Trek Rod Engageable Support

Abstract

A trek pole engageable support system is provided allowing users to form a support for a camera, firearm, or other object needing steady positioning. A body of the support has at least one support member engaged at a first end which is configured to compressibly engage the distal end of a support pole at a second end. So engaged with a support pole the body provides elevated support to the object being supported.

Claims

1. A trek pole engageable support apparatus, comprising: a support body having an upper surface opposite a lower surface; said upper surface configured for support of an object thereon at least one support member in an engagement at a first end thereof to said support body; said support member having a sidewall surrounding an axial passage therein; an opening at a second end of said support member communicating with said axial passage; said opening for insertion of a distal end of a support pole therethrough and into said axial passage; and said second end of said support member having a compressive connector thereon for forming a removable compressive engagement with said distal end of said support pole.

2. The trek pole engageable support apparatus of claim 1 wherein said compressive connector comprises: a collar in a threaded engagement upon an exterior surface of said sidewall, said collar moveable along said threaded engagement in a first direction toward said second end of said support member and in a second direction opposite said first direction; splined sections of said sidewall surrounding said opening; and contact of an interior surface of said collar with said splined sections during rotation of said collar in said first direction imparting a deflection of said splined sections toward a central axis of said axial passage, wherein a contact of said splined sections with said distal end of said support pole forms said removable compressive engagement therewith.

3. The trek pole engageable support apparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising: movement of said collar in a first direction progressively further toward said second end of said support member increases a force of said removable compressive engagement.

4. The trek pole engageable support apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising: a plurality of said support members; and said engagement at a first end of each of said support members to said support body being a pivoting engagement.

5. The trek pole engageable support apparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising: a plurality of said support members; and said engagement at a first end of each of said support members to said support body being a pivoting engagement.

6. The trek pole engageable support apparatus of claim 3 additionally comprising: a plurality of said support members; and said engagement at a first end of each of said support members to said support body being a pivoting engagement.

8. The trek pole engageable support apparatus of claim 4 wherein said plurality is three said support members.

9. The trek pole engageable support apparatus of claim 5 wherein said plurality is three said support members.

10. The trek pole engageable support apparatus of claim 6 wherein said plurality is three said support members.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURE

[0025] FIG. 1 depicts a side view of the device showing the support body having a plurality of support members extending from respective engagements to the body portion thereof.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a lower view of a plurality of support members extending from engagements to the body and shows the axial passage within each support member which is surrounded by a collapsible splined compression section.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view through a support member having a compressive connector formed by an axial passage running axially therein which communicates with the opening at the second end of the support member though the splined section surrounded by the threadably engaged collar.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a compressive connector having a collar engaged upon the support member which is engageable with a threaded portion on the exterior surface of the support member wherein rotation toward the open end will compress portions of the splined section to form a compressed engagement against an inserted trek pole end.

[0029] FIG. 5 depicts the device having three support members extending from a lower or second side of the body each of which are configured to form a compressible engagement with the tip or distal end of a trek pole.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the device showing the distal ends of a pair of trek poles being tapered which will become compressibly engaged within respective axial passages of the pair of support members.

[0031] FIG. 7 shows the device, as in FIG. 6, wherein the points or distal ends of the two trek poles have been removably compressibly engaged within the axial passages of a respective support member by the respective compressive connector on each support member.

[0032] FIG. 8 shows another mode of the device herein having a pair of support members operatively connected at the first end to a body.

[0033] FIG. 9 depicts the device herein in an as-used positioning showing the body removably engaged with and supported by a pair of trek poles and providing steady support for a firearm on the upper or first surface of the body portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

Embodiments of the Invention

[0034] In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only. Any such terms are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

[0035] Referring now to the trek pole engageable device 10 herein, shown in the depictions of FIGS. 1-9, there is seen in FIG. 1 a side view of the device 10 showing a support body 12 and a first or upper surface 13 thereof. The support body 12 has at least one, and preferably a plurality, of support members 14 engaged thereto.

[0036] Each support member 14 extends from an engagement of a first end 16 thereof to the support body 12. While the engagement may be on sides or other surfaces of the support body 12, as shown, such an engagement may be to the lower or second surface 11 of the body 12, whereupon the support member extends to a second end 18. As noted, each support member 14 is configured at the second end with a compressive connector which forms a compressive engagement with the distal end of a trek pole 20 opposite the handle end thereof, such as is shown in FIG. 6.

[0037] It is preferred that the support members 14 are in a pivoting engagement 17 with the support body 12. This is because such a pivoting engagement 17 allows the user to rotate the support members 14 outwardly away from the center of the support body 12 and thereby achieve a supporting angle for the support members 14 and any trek pole 20 removably engaged thereto, which imparts a much more stable positioning of the support body 12.

