Tree stand

A stand for an elongate, upright object such as a tree, comprising

• a base,
• restraining means for engaging and restraining the butt end of the object against lateral movement relative to said base, and
• holding means attached to said base above said restraining means, said holding means comprising a removable cover for said base having an upper surface sloping downwardly on progressing radially outwardly from the center thereof and, having an opening extending vertically therethrough for receiving a portion of the object above its butt end, mounted for adjustable movement into or away from said opening to engage said portion of the object, an elongate wedge, and means mounting said wedge for movement along the side of the opening opposite said engaging means, with movement of the wedge in one direction toward an engaging position causing an elongate engaging edge thereof to progressively decrease the distance between said edge and said engaging means frictionally to grip and hold the object in said opening, and movement in the opposite direction toward a release position releasing the object, said mounting for the wedge including a support secured to and projecting upwardly from said cover and spaced a preselected distance from the center of said cover, said cover further including an opening extending therethrough of sufficient size to receive said support, with said opening being spaced from said support at substantially the same preselected distance from the center of the cover to permit a similar support on another cover to extend therethrough to accommodate nested stacking of a plurality of said covers.