GB2129288A - Angler's seats - Google Patents

Abstract

An angler's seat or bedchair having at least two legs (26, 32), which can be altered in length independently of one another so that the seat can be used on uneven ground. The seat preferably comprises a back rest portion, seat portion and leg rest portion hinged together at 16 and 18 and various constructions for the hinges are disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Angler's seat or bedchair The present invention relates to an angler's seat or bedchair.

Angler's, especially carp angler's, often spend long periods of time at the water's edge. For the sake of comfort, therefore, they often have with them a seat or chair, and for extended periods of night fishing, a collapsible bed which can also be folded into the shape of a chair.

One seat or chair which has already been proposed for this purpose has a single inverted generally U-shaped leg at its front, the ends of which can be telescoped into tubular portions directed downwardly from the front end of the chair. In this way, the length of the leg can be adjusted. This allows the part of the chair seat which is sat on to be made level independently of the slope of the river bank or other water's edge.

Unfortunately, however, such a construction is not very stable against side-ways rocking motion, and only corrects for a slope in the forward direction. It does not take account of bumpy or rocky ground where there may be differentials in the level of the ground laterally as well as forwards and backwards.

The present invention seeks to overcome this problem. Accordingly, it is directed to an angler's seat or bedchair having at least two legs which can be altered in length independently of one another.

Preferably, each leg comprises telescoping portions to bring about the adjustment. A plurality of holes may be drilled into one of the portions, spaced apart along its length, and a spring-loaded spigot provided on the other of the portions to snap into any selected one of the holes in the first portion, to locate the portions relative to one another. This allows stepped adjustment. One inch steps (2.54 centimetres), to allow the length of each leg to be adjusted in height from between ten inches to eighteen inches (between 25.4 centimetres and 45.7 centimetres) would usually be convenient.

The foot of each leg may be provided with a pad to inhibit sinking of the leg into soft aground.

For example, the foot of each leg may be like the bottom end of a shooting stick, with a spike or other tapered end extending below the pad. The pad and spike or tapered end part rnay be integral and connected to the lower end of the leg by a ball and socket joint to allow the pad to swivel and level itself with the ground independently of the angle the leg makes to the ground.

Examples of a bedchair and seat made in accordance with the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an angler's bedchair; Figure 2 is an axial sectional view, on a larger scale, of parts of one of the legs of the bedchair shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a foot of one of the legs; Figure 4 shows a modified form of the foot; Figure 5 shows an exploded perspective view, also on an enlarged scale, of joints at a forward part of the bedchair; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a modified form of one of the joints; Figure 7 shows a side view of a further modified joint; Figure 8 shows a side view, also on an enlarged scale, of a rear joint of the bedchair shown in Figure 1;; Figure 9 shows an axial sectional view, on a larger scale still, of an external locating-spigot arrangement for use with any joint shown in Figures 5 to 8; Figure 10 shows a perspective view of an angler's seat; Figure 11 is an exploded view of a modified form of rear joint for the bedchair or seat; Figure 1 2 is a perspective view of the joint in its assembled state; Figure 13 is a perspective view of a modified form of joint for an upper leg portion of the bedchair or seat; Figure 14 is an axial sectional view of the joint shown in Figure 13 taken along the line XlV-XIV; Figure 1 5 is a modified form for each of the disks of the rear joint shown in Figures 11 and 12; Figure 1 6 is a side view of part of a further modified form for the rear joint; and Figure 17 is a sectional view through this modified form of rear joint.

The angler's bedchair shown in Figure 1 comprises a tubular frame 10, made for example of pressure die-cast aluminium or pre-zinc coated steel tubing, or anodised aluminium tubing, and canvas, nylon, or impregnated cotton webbing 12 extending across the frame 10. The frame 10 comprises two substantially parallel tubular sidebars 14 extending between respective rearward and forward joints 1 6 and 18. A generally U-shaped tubular back-rest support 20 extends from the two rearward joints 1 6. A crossbar 22 of this back-rest support may be curved rearwardly, as shown in dotted lines, to accommodate the neck of the angler. The back-rest support 20 is pivotable about the rearward joints 1 6 in a manner that will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

A generally U-shaped tubular foot-rest support 24 extends from the forward joints 1 8 to which it is connected in a pivotable manner so that it can be folded upwardly and rearwardly, as shown by the two arrows on to the middle section of the bedchair, to convert the bedchair from its generally bed-shaped configuration to its chairlike configuration. Two rear upper leg portions 26 extend downwardly from respective rear joints 1 6, the lower ends of which leg parts are reinforced by a cross-member 28. Similarly, upper tubular leg portions 30 extend downwardly from the four joints 18, and have their lower ends positioned by a cross-member 31. This latter member has a shallow V-shape to accommodate the angler's feet when the bedchair is put in the chair-like configuration.Lower tubular portions 32 are telescoped into each of the upper leg portions 26 and 30, there being pads 34 at the foot of each leg to inhibit sinking of the legs in soft ground. As shown, the legs are splayed outwardly for greater stability.

