Portable Pedestal For Lawn Umbrellas, Stanchions, And The Like

Abstract

A portable pedestal for lawn umbrellas, stanchions, and the like, said portable pedestal comprising a hollow, collapsible enclosure, having at least one opening formed therein through which a pole can be inserted and the enclosure can be filled with pourable material, such as sand or water, to provide it with structural strength and rigidity, preventing it from collapsing, and weighting it for stability.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Lawn, beach and swimming pool umbrellas, flagpoles, lantern posts, stanchions and the like.

2. Prior Art

Pedestals are conventionally used to provide weighted supports for lawn unbrellas, stanchions, etc. In all cases known to applicant these pedestals are rigid structures, e.g., cast iron or concrete bases for traffic or commercial stanchions, and stamped (drawn) steel or spun aluminum bases for lawn unbrellas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The principal object of this invention is to provide a substantially hollow, flexible, collapsible, pole-supporting pedestal which can be filled with a pourable material, e.g., sand or water, to provide it with structural strength and rigidity, prevent its collapse and weight it for stability.

A hollow, collapsible pedestal made in accordance with this invention is light in weight and collapsible (foldable) to compact proportions, when empty, and hence conveniently portable. It is readily set up for use by simply filling it with whatever pourable material happens to be conveniently available, for example, sand at the beach or water at a swimming pool or on a lawn. It is equally readily collapsed for carrying purposes by simply pouring out its contents.

A hollow, collapsible pedestal as described is made of inexpensive material by inexpensive production procedures. By way of illustration, the pedestal may be made of blow-molded plastics, or partly blow-molded and partly fabricated, as by heat welding or sealing. The result is an inexpensive product suited for the mass market, compact and light when empty and collapsed, for shipping, selling, pick-up or delivery purposes, convenient to use, carry and store.

The present invention is applicable to pedestals for home or private use, as to support lawn and beach umbrellas. It is also applicable to pedestals for commercial, industrial or governmental use, for example, traffic stanchions used by highway construction crews, traffic or sign stanchions used by traveling country fairs, temporary warning or danger signal stanchions for emergency situations, and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a view of a pedestal made in accordance with one preferred form of the invention, showing it supporting a lawn umbrella.

FIG. 1A is an enlarged vertical section showing the construction of said pedestal and how it supports the umbrella pole.

FIG. 1B is a section on the line 1B--1B of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through a pedestal made in accordance with a second form of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of the pedestal of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through a pedestal made in accordance with a third form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, one preferred form of the invention is exemplified by portable pedestal 10 which is adapted to support a lawn umbrella 12 (or stanchion, etc.) by holding its pole 14 in upright position. Portable pedestal is of generally conical configuration, more particularly the configuration of a truncated cone (which is conventional for pedestals in common use today). It comprises an upper section 16 and a lower section 18, each of which may be plastic molded, and both sections heat welded or sealed to each other.

The upper section 16 is of generally conical shape (the shape of a truncated cone) and it has a cylindrical sleeve 20 formed therein, concentrically therewith, the sleeve projecting downwardly. As shown in the drawing, conical section 16 is normally situated with its base facing downwardly and supported on the ground 22 or patio or the like. The apical end of the conical section 16 is directed upwardly toward the umbrella 12 or other object which the pedestal supports. The base of the conical section may be provided with an annular flange 24 which occupies the same horizontal plane as the bottom end 26 of the sleeve. It will be seen that said bottom end of the sleeve is closed while its upper end is open, thereby defining a socket for pole 14 of the umbrella.

Lower section 18 is a plastic disc whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of annular flange 24. It will therefore be apparent that the upper section 16 may be placed on the lower section 18 and the two sections may be heat welded or sealed together along the entire annular flange as well as in the center -- the lower closed end 26 of the sleeve to the center portion of the disc 18.

The result is a generally conical enclosure which is sealed against water leakage or the like. An opening 28 is formed in said enclosure adjacent its apical end and through said opening the enclosure may be filled with water, sand or other suitable flowable material. After it is filled, opening 28 is closed by means of a plug 30 or similar closure.

Should it be necessary to clamp the umbrella pole to the pedestal, clamping means are provided for the purpose. It will be seen that a split annular collar 32 is formed at the top of the pedestal, integral with conical section 16 and sleeve 20 and that a screw clamp 34 is mounted on said collar. When the screw clamp is tightened on the collar, the collar is tightened on the umbrella pole to hold is securely in place.

Concentric fold lines 36 are provided in conical section 16 of the pedestal and concentric fold lines 38 are formed in sleeve 20 to enable the pedestal to fold, when empty, to compact proportions.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing, portable pedestal 40 comprises a plastic molded enclosure of generally conical configuration and a cylindrical sleeve 42 which fits into said enclosure and is supported thereby in upright position, the longitudinal axes of the conical enclosure and the cylindrical sleeve coinciding with each other. The upper end of the conical enclosure is provided with an annular collar or neck portion 44 and the base or bottom wall 46 of said conical enclosure has an annular embossment 48 formed thereon in vertical axial alignment with annular collar 44. Annular collar 44 and annular embossment 48 cooperate with the bottom wall 46 to support sleeve 42 in upright position. An opening 50 is formed in the plastic enclosure through which it can be filled with sand or water or the like, and a closure 52 is provided for said opening

Clamping means are provided should it be necessary to clamp the umbrella pole to the pedestal. Encircling annular collar 44 is a screw clamp 54. Annular collar 44 is split, as is the upper end of sleeve 42, and when the screw clamp is tightened, it compresses the split collar 44 and split upper end of sleeve 42 and clamps them to the umbrella pole.

