Adjustable self-support stand

An adjustable, self-supporting stand adapted to provide for instantaneous adjustment of its ground-support polygon as a function of the dimensions of the apparatus to be supported, for example, a television, a piece of furniture, or a machine. This adjustable stand has four legs, each angled substantially in a right angle, and an assembly device which connects in diametrically opposed pairs the horizontal arm portions of the legs. The assembly device provides for a first angular adjustment with respect to a vertical axis and a second adjustment of the spacing between diametrically opposed legs by sliding the horizontal arm portions within sleeves integral to the assembly device. The assembly device is the only necessary part for connecting the legs and allows for the legs to be adjusted in accordance with an optimum, maximum spacing distance.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to adjustable self-support stands which may be 
utilized to support diverse apparatus, for example in offices, 
laboratories, shops or apartments. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
It is know to provide stands having legs in which adjustment is achieved 
exclusively by platforms which are adapted to receive the legs of the 
apparatus to be supported, or by the spacing of the stand but at the 
expense of the positioning, between the legs, of a frame adapted to the 
dimensions of the apparatus to be supported. These supports are 
maladapted, expensive to manufacture and of limited use. 
The present invention has as an aim to overcome these inconveniences. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention as defined in the claims, resolves the above-described 
problems by providing a stand adapted to allow for the instantaneous 
adjustment of the ground support polygon as a function of the dimensions 
of the apparatus to be supported. To this end, the adjustable stand 
comprises four legs angled substantially in a right angle so that each leg 
comprises a substantially vertical upright portion and a substantially 
horizontal arm portion and and also comprises an assembly means or 
apparatus connecting in pairs, the substantially horizontal arms of 
diametrically opposed legs and providing a first angular adjustment around 
a vertical axis and a second adjustment of the spacing of the legs, i.e., 
between the legs comprising a diametrically opposed pair. This 
self-supporting assembly device is the only necessary means of connection 
between the legs. 
This stand offers the advantage of resisting all flexional and/or torsional 
stresses to which it can be subjected, particularly during displacement 
while the stand is loaded and the legs have wheels. This stand also 
assures the maximum amplitude of the adjustment of the spacing of the legs 
.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 illustrates a stand according to the present invention, this stand 
comprising on the one hand four angled legs 1-4 and on the other hand an 
assembly means or device 5. 
The angled legs, which are shown as and preferably are tubular, each 
comprise an upright portion 6 and a substantially horizontal arm portion 
7. 
Horizontal arms 7 of the legs are connected 2 by 2 end to end in the 
assembly means or apparatus 5, which is composed principally of four 
shells 8, 9, 10 and 11 each shell member comprising a substantially 
horizontal central plate 12, and two sleeve halves which are substantially 
coaxial, or substantially diametrically opposed, as well as a bolt or 
other tightening means 13 for extending through the four plates 12, of the 
shell members 8-11 along their center. These plates are squeezed or 
tightly secured between head 14 of bolt or other tightening and securing 
member 13 and a nut 15 screwed on the shaft of bolt 13. 
The successive shells are to be assembled in stacked relationship to one 
another, as shown in the figures and are described below, with reference 
to FIGS. 2-5. Bottom shell member 8 is described first, with members 9-11 
being described successively thereafter. 
The first shell 8 has a concave surface which is turned upwardly and is 
associated with the leg couple 1-2. Shell member 8 carries lower 
half-sleeve 16a for receiving leg 1, and also carries lower half-sleeve 
17a for receiving leg 2. Central plate 12 of shell 8 is provided with a 
substantially cylindrical peripheral skirt 20 emptied which after assembly 
faces or is generally pointed toward sleeves 18 and 19 for receiving the 
leg couple 3-4. Serration 21 is provided on the upper free edge of skirt 
20. 
Second shell 9 has a concave surface which is equally turned upwardly, 
i.e., in an amount substantially commensurate with the upward projection 
of the concave surface of shell member 8, and is associated with leg 
couple 3-4. Shell member 9 thus carries the lower half-sleeves 18a and 
19a. The central plate of shell 9 is provided with a cylindrical skirt 22 
emptied with respect to the sleeves 16 and 17, and is adjacent to the 
central disk or plate of shell 8. 
Third shell 10 carries the upper half-sleeves 16b and 17b, and has a 
concave surface which is turned downwardly, is absolutely identical to the 
second shell 9 except this concave surface and skirt 22 are facing 
downwardly after assembly, whereas those of shell member 9 face upwardly. 
