Safety stand

A safety stand, comprising:

• a continuous generally circular upper ring defining a center space, said upper ring having a circumference and a diameter;
• said upper ring being generally tubular and having a generally circular transverse cross section, said upper ring being adapted for extending around the body of a user;
• said upper ring having a thickness;
• said upper ring having a resiliently compressible outer padded layer substantially covering said upper ring, wherein said outer padded layer comprises a resiliently compressible foamed material;
• wherein said outer layer has a thickness greater than twice said thickness of said upper ring;
• a plurality of support legs downwardly and outwardly extending from said upper ring, said support legs being adapted for supporting said upper ring above a ground surface, each of said support legs having opposite upper and lower ends, and a longitudinal axis extending between said upper and lower ends;
• said upper ends of said support legs being coupled to said upper ring, wherein said upper ends of said support legs are pivotally coupled to said upper ring;
• each of said support legs being pivotable between a deployed position and a folded position;
• said upper ends of said support legs being spaced apart at generally equal intervals around said circumference of said upper ring;
• said upper ring lying in a plane, said longitudinal axis of each support leg being extended at an acute angle with respect to said plane of said upper ring when the support leg is positioned in the respective deployed position, wherein said acute angle of each of said support legs is between about 45 degrees and about 80 degrees;
• each of said support legs being telescopically extendible in a direction along the longitudinal axis the respective support leg, each of said support legs having upper and lower telescopic portions, each of said lower telescopic portions being telescopically inserted into the associated upper telescopic portion;
• said upper telescopic portion of each of said support legs having a row of holes located adjacent the associated lower telescopic portion, said row of holes extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the respective support leg;
• said lower telescopic portion of each of said support legs having a spring biased set pin therein, said set pin being insertable into a hole of the associated upper telescopic portion to hold said lower telescopic portion in a fixed position with respect to the associated upper telescopic portion;
• said lower end of each of said support legs having a ground engaging swivel wheel;
• said lower end of each support leg having a brake assembly for selectively frictionally engaging a ground surface;
• wherein said brake assemblies each comprise a brake tube downwardly extending from said lower end of the respective support leg, and a tubular rod being inserted into the brake tube such that said tubular rod downwardly extends from said brake tube;
• wherein said tubular rods each terminates in a resiliently deformable braking foot;
• a plurality of elongate flexible straps each having a pair of opposite ends, each of said flexible straps having a length defined between said ends of the respective strap, wherein said length of each strap is about equal to said diameter of said upper ring;
• one end of said each of said straps being coupled to said upper ring;
• and
• another of said ends of each of said straps being adapted for securing to the body of the user positioned in the center space to secure the upper ring to the user.