Self-stabilising pedestal

Abstract

There is disclosed a pedestal for an article of furniture. The pedestal has an elongate post defining a first end and a second end, with the post having a longitudinal axis. Pairs of fixed and movable legs are immovably supported at a lower end of the post. The pair of movable legs has an elongated shaft extending from a midpoint thereof, which shaft is arranged to be axially movable along the longitudinal axis. A locking mechanism is supported within the post, having a frame with opposed axially spaced apart end walls, wherein the end walls respectively support locking plates that define an axial passageway for receiving the shaft. The locking plates are orientated non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis so that the shaft is axially movable within the passageway while it is co-axially aligned with the longitudinal axis, and immovable within the passageway while not co-axially aligned with the longitudinal axis.

Description

[0001] Self-stabilising pedestal

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a self-stabilising pedestal.

[0004] More particularly, the present invention relates to a self-stabilising pedestal for an article of furniture, such as a tabletop or chair seat.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] A pedestal is often used to support an object, such as a tabletop or chair seat. Such pedestals have feet for engaging with an underlying support surface, such as a ground surface or a floor, to support the object on the support surface.

[0007] A problem that occurs in many tables or chairs having four rigid feet is that they tend to rock if the ground surface is uneven because all four feet do not contact the ground surface. An example of this is often found when a table is located outdoors on a gravel or cobblestone pavement. Such rocking compromises the function of the pedestal to stably support the tabletop and can be annoying for a person utilising the tabletop.

[0008] There are various self-stabilising pedestals for tables known in the art. One example is shown in US 8,876,071, which describes a support assembly for an item of furniture. The support assembly has an elongated support structure provided with a first pair of feet and a displaceable second pair of feet. The first pair of feet comprise four arms / legs extending orthogonally to each other away from the post in a so-called spider formation, while the second pair of feet comprise two linear arms / legs being located underneath the first pair of feet. A stabilising unit is provided having a pin extending from the second pair of feet, which pin is axially slidably engaged within a locking passage in the first pair of feet. The stabilising unit has a hollow adjustable guide member arranged to adjust the dimensions of the passage to conform with the dimensions of the pin. The locking passage is defined by a longitudinally spaced pair of split rings that can be compressed by guide shells to alter the radial dimension of the locking passage.

[0009] Another related self-stabilising table is disclosed in AU 2010209330, wherein the split rings of US 8,876,071 are replaced by a longitudinally spaced pair of precision washers that define the locking passage. In AU 2010209330 there is no disclosure of adjusting the radial dimension of the locking passage, rather the size of the locking passage is determined by selecting a preferred precision washer having the desired dimensions.

[0010] It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

[0011] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0012] According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a pedestal for an article of furniture, the pedestal comprising: an elongate post defining a first end and a second end, and the post having a longitudinal axis; a pair of fixed legs being immovably supported by the second end of the post; a pair of movable legs being movably supported by the second end of the post, wherein the pair of movable legs has an elongated shaft extending from a midpoint thereof and being arranged to be axially movable along the longitudinal axis; a locking mechanism supported within the post, the locking mechanism having a frame with opposed axially spaced apart end walls, wherein the end walls respectively support locking plates that define an axial passageway for receiving the shaft, whereby the shaft is axially movable within the passageway while the shaft is co-axially aligned with the longitudinal axis, and whereby the shaft is immovable within the passageway while the shaft is not co-axially aligned with the longitudinal axis; and wherein the locking plates are orientated non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

[0013] The locking plates may be planar bodies and titled at an angle to be orientated non- orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. Alternatively, the locking plates may be planar bodies that are bent into a curve (when seen in side view) to be orientated non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. In one embodiment the locking plates are angled by between >0° to 10°, between 0.1° to 5°, between 0.1° to 2°, between 1 ° to 2°, or by about 1.5° relative to a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

[0014] The locking plates may be angled through a plane that extends along the longitudinal axis and is aligned along the elongated length of the pair of movable legs. The angular orientations of the locking plates may be adjustable, and whereby adjusting the angular orientations of the locking plates changes the size of a clearance gap between the locking plates and the shaft.

