WO2007060474A1

WO2007060474A1 - Adjustable levelling stand

Info

Publication number: WO2007060474A1
Application number: PCT/GB2006/050163
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stephen Michael Brooks; Mark Lewis James Brooks
Original assignee: Rig Innovations Limited
Priority date: 2005-11-25
Filing date: 2006-06-20
Publication date: 2007-05-31
Also published as: GB0524028D0

Abstract

An adjustable levelling stand (101 30) is adapted to support an article of camping or fishing equipment in a level orientation. The stand (10, 30) comprises a base (11, 31) having an outer ring (12) and inwardly-directed projections (13, 33) provided at spaced locations around the ring (12), The upwardly oriented surface of the inwardly-directed projections (13, 33) forms a support surface (1S, 3S) for the article, and is provided with grooves (18, 38) and/or ridges (16, 17, 36) concentric with the ring (12). Each groove (18, 38) and/or ridge (16, 17, 36) has a different radius, so as to accommodate articles of varying sizes. The base (11, 31) is supported on legs (22), which are removably engageable with receiving points (21) provided at spaced locations around the ring (12), The legs (22) are adjustable independently of one another, to enable levelling of the base (11, 31).

Description

Adjustable Levelling Stand

The present Invention relates to a stand for supporting an article of equipment for use in camping, fishing or other outdoor pursuits. In particular, the invention relates to a stand for supporting an article in a level orientation when the underlying ground is uneven or inclined,

In outdoor pursuits such as camping or fishing, the use of portable heating, lighting and cooking devices such as stoves, lanterns and the like is often desired. Both for practical and safety considerations it is important, and In some cases crucial, that such devices are deployed in a level orientation, For example, when using a gas cooking stove the hob must be presented in a horizontal orientation in order for a pan or other cooking vessel to be safely placed thereon.

Some, though by no means all, conventional stoves, lanterns and other articles of camping equipment are provided with adjustable legs or other means which enable compensation for small variations in the underlying ground, to ensure that the device can be deployed in a relatively level condition. However, these known adjustable levelling means are not fool- proof, and rarely enable deployment of the device in an absolutely level condition. Furthermore, such levelling means tend to result in the device being unstable and thus easily knocked over by a strong wind or accidental contact. Still further, since such known levelling means tend to be integral parts of a stove or lantern, their functionality is restricted in that they cannot be used to steady or level a range of articles.

The above Identified shortcomings of known systems are perhaps accepted by those involved In outdoor pursuits as minor irritations, when such devices are required to be used on relatively level ground, However, when one wishes to use a camping stove or lantern on very uneven or inclined ground, the known levelling means become practically useless. Clearly, this is likely to be a particular difficulty In mountaineering and more extreme forms of outdoor pursuits, but also presents a problem in the more sedate pastime of fishing.

When fishing on a rlverbank, the angler is often stationary for long periods of time, and the use of heating and cooking equipment is therefore particularly desirable. The angiar may also be out on the riverbank in reduced light conditions, or even total darkness, and the use of lighting equipment then also becomes Important, In order to obtain the best location on the riverbank, the angler will typically set up his pitch as close to the water as practicable - usually on a sloping bank of the river, or on an area of uneven, eroded ground. The known levelling means provided on conventional heating, cooking and lighting devices are of little or no use in such locations. It is the perception of this particular problem which has led to the development of the present invention.

The present invention seeks to address the above issues by providing a compact, lightweight, stable and adjustable stand capable of supporting heating, cooking and lighting equipment in a level orientation regardless of the condition of the underlying ground.

According to the present invention, there is provided a stand adapted to support an article, said stand comprising: a base having an outer ring and a first support surface formed by inwardly-directed projections provided at spaced locations around the ring, said first support surface having one or rnore grooves and/or ridges concentric with the ring, thereby to accommodate articles of varying sizes; receiving points provided at spaced locations around the ring; and legs removably engageable with said receiving points and adjustable independently of one another, thereby to enable levelling of said base.

The present invention has been developed particularly for supporting an article of heating, cooking or lighting equipment, such as a stova or lantern, and in relation to camping, fishing or other outdoor pursuits. It will however be appreciated that the present invention may find use in substantially any other application where equipment is required to be supported in a level orientation, and the term "article" as used herein should be construed accordingly.

