Abstract:
An extendable flag pole assembly, including an angulated cylindrical flag pole holder adapted for the support of a flag pole, whereby the angulated cylindrical flag pole holder is attached to the uppermost portion of a moveable channel, and a galvanized handle is attached to the bottom portion. The moveable channel is attached to a stationary channel by two pivoting connector arms, which move to raise the moveable channel upwards towards a parallel position with the stationary channel. A lock plate is attached to the bottom portion of the stationary channel which corresponds to the bottom of the moveable channel to secure the two channels together in a parallel fashion.

Description:
[0001]     There are no related patent applications.  
         [0002]     This application did not receive federal research and development funding.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention generally relates to an extendable flag pole assembly including a flag pole holder. More particularly, the invention relates to a flag pole holder that allows users to extend the flag pole from a lower to a higher elevation so that a person may walk underneath the flag without being hit by it. When in the raised position, the flag is inaccessible from the ground such that the flag pole cannot be easily disengaged from the holder without the aid of a step ladder.  
         [0004]     There are many types of commercially available flag poles and flag pole holders for both buildings and recreational vehicles. However, there are no flag poles or holders available that can extend to raise a flag higher, while still allowing a user to reach the extending mechanism to easily raise and lower the flag. The present invention allows the user to easily raise a flag so as to allow a person to safely walk underneath the raised flag, and lower a raised flag by an extending mechanism that remains within a hand&#39;s reach.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The invention, an extendable flag holder, is a new type of flag pole holder assembly that utilizes an easily accessible extension for raising a flag. Connecting arms pivotally attach a movable channel to a fixed channel. The movable channel includes a flag pole holder and is preferably formed by a rectangular or square channel of rigid material such as steel, aluminum or composite.  
         [0006]     The present invention relates to an angulated flag pole assembly. The flag pole assembly is comprised of a means for raising a flag that is mounted on a flagpole. The means comprises an angulated cylindrical flag pole holder assembly adapted for the support of a flag therein. The flag pole holder assembly is further comprised of a movable or pivoting channel whereby the angulated cylindrical flag pole holder is attached to the uppermost portion of the moveable channel. Attached to a bottom region of the moveable channel is a handle for raising and lowering the movable channel. The movable channel is pivotally attached to a stationary channel by two pivoting connector arms. The stationary channel may be mounted on a wall or other structure. Attached to the bottom portion of the stationary channel is a lock plate that corresponds to the bottom of the movable channel to secure the two channels together when the flag is in a raised position. The lock plate includes an opening through which a shackle of a lock may be inserted such that the assembly is secured with the flag in a raised position.  
         [0007]     Thus, the present invention relates to an angulated flag pole assembly that can lower a flag pole, leaving the assembly in the open position, or can raise a flag pole, leaving the assembly in a closed position  
         [0008]     A user operates the assembly by inserting a flag pole into the angulated cylindrical flag pole holder when the assembly is in the open position. In the open position, the angulated cylindrical flag pole holder is closest to the ground and the user. The user pushes the moveable channel upward via the handle, raising the moveable channel, and delivering the flag to a position having a higher elevation. The user then pushes the moveable channel into a parallel position with the stationary channel so that the lock plate secures the assembly in the closed position, leaving the flag raised to its highest distance.  
         [0009]     A user may also operate the assembly to lower a flag easily by first removing or releasing the lock from the lock plate, grasping the handle, and pulling downward from the closed position or flag flying position. The user continues to pull the moveable channel downward past the point at which the two pivoting connector arms are fully extended, and the assembly is in open position. The user may then reach the flag in the angulated cylindrical flag pole holder.  
         [0010]     An object of the invention is to enable the user to quickly and easily raise and lower a flag attached to a building or recreational vehicle.  
         [0011]     Another object of the invention is to provide a novel flag pole assembly that can easily raise a flag high enough so that a person can safely walk underneath the raised flag without being hit by the flag. Moreover, the invention provides an added measure of security by elevated the flag pole to a higher elevation that cannot be easily accessed and thereby stolen. Thus, when the assembly is in the closed, raised position, it is difficult to remove the flag pole from the assembly.  
         [0012]     A further object of the invention is to provide a flag pole assembly that provides a method for raising and lowering a flag by an extending mechanism that remains within a user&#39;s hand&#39;s reach.  