[0015] The locking plates may be bolted to their respective frame end walls by a pair of spaced apart bolts. In one embodiment spacers are located between the respective locking plates and their end walls, with the spacers being mounted onto one bolt of each pair of spaced apart bolts. The spacers may be washers. In one embodiment the bolts of each pair of spaced apart bolts are located on opposed sides of the passageway and are aligned coplanar with the pair of movable legs. The angular orientations of the locking plates may be able to be adjusted by tightening or loosening the bolts on which the spacers are not mounted, whereby adjusting the angular orientations of the locking plates changes the size of a clearance gap between the locking plates and the shaft.

[0016] The locking plates may be located intermediate the fixed legs and the first end of the post. In one embodiment an upper of the locking plates is located at an axial spaced location being at least 100mm away from the fixed legs.

[0017] A cross-section of the passageway may be non-concentric with a cross-section of the shaft. In one embodiment a minor dimension of the passageway is arranged to intersect the longitudinal axis and be longitudinally aligned along the elongated length of the movable legs. In one embodiment a major dimension of the passageway is arranged to be longitudinally aligned along the elongated length of the fixed legs.

[0018] The pedestal may further comprise a spring mounted about the shaft, wherein the spring is arranged to bias the movable legs away from the frame. The spring may be interchangeable with other springs of various strengths, whereby a weaker spring is to be utilised if the pedestal is arranged to carry lighter weight loads and a stronger spring is to be utilised if the pedestal is arranged to carry heavier weight loads.

[0019] In one embodiment the shaft is arranged to be removable from the passageway to permit the movable legs to be rotated around the longitudinal axis to lie closely adjacent to and be aligned with the fixed legs, thereby enabling the post, fixed legs and movable legs to be flat- packed for storage or transport. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and other features will become more apparent from the following description and with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. In the drawings, which are given for purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting:

[0021] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a self-stabilising pedestal;

[0022] Figure 2 is a sectional side view of the pedestal;

[0023] Figure 3 is an enlarged partial sectional side view of the region indicated by arrow III in Figure 2;

[0024] Figure 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the region shown in Figure 3;

[0025] Figure 5 is an enlarged partial sectional side view of the region indicated by arrow V in Figure 3;

[0026] Figure 6 is a top view of a first embodiment of a locking plate used in the pedestal of Figures 1 to 5;

[0027] Figure 7 is a top view of a second embodiment of a locking plate used in the pedestal of Figures 1 to 5; and

[0028] Figure 8 is a partially exploded perspective view a further embodiment of the selfstabilising pedestal, showing the equivalent of the region shown in Figure 3.

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a perspective view of a self-stabilising pedestal for an article of furniture, such as a table or chair. The pedestal 10 includes an elongated post 12 having a mounting formation 14 at its operative upper end. The mounting formation 14 is configured to attach the pedestal 10 to a desired furniture upper body, for example a tabletop or a chair seat (not shown), to complete the article of furniture. The mounting formation 14 includes various flanges that are arranged in a suitable spoked configuration as needed to suit the requisite furniture upper body.

[0031] At the opposed lower end of the post 12 there are two pairs of legs 16, 18 that are generally arranged orthogonally transverse to each other in a cross formation. A first pair of the legs 16 are fixedly joined to the mounting formation 14 and will hereafter be referred to as the fixed legs 16. A second pair of the legs 18 are movable relative to the fixed legs 16 and will hereafter be referred to as the movable legs 18. Each of the legs 16, 18 can have an adjustable foot 20 at or near its distal end. The post 12 extends from an intersection of the fixed legs 16 and movable legs 18. The legs 16, 18 can be straight as shown in the drawings, or they can be angled or curved I arched when seen in side view.

[0032] As is more clearly shown in Figures 2 to 5, the post 12 is an elongated hollow tube defining an internal passage 22. Although the exemplary embodiment of the post 12 is a cylindrical tube, the post 12 can also have other tubular shapes, such as an elliptical or square tube. The post 12 has a longitudinal axis 24. In some embodiments the passage 22 extends fully through the post 12 as shown in the drawings, but in other embodiments the passage 22 can be a blind passage extending from the lower end of the post 12, e.g. to about midway along its length. At its lower end the post 12 has various cut-outs that are generally complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the legs 16, 18, whereby the post is arranged to enclose and conceal the intersection of the legs 16, 18.

