US2455404A - Christmas tree holder - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 7,1948. w, H 'BRQWN ETAL CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER Filed April 10, 1947 INVENTORS H Brown I will/ 4m M lull/Ina n1 6. (3pc u a Patented Dec. 7, 1948 CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER William H. Brown and William S. Brown, Bedford, Ohio Application April 10, 1947, Serial No. 740,616

5 Claims.

This invention relates to supports and particularly to supports for Christmas trees or the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel combination of water receptacle and adjustable holder and a further object is to provide the adjustable holder of superior design for holding a Christmas tree or the like with or without the receptacle for water.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of structure as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. l is a side elevation of the present pre ferred embodiment of the invention showing the receptacle in partial section; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan section corresponding substantially to the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral indicates a fiat strip which may be a board about two feet in length and four inches in width. Secured to the strip at either end are transverse strips which may be boards about two feet in length and two inches in width. The strips H may be pivotally secured to the strip Ill as indicated at 22 by rivets or bolts. This will enable the strips H to be folded into alignment with the strip It for storage when not in use. A piece of sheet metal I2 which is herein referred to as an upper abutment member is provided with a lower horizontally extending terminal portion l3 and an upper horizontally extending terminal portion M. The terminal portion !3 is provided with slots l'l adapted to receive bolts 15 and to be held adjustably in relation to the strip ill by the bolts l5. Washers l6 may be interposed between the nuts received on the bolts l and the portion l3 of the upper abutment i2. It will be noted that the slots l! are wider than the diameter of the bolts i5. This makes possible the adjustment of the tree engaging portion M in all directions horizontally to accommodate the small irregularities in the shape of the tree trunk.

The lower abutment l9 may consist of two screws received into the strip Ill. Square headed screws are shown but ordinary round headed wood screws ma be used. Other types of abutment obviously could be used; if the strip H] is of metal, lugs or a curved lug may be welded on. Adjustability can easily be provided but is not necessary. In the interest of simplicity the wood screws are preferred.

A U-bolt l8 passes through openings in the upper abutment portion I 2 at a point about twothirds of the way up from the portion 3 to the 2 portion M. This provides a sufficient spacing of the U-bolt downwardly to urge the bottom of the trunk 2| strongly against the lower abutment l9 and yet provides greater height for reception of the receptacle 20 than would be the case if the U-bolt were centrally located.

As is best seen from Fig. l, the receptacle 2!] rests on the strip ID in contact with the lower abutment l9 and the trunk M is received in the receptacle 20 and engages against the inner surface thereof adjacent a point at which the receptacle engages the lower abutment.

The holder shown is adapted to hold a Christmas tree trunk or the like with or without the receptacle and its combined effectiveness and cheapness can be realized to some extent without the receptacle; however, the receptacle is a very desirable portion of the device in view of the tendency of Christmas trees to shed their needles. Should it be desired to use the support for supporting a flag staif, for example, the receptacle would be useless; but the support could still be used.

Having thus described our invention. what we claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base member havin a substantially fiat, substantially horizontal upper surface, lower abutment means carried by said base memher and projecting above said upper surface, up-- per abutment means carried by said base memher, being transversely and longitudinally adjustable with respect thereto and comprising a lower horizontally extending portion, an upwardly extending portion carried by said horizontally extending portion and an abutment portion carried by said upwardly extending portion and extending horizontally beyond one end of said lower horizontally extending portion, a receptacle supported by said upper surface of said base mem her and engaging said lower abutment means whereby a Christmas tree trunk or the like may be received in said receptacle and be supported on said upper surface of said base member through the bottom of said receptacle and may be limited in its horizontal motion by engagement against said upper abutment means and against the inner surface of said receptacle adjacent to a point of engagement thereof against said lower abutment means and gripping means carried by said upwardly extending portion of said upper abutment means adapted to engage against said Christmas tree trunk or the like at a point intermediate in height between said lower abutment means and said abutment portion of said upper abutment means to urge said Christmas tree trunk or the like toward said upper and lower abutment means whereby it is held in fixed upright position with respect to said base member and hold said receptacle between itself and said lower abutment means, said receptacle being of a height less than the distance of said gripping means above said base member.