         [0013]     Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned from practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be obtained by means of instrumentalities in combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIGS. 1A through 1E  are elevated side views of the extendable flag pole assembly having a flag secured therein. These figures correspond to the different positions that the flag pole assembly progressively assumes as the flag is raised from an absolute bottom position into a flying position.  
         [0015]      FIGS. 2A through 2D  correspond to a pivoting base.  FIG. 2A  is an elevated side view of the pivoting base and showing a flag pole holder and a handle mounted thereon.  FIG. 2B  is an elevated front view of the pivoting base without the flag pole holder and the handle and showing the respective holes through which fastening devices secure the handle and flag pole holder to the pivoting base.  FIG. 2C  is an elevated back view of the pivoting base.  FIG. 2D  is an end view of the pivoting base.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is an elevated side view of a connecting arm that is connected at one end to the pivoting base and at an opposite end to a fixed base.  
         [0017]      FIGS. 4A through 4D  are various views of a fixed base that is mounted against a wall and connects to the pivoting base via a pair of connecting arms.  FIG. 4A  is an elevated side view of the fixed base.  FIG. 4B  is an elevated back view of the fixed base.  FIG. 4C  is an elevated front view of the fixed base.  FIG. 4D  is an elevated end view of the fixed base.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is an end view of the extendible flag pole assembly when in the raised position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     The following is the preferred embodiment or best mode for carrying out the invention. It should be noted that this invention is not limited by the discussion of the preferred embodiment and should only be limited by the appended claims and their interpretation when taken in accord with the specification.  
         [0020]      FIG. 1A  depicts the extendable flag pole assembly  1  in a down position. The invention comprises an angulated cylindrical flag pole holder  3  adapted for the support of a flag pole  10  therein. The invention further comprises a pivoting base  4  and an angulated cylindrical flag pole holder  3  attached to the uppermost portion thereof. A handle  5  attaches near a lower end of the pivoting base  4 . The pivoting base  4  is coupled to a fixed base  6  which may be mounted on a substantially flat surface such as a wall  75  via fasteners  26 . Fasteners  26  may include pop rivets, metal screws, wood screws, bolt and anchor assemblies and the like. The anchor assemblies may include butterfly clips that are pushed through an opening from a first side of a wall and expand on an opposite side to secure the bolt thereto.  
         [0021]     As can be seen from  FIGS. 1B through 1E , the handle  5  is grasped and an upper end of the pivoting base  4  is rotated away a lower end of the fixed base  6  which is mounted to wall  75 . The pivoting base is further propelled upward as shown in  FIG. 1C . As can be appreciated from this view, the pivoting base  4  and fixed base  6  maintain a parallel relationship as the pivoting base  4  is raised. At midpoint in the raising process, as shown in  FIG. 1C , the connector arms  7  are parallel to one another and both connector arms are perpendicular to both bases. This is the point at which the pivoting base  4  is the greatest distance from the fixed base  6 . Moreover, it can be appreciated that the height “ht p ” is equal to height “ht f ”. That is the height of the rotating base  4  equals the height of the fixed base  6 .  
         [0022]     The upward direction of the pivoting base  4  is continued and the distance between the two bases  4 ,  6  decreases as shown in  FIG. 1D . In  FIG. 1E , the pivoting base  4  has been fully collapsed against the fixed base  6 . In this manner, the pivoting base  4  attaches to the fixed base  6  as shown in  FIG. 5 . A stud  24  is forced into a spring retainer  16  such that ears  31 A,  31 B which are biased towards one another, exert frictional forces against sides of stud  24  to maintain the pivoting base  4  in contact with fixed base  6 . Preferably, two studs  24  are arranged on a back side of the pivoting base  4 .  
         [0023]     Each connector arm  7  includes a first curved end having a hole substantially nearby for receiving a portion of a pin  26  that couples the first curved end of the connector arm to either the pivoting base  4  or fixed base  6 . A second end is also provided for coupling the connector arm to either the pivoting base  4  or fixed base  6 . Pins  36  are inserted into holes  20 A of connector arm  7  and holes  17  of pivoting base  4  these elements together in a fashion that creates a pivot point. Likewise, pins  36  are inserted into holes  20 B of connector arm  7  and holes  26  of fixed base  6  to couple these elements into a pivoting relationship.  