Fourth shell 11 carries the upper half-sleeves 18b and 19b, and has a 
concave surface which is turned downwardly, is absolutely identical to the 
first shell 8, except this concave surface and skirt 22 face downwardly 
after assembly, whereas those of shell 8 face upwardly. 
A central cavity 23 is defined between the respective central plates of 
shells 9 and 10 and is adapted to permit arms 7 of the legs to advance 
until they abut the shaft of bolt 13. Arms 7 of legs 1-4 preferably have 
their free end cut in a vertical bevel 24, as best shown in FIG. 2. 
Legs 1-4 are attached on the assembly means or apparatus 5 by means of a 
latching system which comprises the following for each leg. A series of 
vertical holes 25 are bored diametrically in the corresponding sleeve; as 
shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of holes 25 are provided in each sleeve. A 
series of vertical holes 26 are bored diametrically in the horizontal arm 
of the corresponding leg. A bolt 27 whose shaft can be threaded 
simultaneously in one of the holes 25 of the sleeve and in one of the 
holes 26 of the leg, and which has a head and a screw 28 between which the 
leg and the sleeve can be simultaneously tightened together. 
The present invention operates as follows. 
To adapt the stand to a given apparatus, two adjustments are available. In 
one, an angular adjustment is provided by relative pivoting of the two 
pairs of legs 1-2 and 3-4 around the vertical pivot provided by bolt 13. 
Once this adjustment has been performed, screw 15 is blocked on the shaft 
of the bolt 13 in a manner to obtain latching by mutual engagement of 
serrations 21 of shells 8 and 11. In the other, a lengthwise adjustment is 
provided by sliding of the horizontal arms 7 of the legs in the sleeves. 
Once this adjustment has been carried out, bolts 27 are put in place and 
screws 28 are tightened, as shown in FIG. 1. 
The apparatus as described above has the following particular advantages. 
The adjustable stand apparatus of the present invention needs neither 
frame nor accessories because its central assembly means or apparatus 5 is 
sufficiently rigid to provide the only needed means of connection between 
the legs, while assuring adequate resistance to flexion and to torsion of 
the assembly. Further, the apparatus can be adjusted very rapidly and very 
simply as a function of different sizes of equipment to be supported. 
Also, the cost of manufacture is considerably reduced because identical 
parts are used for shells 8 and 11 as well as for shells 9 and 10. 
According to an alternative illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the assembly 
means or apparatus 5 comprises two arms 40 and 41 respectively associated 
with leg pairs 1-2 and 3-4, each arm 40 and 41 comprising the following. 
At the ends, two monobloc sleeves 42 associated with one of the leg pairs 
1-2 or 3-4 and each sleeve 42 is provided, atmidheight, with a 
longitudinal slit 43. Between sleeves 42 an elongated plate 44 is situated 
beneath the level of sleeves 42. 
Arms 40 and 41 are journalled with respect to one another by means of a 
vertical pivot axis formed by a bolt 45 whose shaft simultaneously passes 
through the two bodies 44 at their middle. The contact surfaces of plates 
44 are provided with radial grooves which form serrations for angular 
adjustment of arms 40 and 41. Such radially serrated surfaces are best 
illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, 
and it should be understood that FIGS. 3-5 also illustrate the radial 
grooves forming serrations as described above for the alternative 
embodiment of FIGS. 6-7. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, plates 8 and 11 
include radial grooves 51 for engagement with radial projections 53 in 
members 9 and 10 respectively. 
As previously described with respect to FIGS. 1-5, each leg 1-4 is provided 
with latching means or system whose matching or connecting part is a 
vertical bolt 27 threaded diametrically through the substantially 
horizontal arm portion of the leg and through the corresponding sleeve 42. 
This embodiment allows ultimately for oversizing of the components, and, as 
a result, is appropriate for supporting more substantial loads. 
The adjustable stand according to the present invention finds use in many 
fields or areas, and particularly for the following: (1) For domestic 
uses, for example to support a television; (2) In audiovisual 
applications, to support different apparatus for sound and visual 
reproduction; (3) In the laboratory, to support various apparatus 
utilized; (4) In the shop; to support various tools; and (5) For all other 
professional uses. 
In all such cases as described above the legs can be adjusted such that the 
support polygon corresponds to the size of the apparatus and is not easily 
movable, thus providing for both stability and aesthetics. 
From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain 
the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing 
from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and 
modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and 
conditions. Thus, that modifications can be made to the apparatus which 
has just been described, particularly by substitution of equivalent 
technical means without going beyond the scope of the present invention.