Foldable Christmas tree and branch holder therefor

Claim 2

An artificial Christmas tree comprising: (a) a vertically extending trunk member; (b) a plurality of branches having looped rear ends; (c) a plurality of branch holders, each of said branch holders comprising: (i) a central tubular member; (ii) a plurality of connecting arms each including a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel guides extending outwardly from said central tubular member, each of said guides having an aperture therein, the aperture in one guide of said pair being registered with the aperture in the other guide of said pair and a supporting member extending outwardly and upwardly from said central tubular member beneath said pair of guides and beyond said apertures whereby an acute angle is formed between said supporting member and the axis of said central tubular member; and (iii) a plurality of securing means each being extendable through one pair of registered apertures and the looped rear end of a branch disposed therebetween for securing said branches to said branch holders for pivotal movement of said branches between an outstanding position in which the unlooped portions of said branches adjacent said rear ends engage said supporting members to be held thereby in said outstanding position and a position in which said branch members are substantially coaxial with said trunk member; (d) means disposed behind the apertures in each of said connecting arms and extending upwardly relative to said supporting members for providing bearing surfaces for the looped rear ends of said branches when said branches are in said outstanding positions; and (e) means for mounting said branch holders on said trunk in distributed relation along a portion at least of the length thereof with the central tubular members in surrounding relation with said trunk member.

Claim 3

An artificial Christmas tree according to claim 1, wherein said central tubular member and said branch connecting arms are integrally formed of metal.

Claim 4

An artificial Christmas tree according to claim 1, wherein said trunk member comprises at least an upper trunk portion detachably connectable to a lower trunk portion, said branch holders only being distributed along said lower trunk portion, and further comprising another plurality of branches fixed to said upper trunk portion in non-pivotal relation therewith.

Claim 5

An artificial Christmas tree according to claim 1, wherein said supporting members are generally U-shaped and longer than their associated guide pairs, and wherein said supporting members are at an acute angle to the axis of said trunk member.

Claim 6

An artificial Christmas tree according to claim 4, wherein said central tubular member and said branch connecting arms are integrally formed of metal, wherein the lower edges of said guide pairs are joined to the upper longitudinal edge portions of the legs of their associated supporting members, whereby said connecting arms comprise unitary structures, wherein the space defined by said guide pairs and said supporting member legs is in communication with the cylindrical space defined by the central tubular member associated therewith, and wherein said plurality of securing means comprises a plurality of rivets.

Claim 7

In a branch holder for pivotally securing a plurality of branch members having looped rear ends to a vertically extending trunk member to permit movement of said branch members between positions outstanding from said trunk and positions substantially coaxial with said trunk, said branch holder being of the type including a central tubular member securable in surrounding relation with said trunk member, the improvement in said branch holder comprises: a plurality of connecting arms, each of said connecting arms including (a) a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel guides extending outwardly from said central tubular member, each of said guides having an aperture therein, the aperture in one guide of said pair being registered with the aperture in the other guide of said pair, and (b) a supporting member extending outwardly from said central tubular member beneath said pair of guides and beyond said apertures whereby an acute angle is formed between said supporting member and the axis of said central tubular member; a plurality of securing means each being extendable through one pair of registered apertures and the looped rear end of a branch disposed therebetween for pivotally securing said branches to said trunk member to permit movement of said branches between said outstanding position in which the unlooped portion of said branches adjacent said rear ends engage said supporting member to be held thereby in said outstanding position, and said position in which said branch members are substantially coaxial with said trunk member; and means disposed behind the apertures in each of said connecting arms and extending upwardly relative to said supporting members for providing bearing surfaces for the looped rear ends of said branches when said branches are in said outstanding positions.

Claim 8

In a branch holder for pivotally securing a plurality of branch members having looped rear ends to a vertically extending trunk member to permit movement of said branch members between positions outstanding from said trunk and positions substantially coaxial with said trunk, said branch holder being of the type including a central tubular member securable in surrounding relation with said trunk member, the improvement in said branch holder comprises: a plurality of connecting arms, each of said connecting arms including (a) a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel guides extending outwardly from said central tubular member, each of said guides having an aperture therein, the aperture in one guide of said pair being registered with the aperture in the other guide of said pair, and (b) a supporting member extending outwardly from said central tubular member beneath said pair of guides and beyond said apertures whereby an acute angle is formed between said supporting member and the axis of said central tubular member; a plurality of securing means each being extendable through one pair of registered apertures and the looped rear end of a branch disposed therebetween for pivotally securing said branches to said trunk member to permit movement of said branches between said outstanding position in which the unlooped portion of said branches adjacent said rear ends engage said supporting member to be held thereby in said outstanding position, and said position in which said branch members are substantially coaxial with said trunk member; and means disposed behind the apertures in each of said connecting arms and extending upwardly relative to said supporting members for providing bearing surfaces for the looped rear ends of said branches when said branches are in said outstanding positions.

Claim 9

A branch holder according to claim 6, wherein said central tubular member and said branch connecting arms are integrally formed of metal.

Claim 10

A branch holder according to claim 7 wherein said supporting members are generally U-shaped and longer than their associated guide pairs, wherein the supporting members associated with each central tubular member are at an acute angle to the axis thereof, and wherein said plurality of securing means comprises a plurality of rivets.

Claim 11

A branch holder according to claim 7, wherein the space defined by said guide pairs and said supporting member legs is in communication with the cylindrical space defined by the central tubular member associated therewith.

Claim 12

A branch holder according to claim 6, wherein said bearing surface providing means comprises upstruck portions provided in the portions of said supporting members adjacent said central tubular members, said upstruck portions being aligned with the space between their associated guide pairs.

Claim 13

A branch holder according to claim 9, wherein said bearing surface providing means comprises spacing said apertures relative to said central tubular members such that said trunk member comprises said bearing surface.

Claim 14

An artificial Christmas tree according to claim 1, wherein said bearing surface providing means comprises upstruck portions provided in the portions of said supporting members adjacent said central tubular members, said upstruck portions being aligned with the space between their associated guide pairs.

Claim 15

An artificial Christmas tree according to claim 5, wherein said bearing surface providing means comprises spacing said apertures relative to said central tubular members such that said trunk member comprises said bearing surface.