Collapsible Supporting Stand

Abstract

A collapsible supporting stand is disclosed. The tripodal base has legs pivotally mounted at the bottom of a base shaft. The supporting arm is pivotally mounted to a vertical shaft which is slidably mounted in the base shaft. Adjusting means are provided for the supporting arm and the vertical shafts.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to supporting stands and more particularly to a collapsible supporting stand.

Many people utilize therapeutic lamps and the like to treat themselves or others. Professional users of such lamps and the like, such as physicians, etc., often have elaborate supporting stands to insure that the lamp or the like is directed to the proper location on the person receiving the treatment. These stands are sometimes quite bulky and unless the physician has a substantial number of patients receiving the same treatment, the stand occupies needed space during periods of non-use.

The most common example of non-professional use of therapeutic lamps or the like is the widespread usage of the sunlamp. The stands available for these sunlamps are very frequently poorly constructed and not sturdy. In addition, the stands very seldom are adjustable so as to permit needed adjustments to provide ultimate versatility and use of the lamp.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a supporting stand having great versatility, yet being efficient and safe to use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a supporting stand which may be collapsed for storage.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a supporting stand having a supporting arm which is adjustable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides an improved collapsible supporting stand which has great versatility. The supporting stand is of simple and economical construction, is easy to operate and adjust, and provides the safety needed in such stands. The supporting stand comprises tripodal legs pivotally mounted to a vertical shaft, an adjustable supporting arm pivotally mounted to a second vertical shaft which is slidably mounted in said first vertical shaft. Means are provided to lock the tripodal legs in either open or closed position. Other details, uses, and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description of the exemplary embodiment hereof presented in the accompanying drawings proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings show a present exemplary embodiment of this invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one exemplary embodiment of this invention showing the supporting stand in the open position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the support stand in the closed or collapsed position;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the tripodal legs showing the means for locking the legs;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the support stand in the open position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the support arm adjustment means; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings which illustrate one exemplary embodiment of the support stand of this invention, designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The support stand is shown in the open or operational position in FIG. 1 and in the closed or collapsed position for storage in FIG. 2. The support stand is comprised of a base 12, a vertical upright or standard 14 and a cross support 16.

The base 12 of the support stand is a tripod consisting of three legs 18 which are pivotally coupled at their upper ends with a housing 20. Suitable pivot pins 22 provide the pivotal connection between the legs 18 and the housing 20. Each leg 18 is fitted with a cap 24 at its outer end.

Referring now to FIG. 4, it is seen that the housing 20 includes a threaded plug 26 about which the base shaft 28 is suitably mounted. A threaded shaft 30 extends through the plug 26, an aperture in the top of housing 20, and is securedly positioned thereto by a nut 32. A locking plate 34 is mounted at the opposite end of the threaded shaft 30 by suitable means such as a washer 36 and nut 38. The locking plate 34 is formed of a dish-like or concave shape so as to conform with the complementary shape of the housing 20. A spring 40 acts between nut 32 and locking plate 34 and tends to urge the plate 34 outward. In this way, by loosening or tightening the nut 38, the ease for rotational movement of plate 34 to provide locking and unlocking of the legs 18 may be adjusted.

In FIG. 3, it is seen that the locking plate 34 is formed with three grooves 42 circumferentially spaced about the plate 34 to correspond with the circumferentially spacing of the legs 18. The grooves 42 have a width greater than the width of the corresponding legs 18. One edge 44 of each groove 42 is slightly beveled to provide a slight camming surface to facilitate ease in urging the plate 34 over each leg 18. An upturned tab 46 for engaging the housing 20 provides a means for positioning the plate 34 in the fully locked and unlocked positions. A projecting finger-like member 48 has a grasping surface 50 which is used to rotate the plate 34.

The locking plate 34 is shown in the locked position with the legs 18 extended for operational use in FIG. 3. In this position, the tab 46 abuts against one surface of housing 20 to prevent further clockwise rotation (as shown in FIG. 3). In order to permit the pivotal movement of legs 18 to the closed or collapsed position of FIG. 2, the surface 50 is grasped and the plate 34 is urged in the counterclockwise position (FIG. 3) until tab 46 engages a second surface of housing 20. At this position, the grooves 42 will be aligned with the legs 18 and the legs may then be pivoted about pivot pins 22. When the legs 18 have been dropped into the standing position, the plate 34 is once again rotated in the clockwise position. The upturned edge 44 of each groove 42 permits the smooth engagement of the locking plate 34 with each leg 18.

