PORTABLE STAGE SYSTEM

Abstract

A rectangular stage includes a deck supported by a frame and removable legs. The legs insert into a corner receiving assembly below the stage deck at each corner. The leg receiving assembly includes a cylindrical socket into which the top of the leg inserts. The leg receiving assembly also includes a retaining linkage that extends through a slot in the side of the socket and engages the leg. The retaining linkage also includes a manually actuatable latch coupled to the cam to maintain the cam in engagement with the leg.

Claims

1. A portable stage, comprising: a stage deck; a removable leg; a leg mounting assembly receiving a leg, the leg mounting assembly comprising: a receiving element forming a receiving chamber configured to receive a top portion of the leg and defining an opening extending through the receiving element to the receiving chamber, a cam element configured to move between a leg engagement position in which the cam element extends through the opening and a disengaged position.

2. A portable stage according to claim 1, further comprising a latch engaging the cam element and holding the cam element at the leg engagement position.

3. A portable stage according to claim 2, further comprising a spring engageable with the cam element to automatically lock the cam element at the leg engagement position.

4. A portable stage according to claim 2, further comprising a notch formed in the receiving element engaging the latch.

5. A portable stage according to claim 1, further comprising a mounting portion for mounting the receiving element to the frame.

6. A portable stage according to claim 1, wherein the receiving chamber comprises a cylindrical chamber and the upper portion of the leg has a round cross section.

7. A portable stage according to claim 1, wherein the receiving chamber has a constant inner cross section along an entire height of the chamber.

8. A portable stage according to claim 7, wherein the top portion of the leg received in the receiving chamber has a constant outer cross section.

9. A leg mounting assembly, the leg mounting assembly comprising: a receiving element forming a receiving chamber configured to receive a top portion of the leg and defining an opening extending through the receiving element to the receiving chamber, a cam element configured to move between a leg engagement position in which the cam element extends through the opening and a disengaged position.

10. A leg mounting assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a latch engaging the cam element and holding the cam element at the leg engagement position.

11. A leg mounting assembly according to claim 10, further comprising a spring engageable with the cam element to automatically lock the cam element at the leg engagement position

12. A leg mounting assembly according to claim 10, further comprising a notch formed in the receiving element engaging the latch.

13. A leg mounting assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a mounting portion for mounting the receiving element to the stage frame.

14. A leg mounting assembly according to claim 9, wherein the receiving chamber comprises a cylindrical chamber and the upper portion of the leg has a round periphery.

15. A leg mounting assembly according to claim 9, wherein the receiving chamber has a constant inner cross section along an entire height of the chamber.

16. A leg mounting assembly according to claim 15, wherein the top portion of the leg received in the receiving chamber has a constant outer cross section.

17. A method of retaining a removable leg of a portable stage, the stage having a stage deck and a leg mounting assembly receiving the leg, the leg mounting assembly having a receiving element forming a leg receiving chamber configured to receive a top portion of the leg and defining an opening extending through the receiving element to the receiving chamber, a cam element configured to move between a leg engagement position through the opening in the receiving element, and a disengaged position, the cam element being coupled to a latch configured for selectively engaging the leg mounting assembly; the method comprising the steps of: inserting the leg into the leg receiving chamber; moving the cam element through the opening into engagement with the leg; and latching the latch to the leg mounting assembly pulling the cam member under pressure against the leg and retaining the leg.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference letters and numerals indicate corresponding structure throughout the several views:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable stage according to the principles of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the portable stage shown in FIG. 1;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective detail view of a corner of the portable stage shown in FIG. 2;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of a corner of the portable stage, a leg mounting assembly and the top of a leg;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded top perspective view of the leg mounting assembly shown in FIG. 4 shown without the deck for clarity;

[0017] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the leg mounting assembly and leg shown in FIG. 4 in a latched position;

[0018] FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the leg mounting assembly and leg shown in FIG. 4 in released position;