2. A device set forth in claim 1' further characterized in that said upper abutment means comprises a sheet metal element having a horizontal portion adjustably secured to said base member, an integral portion extending upwardly from said horizontal portion and provided with spaced openings near its edges and an integral portion extending horizontally from said upwardly extending portion, and said gripping, means comprising a U-bolt having its legs passing through said openings in the vertical portion of said sheet metal element and adapted to engage a portion of said Christmas tree trunk or the like opposed to the portion thereof which engages said lower and upper abutment means.

3. A Christmas tree holder comprising a wood base member having a flat upper surface, a plurality of wood screws screwed into said upper surface of said base member but having a portion projecting thereabove, a piece of sheet metal having a lower portion extending along said upper surface of said base member and provided with a slot, a bolt extending through said base member and said slot and having a diameter less than the width of said slot, said piece of sheet metal having a central portion integral with said lower por tion thereof and extending upwardly therefrom, and an upper portion integral with said central portion and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to said lower portion, said bolt being so located with respect to said wood screws that said upper portion is approximately directly over said wood screws when said bolt is at a point in said slot spaced a substantial distance from both ends thereof, said central portion having openings formed therein above the height which is equidistant between said lower portion and said upper portion and near the edges thereof, and a U-bolt having its legs passing through said openings and adapted to embrace a Christmas tree trunk and urge it toward said wood screws and said upper portion of said piece of sheet metal.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination. a base member having a substantially horizontal upper surface, lower abutment means carried by said base member and projecting above said upper surface, upper abutment means carried by said base member, being .transversely and longitudinally adjustable with respect thereto andcomprising a lower horizontally extending portion, an upwardly extending portion carried by said horizontally extending portion and an abutment portionzcarried by said upwardly extending portion and extending horizontally beyond one end of said lower horizontally extending portion, said lower abutment means comprising two spaced elements extending upwardly from said upper surface of said base member whereby a receptacle may be supported by said upper surface of said base member and may engage said spaced elements of said lower abutment means whereby a Christmas tree trunk orthe like may be received in said receptacle and be supported on said upper surface of said base member through the bottom of said receptacle and may be limited in its horizontal motion by engagement against said upper abutment means and against the inner surface of said receptacle adjacent to a point of engagement thereof against said lower abutment means, and gripping means carried by said upwardly extending portion of said upper abutment means adapted to engage against said Christmas tree trunk or the like at a point intermediate in height between said lower abutment means and said abutment portion of said upper abutment means to urge said Christmas tree trunk or the like toward said upper and lower abutment means whereby it is held in fixed upright position with respect to said base member and may hold said receptacle between itself and said lower abutment means, said upper abutment means being longitudinally adjustable with respect to said base member from a point where saidabutment portion thereof lies at one side of said spaced elements of said lower abutment means to a point at which said abutment lies at the other side thereof.

5. In a deviceof the character described, in combination, a base member having a substantially'flat, substantially horizontal upper surface, lower abutment means carried by said base member and projecting above said upper surface, upper abutment means carried by said base member and comprising a supporting portion secured to said base member and upstanding therefrom and an abutment portion carried by said supporting portion and extending'horizontall'y beyond one end of said supporting portion, a receptacle supported by'said upper surface of said base member and engaging said lower abutment means whereby a Christmas tree trunk or the like may be received in sa-id'receptacle and be supported on said upper surface of said base member through the bottom of said receptacle and may be limited in its horizontal motion by engagement against said abutment portion of said upper abutment means and against'the inner surface of said receptacle adjacent'to a point of engagement thereof againstsaid lower abutment means, and gripping means carried by said supporting portion of said upper abutment means adapted to engage againstsaid Christmas tree trunk or the like at a point intermediate in height between said lower abutment means and said abutment portion of said upper-abutment means to urge said Christmas tree trunk or the like toward said upper and lower abutment means whereby it is held in fixed upright position with respect to said base member and holds said receptacle between itself and said lower abutment means, said receptacle being of a height less than the distance of said gripping means above said base member.

WILLIAM H. BROWN. WILLIAM S. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 650,001 Becker et a1 May 22, 1900 848,850 Pissahl Apr. 2, 1907 2,221,205 Schulz et al Nov. 12, 1940

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