[0033] A locking mechanism 26 is housed within the passage 22 and secured to the mounting formation 14 by a pair of long bolts 28 extending though the passage 22 of the post 12. In some embodiments, only a single long bolt 28 can be used to secure the locking mechanism 26 to the mounting formation 14. In other embodiments, such as when the passage 22 is a blind passage, it is also envisaged that the frame 30 can be secured directly to the post 12.

[0034] As can be more clearly seen in Figures 3 to 5, the locking mechanism 26 has a frame 30 configured to be snugly received within the post 12, and to which frame 30 the fixed legs 16 are rigidly joined. When the pedestal 10 is fully assembled, the post 12 is held in place by being trapped in between the mounting formation 14 and the fixed legs 16, which are securely joined together by the long bolts 28.

[0035] The frame 30 includes an upper end wall 32 and a lower end wall 34 held in a spaced apart relation by opposed side walls 36. The end walls 32, 34 each have a shaped outer periphery 38 that is congruent to an internal surface of the post 12 thereby to provide a snug fit when the frame 30 is inserted into the passage 22 of the post 12. Orifices 40 extend through the end walls 32, 34, which orifices 40 are co-axially aligned with axis 24 of the post 12.

[0036] Frame 30 has recesses 42 arranged to receive the movable legs 18 in a position being generally co-planar with the fixed legs 16, and orthogonal to the post 12 and fixed legs 16. A shaft 44 is joined to the movable legs 18 and projects upwardly from a midpoint thereof. The shaft 44 can be bolted or welded to the movable legs 18, or the shaft 44 can be integral with the movable legs 18. The shaft 44 is cylindrical in shape and is configured to be movable through orifices 40, whereby shaft 44 is axially displaceable in frame 30 to allow the movable legs 18 to be moved relative to the fixed legs 16. Shaft 44 extends fully through the frame 30 so that its distal end protrudes upwardly beyond the upper end wall 32. Shaft 44 is held in place by a shaft bolt 46 that extends transversely through the shaft 44 between the end walls 32, 34. Shaft bolt 46 has a length that is greater than the width of the orifices 40 so that the shaft bolt 46 is arranged to abut against the lower end wall 34 in use to prevent the shaft 44 being withdrawn through upper end wall 32 and moving out of the orifices 40.

[0037] When pedestal 10 is to be stored or transported, shaft bolt 46 can be removed from shaft 44, allowing the movable legs 18 to be withdrawn from recesses 42, whereafter shaft 44 can be rotated relative to the frame 30 around axis 24 so that the movable legs 18 lie closely adjacent to and aligned with fixed legs 16. This permits post 12, and legs 16, 18 to be flat- packed for storage or transport.

[0038] A spring 48 is mounted about the shaft 44 and is arranged to bias the shaft 44 in an operatively downward direction so that the movable legs 18 are biased away from the frame 30. In the exemplary embodiment the spring 48 is a coil spring held under compression between the upper end wall 32 and the shaft bolt 46. Spring 48 assists in the working of pedestal 10 by biasing the movable legs 18 into a desired position. However, it is envisaged that spring 48 can be optionally omitted (as shown in Figure 8), in which case the movable legs 18 will move to the desired position under gravity or can be physically moved by hand or foot. Spring 48 also assists in distributing a weight load carried by the pedestal 10 across the legs 16, 18. The characteristics of spring 48 can be selected to provide the desired biasing force, whereby a weaker spring can be utilised if the pedestal 10 is arranged to carry a lighter weight load and a stronger spring can be utilised if the pedestal 10 is arranged to carry a heavier weight load.

[0039] Frame 30 carries two opposed planar locking plates 50, 52 that are respectively joined to the upper end wall 32 and the lower end wall 34. The locking plates 50, 52 are thus spaced apart by a comparatively large distance in comparison to prior art stabilising tables, e.g. by at least 50mm to 250mm, and in the exemplary embodiment are spaced apart by about 100mm. The locking plates 50, 52 are similarly shaped to each other, having an axial thickness of about 2mm. The locking plates 50, 52 have a central passageway 54 for receiving the shaft 44, which passageway 54 is coaxially aligned with the axis 24. The locking plates 50, 52 are each bolted to their respective end walls 32, 34 by bolts 56, 58 that are located on opposed sides of the passageway 54 and / or shaft 44. The bolts 56, 58 are transversally aligned along the elongated length of the movable legs 18 so that they are located substantially co-planar above the movable legs 18.

