Abstract:
A microphone stand or stand for supporting an object includes a first and a second support telescopically secured together. The second support is attached to a base and the first support is securable to a microphone or other object. A release mechanism for securing together or permitting telescopic movement of the first and second supports includes a spring positioned between two pins. The pins are positioned at an angular disposition with respect to the first and second supports for retaining the first support in a desired position. Compression of the pins toward one another allows slidable movement of the first support within the second support for adjusting the position of the object. A release of the pins allows the spring to push the pins back apart and into the angular position for holding the object at the desired height.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to structures on or in which something may be placed for support and, more particularly, to a microphone stand which may be raised or lowered depending on the height of the person using the stand. 
     Microphone stands are commonly used by musicians who are singing, playing musical instruments or both, by people speaking in front of a crowd, in various types of ceremonies, by children who are playing, etc. Often the microphone stand must be adjusted up or down to support the microphone at various heights for different people using the same microphone stand. For example, several musicians may play in an evening at the same night club. Each musician may need to adjust the microphone to suit his or her needs. A clumsy adjustment of the stand utilizes time that could be spent playing or singing, detracts from the performance, and may be embarrassing to the person trying to make the adjustment of the stand. 
     Currently, telescoping microphone stands are used which may be extended or retracted depending on the desired height of the stand. However, these stands have a mechanism which must be loosened prior to being able to slide the telescoping components of the stand. Often this creates a problem if the person is unable to loosen the mechanism. For example, the previous person may have over tightened the mechanism, and the next person may not be strong enough to loosen the mechanism. 
     Once the stand is repositioned, the mechanism must be retightened, while holding the telescoping pieces in the desired position. This requires additional time and if the mechanism is not tightened enough, the telescoping pieces may slide and not retain the desired position. 
     Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus for holding an object which may be easily and quickly raised and lowered for supporting the object at various heights. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A microphone stand or stand for supporting an object includes a first support attachable to the microphone or other object and a second support having a first end and a second end. The first end is telescopically attached to the first support and has a bore at least partially therethrough. The second support has at least one hole and at least one slot positioned intersecting the bore of the second support. 
     A base is attached to the second end of the second support. The stand further includes at least one pin positionable within the second support and having a protuberance engagable with the hole and a grip extension extendable through the slot for enabling a person to grasp the pin for manipulation of the pin. Each of the pins has an aperture sized for insertion of the first support. 
     A spring is disposed within the bore of the second support and positioned adjacent to and contacts each of the pins. The first support is slidable through the spring and through each of the pins during telescopic movement of the first support in the second support. Each of the pins are selectively movable within the slot of the second support for providing the telescopic movement of the first support for adjusting positioning of the microphone or other object. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter of the invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stand for supporting an object, such as a microphone; 
     FIG. 2 is a view illustrating internal components of the stand; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of a pin; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the internal components in an uncompressed position of the pins; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the internal components in a compressed position of the pins; 
     FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a pair of slots, slits and holes in a second support of the stand; and 
     FIG. 7 is a view of an alternative embodiment of the stand for supporting an object. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention described herein provides an apparatus for supporting an object at various heights. Referring to FIGS. 1-6, a stand  10  may be used for supporting an object  12 , such as a microphone, a music stand, a drum, a lectern, or any other object. The stand  10  is adjustable for altering the position of the object  12  with respect to the height of the person using the stand  10 . 
     The stand  10  includes a first support  20  and a second support  22  which are telescopically attached together. The object  12  or microphone is secured to the first support  20 , for example by a bracket  14 . The second support  22  is secured to a base  24 , which rests on a ground surface. The first and second supports  20  and  22  may be elongated cylindrical shafts, may be hollow, solid, or combinations thereof, may be any geometric shape, but still mateable with one another, or may be any other suitable type of support members. The first and second supports  20  and  22  each have a bore  26  and  28 , respectively. 
     The stand  10  further includes a release mechanism for holding the first and second supports  20  and  22  is a desired position and upon activation for allowing the first and second supports  20  and  22  to telescopically move with respect to one another. The release mechanism includes a first pin  30  and a second pin  32  which are insertable into and coupled to the second support  22 . The first and second pins  30  and  32  are positionable within a first slot  34  and a second slot  36 , respectively. Each of the first and second slots  34  and  36  have an upper surface  38  and  40 , respectively, and a lower surface  42  and  44 , respectively. The first pin  30  has a resting position near the upper surface  38  and is movable toward the lower surface  42 . The second pin  32  has a resting position near the lower surface  44  and is movable toward the upper surface  40 . 
     A first slit  48  extends upwardly from the upper surface  38  of the first slot  34  and a second slit  50  extends downwardly from the lower surface  42  of the second slot  36 . The slits  48  and  50  are sized for allowing the pins  30  and  32  to fit within the slits  48  and  50  for insertion of the pins  30  and  32  into the second support  22 . 
     A first hole  56  and a second hole  58  are disposed through the second support  22 . The first hole  56  is positioned lower in elevation than the upper surface  38  of the slot  34  and higher in elevation than the lower surface  42  of the slot  34 . The second hole  58  is positioned lower in elevation than the upper surface  40  of the slot  36  and higher in elevation than the lower surface  44  of the slot  36 . The positioning of the first and second holes  56  and  58  holds the pins  30  and  32  at an angle while the pins  30  and  32  are disposed within the second support  22 . 