The base shaft 28 is preferably hollow, and a support shaft 52 is slidably mounted within the base shaft 28 and adapted to extend thereabove. A close-fitted collar 54 maintains the support shaft 52 properly aligned with the base shaft 28. The base shaft 28 is formed with a plurality of apertures 56 at the upper end thereof. The support shaft 52 is formed with a suitable detent 57 and biasing means at the lower end thereof to cooperatively engage one of the apertures 56 to position the shaft 52 relative to shaft 28. A spring biased detent 57, similar to that shown in FIG. 7 and described herebelow, has been conveniently utilized.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the cross support 16 is seen to comprise a top supporting arm 56 which is pivotally mounted to the support shaft 52 by suitable means such as a pivot shaft 58. The supporting arm 56 is formed with a U-shaped bracket 60 through which the pivot shaft 58 extends. One side 62 of the bracket 60 is greatly enlarged, the side being substantially semicircular in shape. Side 62 is formed with a plurality of apertures 64 spaced along the outer circumferential edge. A detent 65, secured to a U-shaped leafspring 66 is mounted in shaft 52. The detent 65 protrudes through an aperture in the shaft 52 to cooperatively engage apertures 64 in the semicircular portion 62. A button release 68 is connected with the spring 55 and protrudes through an aperture in the shaft 52. To change the angle between the supporting arm 56 and the shaft 52, the button release 68 is urged inward until the detent 65 clears one of the apertures 64. The arm 56 may then be adjusted and the detent 65 will then engage the corresponding aperture 64 to lock the arm 56 in the desired position. A split snap 70 extends through an aperture in the arm 56 to cooperatively engage one end of the pivot shaft 58 to permit removal of the shaft.

The lamp or the like is mounted on the end of the support arm 56 by suitable means such as the knurled nuts 72. A clip 74 (FIG. 1) is attached to the support arm 56 and is used to hold the electric power cord.

The legs 18 extend out at such an angle that the support stand provides for a very low center of gravity. As seen in FIG. 5, the support arm 56 is vertically above one of the legs 18. This feature plus the extremely low center of gravity provide for a very stable supporting stand even when the lamp or the like is mounted on the end of the support arm 56.

Thus, it can be seen that this invention provides a supporting stand which is of simple and economical construction, is easy to operate, and has great versatility. The support stand may be collapsed to a compact structure for storage. Accordingly, it is seen that this invention accomplishes the objectives hereinbefore set forth.

While a present exemplary embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, it will be recognized that this invention may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A support stand comprising a base housing having three leg receiving extensions spaced equidistant thereabout, a leg pivotally mounted in each of said extensions, a first hollow shaft secured to the upper side of said housing and extending vertically upward therefrom, said legs having a first open position wherein the legs are extended outwardly to support said first shaft upright and a second position in which said legs are pivotally rotated relative to said housing to substantially lay adjacent said first shaft, a second shaft slidably movable within said first shaft and adapted to extend vertically therefrom, a support arm pivotally mounted at the upper end of said second shaft, said support arm extending outwardly from said second shaft in a plane vertically above one leg, a locking plate rotatably mounted to said housing on the side opposite said first shaft for locking said legs in said first and second positions, said plate being formed wth circumferentially spaced grooves corresponding to the circumferential spacing of said legs, said plate being rotatable to a first position in which the plate area between the grooves engages each of said legs wherein said legs are prevented from pivotal movement, said plate having a second position in which said grooves are aligned with said legs wherein said legs may be pivotally moved relative to said housing, tab means on said plate for abuttingly engaging said housing in each of said positions, and means for adjustably tightening said plate relative to

2. The stand according to claim 1 in which one edge of each of said grooves provides a camming surface to engage each of said legs when moving from the second position to the first position, and further comprising means for adjustably positioning in a vertical direction said second shaft relative to said first shaft, and means for locking said support arm in one of a plurality of perdetermined angular positions in a vertical plane

3. The stand according to claim 2 in which said support arm includes a U-shaped bracket adapted to cooperatively engage the upper end of said second shaft, a pivot shaft extending through said bracket and said shaft providing the pivotal connection thereto, one side of said bracket being semicircular in shape and formed with a plurality of apertures spaced along the outer circumferential edge, and in which said means for locking said support arm comprises a detent mounted in said second shaft and adapted to engage one of said plurality of apertures in said semicircular

4. The stand according to claim 1 in which said locking plate further comprises a finger-like extension protruding outwardly from the peripheral edge providing a grasping surface for imparting rotational movement to said plate, said plate having a dish-like shape complementary with a corresponding shape of said housing.