US3545715A - Elongate-extensible member - Google Patents

Description

O United States Patent [111 3,545,715

[72] Inventor Lee Triplet! UNITED STATES PATENTS Salt Lake City, Utah 1,225,795 5/1917 Fraser 287/203 [2 pp 747,898 2,456,480 12/1948 Austin 85/67 1 Filed J y 26,1968 2,542,967 2/1951 Waechter 287 58(,CT 1 Patented 8, 1970 3,004,743 10/1961 Wengerm. 240/161 [73] Assisnee Expand) Products m? 1,302,588 5/1919 PlelSIel' 85/67 z f ggg of Utah FOREIGN PATENTS I 585,605 2/1947 Great Britain 248/161 Primary Examiner-Edward C. Allen 541 ELONGATE-EXTENSIBLE MEMBER Ralph Shaffer 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figs. 52] m 248/411, ABSTRACT: The present invention comprises an elongate ex- 8 5 no tensible device employing one or more compression-type fric- [51] In. N F16! 11/26 tion-lock devices within the design. These are utilized to per- 501 Field oi'Search 248/411, Selectable moummg of the dew, Selectable 412, 354, 355 161, 1885; 237/58(CT); 85/70, thereof, and so forth. The elongate structure of the present in- 287/203 vent1on 1s suitable for incorporation in a vanety of contexts,

such as microphone stands, camera and projector stands, ex- [56] References Cited tensible legs, pointers, and so forth.

PATENTED DEC 8197B LEE TRIPLE TT BY HIS ATTORNEY ELONGATE-EXTENSIBLE MEMBER The present invention relates to elongate devices which are adjustable as to extension and retraction and, more particularly, to anew and improved elongate device of the type described wherein by means of incorporation of one or more friction locks within the structure, the device may be used in a versatile manner. in a number. of contexts. In the past, a number of different types of devices have been made which are extensible and withdrawable in one way or another. Conventional microphone stands, music stands, and so forth, will conventionally include alocking collar that is threaded to the base of the unit. The locking collar has jaws'or other securement means provided therewithin for selectively locking and releasing the lock upon a central moveable shaft. Such structures have proved to be expensive to produce, cumbersome in use, and rather difficult to manipulate, requiring the user to grasp, not only the collar, but also the base to which the collar is threaded.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved extensible structure incorporating a selectively releasable friction-lock.

A further object is to provide a new friction-locking construction.

A further object is to provide an extensible and retractable elongate device wherein plural friction-lock devices are incorporated in the design to admit the securement of the object to an external member such as a base, and also to provide selective and easy locking and release of lock for members upper portions of which are extensible.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a means whereby one or more frictional-locking devices incorporating friction-lock elastomeric sleeve-may be manipulated remotely and exteriorly of the area in which the locking device is used.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective of a microphone stand incorporating the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, shown in vertical section, of the base portion of the device illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section and is taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1. i

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1. v

In FIG. 1, microphone includes a base clevis mount 11 to which is secured an upper ear 12 or rod 13, of the elongate construction of the present invention when taking the form of a stand. Ear 12 includes an aperture 14 which is alined with the apertures 15 and 16 of mount 11. Pivot pin 17 is provided and may take any one of several standard forms for securing a microphone to a rod or a shafLRod 13 may be solid of hollow, as desired. Where hollow, a stud 17 may be threaded into the inwardly threaded portion 18 of rod 13 to provide a secure mounting. Of course, where the rod 13 is solidthen the stud 17 may be appropriately turned and threaded in a conventional manner. It is deemed preferable, however, that ahollow configuration for rod 13 may be used.

Disposed upon the threaded portion of stud 17 is a washer or bearing 19, backing rod reaction shoulder S, and which itself is backed by radially expansible, axially compressible, resilient, elastomeric sleeve 20 and nut 21 the latter of which is threaded onto the stud 17. Thus, it will be seen that when the parts (shown in exploded view in FIG. 4 at the left-hand side thereof) are assembled onto threaded portion or stud 17, that a slight manual preload may be applied to the sleeve 20 by the user turning merely with his thumb and fingers the nut 21 upon stud 17. The general construction of the device, when assembled, isillustrated in FIG. 3, wherein rod 13 is seen as being disposed within central sleeve 22. The tubular standard,

Le. central sleeve 22, may include an end portion 23 simply pressed into the upper end 24 of central sleeve member 25. The representative line 26 merely indicates that members 24 and 25 shall be joined and considered as an integral unit. In practice it is preferred to provide the structure as shown, since the end portion or ferrule 24 serves as a guide for rod 13; further, additional interior space is provided for the expansion of sleeve 20.

The lower end 27 of central sleeve 22 is provided with a friction-lock device 28 as follows. Bolt 29 has included thereover an axially compressible, radially expandable sleeve 30 which is backed by alinement bushing 31 and washer 32. The latter abuts the end 33 of the central sleeve 22. With the user merely tightening the nut 34 upon the threaded shank 34' of bolt 29, a tight compression load can be exerted by compression sleeve 30 so that this end fitting, including threaded shank 34, will be rigidly secured to and within this end of central sleeve 22.

