Patent ID: 7195216

Claim:
An adjustable trunk for an artificial Christmas tree comprising: a base having a top face having a center; and a cavity defined inside the base; a telescoping post mounted on the top face at the center of the base and having a stationary outer tube mounted on the top face of the base and having a top end and a bottom end; at least two inner tubes with different diameters mounted slidably inside the stationary outer tube and each other, each of the at least two inner tubes having a top end; at least one longitudinal slot formed near the top end of the inner tube; at least one bridge closing the longitudinal slot at the top end of the inner tube; a bottom end; and a reeve hole formed through the inner tube near the bottom end of the inner tube; a gap defined between the stationary outer tube and an adjacent inner tube of the at least two inner tubes; an inner gap defined between each pair of adjacent two inner tubes of the at least two inner tubes; and a reeling assembly attached to the base, connected to the telescoping post and having a reel attached to the base and having a prime mover; and at least one spool driven by the primer mover; and at least one cable wound respectively on the at least one spool extending over the top end of the stationary outer tube, passing downward through the gap between the stationary outer tube and an outermost inner tube of the at least two inner tubes, through the reeve hole at the bottom end into the outermost inner tube, up through the inner gap formed by the outermost inner tube and a next inner tube of the at least two inner tubes, out through the longitudinal slot at the top end of the outermost inner tube, over the bridge and back into the inner gap, repeatedly through the other sequential inner tubes and attaching to the reeve hole near the bottom end of an innermost inner tube of the at least two inner tubes lastly.