The grooves and/or ridges provided on the first support surface are used to grip the lower end of the article to ba supported, so as to increase stability. The provision of a plurality of grooves and/or ridges each having a different radius enables the accommodation of articles of varying sizes.

In order to be stable, the stand must comprise at least three legs, and at least three receiving points to accommodate them. The stand may be provided with more legs, however it is generally preferred that the number of legs should be equal to three, so as to avoid over-complicating the process of adjusting the legs to level the base. To increase the adjustability of the present invention, the number of receiving points may be greater than the number of legs, allowing the location of the legs on the base to be adapted to suit the underlying ground. The Inwardly-directed projections are preferably located at or adjacent the receiving points on the ring. Most preferably, the inwardly-directed projections take the form of spokes meeting at a central hub.

The stand is preferably provided with a level indicator such as a spirit 5 level, to assist the user in adjusting the legs to level the base, Most preferably, the level Indicator is incorporated Into the central hub.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base Is provided with a second support surface formed on the underside of the inwardly-directed projections, said second support surface having one or more 10 grooves and/or ridges concentric with the ring, each said groove and/or ridge having a different radius from any groove and/or ridge present on the first support surface; whereby in use the stand may bθ deployed with either the first or second support surface in an upward orientation, thereby to accommodate a wider range of articles of varying sizes. The stand can thus 15 accommodate substantially all standard sizes of camping stoves, lanterns, and gas cartridges therefor,

The removable engagement of the legs with the receiving points on the base may be achieved by any suitable mechanism which enables the effective height of each leg to be adjusted independently of the other legs. The 20 effective height of a leg Is defined as being equal to the elevation of its associated receiving point on the base above a point on the underlying ground Immediately therebeneath. Preferably, the independent adjustment of the legs is achieved by forming each receiving point as an aperture in the base, such that each associated leg is capable of being removably mounted in said 25 aperture for sliding motion in a direction normal to the plane of the base. In the preferred embodiment having a second support surface, each receiving point is preferably formed as aperture extending through the entire thickness of the base, In this way, the legs may be removed from and re- attached to the base at will, regardless of whether the base is deployed with its first or second support surface in an upward orientation.

The incorporation of a level indicator in the central hub may be adapted for the preferred embodiment having a second support surface in two ways: the hub may either be constructed so as to have a separate level indicator mounted on each support surface; or alternatively, the hub may be constructed with a single level indicator visible from each support surface by means of a window provided therein.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the stand may be supplied with a range of legs of differing length and construction to suit differing ground conditions. Each receiving point aperture is preferably provided with retaining means to secure its associated leg at a selected position in its range of motion. Most preferably, the retaining means comprises a threaded socket in communication with the aperture and a complementary threaded screw associated with said socket and arranged to bear against a leg engaged with the aperture.

To provide further stability to the stand, each leg is preferably provided with a series of circumferential notches at spaced intervals along its length, each said notch being adapted to receive the threaded screw, in a locking arrangement. The circumferential notches are preferably formed with a pitch of substantially 90°, whilst the operative end of each threaded screw is formed with a complementary taper to facilitate the locking arrangement. Each threaded screw is preferably provided with a knurled knob to enable manual adjustment.

The lower end of each leg is preferably formed as a spike. The spike may be used either to penetrate directly into the ground to secure the stand, or may co-operate with a detachable foot. It is envisaged that the detachable foot arrangement will be used when the stand is located on an impenetrable surface, In certain circumstances, for example when the stand is to be used on particularly soft ground, both the spike and the foot may be used to secure the stand. In this embodiment, the spike extends through the foot to penetrate the ground, whilst the foot is used to prevent the leg sinking further into the ground than is desired.

The components of the present invention may be constructed from any suitable material. It is however currently preferred that the base be formed from a material selected from polypropylene, aluminium alloys, carbon fibre or graphite, with polypropylene being most preferred- The legs, threaded screws and knurled knobs are preferably formed from stainless steel. in order that the present invention may be fully understood, preferred embodiments thereof will now be described in detail, though only by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of adjustable levelling stand according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of adjustable levelling stand according to the present invention; Figure 3 shows a detailed view of the leg engagement mechanism of the stands of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of a leg of the stands of Figures 1 to 3; and Figure 5 shows a schematic representation of a foot for use in combination with the leg of Figure 4.

