Abstract:
The Christmas tree stand of this invention includes a lateral segment of the bottom end of a vertical post, and an upwardly projecting wedge adjacent the outer end of the lateral segment is arranged to penetrate the bottom end of a Christmas tree to secure the latter against lateral displacement relative to the post and against rotation about the axis of the tree. The wedge is formed as a triangular shaped member and is secured to the lateral extension of the post, as by welding.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to Christmas tree stands, and more particularly to a Christmas tree stand having simplified means for supporting a Christmas tree in vertical position and against axial rotation. 
   This invention is an improvement over my earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,522,177 and 4,477,049, and patent application Ser. No. 10/654,312, filed 3 Sep. 2003 and allowed 5 Nov. 2004, now Pat. No. 6,883,270. These prior disclosures are incorporated herein by reference. 
   The tree anchor disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,177 comprises a foot plate secured to and extending laterally from the bottom end of the vertical support, as by welding, and a rectangular wedge plate is secured at the corner of the foot plate and post, also as by welding. An opening in the foot plate laterally outward of the wedge plate freely receives a cylindrical pin. The bottom end of the tree abuts the foot plate and is first driven laterally to penetrate the wedge plate into the side of the tree. Thereafter, the cylindrical pin is inserted in the opening in the foot plate and then driven into the base end of the tree to secure the tree against lateral displacement. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,049, an up-turned point extends upwardly from the outer end of a short horizontal portion of the bottom end of a vertical tree supporting post. The upturned point is driven into the base end of the tree, and a V-shaped bracket adjacent the upper end of the post forms a saddle to capture an upper portion of the tree. Openings in the V-shaped bracket receive nails which are driven into the side of the tree to secure it laterally and to prevent its rotation. 
   In the pending patent application aforesaid, the bottom end of a tree is secured by a wedge plate and pin, substantially in the same manner as the first patent discussed. 
   In my prior inventions discussed above, the structures for securing the base of a Christmas tree to a stand are complex assemblies of components requiring excessive manufacturing time and cost. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The Christmas tree stand of this invention incorporates many of the features of my earlier inventions and in addition provides a simplified tree base anchor in the form of a wedge extending upwardly from the laterally extending bottom portion of the vertical tree support post. In a preferred embodiment, the wedge is a triangular shaped member welded or otherwise secured to and extending upwardly from the laterally extending bottom portion of the vertical tree support post. The tree first is laid on its side and the vertical tree support post is placed against the outer side of the tree, and then the laterally extending bottom portion of the post is struck with a hammer to drive the wedge into the base end of the tree. The tree thus is secured to the supporting post against lateral displacement and the wedge shape secures the tree against axial rotation. 
   It is the principal objective of this invention to provide a Christmas tree stand having a simplified unitary tree base anchor which prevents both axial rotation and lateral displacement of a tree relative to the stand. 
   Another objective of this invention is the provision of a Christmas tree stand of the class described which is of simplified construction for economical manufacture and ease of installation on a tree. 
   The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of preferred embodiments. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a Christmas tree stand embodying the features of this invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the Christmas tree stand of  FIG. 1  showing in broken lines a Christmas tree secured to the base anchor of this invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The Christmas tree stand of this invention includes several of the structural features of my earlier disclosures in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,522,177 and 4,477,049 and pending patent application Ser. No. 10/654,312 filed 3 Sep. 2003 and allowed 5 Nov. 2004, all of these references are incorporated herein by reference. This invention provides a single, pointed wedge element associated with an elongated Christmas tree support post and configured to penetrate the bottom base end of a tree, in the central area thereof, to secure the tree against lateral displacement and axial rotation relative to the supporting post. 
   Briefly, the Christmas tree stand of this invention preferably includes a metal base ring  10  which supports an upright Christmas tree support post  12  by means of an angular support rod  14  secured at its lower end to the base ring and at its upper end to an intermediate point on the vertically extending tree support post  12 . A U-shaped brace  16  is secured at its free ends to the base ring  10  and at its closed, intermediate end to the support rod  14 . 
