Tree stand

Claim 2

A stand for an elongate, upright object such as a tree comprising a base including a fluid holding receptacle for receiving the butt end of the object, restraining means for engaging and restraining the butt end of the object against lateral movement relative to said base, and holding means attached to said base above said restraining means having an opening extending vertically therethrough for receiving a portion of said object above its butt end, said holding means including at least a pair of spaced apart screw-adjustable engaging means disposed in a substantially common horizontal plane on one side of and adjacent said opening and mounted for adjustable movement independently of each other into and away from said opening, an elongate wedge having an elongate, serrated, inclined engaging edge, and means mounting said wedge along the side of the opening opposite said engaging means in a substantially horizontal position for movement in a substantially horizontal plane paralleling and closely adjacent the plane of said engaging means, with movement of the wedge in one direction toward an engaging position causing said engaging edge thereof to progressively decrease the distance between said edge and said engaging means frictionally to grip and hold the object in said opening, and movement in the opposite direction toward a release position releasing the object.

Claim 3

The stand of claim 1, which further includes inhibiting means on said mounting means operable to engage said wedge when in a holding position to inhibit movement thereof toward its release position.

Claim 4

The stand of claim 1, which further comprises barrier means in said receptacle positioned to surround the butt of an object held in said receptacle to prevent fluid held in said receptacle from contacting the object.

Claim 5

The stand of claim 1, wherein said wedge has an elongate lip extending along and depending from an elongate horizontally disposed edge of the wedge opposite its said engaging edge, and said means mounting the wedge includes means defining an elongate channel slidably receiving said lip to guide the wedge on movement between engaging and release positions and to maintain said wedge against movement laterally of said channel.

Claim 6

The stand of claim 3, which further comprises mounting means for removably attaching said barrier means to said receptacle.

Claim 7

The stand of claim 5, wherein said barrier means comprises a hollow cylinder and said mounting means comprises a ring secured to the floor of said receptacle over which ring the base of said cylinder fits in fluid-tight relationship.

Claim 8

A stand for an elongate, upright object such as a tree, comprising a base, restraining means for engaging and restraining the butt end of the object against lateral movement relative to said base, and holding means attached to said base above said restraining means, said holding means comprising a removable cover for said base having an upper surface sloping downwardly on progressing radially outwardly from the center thereof and, having an opening extending vertically therethrough for receiving a portion of the object above its butt end, mounted for adjustable movement into or away from said opening to engage said portion of the object, an elongate wedge, and means mounting said wedge for movement along the side of the opening opposite said engaging means, with movement of the wedge in one direction toward an engaging position causing an elongate engaging edge thereof to progressively decrease the distance between said edge and said engaging means frictionally to grip and hold the object in said opening, and movement in the opposite direction toward a release position releasing the object, said mounting for the wedge including a support secured to and projecting upwardly from said cover and spaced a preselected distance from the center of said cover, said cover further including an opening extending therethrough of sufficient size to receive said support, with said opening being spaced from said support at substantially the same preselected distance from the center of the cover to permit a similar support on another cover to extend therethrough to accommodate nested stacking of a plurality of said covers.

Claim 9

A stand for an elongate, upright object such as a tree, comprising a base, restraining means for engaging and restraining the butt end of the object against lateral movement relative to said base, and holding means attached to said base above said restraining means, said holding means comprising a removable cover for said base having an upper surface sloping downwardly on progressing radially outwardly from the center thereof and, having an opening extending vertically therethrough for receiving a portion of the object above its butt end, mounted for adjustable movement into or away from said opening to engage said portion of the object, an elongate wedge, and means mounting said wedge for movement along the side of the opening opposite said engaging means, with movement of the wedge in one direction toward an engaging position causing an elongate engaging edge thereof to progressively decrease the distance between said edge and said engaging means frictionally to grip and hold the object in said opening, and movement in the opposite direction toward a release position releasing the object, said mounting for the wedge including a support secured to and projecting upwardly from said cover and spaced a preselected distance from the center of said cover, said cover further including an opening extending therethrough of sufficient size to receive said support, with said opening being spaced from said support at substantially the same preselected distance from the center of the cover to permit a similar support on another cover to extend therethrough to accommodate nested stacking of a plurality of said covers.