[0038] In FIG. 2 is depicted the device 10 from a lower or second surface view. As shown, the plurality of support members 14 have sidewalls 19 which extend to respective second ends 18 thereof. At the second ends 18 are openings 22 which communicate with an axial passage running axially within the sidewall 19 of each support member 14.

[0039] Also shown, a mode of the compressive connector is provided by splined sections 24 having gaps 26 formed through the sidewall 19 in the area forming the splined sections 24. The splined sections 24, as noted above, will collapse slightly when the collar 28, which is threadably engaged on threads 29 formed on the exterior of the sidewall 19 of the support member 14, is rotated. Such rotation, in one direction, causes the threads 29 in the collar 28 to move along their engagement to the threads 29 on the support member 14 and toward the second end 18 of the support member 14. The movement during rotation of this threaded engagement causes the interior surface 31 or circumference of one end of the collar 28 to contact against the sidewall 19 and the splined sections 24, thereby causing the inward movement thereof.

[0040] This splined section 24 configuration, with inward movement imparted by the interior surface 31 of the collar 28, is particularly preferred in that, in experimentation, it was shown to provide a compressed engagement of the splined sections 24 against a distal end 21 (FIG. 6) of a trek pole 20, whether that distal end is formed constant or linear or is tapered. Further, the rate of taper of trek poles 20 from different manufacturers was also accommodated and a secure compressed engagement of the splined sections 24 thereagainst was achieved, irrespective of the rate of taper or narrowing of the distal ends 21.

[0041] Shown in FIGS. 3-4 are views of a support member 14 surrounding the axial passage 15 therein engaged in a pivoting engagement 17 to the body 12 at a first end thereof. As can be seen, a compressive connector is provided, using threads 29 on the collar 28 threadably engaged with threads 29 on the exterior of the sidewall 19 of the support member 14. When the collar 28 is rotated in this engagement, in a direction to move toward the second end 18, the interior surface 31 contacts the sidewall and against the splined sections 24. Such contact deflects the splined sections 24, situated in between the gaps 26, toward the center axis 30 running through the center of the axial passage 15.

[0042] This deflection forms the compressive connection through the compressive contact of the splined sections 24 against the exterior surface of the distal end 21 of the trek pole 20 or pole shown in FIG. 6. The ability to continually increase the deflection of the splined sections 24, by continuing the rotation of the collar 28, provides for an adjustable increase or decrease in the compressive biasing pressure upon the distal ends 21. This function, allowing increasing of deflection of the splined sections 24, also allows each respective support member 14 to adjust to and compressibly engage varying sized distal ends 21 of differing trek poles 20, which is most important.

[0043] In another mode of the device 10, the splined sections 24, which deflect, may be on a pivot or formed to deflect on an angle such that a slanted or narrowing second end 18, which tapers, can be engaged substantially fully in an increased contact. Of course, other compressive engagements with the distal ends 21 of the trek poles 20 may be employed as would occur to those skilled in the art, such as springs on contacting members, and such are anticipated within the scope of this application. However, currently, the collar 28 is preferred as it allows for adjustment and varying the force of compression and will allow for deflection of the splined sections 24 to accommodate a larger number of pole 20 distal ends 21 of differing dimensions.

[0044] As depicted in FIG. 5, the device 10, as noted, may be provided with as few as one support member 14 and as many as three or more support members 14. Two support members 14 are currently preferred for a lightweight version of the device 10 as such provides a more steady support than a single support member 14 and has less weight and volume than a device 10 with three support members 14.

[0045] As noted above, FIGS. 6-7 depict the device 10 and its configuration being positioned in a removable engagement to trek poles 20 or poles or the like which have a handle end 23 opposite a distal end 21 which is conventionally narrowed or tapered on many such poles. As shown, to employ the device 10, a user will align the trek poles 20 with the axial passages of each support member 14 and insert the distal end 21 therein. Thereafter, the collar 28 will be rotated in its threaded engagement to removably compress the splined section 24 against the distal ends 21 of the pole 20. Removal would be in reverse order. Each collar 28 can be rotated in a respective threaded engagement to achieve more or less of a compressive contact of the respective support member 14 with the chosen trek pole 20.

[0046] In FIG. 8, the device 10 is shown with a body 12 having a more linear configuration and having fixed rather than pivoting engagements of the respective support members 14. While lacking the function of angling the support members 14 for more secure positioning, the device 10 does provide for compact transport and the use of trek poles for support.

[0047] FIG. 9 depicts the device 10 herein in an as-used positioning, showing the body 12 removably engaged with and supported by a pair of trek poles 20 and providing steady support on the upper or first surface 13 for the underside surface of a firearm. Such yields an easy to transport support for target shooting of fire arms.

[0048] While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the trek pole engageable support have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.