Referring first to Figure 1 , there Is shown an adjustable levelling stand, generally indicated 10, according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The stand 10 has a base 11 consisting of a circumferential ring 12 having three inwardly-directed spokes 13 extending therefrom at equally spaced intervals around the circumference, and meeting at a central hub 14.

The spokes 13 each have a broad, flattened upper surface 15, which combine to form a first support surface 15 for an article (not shown). To enable the stand 10 to support a range of articles of differing size, the support surface 15 is provided with a broad outer ridge 16 and a narrow inner ridge

17, said ridges 16,17 being concentric with one another and with the circumferential ring 12. The ridges 16,17 and the ring 12 together define a pair of concentric grooves 18 In which a lip of an article such as a gas stove can be located. Each groove 18 has a different radius so as to accommodate articles of varying size,

The hub 14 at the centre of the base 11 has a spirit level 19 formed integrally therein. The level 19 is used to check the alignment of the base 11 when adjusting the stand 10.

The ring 12 is provided with three receiving points 21 , each adapted to receive a leg 22, as will be discussed in more detail below with reference to Figure 3. Each receiving point 21 is located adjacent the junction of a spoke 13 with the circumferential ring 12, to ensure that the receiving points 21 - and hence the legs 22 - are located at the strongest locations on the ring 12.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown an alternative construction of adjustable levelling stand, generally indicated 30, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment 30 is broadly the same in many aspects as the first embodiment 10 — however in the second embodiment 30, the base 31 is designed to be reversible, being provided with a second support surface 35 on the opposite side of the inwardly-directed spokes 33 from the first support surface 15. The base 31 is shown in Figure 2 with the second support surface 35 in an upward orientation, whilst the first support surface 15 now forms the underside of the base 31.

The second support surface 35 is provided with a broad ridge formed as a block 36, adjacent an indented groove 38. The block 36 and the groove 38 each have a different radius (i.e. distance from the central hub 34) from the ridges 16,17 and grooves 18 provided on the first support surface 15, thus enabling the stand 30 to be used for the support of a wider range of articles (not shown) of differing sizes. The construction of the central hub 34 is modified for the second embodiment 30 so that the base 31 may easily be levelled when it is deployed with either the first 15 or second 35 support surface in an upward orientation, To this end, the central hub 34 may be formed with a separate spirit level 19 associated with each support surface 15,35, or alternatively may be provided with a single spirit level 39 viewable by means of a window 37 provided in each support surface 15, 35.

Figure 2 also illustrates the manner in which the adjustable legs 22 are mounted at the receiving points 21 for sliding motion so as to extend both above and below the plane of the base 31. This aspect is the same for both the first 10 and second 30 embodiments, and will be discussed in more detail below with reference to Figure 3.

Referring now to Figure 3, this shows a detailed view of the engagement of a leg 22 with a receiving point 21 on the base 11. The following discussion of the Interaction of the legs 22 with the base Is made with reference to the base 11 of the first embodiment 10 - though it should be understood that this aspect of the invention is identical for the base 31 of the second embodiment 30. The receiving point 21 comprises an aperture 41 extending through the base 11. The leg 22 is removably mountable in the aperture 41 and is capable of sliding motion so as to extend above or below the plane of the base 11 , In this way, the effective height of each leg 22 (that is to say, the vertical elevation of each receiving point 21 on the base 11 over a point on the underlying ground immediately therebeneath) can be varied Independently of one another.

In order that the leg 22 may be secured in its aperture 41 at a selected effective height, the aperture 41 is provided with a locking screw 42. The screw 42 has a threaded shaft 43 which engages with a complementarity threaded socket 44 on the base 11. The socket 44 communicates with the aperture 41 , enabling the end of the screw shaft 43 to bear against the leg 22 within the aperture 41 , as will bθ described in more detail below with reference to Figure 4. To facilitate manual operation of the locking screw 42, the head portion 45 thereof is provided with a knurled surface 46 for improved grip.