The legs are also pivotable about the joints 1 6 and 1 8 although the pivoting axes of the legs may be spaced apart from the pivoting axis of the backrest support 20 and the footrest support 24 of the bedchair, so that the whole bedchair can be folded up and easily carried away.

Figure 2 shows the manner in which the lower part 32 of each leg can be telescoped into the upper part 26 or 30. This allows the length of each leg to be altered independently of each other leg so that the bedchair can be levelled substantially irrespectively of the irregularity of the ground on which it is placed. A plurality of holes 36 are drilled through the wall of each tubular part 26 or 30. These holes 36 are spaced apart along the length of the tube. A single hole 38 is bored through the wall of the tubular lower part 32, a little way down from the upper end of that lower part 32 for stability, and a locating spigot 42 protrudes outwardly through the hole 38 and a selected one of the holes 36 of the upper part of the leg. The spigot 40 is urged outwardly by a leaf-spring 42. The free outer end of the spigot 40 is rounded.This allows the spigot to be pushed inwardly by the thumb and the lower part 32 of the leg to be moved further into or further out of the upper part 30 until the spigot 40 snaps into a different selected hole 36. This thereby allows step adjustment of the length of the leg.

Figure 3 shows the foot of each leg in greater detail. The bottom end of the lower part 32 of each leg has a pad or flange 34 and a spike or tapered end 44 extending downwardly from the centre of the pad or flange 34 to stick into the ground and inhibit slipping or skidding. The pad or flange may be 3 in. (7.62 cm) in diameter, or any diameter between 2 in. and 6 in. (5.08 cm and 1 5.24 cm). The pad or flange 34 and spike or tapered end 44 may be integral with one another and made of a glass filled injection moulded nylon plastics material.

In the modification shown in Figure 4, the pad 34 and spike or tapered end 44 are integral with one another and are attached to the lower end of the leg part 32 by way of a ball and socket joint 46 which allows the pad to swivel in relation to the leg and adopt a position which is flat on the ground substantially irrespective of the angle of the leg 32.

Figure 5 shows a joint 1 8 in greater detail. The front end of the side-bar 14 has two lug portions 58 which are spaced apart horizontally and which each have a central horizontally-extending through-bore 50 and a sloping flat front face 52.

The associated end of the foot-rest support 24 has a single lug 54 with a semi-circular end and a central horizontally-extending through-bore 56 and sloping shoulders 58 on either side of the lug 54. The lug 54 is received between the lugs 52 so that the holes 50 and 56 are in registration and a pin 60 extends through the holes 50 and 56 to provide a pivot axis for the foot-rest support 24.

This arrangement allows the foot-rest support 24 to be pivoted away from the centre part of the bedchair until the shoulders 58 abut the flat faces 52, at which point the foot-rest support 24 is substantially horizontal.

A little to the rear of the lugs 48, and extending downwardly from the side-bar 14 are two further lugs 62 each provided with substantially horizontally-extending through-bores 64 and 66 spaced one above the other. A single lug 68 at the top of the upper leg portion 30 is received between the pair of lugs 62, and has throughbores 70 and 72 at its upper end which can be positioned into registration with the through-bores 64 and 66 respectively. A pin 74 extends through the hole 64 and 70 to provide a pivot axis for the upper leg part 30 and a removable locating spigot 76 may be inserted through the holes 66 and 72 when these are in registration with one another to secure the upper leg part 30 in its downwardly extending position.Removal of this spigot 76 allows the leg to be pivoted about the pin 74 and thereby folded underneath the central part of the bedchair when the latter is to be transported.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, the leg 30 is pivoted to the side-bar 14 by means of two L-shaped plates 78 at the top of the upper leg part 30 which straddle the side-bar 14 and which have their respective ends attached thereto by a pivot 80. Through-holes 82 in the L-shaped plate 78, and the corners thereof are brought into engagement with a through-hole 84 in the sidebar 14 when the leg part 30 is brought into its downwardly-extending position. A locating spigot 86 may then be inserted through the holes 82 and 84 to locate the leg in this position.

