FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an improved holding device for receiving rod-shaped objects, especially trees, such as Christmas trees. The device of the present invention is suitable for supporting Christmas trees, staffs and the like having an irregularly shaped lower portion in an upright position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tree stands are known in the relevant art. Desirable features of a tree stand are low cost; ease of assembling a tree in the stand in a vertical position, even an imperfect tree with an asymmetric and crooked tree trunk; stability, both in having a sufficient footprint to prevent tipping of the tree, and in providing a gripping force on the tree trunk sufficient to retain the tree in the desired position. Some relevant art references establish the grip on a tree trunk by a mechanical mechanism that uses a device that is manually tightened at initial installation. There are n u m e ro u s exa m pl es of s u ch sta n d s , e.g. WO0224041A1 , WO91 04696A1 , DE20104141 U1 , DE9216396U1 , DE10361485B4, DE1020070151 17A1 , US04007901A, US04771978A, US04834335A, US04949502A, US051 141 13A, US06094859A, US06095480A, US06681519B2, US07287474B2, US27012851A1 provide examples illustrating the complexity and resulting high cost of such mechanisms. Most of these mechanisms are inconvenient because they require the tree installer to tighten the stand mechanism with the tree lying horizontal, or the installer must lie under the tree when in the vertical position to tighten it. Neither of these options allows the installer to view the tree to assure it is vertical.

DE1020070151 17A1 has provision for adjusting the tree and then tightening the stand mechanism while standing beside the tree but this mechanism requires the tree installer to exert considerable downward force on the operating mechanism at a location adjacent to the tree trunk. This is a difficult action to perform if the tree has substantial lower branches near the bottom of the trunk.

An improvement to mechanisms requiring tightening at initial installation is to use the weight of the tree to provide the grip on the tree trunk, and design the mechanism so the gripping force is always present as long as the tree is in the stand. Stands with this type of mechanism allow the tree angle to be adjusted by lifting on the tree to release the gripping force, adjust the angle and then lower the tree. US2464593 describes a tree holder in which the tree weight rests on a spring-supported conical cup. The motion of the cup due to the tree weight causes knife-edge gripping blades to grip and support the tree trunk. US2592561A describes a stand in which the tree weight is supported on movable jaws that rotate to grip the tree trunk when the tree is installed in the stand. US3301512A shows a stand in which the weight of the inserted tree acts through a lever mechanism to grip the tree trunk with several clamps. US4007901 shows a stand in which the weight of the tree in a central reservoir causes three legs to pivot and cause their upper, clamping collars to grip the tree. This stand uses a three-point support using narrow legs, which is not as stable as a circular, flat-bottomed stand, and it uses an non- adjustable lower support spike that makes adjustment of the angle to the vertical of a tree difficult if not impossible.

The complexity of these mechanisms and resulting high cost to manufacture and assemble the stands are detrimental to the use of such mechanisms. Therefore, what is needed is a stand that can be economically manufactured and assembled yet provides for easy installation of all types of trees and provides ease of adjustment of the tree angle, stability of the tree, stability of the tree angle, and an ample liquid reservoir to maintain the tree in prime condition.

Christmas tree stands and holders are well known in the art and many types are generally available. For example US 772905 discloses a device for hold ing and supporting a tree comprising a cylindrical holder for receiving and holding a tree trunk, a base for supporting the holder relative to the ground and four elongated support members. The support members are pivotally attached to the base and spaced equidistantly about the circumference of the holder. Each support member has an upper end and a lower end, the upper end being conform to the outer surface of the tree trunk, the lower end being pivotally attached to the base. Each support member forms an angle with the ground when contacting the holder. Meanwhile this device suffers from problems such as difficulty in stably fixing the tree in the tree trunk.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a Christmas tree stand adaptable for supporting in an upright position trees having twisted and curved trunks.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a Christmas tree stand adaptable for supporting various sizes of trees or staffs. A further object of the present invention is to provide a Christmas tree stand which is inexpensive to manufacture and one which is simple in construction and operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention achieves the above stated objects by providing a device for holding and supporting a rod-shaped object, said device comprising:

• a holder for receiving and holding a lower portion of said rod-shaped object, wherein the holder is cylindrical and provided with vertical plates radially extending from the inner surface of the cylinder for correct positioning of the rod-shaped object in the holder;

• means for supporting the holder relative to the ground;

• a plurality of elongated support members pivotally attached to the means for supporting the holder, spaced equidistantly about the circumference of said holder, each of said plurality of support members having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end having a nail for engaging with the rod-shaped object, said lower end being pivotally attached to the means for supporting the holder;

wherein each of said plurality of elongated support members, when contacting the holder, forms an angle with the ground of between 20 and 60 degrees. In a preferred embodiment the present invention provides a device for holding a rod- shaped object, such as a Christmas tree. Accordingly, there is provided a device for holding and supporting a rod-shaped object, said device comprising:

• a holder for receiving and holding a lower portion of said rod-shaped object, wherein the holder is cylindrical and provided with vertical plates radially extending from the inner surface of the cylinder for correct positioning of the rod-shaped object in the holder; • means for supporting the holder relative to the ground;

• a plurality of elongated support members pivotally attached to the means for supporting the holder, spaced equidistantly about the circumference of said holder, each of said plurality of support members having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end having a nail for engaging with the rod-shaped object, said lower end being pivotally attached to the means for supporting the holder, the nails are oriented so that they form an angle relative to the ground of between 0 and 15 degrees when the plurality of elongated support members contact the holder;

wherein each of said plurality of elongated support members, when contacting the holder, forms an angle with the ground of between 30 and 55 degrees.

Preferably the vertical plates are sloped in order to facilitate the correct positioning of the Christmas tree in the holder (see e.g. Figure 1 ). Preferably the means for supporting the holder relative to the ground is a flat structure, such as a disc, onto which the plurality of elongated support members pivotally is attached. More preferably the means for supporting the holder relative to the ground comprises three or more legs attached to the holder. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the three or more legs form an angle with the ground of between 10 and 50 degrees.

It is preferred that three legs are attached to the holder and three support members having an upper end and a lower end are pivotally attached to the respective three legs, wherein the elongated support members, when contacting the holder, forms an angle with the ground of 35 and 50 degrees. Also, in order to ensure perfect gripping on the rod-shaped object, such as a Christmas tree, the nails are preferably oriented so that they form an angle relative to the ground of between 5 and 10 degrees, when the plurality of elongated support members contact the holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a Christmas tree stand constructed according to the principles of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a top view of the holder of the Christmas tree stand illustrated in FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a Christmas tree stand constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown. The Christmas tree stand 1 comprises a holder 2 for receiving a Christmas tree, the holder 2 having elongated support legs 3 pivotally attached at the means 4 for supporting the holder 2. The holder 2 and provided with vertical plates 7 radially extending from the inner surface of the holder 2 for correct positioning of the rod-shaped object in the holder 2.

Each of the support legs 3 is pivotally secured in the lower part of the means 4 for supporting the holder 2 by a joint or hinge 5. The support legs 3 may be rotated about a pivot pin in the hinge 5. The holder 2 has a large, circular opening for receiving the lower portion of a tree trunk. The diameter of the opening is sufficiently large to support trees of the desired size.

The upper ends of the support legs 3 have a number of nails 6. When the support legs 3 are pivoted the upper portions of the support legs 3 pivot inwardly and engage with the tree trunk, where the nails 6 bite or dig into the tree trunk to brace and maintain the tree in an upright position. Once the nails 6 have engaged the tree trunk, downward movement of the tree trunk will cause the nails 6 to further bite into the trunk. The greater the weight of the tree tending to force the trunk downward, the tighter and more securely the trunk is held.