As is best shown In Figure 4, the engagement of the locking screw 42 with the leg 22 within the aperture 41 Is facilitated by means of a series of spaced notches 47 along the length of each leg 22. Each notch 47 is formed with a 90° pitch, whilst the tip 48 of the locking screw 42 is formed with a complementary 90° pitch, enabling the tip 48 to lock in place in a selected notch 47- For the best performance, the legs 22 and screws 42 should be accurately machined from stainless steel. Referring again to Figure 1 , each teg 22 is secured in place in its associated aperture 41 at a selected effective height. By independently adjusting the effective height of each leg 22, variations in the underlying ground can be compensated for, to keep the base 11 level. The spirit level 19 can be used to check the alignment of the base 11. If any further adjustments are required, these are carried out by releasing the screws 42, sliding the legs 22 in the apertures 41 until the spirit level 19 indicates that the base 11 is level, and then re-tightening the screws 42 to lock the legs 22 in place.

As can also be seen from Figure 4, the tip of each leg 22 is formed as a spike 49, so that the legs 22 can be driven Into soft or medium-hard ground. Where the underlying ground is impenetrable, such as rock or concrete, the stand 10 is provided with detachable feet 51 , as shown in Figure 5. Each foot 51 is formed from a flexibly resilient material, such as rubber, and has a channel 52 formed therein, of complementary shape to the spike 49 at the tip of each leg 22, The foot 51 can thus easily be slipped on to a leg 22 when required, and grips the ieg 22 firmly within the channel 52, The underside 53 of the foot 51 then contacts the underlying ground, with the spike 49 remaining within the channel 52-

In a modified embodiment of the present invention (not shown), the channel 52 extends though the entire foot 51 , passing through the underside 53. In use, the spike 49 then passes through the foot 51 to penetrate the underlying ground, whilst the underside 53 of the foot 51 remains in contact with the ground surface. This modified embodiment may be used where the underlying ground is particularly soft, to prevent the stand 10 from sinking into the ground.

Claims

1. A stand adapted to support an article, said stand comprising: a base having an outer ring and a first support surface formed by inwardly-directed projections provided at spaced locations around the ring, said first support surface having one or more grooves and/or ridges concentric with the ring, thereby to accommodate articles of varying sizes; receiving points provided at spaced locations around the ring; and legs removably engageable with said receiving points and adjustable independently of one another, thereby to enable levelling of said base.

2. A stand as claimed in claim 1 _* comprising three receiving points and three legs.

3. A stand as claimed In claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the inwardly-directed projections are located at or adjacent the receiving points on the ring.

4. A stand as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the inwardly-directed projections take the form of spokes meeting at a central hub.

5. A stand as claimed in claim 4, wherein the hub is provided with a level Indicator.

6. A stand as claimed in claim 5, wherein the level indicator is a spirit level,

7. A stand as claimed In any of the preceding claims, wherein the base is provided with a second support surface formed on the underside of the inwardly-directed projections, said second support surface having one or more grooves and/or ridges concentric with the ring, each said groove and/or ridge having a different radius from any groove and/or ridge present on the first support surface; whereby in use the stand may be deployed with either the first or second support surface In an upward orientation, thereby to accommodate a wider range of articles of varying sizes.

8. A stand as claimed In any of the preceding claims, wherein each receiving point is an aperture in the base, each said aperture being adapted to receive a leg therein for sliding motion normal to the plane of the base.

9. A stand as claimed in claim 8, wherein each aperture is provided with retaining means to secure its associated leg at a selected position in its range of motion.

10. A stand as claimed in claim 9, wherein the retaining means comprises a threaded socket in communication with the aperture and a complementary threaded screw associated with said socket and arranged to bear against a leg engaged with said aperture,

11. A stand as claimed in claim 10, wherein each leg is provided with a series of notches at spaced intervals along its length, each said notch adapted to receive the threaded screw, in a locking arrangement.

12. A stand as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 , wherein the threaded screw is provided with a knob for manual adjustment.

13. A stand as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each leg has a foot portion formed as a spike.

14. A stand as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each leg Is provided with a detachable foot,

1 B. A stand as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the base is adapted to support an article of equipment for use in camping, fishing or other outdoor pursuits,

16. A stand as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the base is adapted to support an article of heating, lighting or cooking equipment.

17. A stand as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the base is adapted to support a stove or lantern.