Patent ID: 7789356

Claim:
A free-standing assembly for maintaining an optical device at a location spaced from a stand assembly supporting surface, said stand assembly comprising: a) an elongated rail member having a longitudinal axis and undercut grooves each having an inner surface and extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and along the length of two sides of the rail member; b) leg support members for undergirding said elongated rail member, each said leg support member including a transverse centerline and two outer distal end sections each having means for mounting a leg member; c) means for removably fixing each said leg support member to a first side of the elongated rail member and in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis; d) said means for removably fixing each said leg support member to the rail member including first shaped slide means for slidingly engaging and being maintained in an undercut groove on said first side of the rail member, and adjusting means for tightening said shaped first slide means against said inner surface of said undercut groove to fix the leg support members to the rail member; e) a plurality of leg members each including means for mounting one end thereof to project outwardly from an outer distal end of each said leg support member, each said leg member including an outer free end thereof defining an assembly footprint when the stand assembly is freestanding on said stand assembly supporting surface; and f) mounting means for supporting said optical device on another side of said rail member including second slide means shaped to slidingly engage and be maintained in an undercut groove on a second side of the rail member for moving said optical device along said elongated rail member, and tightening means for drawing said second slide means against said inner surface of said undercut groove to selectively fix and position the mounting means along said rail member.