Collapsible stand for sheet music and the like

Claim 1

A stand for sheet music and the like comprising: a first leg having a longitudinally extending non-circular bore open at one end; a shaft having a cross section corresponding to said bore, said shaft being slidable within said bore through said open end; a pair of additional legs pivotally secured to said first leg at a substantially common location for movement between a collapsed position wherein said additional legs are substantially aligned with said first leg and an open position wherein said additional legs extend outwardly from said first leg and said three legs collectively define a generally pyramidal base; a support including a plurality of arms pivotally secured together at one end, said arms being movable between a collapsed position wherein said arms are substantially aligned and an open position wherein said arms are out of alignment for defining a supporting surface for said sheet music and the like; each of said arms having an aperture therein and further comprising a knotted flexible member secured to said support and extending through said apertures, said knots being larger than said apertures and spaced for holding said arms in said open position; and means for securing said support to the free end of said shaft for movement between a collapsed position wherein said support is substantially aligned with said first leg when said arms are collapsed and said shaft is substantially fully received in said bore, and an open position wherein said support extends beyond the free end of said shaft and the weight of said support is distributed about an axis extending through said common location and perpendicular to the horizontal when said arms are in said open position.