Christmas Tree Stand Adapter Ring

Abstract

A typical Christmas tree stand has legs made of stamped metal with thumbscrews threaded through the stamped metal, which provides almost no resistance to lateral movement of the thumbscrews. The rotational action of tightening the thumbscrews actually causes the tree trunk to rotate about its axis thus twisting the thumbscrews laterally and loosening the contact of the thumbscrews with the tree trunk thus allowing the tree to lean or fall over. The present invention is a Christmas tree stand adapter ring, hereinafter referred to as adapter ring, having unthreaded screw holes arranged radially to coincide with thumbscrews in the legs and collar of a typical Christmas tree stand. The adapter ring is positioned inside the collar of the typical Christmas tree stand in an orientation that allows the thumbscrews of the Christmas tree stand to pass through the adapter ring and make contact with the Christmas tree trunk. The adapter ring holds the screws in alignment with the center of the tree trunk and prevents lateral movement of the screws, thus holding the tree firmly in a vertical position.

1 . A Christmas tree stand adapter ring, hereinafter referred to as adapter ring, comprising;
 a right cylinder shape with a concentric hole;   any structurally suitable material such as metal, wood or plastic;   a plurality of unthreaded screw holes spaced radially around and perpendicular to the centerline of said adapter ring, with the diameter of said unthreaded screw holes being a size that provides a slip-fit with screws that are furnished with a typical stamped steel Christmas tree stand, said screws being arranged radially to converge on and anchor a Christmas tree trunk, either natural or artificial, in a vertical position;   a thickness that is sufficiently greater than said unthreaded screw holes to provide adequate structural strength to withstand the forces required to hold said Christmas tree trunk in a vertical position;   an outer diameter of said adapter ring that is sufficiently smaller than a collar of said Christmas tree stand, through which said Christmas tree is inserted, to avoid interference and to facilitate easy alignment of said screws into said unthreaded holes of said adapter ring;   an inside diameter of said adapter ring that is the maximum possible while leaving enough material to provide sufficient structural strength to support said Christmas tree trunk in a vertical position without fracturing.   
   
   
       2 . An adapter ring as in  claim 1 , wherein it has a torus shape in lieu of having a right cylinder shape with a concentric hole. 
   
   
       3 . An adapter ring as in  claim 1 , wherein it has a right pentagon shape with a concentric hole in lieu of having a right cylinder shape with a concentric hole. 
   
   
       4 . An adapter ring as in  claim 1 , wherein it has a right hexagon shape with a concentric hole in lieu of having a right cylinder shape with a concentric hole.