         [0024]     Attached to the bottom portion of the fixed base  6  is a lock plate  8 , as clearly shown in  FIG. 4A . Lock plate  8  includes an opening  9  through which a shackle of a lock, not shown, may be inserted. When the assembly is in a raised position, opening  9  is arranged in alignment with lock opening  23  of pivoting base  4  to allow a lock shackle to pass through both. In this manner, a lock may be used to secure the assembly  1  in a raised position to prevent theft of the flag.  
         [0025]     The pivoting base  4  is shown in  FIGS. 2A through 2D . In  FIG. 2A , a flag pole holder  3  is shown mounted at the top of the pivoting base  4  via fasteners, such as screws or bolt and nut assemblies, which mate with openings  25  shown in  FIG. 2B . A pair of holes  17  is provided on each side of the pivoting base  4  for accepting bolts that couple the pivoting base  4  to a pair of connecting arms  7  as shown in  FIGS. 1A through 1E . Bolts extend through these holes for allowing the pivoting base  4  to pivot relative to the connecting arm  7 . A handle  5  is fastened to the face of the pivoting base  4  for aiding one in raising and lowering the flag  2  as shown in  FIGS. 1A through 1E . As can more clearly be seen in  FIG. 2B , a plurality of holes  25  are provided for accepting the fasteners that couple both the flag pole holder  3  and the handle  5  to the pivoting base  4 . Near the bottom of at least one side is provided a hole  23  through which a shackle of a padlock may be passed to secure the pivoting base  4  in a fixed position.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2C  depicts a back view of the pivoting base  4 . A pair of retaining springs  16  is provided for coupling the pivoting base  4  to the fixed base  6 . The retaining springs  16  are affixed to a flat back  14  that is mounted between the sidewalls  15 ,  13  as can more clearly be seen in  FIG. 2D . A pair of holes  21  is provided for coupling this flat back  14  to the rest of the pivoting base  4 . The retaining springs  16 , each include a pair of ears  31  that are biased inwardly towards each other. A stud, attached to the fixed base  6 , is forced between the ears of each retaining spring  16  to maintain the flag  2  in a flying position. Thereafter, the handle  5  is grasped by a user and pulled to remove the pivoting base  4  away from the fixed base  6 . One of the sides of the pivoting base  4  has a height that is greater than the other side. This additional height provides a protective covering over the connecting arms  7  to ensure that the user does not pinch his fingers when the pivoting base  4  is seated against the fixed base  6  in the flag flying position.  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  depicts a connector arm  7  that couples the pivoting base  4  to the fixed base  6 . Both ends of the connector arm  7  include holes  20  for receiving pins  26  that allow the pivoting base  4  to be rotated towards and away from the fixed base  6 . The connector arm  7  typically comprises light-weight metal. One end of the connecting arm  7  is coupled to the base  6  via a pair of pins  36  to allow the connecting arm  7  to rotate relative to the fixed base  6 . The other end of the connector arm  7  is coupled to the pivoting base  4  to allow it to rotate relative to the connector arm  7 . In this manner, the pivoting base  4  rotates away and downward from the base  6  as well as rotating upward and towards the fixed base  6 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 4A  is a side view of the base fixed  6  and shows a pair of studs  26  which are forced between the ears  31  of the retaining springs  16  to maintain the flag  2  in a flying position. A lock opening  9  is provided at a bottom end of the base  6  for passing a shackle of a padlock through and into the opening  23  provided in the pivoting base  4  to lock the base  6  and pivoting base  4  together to prevent the flag pole  1  from being removed from the extendable flag pole assembly.  
         [0029]      FIG. 4B  is back view of the fixed base  6  and shows holes  28  near the top and bottom of the base that accept fastening devices, such as bolt and anchor assemblies, for fixing the base to a wall of a recreational vehicle, building or the like.  
         [0030]      FIG. 4C  shows a front view of the fixed base  6  and depicts the studs  24  around which the ears of the retaining springs  16  are seated. The studs  24  are fastened to a planar back  18  which affixes to the base  6  as shown in FIG.  4 D. The planar back  18  and the fixed base  6  may be welded together or coupled via nut and bolt assemblies or the like.  
         [0031]     All parts of the assembly mentioned herein may be constructed from materials such as plastic, metal, composites, wood or other known materials.  
         [0032]     While the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in limiting sense. From the above disclosure of the general principles of the present invention and the preceding detailed description, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications to which the present invention is susceptible. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.