Tree stand with one-way-pushable screws

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods for holding a cut live tree in an upright position. A Christmas tree stand comprises a supporting base and non-penetrative one-way-pushable screws. Threads in the nuts through which the screws are disposed are pushed out of the way (disengaged from the threads on the screws) when the screws are pushed towards a tree placed in the base, but not when the screws are pulled away from the tree. This makes the screws much easier to push towards the tree than to pull them away, making secure fastening of the tree quick and easy. Screws can also be tightened to provide finer screw adjustment. Non-penetrative screws allow the cut tree to remain fresh longer.

1 . A tree stand for holding a tree upright, comprising:
 a plant pot;   a base configured to support said plant pot;   multiple threaded screws; and   multiple nuts configured to directly or indirectly rigidly attach to said plant pot, ones of said nuts comprising:
 a barrel configured to tightly hold said threaded screw when said threaded screw is disposed therethrough, and having an end that faces said plant pot when said nut is attached to said plant pot; and 
 a lever attached at a fulcrum end to said nut, an arm of said lever configured to point towards said plant pot-facing end of said barrel, at least a portion of said lever disposed proximal to an inside surface of said barrel having lever-threads thereon, said lever-threads configured to engage said threaded screw when said threaded screw is disposed through said nut; 
   whereby said lever-threads disengage from said threaded screw when said threaded screw is pushed through said barrel towards said plant pot-facing end.   
     
     
         2 . The tree stand of  claim 1 , wherein said barrel is unthreaded. 
     
     
         3 . The tree stand of  claim 1 , wherein a long axis of said lever is approximately parallel to the axis of said nut and said portion of said lever is closer than said fulcrum end to said plant pot-facing end. 
     
     
         4 . The tree stand of  claim 1 , wherein said base comprises multiple legs configured to rigidly attach to said plant pot, and said nuts are configured to rigidly attach to said legs. 
     
     
         5 . The tree stand of  claim 4 , wherein the distance from the center of the plant pot to the ends of said legs is configured to approximately match the radius of a Christmas tree lying down, whereby said tree can be inserted and fastened into said plant pot while said tree is lying down, and then levered into a standing position using said ends of said legs as fulcra. 
     
     
         6 . The tree stand of  claim 1 , further comprising a finger-tab on said lever and a finger-tab on a portion of said tree stand proximal to and distinct from said lever, said finger-tabs configured to allow force to be exerted on said lever and an opposing force to be exerted on said portion, such that said force disengages said lever-threads from threads of said screw. 
     
     
         7 . The tree stand of  claim 1 , where said plant pot has one or more matching openings around its upper and lower rims, and ones of said legs comprise one or more protuberances configured to matingly penetrate said matching openings to thereby rigidly attach to said plant pot. 
     
     
         8 . A tree stand, comprising:
 a plant pot;   a base configured to support said plant pot;   multiple screws;   multiple nuts configured to tightly hold said screws, ones of said nuts configured to be directly or indirectly rigidly attached to said base and having a tree-facing end; and   multiple thread disengagement units, ones of said units fixedly connected to a corresponding one of said nuts and having a disengageable-threaded surface aligned with an interior surface of said corresponding nut, threads on said disengageable-threaded surface configured to engage screw-threads of ones of said screws when said screw is disposed through said corresponding nut, said disengageable-threaded surface being configured to be pushed away from the axis of said corresponding nut to disengage said disengageable-threads from said screw-threads when said screw is pushed through said corresponding nut towards said tree-facing end, but not when pulled away from said tree-facing end.   
     
     
         9 . The tree stand of  claim 8 , wherein said nuts are unthreaded. 
     
     
         10 . The tree stand of  claim 8 , wherein said base comprises multiple legs configured to rigidly attach to said plant pot, and said nuts are configured to rigidly attach to said legs. 
     
     
         11 . The tree stand of  claim 10 , wherein the distance from the center of the plant pot to the ends of said legs is configured to approximately match the radius of a Christmas tree lying down, whereby said tree can be inserted and fastened into said plant pot while said tree is lying down, and then levered into a standing position using said ends of said legs as fulcra. 
     
     
         12 . The tree stand of  claim 8 , wherein a lower portion of said plant pot is at least partially watertight. 
     
     
         13 . The tree stand of  claim 8 , where said plant pot has one or more matching openings around its upper and lower rims, and ones of said legs comprise one or more protuberances configured to matingly penetrate said matching openings to thereby rigidly attach to said plant pot. 
     
     
         14 . A method of securing a tree in a plant pot, comprising:
 pushing multiple screws towards the tree through unthreaded nuts holding respective ones of said screws with sufficient force to disengage lever-threads on levers attached to respective ones of said nuts from screw-threads of said screws; and   turning multiple ones of said screws to tighten them against the tree;   wherein an arm of said lever is oriented from a fulcrum end of said lever towards the tree, and   wherein said lever-threads engage said screw-threads when said respective screw is disposed through said nut and at rest.   
     
     
         15 . The method of securing a tree of  claim 14 , further comprising releasing the tree from said plant pot by, for at least one of said screws, moving said lever-threads away from an inner surface of said nut holding said respective screw to disengage said lever-threads from said screw-threads, and pulling said screw away from the tree. 
     
     
         16 . The method of securing a tree of  claim 15 , wherein said releasing further comprises turning at least one of said screws to move said screw away from the tree. 
     
     
         17 . The method of securing a tree of  claim 14 , wherein said pushing said screws makes gross adjustments in screw positions with respect to the tree, and wherein turning said screws makes fine adjustments in their positions with respect to the tree. 
     
     
         18 . The method of securing a tree of  claim 14 , wherein said pushing and said turning do not cause said screws to damage the tree's bark. 
     
     
         19 . The method of securing a tree of  claim 14 , wherein said pushing and said turning are performed while the tree is lying down. 
     
     
         20 . The method of securing a tree of  claim 14 , further comprising mounting a hole in the base of the tree's trunk on a spike at the bottom of the plant pot. 
     
     
         21 - 52 . (canceled)