Tripod for pole mounted lantern

A tripod stand configured to support a pole mounted lantern, the tripod stand comprising:

• a) a base with a plurality of legs, each leg having a proximal end pivotally coupled to the base at a connection, the connection comprising:
• b) a pivot axle pivotally coupling the leg to the base, the leg being pivotal about the pivot axle between a plurality of different orientations, including:
• i) a collapsed orientation with a distal free end of the leg positioned inward with respect to the base and proximate distal free ends of the plurality of legs, and with the leg oriented substantially vertically and parallel with a longitudinal axis of the base;
• ii) an extended orientation with the distal free end positioned outward with respect to the base and away from the distal free ends of the plurality of legs, and with the leg oriented transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis of the base;
• and
• iii) at least one intermediate orientation with the leg oriented between the collapsed orientation and the extended orientation;
• c) a channel in the base to receive the proximal end of the leg, and having:
• i) a pair of opposing side walls;
• ii) a pair of opposing protrusions extending inward towards one another from the pair of opposing side walls;
• iii) a pair of tracks on the pair of opposing protrusions and facing outwardly with respect to the channel;
• iv) each of the pair of tracks being arcuate with a convex curvature about the pivot axle;
• and
• v) each of the pair of tracks having a wavy profile with a plurality of valleys, each valley being positioned between proximate peaks;
• d) the leg comprising:
• a pair of bores aligned with the pivot axle;
• and
• a pair of opposite slots;
• e) a cartridge inserted into a hollow of the proximal end of the leg, the cartridge comprising:
• a pair of apertures aligned with the pair of bores of the leg;
• and
• a pair of opposite slots aligned with the pair of opposite slots of the leg;
• f) a bar carried by the cartridge and the proximal end of the leg, the bar movably positioned in the channel of the base and oriented perpendicularly to the pair of opposing side walls and parallel with the pivot axle, the bar having opposite ends extending through the pair of opposite slots of the cartridge and the pair of opposite slots of the leg and into engagement with the pair of tracks in the channel of the base;
• and
• g) a spring carried by the cartridge and the proximal end of the leg and associated with the bar, the spring biasing the bar into engagement with the pair of tracks and into a valley of the wavy profile and resisting displacement of the bar out of the valley of the wavy profile.

A tripod stand configured to support a pole mounted lantern, the tripod stand comprising:

• a) a base with a plurality of legs, each leg having a proximal end pivotally coupled to the base at a connection, the connection comprising:
• b) a pivot axle pivotally coupling the leg to the base, the leg being pivotal about the pivot axle between a plurality of different orientations, including:
• i) a collapsed orientation with a distal free end of the leg positioned inward with respect to the base and proximate distal free ends of the plurality of legs, and with the leg oriented substantially vertically and parallel with a longitudinal axis of the base;
• ii) an extended orientation with the distal free end positioned outward with respect to the base and away from the distal free ends of the plurality of legs, and with the leg oriented transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis of the base;
• and
• iii) at least one intermediate orientation with the leg oriented between the collapsed orientation and the extended orientation;
• c) a channel in the base to receive the proximal end of the leg, and having:
• i) a pair of opposing side walls;
• ii) a pair of opposing protrusions extending inward towards one another from the pair of opposing side walls;
• iii) a pair of tracks on the pair of opposing protrusions and facing outwardly with respect to the channel;
• iv) each of the pair of tracks being arcuate with a convex curvature about the pivot axle;
• and
• v) each of the pair of tracks having a wavy profile with a plurality of valleys, each valley being positioned between proximate peaks;
• d) the leg comprising:
• a pair of bores aligned with the pivot axle;
• and
• a pair of opposite slots;
• e) a cartridge inserted into a hollow of the proximal end of the leg, the cartridge comprising:
• a cavity with a bottom;
• the bottom has a thickness along a longitudinal axis of the cartridge greater than a thickness of a lateral wall of the cartridge perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge;
• the bottom has a grid with a plurality of ribs extending across the cavity and traversing one another;
• an open end opposite the bottom;
• a pair of apertures aligned with the pair of bores of the leg;
• and
• a pair of opposite slots aligned with the pair of opposite slots of the leg;
• f) a bar carried by the cartridge and the proximal end of the leg, the bar movably positioned in the channel of the base and oriented perpendicularly to the pair of opposing side walls and parallel with the pivot axle, the bar having opposite ends extending through the pair of opposite slots of the cartridge and the pair of opposite slots of the leg and into engagement with the pair of tracks in the channel of the base;
• and
• g) a spring carried by the cartridge and the proximal end of the leg and extending between the bottom of the cavity of the cartridge and the bar, the spring biasing the bar into engagement with the pair of tracks and into a valley of the wavy profile and resisting displacement of the bar out of the valley of the wavy profile.