Christmas Tree Stand: Three Legs Tied by Wire Links to a Nail in the Butt (Cook, 1902)

"The tendency of legs A to spread by weight of tree causes an outward tension at wire nail F through the several links C and inward pressure on stem of tree by upper part of legs A. Thus the tree is held very secure and perfectly upright by two opposite forces acting a short space apart and derived from weight of tree."

Saw three legs 700 mm long from 70 x 22 mm pine (ours). Set a bevel gauge to 30 degrees and cut both ends of each leg at that angle, parallel to each other, so the foot sits flat on the floor and the top lies along the trunk, as in his Fig. 2. Sand off the splinters.

Cut three pieces of 2.5 mm steel wire, each the link length from the notebook plus about 60 mm for the eyes. Bend a round eye at each end with round-nose pliers, as his Fig. 3, so the eyes' centres are the link length apart. Make all three the same.

Mark each leg where the notebook says, on its inner face. Bend three U staples from the same wire (ours). Lay a link's outer eye on the mark and drive a staple over it into the leg, his staple H, leaving the eye free to turn.

Drill a hole through the top of each leg, about 40 mm from its end, just big enough for the screw eye's shank to pass.

Saw the butt of the tree off square. Lay the tree on its side. Thread a long wire nail through the three free eyes of the links, his nail F, and drive it up into the middle of the bottom end of the tree.

Bring the top of each leg in against the trunk. Make a start hole in the trunk with an awl through the leg's hole, and turn a screw eye through the leg into the trunk until the leg is held tight, his screw-eye D. Do all three, then stand the tree up.

All three feet should touch the floor and the links should be straight and tight. Look at the tree from two sides. To take it down, turn out the screw eyes and pull the nail; the links fold about the nail for storing.

**William Cook** of New York, US 710,762, dated 7 October 1902, filed 29 July 1901. He claimed "a Christmas-tree stand composed of legs, and links, one end of each link being connected with one leg at a point intermediate between the ends of the leg, and the opposite ends of the links being connected with each other to form a seat". He says the stand is "more economical of construction and more easily applied" and that "size of tree offers no obstacle". He names no materials and gives no sizes: the pine, the wire, the 700 mm legs, the 30 degree angle, the butt height and how the screw eyes pass through the legs are ours. His drawing also marks parts E and G, which his text does not describe.