A modification which allows the leg to be located in any selected one of a number of different angular positions is shown in Figure 7, in which two locating plates 88 (only one of which is shown in Figure 7) are attached to the upper end of the upper leg part 30 and straddle the side-bar 14. They are pivoted to the latter by way of a pin 90. Each plate 88 is formed with a plurality of spaced apart holes 92 which lie on a curve whose centre of curvature lies on the pin 90. A locating spigot 40 similar to that shown in Figure 2 may be arranged to locate the leg 30 in any selected one of a number of different angular positions determined by the positions of the holes 92.

A similar arrangement is shown in Figure 8 for the selective angular adjustment of the back-rest support 20 in relation to the side-bar 14. The back-rest support 20 pivots about the pin 94 and may be located in position by means of a plate 96 having through-holes 96 spaced apart along an arc which is centred on the pin 94.

Figure 9 shows an external locating-spigot arrangement which may be used for any one of the joints shown in Figures 5 to 8. The two wall portions A and B which are to be located relative to one another have respective locating holes C and D. A cylindrical guide portion E is attached to the plate A at the hole C. Within the guide E can slide a locating spigot F which is urged inwardly by a spring G. A ring H attached to an outer end of the locating-spigot F allows the latter to be pulled outwardly, against the restoring force of the spring G, so that it is removed from the hole D of the plate B thereby allowing relative movement between the two plates A and B.It may subsequently be inserted into another hole (not shown) in the plate B, or simply released when the plates A and B have been separated from each other Figure 10 shows an angler's seat which is substantially the same as the bedchair shown in Figure 1 except for the absence of a foot-rest support. Furthermore, the seat would tend to be narrower than the bedchair as it would not be used for lying on.

The webbing 12 may be a single sheet which extends right the way from one end of the bedchair to the other, or it may be in three parts, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, one part for the back-rest, another across the central part of the bedchair, and a third part as the foot-rest across the foot-rest support 24. In the case of the seat shown in Figure 10, the webbing could again be in one piece, or in two pieces, one for the backrest, and one for the part of the seat which is actually sat on.

Elastic reinforcement may be provided under the webbing of the centre part of the bedchair shown in Figure 1, or the corresponding part of the seat shown in Figure 1 0.

Many modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, for example, the locating spigot 40 shown in Figure 2 has been shown attached to the lower part 32 of the leg, and the holes 36 bored in the upper part 30.

Instead, the locating spigot 40 could be provided on the upper part 30, and the holes 36 drilled through a lower part 32. Furthermore, many different possibilities exist for changing the length of each leg. For example, a kit of legs of various lengths, each of which can be fastened to the bedchair, may be provided so that any selected length can be used for any one of the legs.

Although all four legs have been shown as independently adjustable, the bedchair or seat would still be advantageous over the conventional seat if only two of the legs were adjustable, for example the front two legs (in which case the rear two could be replaced by a generally U-shaped support) or one of the front legs and one the rear legs only.

The ability of the illustrated bedchair or seat to be levelled on substantially any ground renders it safer and more comfortable than previously proposed seats. The flanges or pads 34 at the feed of the legs further enhances the safety aspect.

The modified joint shown in Figure 11 comprises two sixteenth inch thick (1.6 mm) three inch diameter (7.6 cm diameter) metal disks 100 and 102 each having a lug 103 which extends from the periphery of the disk radially away from the centre of the disk. The disks are attached respectively to the side-bar 14 and back-rest support 20 respectively by means of the lugs and rivets 1 03a which extend through each lug and associated tube. A friction disk 104, made of fibre or other high-friction material, is sandwiched between the two disks 100 and 102. The disks 100, 102, and 104 each have a central through hole 105.A hand wheel 106 is provided with a central screwthread spigot 108 which extends through the through-holes 105, the disks being held together by means of the spigot 108 and an internally screwthreaded nut 1 10 which engages the screwthreading of the spigot 1 08.

An infinitely variable adjustment is thereby obtained by rotating the handwheel 106 to slacken the clamping force exerted between the disks 100 and 102 on the friction disk 104, rotating the back-rest 20 in relation to the side-bar 14, and then tightening the handwheel 106.

The modification for the attachment of an upper-ieg portion 30 (which could also be used for the attachment of the upper-leg portion 26 for the rear legs) is shown in Figures 1 3 and 14. At least an upper part of the upper-leg part 30 is of square cross-section, although it could still be round or oval. It is provided with two upwardly extending lugs 112 which straddle the cross-bar 1 4. These legs are fastened to the cross-bar 1 4 by means of holes 114 which pass through each lug, and a rivet 11 6 which extends through these holes 114 and also the cross-bar 14.This allows the leg part 30 to pivot about the rivet 11 6. One of the lugs 112 is provided with a further hole 118, spaced apart from the hole 114, through which extends a locking-spigot 120, projecting from the cross-bar 14, when the upper leg part is fixed in its downwardly-extending pOsition. The cross-bar 1 4 is provided with holes 1 22 through which passes the rivet 106, and also a further hole 124 through which projects the locating spigot 120, the latter being urged outwardly by a resilient leafspring 126.

