Patent ID: 7311061

Claim:
A telescopic flag pole assembly comprising: a bottom segment, at least one intermediate segment, and a top segment, each of said segments comprising a rigid elongate cylindrical tube of a size to fit telescopically within the next adjacent lower tube; a plurality of sleeve assemblies to facilitate telescopic movement of the adjacent tubes, each one of said sleeve assemblies being positioned between an associated pairing of a relatively lower segment and a relatively higher segment; and wherein each one of said plurality of sleeve assemblies comprises: an upper sleeve member positionable to abut a top edge of said relatively lower one of said segments; and a lower sleeve member positionable to abut a lower edge of said relatively higher one of said segments; wherein said upper sleeve member and said lower sleeve member are configured to selectively engage each other such that said lower sleeve member is capable of being maintained in a static position relative to said upper sleeve member, a locking slot being defined on said upper sleeve member at position in a lower portion of a perimeter wall, a locking tab being defined on said lower sleeve member and extending from an upper portion of a perimeter wall, said lower sleeve member having a central longitudinal axis, a reference plane extending perpendicular to said central longitudinal axis; wherein said locking slot is defined by a slot edge of said perimeter wall, said slot edge extending at an inclined angle with respect to said reference plane, and wherein said locking tab is defined by a tab edge of said perimeter wall, said tab edge extending at said inclined angle with respect to said reference plane such that rotating said upper sleeve member with respect to said lower sleeve member in a first direction engages said locking tab into said locking slot and rotating said upper sleeve member with respect to said lower sleeve member in a second direction disengages said locking tab from said locking slot.