US2505075A - Adjustable article stand - Google Patents

Description

April 25, 1950 M. WEINBERGER ADJUSTABLE ARTICLE STAND Filed Aug. 9, 1947 INVENTOR M0171}? We 2m 6629?]: BY

g My 1 a 1 4. H- a i a ,M W 2 2 I .H. n 0 a "U r: 1 (R111 -4 1L 1 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE ARTICLE STAND "Morris Weinberger, New York, N. Y.

Application August 9, 1947, Serial No. 767,674

'6 Claims.

This inventionrelates :to article. stands of the adjustable type adapted to hold articles and fa cilitate their adjustment to any desired position.

Article holders of the-class indicated are well- The present invention has forits prime object to provide an automatically adjustable article stand of an inexpensive, simple and efiective construction, and which stand enlarges the bulk of the article for whichlit isintended .by but a small margin .so that an articlelheldlin the stand may be carried or handled withtaslilittleIdifiiculty as the article itself withoutthe stand.

Another object of'this invention isto provide an automatically adjustableiarticle stand which is equipped with an expandable base, and wherein all stand parts, including the e'x'pandablebase and the structure extending therefrom, so closely approximate the largest body dimensions, such as the perimeter, of the. article, that the bulk of the article together with the standwill not materially exceed the bulk of the article'itself,

Another object of this "invention.istoprovide a stand employing an expandable base adapted to support an adjustable 'article holder, "which latter may be'swung'to'any desired "position in respect to thef base, and wherein means are provided for keeping "th'e'articleheld by the holder at any desired adjusted position.

The foregoing and 'still further objects and additional advantages "ofthe device will become more fully apparent frormthezensuing descrip' tion, in conjunction with "the accompanyingdrawings, which latter, althoughdisclosing but two of the manypossible forms oilthe device,'are by no means intendedtolimit the 'inventionto the actual showing, and wherein? V 1 is a perspective viewof the standinaccordance'with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragment'al side elevation of"theartiole holder, one of its sup orts and one form of the p detent means forkeeping the"holder in adjusted "position;

numeral l0 denotes a circular, substantially flat base with which are pivotally associated at spaced, peripheral points I I a number. of arcuated extension elements l2, which are normally held in their retracted position within the periphery of the base, but which may be swung outwardly in radial direction, as indicated in broken lines in 'Fig. 4. At the free end of the elements are preferably arranged locking means I3, such as pressed-out elevations, while in the basebody. are provided corresponding depressions or sockets M for the reception of elevations 53 when elements l2 are in their retracted position.

Extending from two oppositely disposed peripheral points of base l0, and fixedly secured thereto, are symmetrically arranged brackets l5, ,which preferably reduce in width towards their free ends, and between which ends is pivotally and adjustably supported a resilient article holder L6. The latter constitutes a self-contained clip, set to normally assume a fixed, closing position, that is a position at which its ends approximate or abut with one another.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, these detailillustrations disclose the pivotal mounting of clip H5 in brackets I5. A pin I'I passes through an aperture at the end of bracket 15. The portion of the pinengaging that aperture is reduced at l 8. The outer end of the pin forms a head l9, whilethe interior portion of the pin is enlarged to a shoulder 20. Head l9 prevents an inward movement of the pin and shoulder 2!! prevents an outward movement thereof. Shoulder 20 has an extension 2! which is fixedly secured in clip l6. Shoulder 29 passes through a detent member'22 in the form of a ratchet wheel, which latter is permanently secured to the body of clip I6.

Below the aperture for pin I! there is stamped from the body of bracket iii a detent element 23 in the form of a spring, the upper end of which is bent outwardly and constitutes a ratchet. in operative engagement with ratchet wheel 22. Spring 23 and ratchet 24 operate in the-aperture 24' produced by striking out these two instrumentalities from the material of bracket l5.

A structure similar to that described in connection with Figs. 2 and 3 is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, with the exception that instead of'the detent element 23 struck from the body of the bracket, there is shown an independent detent element 25 which takes the form of a spring structure substantially in the shape of an inverted letter T. The bar of the T is riveted .oi'

Jotherwise fastened at 28 to bracket l5. L'Ihe upper end oi the detent element terminatesin 3 a ratchet tooth 2'! adapted for engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 22. Ratchet element operates within a slot 28 struck out from bracket In order to prevent the end of an article to be held by the device against sidewise movement between brackets I5, there is associated with the base an adjustable and retractable retainer 29. The latter comprises a clip formation consisting of a strip 39 which is pivotally secured at 3i to the center of base i0, and from which strip extend upwardly two flanges 32 provided with outwardly extending stops 33 adapted to register with edge recesses 34 provided in brackets l5. This retainer is adapted to engage the end of an article placed in the device and to prevent the latter from swinging between the brackets. For this purpose the retainer is placed in the position shown in the figure. When the article is to be removed from the device the retainer may be swung in the direction indicated by the arrow to its inoperative position at which stops 33 will register with recess 34 of brackets IS. The retainer is intended to be used only then when the article to be held by the device is to be kept in upright position in the manner seen in Fig. 1, for instance, when the article and the device are to be carried in a pocket or in a tool box. When, however, the article is to be positioned at an angle. in respect to the brackets, the retainer is placed into inoperative position to permit such adjustment.

