Demountable pier structure

Claim 1

IN A PIER STRUCTURE, A SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A RIGID FRAME HAVING SPACED TUBULAR VERTICAL LEGS OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH, A POST SLIDABLY ARRANGED WITHIN EACH TUBULAR LEG AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, AND ONE-WAY RELEASABLE CLUTCH MEANS AFFIXED TO THE LOWER EXTREMITY OF EACH SAID LEG AND ENGAGING THE POST THEREIN FOR NORMALLY GRIPPING SAID POST AND PREVENTING DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID LEG UPON SAID POST WHILE PERMITTING UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID LEG ALONG SAID POST, SAID CLUTCH MEANS PROVIDING THE MEANS OF SUPPORT OF EACH SAID LEG UPON THE POST EXTENDING THEREINTO WHEREBY THE ELEVATION OF EACH SAID LEG OF SAID FRAME MAY BE INDEPENDENTLY ADJUSTED WITH AUTOMATIC GRIPPING OF THE SUPPORTING POSTS AT A DESIRED LOCATION, SAID CLUTCH MEANS COMPRISING A FLANGE EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE FRAME LEG, A LATCH PLATE HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN THROUGH WHICH THE POST PASSES WITH APPRECIABLE CLEARANCE, FASTENING MEANS CONNECTING ONE SIDE OF SAID PLATE TO SAID FLANGE FOR LIMITED PIVOTAL MOVEMENT, AND SPRING BIASING MEANS URGING SAID PLATE OBLIQUELY UPWARDLY TOWARD GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID POST.