[0040] Spacers 60 are provided between each of the locking plates 50, 52 and its respective end wall 32, 34, whereby the spacers 60 are located on a common side of the shaft 44. In the exemplary embodiment the spacers 60 are washers that are mounted on the bolts 56, whereas no washers are provided on the bolts 58. The locking plates 50, 52 and the spacers 60 are secured to the frame 30 by initially tightening the bolts 56, 58 - this results in the locking plates 50, 52 initially being orientated substantially parallel to the end walls 32, 34, i.e. being orientated generally orthogonal to the shaft 44. By subsequently further tightening bolts 58, the locking plates 50, 52 are caused to bend towards the end walls 32, 34 respectively into a flexed position indicated by the dashed lines 52’ in Figure 5. Because the bolts 56, 58 are transversally aligned along the elongated length of the movable leg 18, the bending of the locking plates 50, 52 occurs in the same plane, which accordingly distorts the cross-sectional shapes of the passageway 54 in each of the locking plates 50, 52, whereby the effective width of the passageway 54 aligned with the movable legs 18 is reduced to reduce a lateral clearance gap 62 (shown in Figures 6 and 7) between the shaft 44 and the locking plates 50, 52. In this embodiment the clearance gap 62 is located on a side of the shaft 44 closest to the bolts 58.

[0041] Bending the locking plates 50, 52 also causes the internal peripheral edges 64 of the locking plates 50, 52 surrounding the passageway 54 to be directed towards the shaft 44, which edges 64 tend to “cut into” and frictional ly engage the shaft 44 during use.

[0042] In the exemplary embodiment the spacers 60 have a thickness of about 1mm, and the locking plates 50, 52 are bent through an angle “0” of about 1-2°. The degree to which the locking plates 50, 52 are bent can be varied by changing the thickness of the spacers 60 and / or by the extent of tightening of the bolts 58 - this allows the desired size of the clearance gap 62 to be controlled and varied. The degree of bending of the locking plates 50, 52 can be selected to between >0° to 10°, between 0.1° to 5°, between 0.1° to 2°, between 1 ° to 2°, or about 1.5°. It is also envisaged that the locking plates 50, 52 can be secured in a preselected tilted angle that is not orthogonal to the axis 24 of the shaft 44. In yet a further alternative, the locking plates 50, 52 can be mounted in adjustable brackets (not shown) which permit the locking plates 50, 52 to be set at a desired tilt angle with respect to the axis 24 of shaft 44. When the locking plates 50, 52 are tilted in such a manner, equivalent clearance gaps 62 can be located on opposed sides of the shaft 44, i.e. towards both the bolts 56 and the bolts 58.

[0043] As is shown in Figures 5 and 6, the locking plates 50, 52 can have a passageway 54 being substantially circular or elliptical when seen in top plan view. Although not illustrated, it is also envisaged that the passageway 54 can have any other geometric shape, such as square, rectangular, trapezoidal, or polygonal. In each embodiment, the effective operative part of the locking plates 50, 52 is the region of the passageway 54 that is transversally aligned along the elongated length of the movable legs 18.

[0044] In use, the pedestal 10 is arranged to support a furniture upper body, for example a tabletop or a chair seat, on a support surface such as a ground surface. While a no-load or an evenly distributed weight load is applied to the tabletop, shaft 44 is aligned co-axial with axis 24 and is freely axially movable within the passageway 54. When the pedestal 10 is placed on an uneven ground surface, the movable legs 18 are displaced relative to the fixed legs 16 so that all four feet 20 contact and press against the ground surface. For example, if both the feet 20 of the fixed legs 16 contact the ground surface but only one of foot 20 of the movable legs 18 contacts the ground surface, the pedestal 10 will tend to wobble around a fulcrum defined by the fixed legs 16.