To unlock the leg from the position shown in Figure 13, the spigot 120 is depressed inwardly, manually, to allow the leg part 30 to pivot about the spigot 116.

The joint illustrated in Figures 11 and 12 could be modified by omitting the friction disk 104, and making the inwardly-facing adjacent side faces of the disks 100 and 102 radially serrated as shown at 130 in Figure 15.

The part shown in Figure 16 is a die casting, aluminium moulding or engineering nylon injection moulding. It could be a press moulding, though this is less preferable owing to its inferior formations. The part comprises a 2.5 inch diameter (6.35 cm diameter) 0.3 inch thick (0.8 cm thick) disk 1 60 with a raised annulus 162 of teeth on one main face thereof, and a central through-hole 164. A 0.6 inch diameter (1.6 cm diameter) cylindrical solid or hollow spigot 1 66 extends tangentially from the periphery of the disk 160, and is integral therewith. A gusset 1 68 strengthens the point where the spigot 1 66 meets the disk 160. As shown in Figure 17, one side of the spigot 1 60 is flush with the plain side of the disk 160.

The assembled modified joint is shown in Figure 11.

It comprises two parts each like that shown in Figure 16, with their toothed sides facing one another. A handwheel 170 has an externally screwthreaded bolt portion 171 which extends through the two holes 1 64 of the main parts of the joint, and an internally screwthreaded nut 1 72 engaging the far end of the bolt portion 171 enables the handwheel 1 70 to be rotated in one sense to tighten the clamping force exerted by the handwheel and nut on the two main parts. As a result, the teeth 1 62 of these two parts firmly interengage to prevent relative pivoting of the spigots 1 66 about the bolt portion 171.A spring washer 174 sandwiched between the two main parts urges them away from one another, so that rotation of the handwheel 1 70 in the opposite sense results in the teeth 1 62 being disengaged, allowing relative pivoting movement of the spigots 166 until the handwheel 1 70 is tightened again.

With one end of the back-rest support 20 crimped onto one of the spigots 1 66, and the side-bar 14 crimped on to the other, substantially continuous adjustment of the back-rest is thereby possible.

The joint could also be used for the front joint of the bedchair if desired.

Thus the modified joint shown in Figures 1 6 and 1 7 basically comprises two parts with inwardly directed interengaging teeth or other projections, clamping means to hold the parts together, and a spring washer or other means sandwiched between them to urge them apart when the clamping means are released.

Claims (12)

1. An angler's seat or bedchair having at least two legs which can be altered in length independently of one another.

2. A seat or bedchair according to claim 1, in which the two legs each comprise telescoping portions to allow such alterations in length.

3. A seat or bedchair according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which one of the telescoping portions is provided with a number of holes spaced apart longitudinally of the leg, and the other portion is provided with a spigot which may be inserted selectively in any one of those holes, to select a corresponding length for the leg.

4. A seat or bedchair according to claim 3, in which the said spigot is spring loaded so that it can snap into any selected one of the holes.

5. A seat or bedchair according to any preceding claim in which the foot of each leg is provided with a pad or flange to inhibit sinking of the leg into soft ground.

6. A seat or bedchair according to claim 5, in which the foot of each leg has a spike or other tapered end below the pad or flange.

7. A seat or bedchair according to claim 5 or claim 6, in which the pad or flange, or the pad or flange together with the spike or other tapered end, is connected to the rest of the leg in a manner which allows the pad or flange to swivel and level itself with the ground independently of the angle which the leg makes with the ground.

8. A seat or bedchair according to claim 7, in which the connection is by way of a ball and socket joint.

9. A seat or bedchair according to any preceding claim, in which the legs can be folded up against the rest of the seat or bedchair.

10. A seat or bedchair according to claim 9, in which the legs are connected to the rest of the seat or bedchair by means of a pivot connection adjacent to which is provided a spigot-and-hole fastening to inhibit collapse of the legs when the seat or bedchair is in use.

11. A seat or bedchair according to any preceding claim, in which a back-rest thereof can be folded down towards the rest of the seat or bedchair.

12. A seat or bedchair according to any preceding claim, in which a backrest thereof is pivoted to the rest of the seat or bedchair by means of at least one hand-adjustable clamp which includes two parts each having portions formed with teeth or other projections directed towards one another which firmly inter-engage when the clamp is tightened.

1 3. An angler's seat or bedchair substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8, with or without any one of the modifications shown in Figure 4, Figure 6, Figure 7, or any one of Figures 9 to 17.