Stand for article

Telescopic stands for articles such as microphones used by entertainers, hospital intravenous packets and cameras are widely used. Some telescoping microphone and hospital intravenous stands require many turns of a ring in order to hold the microphone, for instance, in place. An entertainer needs to be able to almost instantly adjust the height of his microphone. The stand herein includes a height adjusting means which operates more quickly. It includes telescopically related outer and inner members, and also means for readily locking the upper inner member within the lower outer member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention, relates generally to stands for articles and more 
particularly to collapsible stands for supporting microphones, hospital 
intravenous (i.v.) packets, cameras and similar articles. 
Stands for articles such as these are widely used and certain features are 
especially desirable. One such stand is the subject of commonly-owned 
prior patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,066, and it refers to U.S. Pat. No. 
4,671,479. These two patents are incorporated herein by reference. Among 
the features of such stands are stability, portability and lightness of 
weight. Stability can be achieved by providing a heavy circular base 
member as seen in hospitals, but such stands do not lend themselves to a 
desirable lightweight compact unit. Herein lightness is achieved by 
fabricating the stand out of a plastic. Compactness can be achieved by the 
use of removable or foldable legs. 
One of the disadvantages of many stands for articles is the time which is 
consumed in adjusting the height of the article holding unit. In hospital 
situations and when entertainers are on stage time is precious. Some 
telescoping microphone and iv stands, such as those having sleeves within 
a tightening ring, require many turns of the ring in order to hold the 
microphone, for instance, in place. An entertainer needs to be able to 
almost instantly adjust the height of his microphone. 
One prior stand is known and described herein which includes a clamping 
collar having a threaded clamping assembly. However, the clamping assembly 
includes loose parts which are easily displaced and lost. 
The present stand overcomes the above and other disadvantages in a manner 
not revealed in the known prior art. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of this invention to provide a support stand for stage 
performers and hospitals that includes a height adjusting means which 
operates much more quickly than prior art stands. The stand requires only 
a few turns of a clamping screw, yet it still lends itself to being 
manufactured by plastic molding techniques when desired. Importantly, this 
stand has essentially no parts which can readily become loose and are 
easily lost. 
This support stand for holding an article in an elevated position includes 
a lower outer tubular support member and an upper inner member. The upper 
inner member is provided with means for receiving the article being held. 
It is movably disposed within the lower outer tubular support member in a 
telescopic fit to permit height adjustment of the stand. A feature of this 
invention is that it includes means for readily locking the upper inner in 
place within a clamping collar. The clamping collar is adapted to surround 
the upper member. An abutment cam is held within this clamping collar. One 
of its surfaces is attached to an inside surface the clamping collar. A 
radial bore passes through the collar opposite the clamping cam. A 
clamping bolt within the bore then urges the abutment cam in clamping 
engagement with the upper inner tubular member to lock it in place. 
It is an aspect of this invention to provide that the abutment cam is 
formed as an inside part of the clamping collar so that it is an integral 
part thereof. In one embodiment, it has a bottom portion attached to the 
inside of the collar. 
It is another aspect of this invention to provide that the base member 
provides a clamping collar for the lower member similar to that which the 
clamping collar provides for the upper member with respect to the attached 
abutment cam. 
This telescopic stand is provided with a clamping collar which is easy to 
manufacture, use and adjust and is very effective for its intended purpose 
.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now by reference numerals to the drawings it will be understood 
that FIGS. 1 and 2 show a prior art stand while FIGS. 3-5 show the stand 
of the invention herein. The two stands are similar except for the 
clamping arrangement. Accordingly, similar parts will be given the same 
reference numeral while related parts will include a suffix "a". 
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the support stand 2 herein includes an 
elongated lower tubular member 6 and an upper member 8 which may be 
tubular or solid but will be shown as tubular herein. Lower tubular member 
6 is the stand supporting member. It is provided with a base member 10 
adapted to receive legs 11 which can be held in place by bolts through 
holes 12. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first, upper tubular member 8 is 
movably or slidably inserted in the second, lower outer tubular member 6 
in a telescopic fashion so that it moves in and out of the outer tubular 
member for height adjustment. The top portion of upper tubular member 8 
below the cap 13 will be provided with means, not shown, to hold a 
microphone, i.v. bag or camera, it being understood that such hooks and 
clamps, as well as the legs of the stand, are common and not a part of 
this invention. Both stands may be fabricated of metal tubes and plastic 
connecting parts such as nylon. The prior art stand depicted in FIGS. 1 
and 2 and the stand which is the subject of this invention and depicted in 
FIGS. 3-5 include a clamping collar 20. 
