Apparatus for supporting a work surface

Apparatus for supporting a work surface, said apparatus comprising:

• telescoping inner and outer column members,
• each said column member having a top and bottom and including a plurality of planar side members that meet to form edges therebetween,
• said inner column member having external cross-sectional dimensions sufficiently smaller than the internal cross-sectional dimension on said outer column member to thereby make it possible for said inner column member to freely fit and slide inside said outer column member;
• each said column member having a generally uniform rectangular cross-section;
• said inner column member being extendable by telescoping movement with respect to said outer column member;
• a plurality of bearing block assemblies;
• a stabilizer wheel rotatably attached to each said bearing block assembly to allow said wheel to rotate freely with respect to said bearing block assembly;
• said inner column member having a plurality of angled slots formed in said planar side members;
• said block assemblies being constrained to move along said angled slots,
• said angled slots being positioned such that said wheels associated with said bearing block assemblies can be urged in and out of contact with said outer column by moving said block assemblies along said angled slots, whereby said bearing blocks enable said vertical extension by means of a sliding relationship with a minimum amount of horizontal movement while minimizing the force required for such telescoping extension.