     Each of the pins  30  and  32  has an aperture  60  therethrough which is sized for insertion of the first support  20  therethrough. Each of the pins  30  and  32  has a protuberance  62  which is sized for insertion into one of the first and second holes  56  or  58  in the second support  22 . Each of the pins  30  and  32  has a grip extension  64  for extending through one of the first and second slots  34  or  36  for enabling a person to grasp the grip extension  64  to manipulate the pins  30  and  32 . The grip extension  64  may additionally have a non-metallic material  66  attached on at least a portion of the pin  30  or  32  for providing a soft, flexible and comfortable grip. 
     A spring  70  is a helical spring which is positioned within the bore  28  of the second support  22  and between the first and second pins  30  and  32 . The spring  70  includes a central portion sized for enabling the first support  20  to be disposed therethrough, thereby positioning the spring  70  between the first and the second supports  20  and  22 . 
     A connector  80  is disposed over the first support  20  and positioned at an end  82  of the second support member  22  for closing a gap  90  between an outside diameter of the first support  20  and an inside diameter of the second support  22 . As an example, the connector  80  may have a shoulder  84  for covering the gap, a threaded portion  86  mateably engagable with a threaded portion  94  of the second support  22 , and a hole  88  therethrough for insertion of the first support  20 . As an alternative to the threaded connection, the connector  80  may be merely positioned on the second support  22  or may be attached by other means. 
     For the various embodiments of this invention, the same reference characters will be used to designate like parts. In addition, like functions and like interactions of the parts among the various embodiments of this invention will not be repeated for each embodiment. 
     Referring to FIG.  7  and using the same reference characters to define like parts, an alternative embodiment of the release mechanism for the stand  10  as illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 may be a release mechanism having like parts as the stand  10 , but having only one pin  32 , one slot  36 , and one slit  50  which may extend either upwardly or downwardly. The spring  70  is positioned above the pin  32 . 
     To assemble the components of the stand  10 , the pin  32  is inserted through the slit  50  and rotated so that the aperture  60  is substantially aligned with the bore  28  of the second support  32 . The protuberance  62  is inserted through the second hole  58  and the grip extension  64  extends through the slot  36 . The spring  70  is disposed through the bore  28  of the second support  22  and rests on top of the second pin  32 . The spring  70  is slightly compressed to insert the first pin  30  into the slit  48  and enable the pin  30  to be rotated so that the aperture  60  of the pin  30  substantially aligns with the bore  28  of the second support  32 . The protuberance  62  of the first pin  30  is inserted through the first hole  56  and the grip extension  64  extends through the slot  34 . 
     The spring  70  remains slightly compressed within the first and second supports  20  and  22  due to the positioning of the pins  30  and  32 . Because the pine  30  and  32  are positioned at a slight angle, the spring  70  is compressed unevenly having a greater compression near the positioning of the first and second holes  56  and  58  as compared to the compression at the first and second slots  34  and  36 . The spring  70  exerts pressure onto the pins  30  and  32  forcing the pins  30  and  32  outward or away from each other. 
     The pins  30  and  32  are compressed to insert the first support  20  into the second support  22  and through the pins  30  and  32 . The connector  80  is slid over the first support  20  and threaded onto the first end  82  of the second support  22 . A second end  92  of the second support  22  is secured to the base  24 . The object  12  is attached to the first support  20 . 
     In operation, use of the two pins  30  and  32  holds the first support  20  from sliding downwardly and upwardly within the second support  22 . Due to the angular positioning of the pins  30  and  32 , the pins  30  and  32  contact the first support  20  and prevent the first support  20  from moving with respect to the second support  22 . To move the first support  20  in either direction, the pins  30  and  32  must be pressed toward one another to release the pressure exerted by the pins  30  and  32  onto the first support  20 . When the pins  30  and  32  are pressed together and positioned substantially perpendicular to the second support  22 , the aperture  60  aligns with the bore  28  and aligns with the first support  20 , which allows the first support  20  to move with respect to the second support  22 . After the pins  30  and  32  are released, the spring  70  forces the pins  30  and  32  back into the angular position and the first support  20  is again firmly held at the desired height. 
     Use of one pin  32  holds the first support  20  from sliding downwardly within the second support  22 . To move the first support  20  in a downwardly direction, the pin  32  must be pushed to release the pressure exerted by the pin  32  onto the first support  20 , which allows the first support  20  to move with respect to the second support  22 . After the pin  32  is released, the first support  20  will not slide in the downwardly direction. However, the use of only one pin enables the first support  20  to be pulled in the upward direction whether the pin  32  is pressed or not. 
     An advantage of the stand for supporting an object is that the height of the object may be easily and quickly adjusted. A simple compression of the first and second pins  30  and  32  enables the first support  20  to be slid up or down depending on the desired height of the object. By simply releasing the first and second pins  30  and  32  holds the first support  20  in the desired location without any further action needed by the person making the adjustment. 
     Thus there has been shown and described a novel stand for supporting an object which fulfills all the objects and advantages sought therefor. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification together with the accompanying drawings and claims. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.