Base support T is provided with base 35 which rests upon a ground plane and is provided with a central aperture or bore 36. This bore receives the lower-most portion 37 of the bolt 29 and, as well, the washer 38, elastomeric, axially compressible, radially expandable sleeve 39, and nut 40 which is threaded upon the threaded shank of bolt 29. It is to be noted that tubular stub of the base takes the form of a closed-end sleeve nut 41 which has a base portion 42 which has a threaded aperture at 43 to threadingly receive bolt 29. It is to be noted that the nut 34 engages the internal face of base portion 42. Hence, when the sleeve nut 41 is manually rotated, the same will serve to compress sleeve 39 and thus produce a friction-lock within the base 35 (by virtue of the'expansion of sleeve 39) without disturbing the friction-lock produced by sleeve 30 within elongate sleeve 22.

The structure as thus far described is assembled and operates as follows. The'central elongate tube 22 is first provided with friction-lock components including sleeve 30, bolt 29, bushing 31, and washer 32, and the nut 34 is tightened down against the lower end (by washer 33) of central tube 22, this so as to produce a secure friction-lock by device 28 at the lower end of central tube 22. The tightening of nut 34 produces a compression of elastomeric sleeve 30 so as to obtain the friction-lock before mentioned.

At This point, the lower portion of tube 22 is introduced into the sleeve nut 41, and shank 34' of bolt 29 is threaded through the threaded aperture 43 such that the threaded shank of the bolt proceeds therebelow. At this point the friction-lock device, including the aforementioned threaded shank of the bolt and elastomeric sleeve 39, washer 38, and nut 40, is assembled. A slight preload is given the elastomeric sleeve 39 through the manual tightening of nut 40 upon the shank 34' of bolt 29. Next, these parts as above referenced, are introduced as a frictional-locking device within the bore 36 of base 35. A manual tightening of the sleeve nut 41 produces a tightening of nut 40 against the lower end of sleeve 39 so as to produce a very rigid and fixed securement of this portion of the structure within bore 36. It will be noted that the bolt 29 has previously been secured with its structure to the lower end of central tube 22 by the prior tightening of nut 34.

At this point, the rod 13 is provided the friction-lock device including parts 19, 20 and 21, previously described, and compression sleeve 20 is preloaded by the manual tightening of nut 21 upon threaded stud 1,7. This friction-lock portion of the rod is introduced into the upper end at A of central tube 22, and the diameter of tube 22 will be such that it will be nominally equivalent to the outside diameter of compression sleeve 20. Hence, rotational displacements of rod 13 about its axis will provide a riding up or tightening of nut 21 upon stud 17, thereby producing a radial expansion of compression sleeve 20 and a further locking of the device within central tube 22. At this point, the microphone 10 may be attached to the ear 12 of rod 13 by the pivot attachments 15 being introduced through aperture 14 and clevis mount 11 in a con ventional manner. The microphone cord may either be disposed outside of the structure or, where desired, the cord may simply proceed upward through the microphone structure by using hollow bolts and studs as at 17 and 29, a hollow base relative to 35, and a hollow rod for rods 13.

Experience has demonstrated that a very slight rotational displacement of rod 13 can be used either to secure or to loosen the height disposition of rod 13 within central sleeve 22. This is very easily done and may be done by use of a single hand. Thus, rotational displacement of rod 13 in one direction will produce a loosening of the friction-lock device D by permitting a restoring of sleeve 30 to its original position upon a relative loosening of sleeve 20 nut 21 as accomplished through the slight rotational adjustment of rod 13. Thereupon, the rod may be advanced upwardly or downwardly, as desired, and the user then, and simple with a slight rotation of rod 13 by his thumb and fingers, may return the friction-lock at sleeve 20 through a reverse rotation of the rod.

The structure thus indicates a microphone or other extensible structure wherein, by virtue of a manual manipulation of a single element, namely rod 13 or even microphone 10, there may be provided a release of the friction-lock of the rod 13 and a corresponding resecurement thereof by use of but a single hand.

The present invention is ideally suited to microphone constructions but may be used in other contexts and constructions equally as well as in the case of extensible poles, legs, transit stands, camera or projector stands, extension pointers, and so forth.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and,

therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. An elongate construction including, in combination, a base support for disposition on and support by a ground plane, a tubular standard upstanding from said base support, a rod slideably disposed within said tubular standard, said rod having an upper end and a threaded lower end provided with reaction means, a radially expandable, axially compressible friction sleeve disposed over said lower end and frictionally engaging the interior of said tubular standard, and nut means threaded onto said lower end and backing said sleeve, for selectively compressing said sleeve against said reaction means, said nut means being advanceable against said sleeve upon the rotation of said rod relative to said tubular standard, wherein said base support includes a base having a central bore, a tubular stub securing said tubular standard, and friction-lock means securing said tubular stub to said base at said bore, and wherein said friction lock means comprises a bolt, first friction sleeve lock means disposed upon said bolt within said bore of said base, second friction sleeve lock means disposed upon said bolt within said tubular stub, means threaded upon said bolt for compression-locking said second friction sleeve lock means within said tubular standard, said tubular stub including a base portion threaded upon said bolt and comprising means for friction-locking said first friction sleeve lock means within said base.

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