A portable sign stand comprises a mast for supporting an article (preferably a sign) thereon and a plurality of support legs for supporting the mast. A heart plate assembly comprises a heart plate for pivotally receiving and attaching to top ends of each of the plurality of support legs and a center tube having a hollow interior for slidably receiving the inner mast. The center tube extends upwardly a predetermined distance from a top edge of the heart plate. This predetermined distance is at least two inches in order to protect a user's fingers in the event of an inadvertent or intentional dropping of the inner mast downwardly through the hollow interior of the center tube to its minimum height position. In the most preferred embodiments, the minimum predetermined distance is at least about four inches, because this distance permits an average user's hand to be entirely wrapped about the center tube without the risk of a pinch injury if the mast is suddenly dropped to its minimum height position.