Christmas tree stand

Claim 1

A Christmas tree stand including an upwardly opening shallow tray constructed of shape-retentative and at least somewhat deformably resilient material, said tray including bottom wall means having an outer periphery, a central area spaced inward of said outer periphery and upper and lower surfaces, said bottom wall including upstanding peripheral wall means extending about and projecting upwardly from the outer periphery of said bottom wall means, an upright post including upper and lower end portions, said lower end portion being diametrically enlarged, of a material harder than that of said tray and including a generally planar undersurface downwardly abutted against said central area of the upper surface of said bottom means, said undersurface including a plurality of generally concentric circular sealing ridges of different diameters projecting slightly downwardly therefrom and forcibly downwardly sealingly seated against and deforming opposing portions of said bottom wall means, elongated headed and threaded shank-type fastener means secured upwardly through said central area and removably threadedly engaged in a suitable downwardly opening threaded bore provided therefor in said lower end portion, the upper end portion of said post projecting upwardly to a level appreciably above said peripheral wall means and being adapted to be upwardly telescoped into a compatible downwardly opening central blind bore formed in the base end of the trunk of a cut tree to be supported from said stand, said post including upwardly facing and outwardly projecting abutment surface means disposed at an elevation above said upper surface and below the upper marginal portion of said peripheral wall means and adapted to be abutted by the portions of said base end disposed about said bore for limiting downward movement of said trank relative to said post, a cross brace-type of base underlying said tray and upwardly through the center of which said fastener means is secured, said cross brace-type of base including a generally planar central area upper surface portion backing the lower surface of said bottom wall means central area from therebeneath.