Concentric fold lines 56 are formed in the pedestal to enable it to fold to compact proportions when empty and the sleeve 42 removed therefrom.

FIG. 3 shows a more simplified form of the invention wherein pedestal 60 is a one-piece plastic molding having an integral sleeve 62 formed at its upper end and a central embossment 64 formed on its bottom wall 66 in vertical alignment with said sleeve. A tubular metal post 68 is inserted into said pedestal through sleeve 62 and it is supported in vertical position in said pedestal by means of said sleeve and central embossment 64. As will be seen, embossment 64 projects into the lower end of the tubular post to center it on bottom wall 66.

It will be observed that sleeve 62 is both tapered and threaded to receive a tapered, threaded clamp nut 70. Sleeve 62 is also slit so that it may be compressed under external pressure. When tapered nut 70 is tightened on tapered, slit sleeve 62, said sleeve contracts upon tubular post 68 and locks it in place in relation to the pedestal.

Sleeve 62 also provides an opening (prior to insertion of post 68) for introducing a pourable material such as sand or water into the pedestal. As is the case with the pedestals of FIGS. 1 and 2, pedestal 60 is a hollow, flexible, collapsible enclosure with concentric fold lines 72 to facilitate folding.

The present invention is not limited to any particular kind of molding material or process. For example, the blow molding, vacuum forming and rotational molding processes are suitable for the present invention. Insofar as materials are concerned, many conventional plastics are suited for this invention. Illustrative io ethylene vinyl acetate which is a very flexible material, easily foldable, and readily molded in a variety of molding methods, e.g., blow molding and thermo-forming. Polyethylene is another suitable material, as are propylene-ethylene polyallomer formulations. The latter provide excellent folding (hinging) properties which are well suited for collapsible (foldable) structures such as the present pedestal.

The foregoing forms of the invention are purely illustrative of the basic principles of the invention, and it will be understood that the illustrated forms may be modified and other forms provided within the broad scope of the appended claims

Claims

I claim:

1. A portable pedestal for lawn umbrellas, stanchions and the like, said pedestal comprising:

a. a hollow, flexible, collapsible enclosure,

b. a vertically extending sleeve connected with said enclosure,

c. a vertically extending pole removably mounted on said enclosure,

d. the lower end of said pole projecting through said sleeve, coaxially therewith, into said enclosure,

e. means for detachably securing said pole in said sleeve, and

f. an opening formed in said enclosure through which the enclosure can be filled with pourable material to prevent it from collapsing and to weight it for stability,

g. said hollow, collapsible enclosure being plastic molded in the general configuration of a truncated cone normally positioned with its longitudinal axis extending vertically, its base disposed downwardly and its truncated apex directed upwardly,

h. the sleeve in said enclosure being disposed concentrically therewith,

i. said securing means comprising clamping means for clamping the sleeve to the pole,

j. said hollow, collapsible, plastic-molded enclosure having a plurality of concentric fold lines formed therein coaxially with the longitudinal axis of said enclosure, to enable the enclosure to collapse when empty.

2. A portable pedestal in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the hollow, collapsible plastic-molded enclosure is telescopically collapsible when empty, the collapsing axis coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the enclosure.

3. A portable pedestal in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the hollow, collapsible, plastic-molded enclosure is collapsible, in accordion fashion, when empty, along an axis which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the enclosure.

4. A portable pedestal in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

a. the opening for the pourable material is formed adjacent the top of the enclosure,

b. a closure being provided in said opening to confine the pourable material to said enclosure,

c. said closure being removable from said opening for removal of the contents of the enclosure.

5. A portable pedestal for lawn umbrellas, stanchions and the like, said pedestal comprising:

a. a hollow, flexible, collapsible enclosure,

b. a vertically extending sleeve connected with said enclosure,

c. a vertically extending pole removably mounted on said enclosure,

d. the lower end of said pole projecting through said sleeve, coaxially therewith, into said enclosure,

e. means for detachably securing said pole in said sleeve, and

f. an opening formed in said enclosure through which the enclosure can be filled with pourable material to prevent it from collapsing and to weight it for stability,

g. said hollow, collapsible enclosure being plastic molded in the general configuration of a truncated cone normally positioned with its longitudinal axis extending vertically, its base disposed downwardly and its truncated apex directed upwardly,

h. the sleeve in said enclosure being disposed concentrically therewith,

i. said securing means comprising clamping means for clamping the sleeve to the pole,

j. said sleeve being removably mounted in the hollow, collapsible plastic-molded enclosure,

k. the truncated apex of said enclosure having a central opening and a concentric annular collar formed therein through which the sleeve is inserted,

l. the base of said enclosure comprising a bottom wall which supports the sleeve,

m. an annular holder being formed on said bottom wall in vertical alignment with said central opening and said annular collar to receive said sleeve and, in conjunction with said collar, to support the sleeve with its longitudinal axis extending vertically.