[0045] In the embodiment of the pedestal 10 shown in Figures 1 to 7, during such wobbling the spring 48 urges shaft 44 outward of the post 12 to move the movable legs 18 downwardly relative to fixed legs 16 until both feet 20 of the movable legs 18 also contact the ground surface. Conversely, if both the feet 20 of the movable legs 18 contact the ground surface but only one of foot 20 of the fixed legs 16 contacts the ground surface, the pedestal 10 will tend to wobble around a fulcrum defined by the movable legs 18. During such wobbling the weight of the pedestal 10 and tabletop overcomes the bias of spring 48 and shaft 44 moves inward of the post 12 to move the movable legs 18 upwardly relative to fixed legs 16 until both feet 20 of the fixed legs 16 also contact the ground surface. The table is then in a stabilised position preventing further wobbling. In the embodiment of the pedestal 10 shown in Figure 8, i.e. having no spring 48, the movable legs 18 will move incrementally downwardly under the force of gravity while the wobbling occurs until both feet 20 of the movable legs 18 also contact the ground surface. In order to accelerate the movement of the moveable legs 18, a person can also press downwardly on the movable legs 18 by hand or foot until both feet 20 of the movable legs 18 contact the ground surface. When moving the movable legs 18 in this manner, the manual pressure should be applied evenly so that the shaft 44 moves axially out of the passage 22 - if the pressure is applied off-centre then the shaft may tend to tilt / pi vot off-line from axis 24 and engage with the locking plates 50, 52 and thereby hinder axial movement of the shaft 44.

[0046] If both the feet 20 of the movable legs 18 contact the ground surface but only one of foot 20 of the fixed legs 16 contacts the ground surface, the pedestal 10 will tend to wobble around a fulcrum defined by the movable legs 18. During such wobbling the weight of the pedestal 10 and tabletop causes shaft 44 to move inward of the post 12 to move the movable legs 18 upwardly relative to fixed legs 16 until both feet 20 of the fixed legs 16 also contact the ground surface. The table is then in a stabilised position preventing further wobbling. In the event that a further uneven weight load is applied to the tabletop, i.e. offset to a side of the pedestal 10, then the shaft 44 will tilt / pivot off-line from axis 24 and engage with the locking plates 50, 52 and thereby prevent axial movement of the shaft 44. The skilled addressee will appreciate that when such an unbalanced weight load is applied to the tabletop, the frame 30 will experience a moment force relative to the shaft 44, the magnitude of which is directly proportional to the distance of the weight load from the pivot point. Locating the upper locking plate 50 above the fixed legs 16 and comparatively closer to the tabletop results in the moment force exerted by the post 12 via the frame 30 onto the shaft 44 being less than the moment force that would be exerted in the above-discussed prior art disclosures.

[0047] Accordingly, the shaft 44 and locking plates 50, 52 can be made of less hardwearing and cheaper materials.

[0048] A further advantage provided by the pedestal 10 is that the comparatively large axial spacing between the upper and lower locking plates 50, 52 allows greater variability in the dimensions of the passageway 54 and the size of the clearance gap 62, while still ensuring that the locking plates 50, 52 engage the shaft 44 suitably quickly. In contrast, when the axial spacing between the locking plates 50, 52 is small, the dimensions of the passageway 54 have to be precisely manufactured to keep the width of the clearance gap 62 very small and avoid excessive movement at the tabletop before the locking plates 50, 52 engage with the shaft 44 - but the smaller the clearance gap 62, the more precise must be the manufacture of the passageway 54 to ensure that the shaft 44 remains freely axially moveable when aligned along axis 24, which again is more cost intensive.

[0049] Sometimes, during use, dirt or dust can ingress into the locking mechanism 26. If granules of dirt become trapped in the clearance gap 62 between the locking plates 50, 52 and the shaft 44, the dirt can prevent axial sliding of the shaft 44 within the passageway 54 thus hinder proper working of the locking mechanism 26. Having a passageway 54 that is non- concentric to the shaft 44, i.e. whereby the passageway 54 is elliptical or rectangular in shape when used with a cylindrical shaft 44, allows larger openings 66 (see Figure 7) to be defined between the shaft 44 and the locking plates 50, 52 away from the clearance gap 62, which openings 66 permit the dirt granules to fall out of the locking mechanism 26. In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the minor dimension “a” of the passageway 54 is arranged to intersect the axis 24 and be longitudinally aligned along the elongated length of the movable legs 18, while a major dimension “P” of the passageway 54 is arranged to be longitudinally aligned along the elongated length of the fixed legs 16. The clearance gap 62 is aligned with the minor dimension “a” of the passageway 54, while the openings 66 are aligned with the major dimension “P” of the passageway 54.

