Patent ID: 7581703

Claim:
A radial tripod stabilizer for stabilizing a tripod structure, comprising (a) a base member that includes a generally planar shape of any preferred thickness, and wherein said base member includes a plane passing through a center thereof, and including a center longitudinal axis that passes through a center of the base member and wherein said center longitudinal axis is perpendicular with respect to said plane; (b) three leg assemblies that are each attached to the base member, wherein each of said three leg assemblies is in an equidistant and spaced-apart radial relationship with respect to a remaining two of said leg assemblies, and wherein each leg assembly is adapted to cooperate with one of three legs of a tripod, and wherein each leg assembly includes a leg member that is detachably-attachable with respect to the base member and which generally includes a U-shape thereto; (c) wherein each leg member is adapted to prevent a leg of said tripod from extending outward with respect to said center longitudinal axis beyond a predetermined distance, and wherein each of said leg assemblies includes means for urging a corresponding one of said tripod legs away from said center longitudinal axis, and wherein said means for urging each of said legs is disposed on said plane, and wherein each of said leg members is disposed on said plane; (d) wherein said means for urging includes an extension member and wherein said extension member is adapted to be urged radially away from said center longitudinal axis, and wherein said extension member is attached to a first end of a threaded rod, and wherein said first end of said threaded rod is adapted to rotate about a center longitudinal axis of said threaded rod with respect to said extension member, and wherein said threaded rod includes external screw threads that are adapted to engage with corresponding screw threads of a threaded opening that is provided in said base member, and wherein said threaded rod is disposed on said plane, and wherein when said threaded rod is rotated about said center longitudinal axis of said threaded rod in a first direction of rotation, and wherein said extension member bears against an inside surface of said one of said tripod legs and urges said one of said tripod legs radially away from said center longitudinal axis until an outside surface of said one of said tripod legs contacts an inside surface of a corresponding one of said leg members when said one of said tripod legs reaches said predetermined distance from said center longitudinal axis, and wherein said corresponding one of said leg members prevents any further outward movement by said one of said tripod legs thereby stabilizing said one of said tripod legs; and (e) wherein each of said leg assemblies is disposed along a longitudinal length of each of said three legs of said tripod at a location that is intermediate an upper end and a lower end of each of said three legs.