Tripod

Claim 1

A tripod comprising a cylindrical housing 1 including at its upper end a spherical body 46 on which a threaded rod 45 for mounting a camera thereon is projected, a movable support disc 6 slidably fitted in said cylindrical housing 1 and urged downwardly toward the bottom opening of the cylindrical housing by spring means, at least three legs 9 connected at their upper ends through pins to the marginal portion of said support disc in positions equidistantly spaced apart from one another, engaging openings 11 formed axially of the cylindrical housing in the lower end thereof in positions corresponding to the positions in which the bases of said legs are disposed for permitting the legs to extend therethrough when they are pulled out of or withdrawn into the cylindrical housing, a lower disc 18 connected to the cylindrical housing 1 at the lower end thereof, a bottom cover 23 rotatably mounted on the lower disc 18, engaging openings 24 formed in said bottom cover 23 and adapted to be indexed with said engaging openings 11 in said cylindrical housing 1, a retainer 28 rotatably mounted on the bottom cover 23, engaging recess 36 formed on the underside of the portion of at least one of the legs near its forward end, an engaging portion 35 formed on the retainer 28 adapted to be engaged in said engaging recess in the legs when the latter are received in the cylindrical housing, a rod spring 34 for forcing the retainer 28 in a direction in which the engaging portion 35 is engaged with the engaging recess 36, an operating portion 30a for operating a rod 30 connected to said retainer 28 and extending outwardly through the side wall of the bottom cover 23, and a horizontally directed slot 31 formed in the side wall of the bottom cover for said operating portion to extend therethrough outwardly of the cover, whereby the legs 9 can be retained in their spreading position by supporting the upper and lower edges of the legs 9 projected out of the housing 1 between the upper edge of the bottom cover 23 and the inner ends of the openings 11 formed on the housing 1.