[0050] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and / or modifications may be made to the pedestal as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0051] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in a non-limiting and an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in the various embodiments. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements. Reference numerals

[0052] 10 pedestal 46 shaft bolt

[0053] 12 post 48 spring

[0054] 14 mounting formation 50 locking plate (upper)

[0055] 16 fixed legs 52, 52’ locking plate (lower)

[0056] 18 movable legs 54 passageway

[0057] 20 foot 1 feet 56 bolts

[0058] 22 passage 58 bolts

[0059] 24 axis 60 spacers

[0060] 26 locking mechanism 62 clearance gap(s)

[0061] 28 long bolts 64 edges

[0062] 30 frame 66 openings

[0063] 32 upper end wall

[0064] 34 lower end wall “0” angle

[0065] 36 side walls “a” minor dimension

[0066] 38 periphery “P” major dimension

[0067] 40 orifices

[0068] 42 recesses

[0069] 44 shaft

Claims

CLAIMS1. A pedestal for an article of furniture, the pedestal comprising: an elongate post defining a first end and a second end, and the post having a longitudinal axis; a pair of fixed legs being immovably supported by the second end of the post; a pair of movable legs being movably supported by the second end of the post, wherein the pair of movable legs has an elongated shaft extending from a midpoint thereof and being arranged to be axially movable along the longitudinal axis; a locking mechanism supported within the post, the locking mechanism having a frame with opposed axially spaced apart end walls, wherein the end walls respectively support locking plates that define an axial passageway for receiving the shaft, whereby the shaft is axially movable within the passageway while the shaft is co-axially aligned with the longitudinal axis, and whereby the shaft is immovable within the passageway while the shaft is not co-axially aligned with the longitudinal axis; and wherein the locking plates are orientated non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

2. The pedestal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking plates are planar and are titled at an angle to be orientated non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

3. The pedestal as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking plates are planar and bent into a curve to be orientated non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

4. The pedestal apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the locking plates are angled by between >0° to 10°, between 0.1° to 5°, between 0.1° to 2°, between 1° to 2°, or by about 1.5° relative to a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

5. The pedestal apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the locking plates are angled through a plane that extends along the longitudinal axis and is aligned co-planar with the pair of movable legs.

6. The pedestal as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the angular orientations of the locking plates are able to be adjusted, and whereby adjusting the angular orientations of the locking plates changes the size of a clearance gap between the locking plates and the shaft.

7. The pedestal as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the locking plates are bolted to their respective frame end walls by a pair of spaced apart bolts, and wherein spacers are located between the respective locking plates and end walls with the spacers being mounted onto one bolt of each pair of spaced apart bolts.

8. The pedestal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the spacers are washers.

9. The pedestal as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the bolts of each pair of spaced apart bolts are located on opposed sides of the passageway and are aligned co-planar with the pair of movable legs.

10. The pedestal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the angular orientations of the locking plates are able to be adjusted by tightening or loosening the bolts on which the spacers are not mounted, and whereby adjusting the angular orientations of the locking plates changes the size of a clearance gap between the locking plates and the shaft.

11. The pedestal as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the locking plates are located intermediate the fixed legs and the first end of the post.

12. The pedestal as claimed in claim 11, wherein an upper of the locking plates is located at an axial spaced location being at least 100mm away from the fixed legs.

13. The pedestal as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a cross-section of the passageway is non-concentric with a cross-section of the shaft.

14. The pedestal as claimed in claim 13, wherein a minor dimension of the passageway is arranged to intersect the longitudinal axis and be transversally aligned along the elongated length of the movable legs.

15. The pedestal as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein a major dimension of the passageway is arranged to be transversally aligned along the elongated length of the fixed legs.

16. The pedestal as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising a spring mounted about the shaft, wherein the spring is arranged to bias the movable legs away from the frame.

17. The pedestal as claimed in claim 16, wherein the spring is interchangeable with springs of various strengths, whereby a weaker spring is utilised if the pedestal is arranged to carry lighter weight loads and a stronger spring is utilised if the pedestal is arranged to carry heavier weight loads.

18. The pedestal as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, whereby the shaft is arranged to be removable from the passageway to permit the movable legs to be rotated around the longitudinal axis to lie closely adjacent to and be aligned with the fixed legs, thereby enabling the post, fixed legs and movable legs to be flat-packed for storage or transport.

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