GB2096457A - Device for supporting hammocks and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

A hammock is suspended from a rod 5 which is attached in cantilever fashion to a vertical support 1 by means of first anchoring means 4 from which said rod projects, and a tie rod 7 connected at one end to the free end of the rod 5 and at the other and to second anchoring means 6 disposed above said first anchoring means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for supporting hammocks and the like The present invention relates to a device for supporting hammocks and the like.

As it is known, hammocks have to be conventionally fixed, at the ends whereof, to two spaced supporting members, such as poles, shafts and the like, that is to supporting members the distance whereof substantially corresponds to the length of the hammock.

On the other hand, it is rather difficult to provide two suitably spaced supporting members, thereby the hammock can be hardly installed.

Hammock supporting frames are commercially available which, however, do not completely solve the thereinabove cited problem, since these frames are generally verv intricate and of difficult transportation.

Thus the present invention sets out to provide a cantilever type of device for supporting hammocks and the like which is effective to allow for a hammock to be fixed to a single vertically extending supporting element, such as a shaft, a pole and the like.

Within the task thereinabove mentioned, it is further possible to arrange that the invention provides a hammock supporting device which, while being of very simple structure, is highly reliable and sure in its operation.

It is further possible to arrange that the hammock supporting device is effetive to allow for one or more hammock to be fixed to a single vertically extending supporting element.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for supporting hammocks and the like, characterized in that it comprises a hammock supporting rod like element effective to be cantileverwise associated, at one end whereof, to a vertically extending supporting element and to be connected, at the other end whereof, with a tie rod coupled to an upper anchoring means associated with said vertically extending supporting element.

Further characteristics and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a hammock supporting device, being illustrated by way of an indicative and not limitative example in the accompanying drawings, where: fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a hammock supporting device; fig. 2 illustrates, on an enlarged scale, a possible embodiment of means for anchoring the hammock to the vertically extending supporting element; fig. 3 schematically illustrates an upper anchoring means of the autoclamping type; and fig. 4 illustrates a different embodiment with a single element for the anchoring to the vertically extending supporting element.

With reference to the figures, and more specifically to figures 1 to 3, at 1 there is indicated a generic vertically extending element effective to support a hammock 2, which element can consist of a shaft or pole projecting from the ground 3.

The hammock supporting device comprises a first anchoring means 4, effective to be coupled to the vertically extending element 1, wherewith a rod-like element engages, preferably of tubular shape, 5, which projects cantilever-wise and is supported by said anchoring means 4. On the vertically extending element 1, at a higher level than that of said anchoring means 4, there is provided an upper anchoring means 6 therewith a tie rod engages, formed by a metal cable or other like member, which is connected between said upper anchoring means 6 and a hook member 8 located at the free end of the rod like element 5, on the opposite side with respect to the engagement with the first anchoring means 4.

At the free end of the tubular element there is provided a second hook member 9 and a third hook member 10, at the opposite end, which allow for the hammock to be practically suspended.

The tie rod 7 may have a predetermined length, depending on a predetermined spacing between the anchoring means 4 and 6: however the length of said tie rod can be adjusted to change, depending on the need, the distance between said anchoring means 4 and 6.

Obviously the adjusting of the tie rod length can be carried out according to any suitable ways, for example by providing the tie rod in two or more portions effective to be coupled to one another by means of spring catch members and the like.

Likewise the rod like element 5 may be formed in single piece or a plurality of pieces effective to be coupled to one another, thereby reducing the size during the transportation of the hammock.

With reference to figure 2 a possible embodiment of the anchoring means will be thereinafter described, which consists of a belt member having a suitable strength provided, at the rear whereof, with a pocket 11 effective to firmly hold a bracket for supporting the tubular element 5. In the illustrated case - the bracket comprises a sleeve 12 projecting from an opening 12' of the belt, indicated at 4. The sleeve 12 is welded to a plate 13, in the inside of the pocket 11 and effective to act as a rigid resting base, against the supporting element. Instead of the belt 4 it is possible to use any other equivalent means, for example by providing a metal bracket having two semicircular arms of suitable length and provided with related latching members for fixing the bracket to different-diameter supporting elements.

