Patent Publication Number: US-8978295-B2

Title: Self-actuating stand and methods thereof

Description:
The present invention claims priority from the U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/455,397 filed on Oct. 20, 2010 entitled “A self adjusting, self-actuating and clamping stand employing only non-elastic material parts for securing items in the vertical or approximately vertical and the downward position, as in the case addressed herein as an example, that being the case of the “EZ Christmas Tree Stand”, as it is registered and displayed in the video seen at the following web address/URLs: www.ezxmastreestand.com and www.ezchristmastreestand.com. The present invention relates generally to devices which vertically or approximately vertically secure Christmas trees or like items. 
    
    
     The present invention is based on as well as a derivative of our related patent #U.S. Pat. No. 7,494,026 B2, which was invented by us, Robert Alan Bard and Douglas Aaron Bard. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     There are many existing Christmas tree stands, however, all of them require first placing the Christmas tree trunk into the Christmas tree stand and then completing another action such as tightening screws or pumping an item to put locking pressure on the Christmas tree trunk. This present invention is the first Christmas tree stand where, in and of itself, only the single separate action/act of placing the Christmas tree trunk into the Christmas tree stand automatically puts locking pressure on the Christmas tree trunk. The present invention, in addition to acting as a Christmas tree stand can also be utilized to secure other items generically configured similar to the Christmas tree trunk. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-adjusting, self-actuating and clamping apparatus for vertically or approximately vertically and also downwardly securing Christmas trees or, more generically, other items configured similar to a Christmas tree trunk, to be secured vertically or approximately vertically and downwardly such that in the specific case of the Christmas tree the apparatus can accommodate various sized tree trunks as well as various peripherally/externally configured tree trunks. More specifically, when the apparatus is employed to secure a Christmas tree, or other items configured similar to a Christmas tree trunk, the stability of the Christmas tree or other items configured similar to the Christmas tree trunk is increased as follows; the apparatus extends the distance from the center of gravity of the secure Christmas tree, or other items configured similar to a Christmas tree trunk, further outward to the outboard edge of the apparatus which can, in addition, be mounted on a turn-table so as to facilitate the process of decorating the Christmas tree. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view of the apparatus sitting on the ground/floor with a Christmas tree installed in the apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of the Christmas tree trunk, the apparatus&#39;s base, two of the three sets of dual vertical stanchion assemblies, their associated jaw members with their associated counter weights, pivot pins, hollow open ended conduits and rotation stops and the moveable platform with its extension arm and inverted hollow circular or non circular cone or container and the tightened tensioning non-elastic, yet flexible, line passing through the hollow opened conduit so as to cause each single jaw member to automatically and independently self-adjust to press with equal pressure/force against anywhere on the Christmas tree trunk independent of the eternal peripheral configuration on the surface of the Christmas tree trunk by virtue of the uniform tension along the entire length of the non-elastic, yet flexible, tensioning line. 
         FIG. 3  is a cut-a-way view of the apparatus showing only the Christmas tree trunk installed in the apparatus, including all the items shown in  FIG. 2  plus the rod attached to the center underside of the moveable platform. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of  FIG. 3   
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     The preceding feature and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with the reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a view of the apparatus  1  sitting on the ground or a floor with, as an example, a Christmas tree trunk  2  installed in apparatus  1 . The apparatus  1  is designed to be located on any relatively flat surface such as the ground or a floor. 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of only the apparatus  1  showing only the Christmas tree trunk  2  installed in the apparatus. The apparatus  1  is composed of the following: A base  3  which serves as a mounting platform for three sets of dual vertical stanchion assemblies  4  each set of which are positioned 120 degrees apart with each individual vertical stanchion  4  being grooved/slotted A at its top to support the jaw member  5  via the pivot pins  6  that perpendicularly protrude from each side of the single jaw member  5 . The portion of the jaw member  5  which contacts the Christmas tree trunk  2  can be straight, pointed, or concave as viewed from above. The foregoing configuration allows each jaw member  5  to rotate about the singular/common axis of the pivot pins  6 . The rotation is stopped either by the exterior surface of the Christmas tree trunk  2  thus clamping on the exterior surface of the Christmas tree trunk  2  or by the outboard rotational stop  7 . Because the three sets of dual vertical stanchion assemblies  4  are positioned 120 degrees apart,  FIG. 2  shows two of the three sets of dual vertical stanchion assemblies  4 . As detailed later, it is the variable clamping action of the jaw members  5  which can laterally hold variably sized Christmas trees in place via the Christmas tree trunk  2 . 
     It should be noted that by virtue of the way each jaw member  5  is counter balanced by weight W, the upper end of each of the three jaw members  5  initially rests against their associated rotation stop  7  (the position for the initial acceptance of the Christmas tree trunk  2 ) before the upper end of each jaw member  5  is caused to rotate towards the Christmas tree trunk  2  via the uniform tension which induces/transfers/transmits uniform force on/to the upper end of each jaw member  5  when the closed-loop non-elastic, yet flexible, tensioning line  8 , made from flexible material, is drawn tighter per the following sequence: 
     As the Christmas tree trunk  2 , via the weight of the installed Christmas tree, pushes down on the movable platform  9  via it&#39;s attached, inverted, hollow and circular or non circular cone or container  10  which is mounted to the top surface of the moveable platform  9 , such that the center axis of the inverted, hollow and circular or non circular cone or container  10  is coincident with the center axis of the moveable platform  9 , the Christmas tree trunk  2  in turn also pushes down the extension arm  11  which is attached in a radial fashion outward from the periphery of the moveable platform  9  in the plane parallel to both the upper and lower surfaces of the base  3  such that the extension arm  11  in turn moves down and pushes downward on the closed-loop, non-elastic yet flexible tensioning line  8 , which passes through all three hollow open ended conduits  12  (one hollow open ended conduit  12  per each jaw member  5 ) each mounted on the inner surface (facing the center of the apparatus  1 ) of each jaw member  5  such that there is less length of the closed-loop non-elastic, yet flexible, tensioning line  8  left in the plane established by the three hollow open ended conduits  12  (geometry wise, a plane can always be made to pass through any three points/locations) thus drawing the three hollow open ended conduits  12  and their three associated jaw members  5  closer together in advance of each of the three jaw members  5  independently and automatically self-adjusting to clamp with equal pressure/force anywhere on the Christmas tree trunk  2  (the uniform tension in the closed-loop non-elastic, yet flexible, tensioning line  8  induces an equal force being transmitted to each of the jaw members  5  which in turn transmit that force to the Christmas tree trunk  2  independent of where the jaw members  5  make contact with the Christmas tree  2 ). The dual purpose of the inverted, hollow and circular or non circular cone or container  10  is to be capable of both accepting and centering the bottom of the Christmas tree trunk  2  within the confines of the inverted hollow and circular or non circular cone or container  10 . Thus, there exists  2  separate vertical locations to provide lateral constraint for the Christmas tree trunk  2  separate from the downward constraint also provided by the inverted, hollow and circular or non circular cone or container  10 . 
       FIG. 3  is a cut-a-way view of everything shown in  FIG. 2  plus the moveable platform  9  attached at its center underside to a rod  13  which is perpendicular to both the top and bottom surfaces of the movable platform  9  and which rides up and down in a hole B which is perpendicularly drilled entirely through the rigid main base  3  thus insuring that both the top and bottom surfaces of the moveable platform  9  will always be parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the rigid base  3 . 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of  FIG. 3 .