[0019] FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the leg mounting assembly shown in FIG. 6 with the latch engaged taken along a horizontal plane extending through the slot of the socket of the leg mounting assembly and the retaining assembly linkage;

[0020] FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the leg mounting assembly shown in FIG. 7 with the latch disengaged taken along a horizontal plane extending through the slot of the socket of the leg mounting assembly and the retaining assembly linkage;

[0021] FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a cam member for the leg retaining assembly;

[0022] FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the cam member shown in FIG. 10;

[0023] FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a latch member for the leg retaining assembly;

[0024] FIG. 13 is an end view of the latch member shown in FIG. 12;

[0025] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the latch member shown in FIG. 12;

[0026] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the latch of a retainer assembly linkage for the leg mounting assembly shown in FIG. 6;

[0027] FIG. 16 is a top view of the retainer assembly and leg mounting assembly shown in FIG. 15; and

[0028] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of multiple stages joined together to form an extended stage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

[0029] Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a portable stage, generally designated (20). Such portable stages (20) are well known and include a stage deck (22). The deck (22) as shown is a conventional rectangular shape and typically in a standard size such as 4 by 8 feet, although the shape and size may vary. The deck (22) is supported by a frame (26) and legs (30) on and underside of the deck (22). The legs (30) are removable for ease of storage and transport. The frame (26) may be made of strong lightweight materials such as aluminum and may be extruded for ease of manufacture. Moreover, the stages (20) may be placed in a modular edge-to-edge relationship with other like stages to form an extended raised stage surface, such as shown in FIG. 17.

[0030] The legs (30) are removable for transport and storage, which reduces the space required for storage as the stage decks (22) may be stacked together. Each leg (30) includes an upper member (32) and a lower member (34) that telescopes relative to the upper member (32). However, it can be appreciated that the legs could have a one piece construction, particularly for stages have a short height and that do not require adjustment. A spring loaded adjustment detent inserts into corresponding height adjustment holes (36) that provide for setting the relative position between the upper member (32) and the lower member (34) and therefore also adjusts the length of the leg (30) and the height of the stage (20). In the embodiment shown there are four spaced apart adjustment holes (36), but fewer or more holes (36) may be used depending on the application and requirements of the stage (20). As explained hereinafter, the upper members (32) include straight sides with a constant cross-section, often cylindrical, and do not require an alignment element, tapering or other special configurations or special hardware for mounting to leg mounting assemblies (38). The legs also include an alignment structure to ensure proper alignment between the upper member (32) and the lower member (34), such as a guide and complementary slot within the leg.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the stage (20) includes leg mounting assemblies (38) that mount at each of the four corners of the rectangular stage below the deck (22) or at or near corners of non-rectangular stages. However, it is also foreseen that larger stages may require more than four legs. For such applications, the mounting assemblies (38) could be mounted along sides of the stage or in the center of the stage with minor modifications. Each mounting assembly (38) receives a corresponding leg (30) in a cylindrical receiving portion or socket (42). Each mounting assembly includes side mounting plates (50) abutting the frame (26) and a deck mounting plate (48) abutting the underside of the deck (22). The mounting assemblies (38) attach to the ends of the frame (26) with mounting bolts (52). In some embodiments, the frame (26) and the deck mounting plate (48) may include deck alignment members (60) that extend upward and insert into corresponding alignment cavities formed in the underside of the deck (22). The leg receiving socket (42) is cylindrical and defines a cylindrical leg receiving chamber with straight sides and is configured for receiving the straight top portions (32) of the legs. The top of the socket (42) may include radially extending ribs (58), shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, to provide added structural integrity to the socket (42).

[0032] The mounting assemblies (38) also include a retaining assembly (40) for camming against the leg (30) and latching the leg (30) in a retained arrangement. The retaining assembly (40) includes a hinge (44) formed in the side of the socket (42) and a slot (54) formed through the side of the socket (42) to allow a cam member (70) to extend through the slot (54) and engage a leg (30). The cam member (70) pivotally mounts to the hinge (44) with a pin (46) and is rotatable about a vertical rotational axis (62) into and out of the slot (54) to engage and disengage the leg (30). A latch (80) is coupled to the cam (70) by pin (88) about a second rotational axis (90) and may be positioned to engage a vertically extending notch (56) formed in an outer wall of the socket (42) and to retain the cam member (70) in the engaged position, as shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 8 and thereby secure and retain the corresponding leg (30).

