped panels  19  separated by slits  20  that radiate outward from a central point  21  and connected by a hinge  22 , formed integrally from a portion of the platform  7  to an outer circumference or perimeter  23  of the keeper  15 , thus forming a plurality of articulatable wedges  24 , which are designed to engage and secure the fireworks cone  9 . 
   In particular,  FIG. 5  shows a cone  9  being held and secured by the friction and bias produced by pushing the cone  9  into the keeper. The wedges  20  are pointed and stabilize the mounted cone  9  and resist removal or twisting, but allow the fully discharged cones  9  to be removed by a user and replaced by a new cone  9 . 
   As noted above, each cone  9  is placed within the receiver  8  and abuts against the bottom wall  11  so that the cone  9  penetrates and extends through the keeper  15  biasing the wedges  24  downwardly. Due to a natural inward bias of the wedges  24  against the circumference of the cone  9 , the cone  9  fits snugly within the keeper  15 . Furthermore, the keeper side walls  16  are sized and shaped to fit snugly against the receiver perimeter walls  12 , so as to provide an overall stable structure. 
   Within the body  2  and side walls  3  is an inner cavity  40  for storage of the cones  9 . The cavity  30  is accessed via a selectively removable base portion or lower cover  45 . The cover  45  has bottom and side walls  46  and  47 , with the side walls  47  sized and shaped to fit snugly around the outside of the body  2  and side walls  3 , which extend into the cover  45 . The cover  45  engages the ground with a sufficient foot print to stabilize and support the body  2  and maintain the stand  1  in an upward direction. 
   In the illustrated embodiment, the cavity  40  is sized and shaped to receive two inserts  50  that matingly reflect the pyramidal configuration of the body  2  and contain the cones  9 . A first and upper insert  51  has four side walls  52  that fit snugly against the inner walls  12  when inserted in the body  2  and has upper and lower walls  53  and  54 . The side walls  52  join the upper and lower walls  53  and  54  on all four pyramidal sides  52 . One of the sides  52  has a window opening  55  provided to allow a user to see the cones  9  at the time of sale. Furthermore, when inserting the first insert  51  into the cavity  40 , the opening  55  is designed to be aligned with a clear not solid display window  60  located in one of the outer side wall  3 . The display window  60  provides viewing of the contents of the first insert  51  when installed in the cavity  40  at the time of sale. The insert  51  is sized and shaped so that the insert side walls  52  engage the cavity side walls  12  simultaneously and the upper wall  53  abuts the receiver bottom wall  11 . A second insert  69  which is also pyramidal shaped is positioned below the first insert  51 . The second insert  69  has four side walls  70  that are sloped inwardly at a degree that correspond with the sloped outer side walls  3  of the pyramidal body  2  and that connect upper and lower walls  71  and  72 . The second insert  69  is loaded into the cavity  40  after the first insert  51  is loaded and in the same manner and like the first insert  51  holds additional cones  9 . In order to access the second insert  69 , the insert  69  has a hinge  73  that attaches the lower wall  72  to one of the four side wall  70 , thus allowing the lower wall  72  to swing open or closed as the user so desires. Notably, the present design allows users quick and easy access to the contents of the second insert  69  by first removing the lower cover  45 , at which point the user can pull the hinged lower wall  72  open for access with or without requiring the complete removal of the insert  69 . The cones  9  in the first insert  51  are accessed by removing the first insert  51  from the body  2  and then removing the cones  9  through the opening  55 . 
   In use, the first insert  51  is placed into the cavity  40  with the opening  55  aligned with the window  60  and the upper wall  53  of the first insert  51  abutting the bottom wall  11  of the receiver  8 . Then, the second insert  69  is installed with the upper wall  71  of the second insert  69  abutting the lower wall  54  of the first insert  51 . Finally, the lower cover  45  is fitted around the side walls  3  of the body  2  in order to close the cavity  40  and secure the inserts  50  with cones  9  therein. 
   The fireworks stand  1  is intended to be conveyed to consumers as a complete package and with the inserts  50  already loaded with a plurality of cones  9 . Therefore, in order to remove the cones  9  from the inserts  50 , the above detailed process is reversed. In order to install a cone  9  into the receiver  8  all of the cones  9  are removed from the inserts  50 . The user then takes a single cone  9  and places it into the nested receiver  8  with a cone fuse  10  directed upward and secured in the keeper  15 . At this point, the device  1  and cone  9  are ready for use and the fuse  10  is lit to discharge the contents of the mounted cone  9 . Thereafter, the process is repeated until all of the cones  9  are used. 
   It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.