The separate parts of the prior art clamping means are shown in FIG. 2. It 
is the clamping means which is improved herein. Illustrated in FIG. 2 are 
outer cylindrical tubular member 6, inner cylindrical tubular member 8, 
clamping collar 20, abutment cam 22, clamping bolt 24, and nut 26. It can 
be seen that abutment cam 22 is in the shape of a block having one side 
contoured with a curvature corresponding to the outside curvature of inner 
cylindrical tubular member 8. This member 22 is adapted to fit in space s 
in the first or upper portion of the collar and to be forced against 
cylindrical member 8 by clamping bolt 24, which passes through a bore 25 
in clamping collar 20, and is assisted by nut 26 as will be described. 
FIGS. 1 and 2 provide a quickly locking stand for supporting articles. This 
stand, unfortunately, was not totally satisfactory. Hence it has been 
labeled "prior art" herein. It was found that if the upper inner 
cylindrical member 8 is removed, either by choice or by accident, the 
loose abutment cam 22 fell into the bore or hole h in lower outer tubular 
support member 6. If an entertainer, for example, accidentally completely 
withdrew the inner member 8 the result could be disastrous. Even if the 
stand is being disassembled to be moved the result is undesirable because 
loose parts such as the abutment cam 22 and even the nut 26 can easily be 
lost. 
In the improved stand it has been found that since abutment cam 22 a moves 
only hundredths of inches to a locking position against inner tubular 
member 8 the abutment cam 22a need not be detached, that is it need not be 
a separate item as is the case with the prior art stand. One side, or its 
bottom, may be attached to, that is integral with, the inside surface of 
clamping collar 20. This is illustrated particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5. It 
is to be noted that abutment cam 22a along its bottom b is integral with 
the surface of the clamping collar. As will be clear from FIG. 3, when the 
upper portion of abutment cam is being urged forward by clamping bolt 24 
it will flex inwardly, pivotally, about its attached bottom portion, 
exerting its cam action against the upper cylindrical tubular member 8. 
Referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that clamping bolt is forced forward 
because nut 26 is held in a rectangular slot or recess 27. 
It can be appreciated that the realization that the abutment cam can have 
one of its surfaces attached, rendered the instant device illustrated in 
FIGS. 3-5 a significant improvement over the prior device illustrated in 
FIG. 1. Having been given the teachings of this invention ramifications 
and variations will occur to those skilled in the art. Thus, as shown in 
FIG. 5, base 10, which provides a clamping collar, can be attached to 
outer tubular member 6 by the same cam action conferred by clamping collar 
20. Such a clamping collar can be formed within base 10 with the abutment 
cam 22a being urged forward by bolt 30 as illustrated in FIG. 5. In 
addition the legs 11 attached to base member 10 can carry casters (not 
shown). 
As another variation, it is to be understood that clamping collar 20 may be 
a unitary part of lower support member 6. Alternatively, it can be 
manufactured separately and clamped or otherwise affixed onto the outer 
tubular support member. In the embodiment shown, the passage 21 is tapered 
and is slightly greater in diameter at the lower end to facilitate entry 
of the second, lower stand portion 6 so that when the stand portion 6 is 
received in the second, or lower portion of the collar 20 and engages the 
abutment 23 it is firmly held in place by friction. In addition, whereas 
it is desirable, abutment cam 22a need not be provided with a curved 
surface conforming to that of the inner cylinder. It can have a flat 
surface, and might even be coated with a material increasing friction. 
Further, although as stated, the sides may be easier to cut, it may be 
found desirable to cut the bottom and one side of the abutment cam and 
have it flex out from a side into clamping engagement with the cylindrical 
member. As a different modification, if the clamping collar 20 is made of 
metal rather than plastic it may be desired to provide the bottom or side 
of the abutment cam with a film hinge or other spring hinge to hold the 
abutment cam 22a in place. Moreover, while it is not commonly done, parts 
6 and 8 can be reversed, with the outer larger tubular member being the 
upper member with the clamping collar at its bottom. Such modifications, 
then, are deemed to be within the scope of this invention.