   The upper end of the post  12  preferably is terminated by a tube  18  which is provided with an axial bore  18 ′ for the free reception of the threaded screw end  20 ′ of a hand crank  20 . The screw end of the crank has an adjacent enlarged abutment  22  which serves to abut the tube  18  at the upper end of the post  12 , to enable the screw end  20 ′ to enter the side of a Christmas tree T and draw it toward the post for vertical disposition. The angle between the vertical and horizontal portions  12  and  12 ′, respectively, of the post is enlarged arcuately to insure that the base of the tree can abut the horizontal portion  12 ′ at the bottom end of post  12  and thereby insure full penetration of the anchor wedge described hereinafter. 
   The crank  20  includes a screw crank segment  24  extending from the abutment  22  to an intermediate arcuate bend  26  configured with an enlarged radius to provide an anvil disposed in axial alignment with the crank segment  24  and screw  20 ′. A hammer thus may be impacted against the anvil to drive the screw into the side of a Christmas tree a short distance to set the screw into the tree. 
   A second segment  28  of the screw crank extends from the arcuate bend  26  to the handle end segment  30  for rotating the crank, to effect screwing the screw end  20 ′ into the side of a tree until the abutment engages the post and draws the tree into vertical alignment with the post. 
   As disclosed in the patent application identified above, means is provided for securing the screw crank  20  releasably to the Christmas tree base ring  10  to retain the screw crank with the main body of the Christmas tree stand when not in use, as for multiple stacking for shipment to dealers and distributors and when the ultimate user stores the stand after the Christmas season has ended and the stand is removed from the tree. As illustrated, the screw crank retainer includes a tubular socket  32  welded or otherwise secured to the base ring for freely receiving the screw end  20 ′ of the screw crank  20  with the abutment  22  engaging the open end of the socket. The socket is arranged so that the segments  24 ,  28 ,  30  of the screw crank traverse the base ring in a zig-zag pattern, for support thereon. A U-shaped retainer  34  is welded or otherwise secured to the ring in position for retaining the handle segment  30  of the screw crank. The retainer  34  is configured to receive the handle segment of the crank freely from above the base ring after the screw end  20 ′ has been inserted in and captured by the retainer socket  32 . 
   As mentioned previously, the present invention provides a simplified and economical securement of a Christmas tree T to the stand. Referring to the drawings, the horizontal lower segment  12 ′ of the post  12  is arranged to support a triangular shaped wedge  36 . The elongated base of the wedge is secured to the upper surface of the horizontal segment of the post, as by the welding W indicated. The pointed end of the wedge projects upwardly for penetration of the wedge into the base end of a tree. 
   As indicated in broken lines in  FIG. 1 , the wedge  36  is located horizontally outward from the post  12  so that the pointed end of the wedge is located slightly offset from the center of the tree base. Thus, trees of different heights and base diameters are accommodated by tree stands of different sizes, with the wedge  36  positioned at different distances outwardly of the confronting adjacent surface of the post. The offset of the wedge accommodates stacking of a plurality of the stands, as for shipment and storage. 
   Attachment of the tree stand of this invention to a Christmas tree is as follows: The tree is laid on its side and the appropriate sized stand is manipulated to place the tree stand post  12  against the side of the tree, with the pointed end of the wedge  36  engaging the bottom, base end of the tree. By applying hammering blows to the bottom side of the horizontal segment  12 ′ of the post, the wedge is driven into the base of the tree. With the screw thread end  20 ′ of the crank  20  positioned against the side of the tree, a hammering blow against the anvil  26  serves to set the screw thread into the tree. Thereupon, the handle end  30  of the screw crank  20  is rotated to draw the screw thread end  20 ′ of the crank into the side of the tree. The abutment  24  adjacent the screw thread  16  serves to draw the tree toward the post for vertical disposition. 
   In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the wedge  36  may be economically mass produced by successive stampings from a strip of metal, conveniently having a width equal to the height of the wedge, i.e. from the base to the point. For example, a strip of hot rolled flat stock of metal of one-eighth inch thickness and three-fourths inch width may be stamped or otherwise cut to produce a sequence of wedges each having a base of three-fourths inch and a heighth of three-fourths inch. A similar shape wedge having a base width of one inch and a height of one inch may be produced from a one-inch strip of metal. Other dimensions are available, as will be apparent. 
   It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes to the structures described hereinbefore may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention and the scope of the appended claims.