[0033] Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, the cam member (70) is an elongate member with a long handle portion (76) that can be easily gripped and provides a mechanical advantage for manual actuation. The handle portion (76) includes a slight depression (78) to provide better alignment related to relative rotation of the latch (80). The cam member (70) includes a tab (74) near the camming surface (72) that acts as a stop to prevent the cam (70) from rotating too far away from the engaged position.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 12-14, the latch (80) includes spaced apart parallel hinge portions (86). The hinge portions (86) are configured to extend above and below the opposed faces of the cam member (70) and receive a pivot pin (88), such as shown in FIG. 3. The latch element (80) also includes a tab portion (84) that allows for easy manual actuation and is aligned to protrude into the depression (78) of the cam member (70) when the cam (70) and latch (80) are brought together. The latch element (80) defines a hook type retaining portion (82) that is complementary to and configured for engaging the notch (56) of the socket (42), such as shown in FIG. 3. Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, a spring (91) is captured by the pin (88) and bears against the latch (80) and cam member (70) to bias the latch (80) away from the cam member (70) so that the hook type retaining portion (82) automatically engages the notch (56) in the outer wall of the socket (42).

[0035] A stage (20) may be easily assembled for use and disassembled for storage without the need for any tools. Before attaching the legs (30), each of the legs (30) is adjusted to a required length by setting the relative position of the lower portion (34) to the upper portion (32) to achieve a desired height for the stage (20). The top of the leg (30) is then simply inserted into a corresponding socket (42) with the retaining assembly (40) at the disengaged position prior to and during insertion of a corresponding leg (30), as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. Once the leg (30) is fully inserted into the socket (42), the linkage of the retaining assembly (40) is moved so that the cam surface (72) of the cam member (70) extends through the slot (54) into the socket (42) by rotating the cam member (70) about the pin (46) and vertical axis (62). The hook type catch (82) of the latch member (80) extends into and engages the notch (56) in the outer wall of the socket (42) automatically due at least in part to biasing of the spring (91). The pressure of the engagement between the cam (70) and the leg (30) and the spring (91) maintains the linkage of the retainer assembly (40) at the engaged position and the catch (82) engaging the notch (56) prevents further rotation of the retainer assembly (40). It can be appreciated that all components of the retainer assembly (40) are attached to the mounting assemblies (38) in an out of the way location when the stage (20) is in use. The deck (22) and the frame (26) protect the retainer assembly (40) from damage and/or accidentally being moved.

[0036] The legs (30) are also removed from the deck (22) without using any tools or requiring great effort. The retainer assembly (40) must be disengaged to free the corresponding leg (30). Starting from the engaged position shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 8, the elongate portion (76) of the cam member (70) is gripped and pressure on the tab (84) of the latch member (80) rotates the tab (84) toward the elongate portion (76) of the cam member (70), which disengages the hook type catch (82) from the notch (56). The forces between the leg (30) and the cam surface (72) causes the retainer assembly (40) to rotate away from and disengage the leg (30) while the catch (82) is moved out of the notch (56). The retainer assembly (40) may be moved so that the cam (70) is completely outside the interior of the socket (42), such as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. The leg (30) is then free and may be slid axially out of the socket (42). It can be appreciated that none of the elements of the retainer assembly (40) extend beyond the furthest point of the frame (26) so that the stages (20) may be stacked on top of one another without damaging the retainer assembly (40).

[0037] It can be appreciated that the stages (20) of the present invention provide for easy manual setup and disassembly as the legs (30) are easily connected and disconnected. The stage system also provides for setting up and taking down without use of any tools for mounting or removing legs (30) or any other structure.

[0038] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.