In figure 3 there is illustrated a possible embodiment of the upper anchoring means 6 which, in the subject case, is formed by an autoclamping collar member consisting of a suitable strength belt provided with a buckle 14 at one end whereof. On the outside the belt 6 is provided with two or more opposite ring members 15 and 16 which are connected to the main tie rod 7 by means of two metal cables or auxiliary tie rods 17 and 18. As it is shown, each auxiliary tie rod 17,18 is fixed by a ring to one end of the main tie rod 7, the other end being fixed to one of the two rings of the belt, after having inserted each tie rod into the other ring.Thus, the two auxiliary tie rods are mutually crossing and accordingly a tractive force on the main tie rod, due for example to the weight of a person resting on the hammock, acts in such a way as to stretch the tie rods 17 and 18 which automatically and increasingly clamp the belt against the supporting element 1.

With reference to figure 4, a different embodiment will be illustrated which is conceptually related to the thereinabove described embodiment.

In fact, in the case in which the vertcially extending supporting element is formed, in addition to a pole, shaft and the like, by a vertical wall, then the first latching means, provided at one end of the rod like element 5, can be simply formed by a resting plate 20 which may possibly be curved, with a bending radius effective to substantially match different diameters.

In this case to support the rod like element 5 there is provided a supporting tie rod, indicated at 21, which couples the end of the rod like element 5 near to the plate 20 to the upper anchoring means 6 which, also in this case, may be formed by the thereinabove described belt or, possibly, as the hammock is to be applied to a wall, may be simply formed by a strong rock climber nail as driven into the wall.

According to this embodiment the rod like element 5 is supported by a tie rod pair and, more specifically, a vertically extending tie rod, that is the supporting tie rod 21, and a slanted tie rod which couples the cantilevered free end with the upper anchoring means.

To the above it should also be added that in the described embodiments it is also possible to apply to a single vertically extending supporting element two or more hammocks contemporaneously, as angularlyoffsetto one another, by providing a cor responding number of anchoring means and tubular and tie rod elements; likewise it is possible two engage on the same vertically extending supporting element two independent devices, one for each hammock to be supported.

From the above description it should be noted that the invention fully achieves the intended objects and, in particular, it should be pointed out the great application simplicity and facility, since it is sufficient to locate the anchoring means at the desired level, thereby affording the possibility of supporting a hammock at any positions and under any use conditions.

Moreover the second illustrated embodiment, as provided with the supporting tie rod 20 instead of the first anchoring means is of great flexibility since it allow for a hammock to be cantilever-wise fixed from a masonry wall or any vertical walls.

Obviously the preceding description has been made only by way of example and other equivalent embodiments can be practically made: for example instead of the rectilinear rod like element 5, located above the hammock, it is possible to use a curved element, bent in such a way as to pass under said hammock which, in this case, would assume a position like that of a cord of arch.

Claims (13)

1. A device for supporting hammocks and the like, characterized in that it comprises a hammock supporting rod like element effective to be cantilever-wise associated, at one end whereof, to a vertically extending supporting element and to be connected, at the other end whereof, with a tie rod coupled to an upper anchoring means associated with said vertically extending supporting element.

2. A device, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said rod like element is associated with said vertically extending supporting element by a first anchoring means.

3. A device, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said first anchoring means consists of a metal bracket provided with semicircular arm members having related latching means.

4. A device, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said first anchoring means consists of a belt thereto at least a bracket is coupled provided with at least a sleeve member for said rod like element and with at least a resting plate.

5. A device, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said upper anchoring means consists of an autoclamping collar member.

6. A device, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tie rod length may be adjusted.

7. A device, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rod like element is formed as a single piece.

8. A device, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rod like element is formed as a plurality of pieces effective to be nested one into another.

9. A device, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rod like element is effective to be associated with said vertically extending supporting element by a resting plate, a supporting tie rod being further provided connecting the end of said rod like element close to said supporting plate with said upper anchoring means.

10. A device, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said upper anchoring means consists of a wall embedded bracket, a nail member orthe like.

11. A device, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rod like element is of substantially rectilinear shape and extends at the top of said hammock.

12. A device, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rod like element is of bent shape and extends under said hammock.

13. A device for supporting hammocks and the like, according to the preceding claims and as described and illustrated for the intended objects.