Patent ID: 7699276

Claim:
An extendable post installable between a floor surface and an opposed ceiling surface, said post comprising: a floor-engaging end for engaging the floor surface; a ceiling-engaging end for engaging the ceiling surface; telescoping inner and outer tubes between said ends, the inner tube being positioned at least partially in the outer tube; a locking mechanism having an unlocked condition permitting relative sliding movement of the inner tube relative to the outer tube and a locked condition preventing relative sliding movement of the inner tube relative to the outer tube when the inner and outer tubes are in a desired longitudinal relationship; the floor-engaging end being rotatably coupled to a reduced diameter portion of a shaft extending upwardly in the outer tube in an operative orientation of the post; the outer tube comprising an internal nut for threadably engaging the shaft; the ceiling-engaging end being rotatably coupled to a stem slidably received in an operatively upper open end of the inner tube and projecting beyond the open end; said stem comprising a portion of reduced diameter projecting from the open end, said portion comprising an outer surface spaced from an interior surface of the inner tube; said inner tube comprising a collar ( 56 ) attached to the interior surface of the inner tube; a spring ( 58 ) captured between the collar ( 56 ) and the stem ( 52 ) for resiliently urging the stem in a direction out of the open end of the inner tube; a pin ( 54 ) with a head at one end which limits movement of the pin in said direction by engagement with the collar, the pin having an opposite end secured to the stem; the floor-engaging end comprising a cruciform shape comprising four claws, each said claw comprising a pair of penetrating points engageable with the floor surface; and each said claw additionally comprising a transverse edge extending between the penetrating points thereof for engaging the floor surface to limit penetration of the points thereinto.