Operation Clip i6, made of highly resilient material, is set to retain a permanent shape, preferably corresponding to the shape of the article which is to be held by or accommodated within the clip, such as, for instance, a flash-light, indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1. The resiliency of clip l6 has a tendency of urging ratchet wheels 22 in outward direction, that is towards brackets 15, so that shoulders 20 of pins 1'! will bear against the interior faces of the brackets. Ratchet elements 23 and 25 are designed to urge their respective ratchets 24 and 2'! into engagement with ratchet wheels 22. When the article held in the .clip is to be tilted from say the vertical position, indicated in Fig. 1, to any other position, the cooperation between ratchet wheels 22 and detent elements 23 or 25 will retain the article in such tilted position.

Elements I2 for enlarging the normal supporting surface of the base may be swung outwardly,

as explained in connection with Fig. 4, when it 7 seems evident that the normal supporting surface of the base alone would be insufiicient to keep the stand in upright position.

It is the intention of the present invention to so construct the base as well as thcrest of the structural arrangement of the stand that its bulk willincrease the bulk of the article held in the stand so little, that for practical purposes such increase will be negligible.

While the foregoing describes but two specific structures disclosed in the appended drawings, changes and improvements in the device may be incorporated without departing from the principle and scope of the present invention claimed below.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class indicated, a substantially flat, circular base, an adjustably mounted resilient article holder spaced from the base and having means held under tension by the resiliency of the holder body for facilitating adjustment and retention of the holder at any desired position relative to the base, a pair of resilient brackets fixedly secured at one of their ends to and extending from two diametrically opposite peripheral points of the base and sup porting said article holder between their free ends, said means for facilitating adjustment of the holder body comprising ratchet wheels attached at two oppositeexterior points to said holder body, and resiliently mounted ratchets extending from said brackets into operative engagement with said ratchet wheels. 4

2. In a device of the class indicated, a substantially circular and flat base, a pair of symmetrically arranged brackets extending from two opposite peripheral points of the base, a resilient article holder pivotally associated with said brackets to render it adjustable relative to the latter, ratchet wheels and ratchets arranged at the free ends F of the brackets and forming automatic detent means for retaining the article holder at any position to which it is adjusted, and arcuated, retractable means for enlarging the supporting surface of the base, the entire structure of the device, including said base, with its surface enlarging means in retracted position, said article holder and said brackets being adapted to closely approximate the largest perimeter of an article to be held for reducing to a minimum the bulk of the device.

3. In a device as per claim 2, said arcuated, retractable means for enlarging the supporting surface of the base comprising a plurality of resilient elements pivotally secured to the base at spaced, peripheral points thereof, and being adapted to be swung outwardly beyond the periphery of the base, and cooperating retention means provided in the base and at the free ends of said elements for holding the latter in retracted position beneath and within the outer periphery of the base.

4. In a device of the class indicated, a base, an adj ustably mounted resilient article holder spaced from the base and having means held under tension by the resiliency of the holder body for facilitating adjustment and retention of the holder at any desired position relative to the base, and article retention means operatively associated with the base for preventing movement of the end of an article resting against the base of the device.

5. In an adjustable article stand, a substantially flat, circular, radially expandable base, a pair of upwardly tapering brackets fixedly secured to and extending from opposite points of the base periphery, an article holder pivoted at and between the free ends of the brackets and being adapted for adjustment in respect to said brackets, said article holder comprising a selfcontained resilient clip; cooperating detent means for keeping the holder in any desired adjusted position, said detent means comprising two oppo sitely disposed ratchetwheels fixedly secured to said holder and having as their axes the latters pivotal points, and two corresponding resilient ratchet elements extending from the brackets toward and operatively engaging said ratchet wheels of the holder, and a retainer for the lower end of an article to be held in the stand, said retainer being operatively and adjustably associated with the base and having stop means for engagement with said brackets.

6. In an adjustable article stand, an expandable base, a pair of upwardly tapering brackets extending from opposite points of the base periphery, an article holder pivoted at and between the free ends of the brackets and being adapted for adjustment in respect to said brackets, said article holder comprising a self-contained resilient clip; cooperating detent means for keeping the holder in any desired adjusted position, said detent means comprising two oppositely disposed detent members fixedly secured to said holder about the latters pivotal points, and two corresponding resilient detent elements extending from the brackets toward and operatively engaging said detent elements of the holder, a retractable retainer for the lower end of an article to be held in the stand, said retainer comprising a member centrally pivoted at the base and having end extensions for engaging the sides of such article, said extensions being provided with stop means adapted for engagement with said brackets for limiting the movement of the retainer, said brackets having 6 recesses for receiving said stop means when the retainer is in its retracted position, said retainer ibeing operative within the space limited by the brackets.

MORRIS WEINBERGER.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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