US1387801A - Hammock - Google Patents

Description

H. MINTZ.

HAMMOCK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. 1920.

1,387,801 Patented Aug. 16, 1921 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAMMOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Application filed October 8, 1920. Serial No. 415,542.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY MINTZ, citizen of the United States, and resident of Mattapan, in the county of Sufl'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hammocks, of which,

the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hammocks and more particularly to that type commonly known as couch hammocks and which according to the usual construction comprise essentially a cushioned seat or frame having its ends supported by flexible suspension members.

In hammocks of this type the flexible end suspension members which usually consist of strips of textile fabric such as canvas or the like, are suitably connected at their upper ends to rigid bars, to which are attached chains or other means by which the hammock is suspended from an elevated support. To the lower edgesof these fabric strips the hammock frame is commonly directly attached. As usually constructed the rigid supporting bars are substantially straight from end to end. When the hammock frame is subjected to load, as by the seating of a person therein, it is found usually that it sags slightly in a front to rear direction, whereby the load, which theoretically is carried in a uniform manner by the textile end suspension member is brought to bear upon the latter adjacent the central portion thereof alone. This causes excessive strain upon the central portion of the textile material, occasioning rapid wear and failure of the same.

An object of the present invention is to so arrange the various parts as to provide for substantially uniform distribution of the load strain over the entire area of the suspension strip. To this end it is proposed to form the rigid bar upon which such strip is mounted with a curved upper surface the curvature of which will be determined in such a manner as to provide for substantial that known mathematically as a catenary, that is, to say the curve assumed by a theoretically perfectly flexible and weightless cordwhen suspended by its ends between two supports.

In hammocks of the above type as commonly constructed and as herein above referred to, the end supporting bars are commonly formed with a-substantially straight or flat upper surface. The bars as thus formed are found to be very uncomfortable as arm rests when so employed by the user of the hammock, and it is desirable to arrange an end bar so that its upper surface may conform to the contour of the forearm of the user of the hammock, thus rendering the same more suitable as an arm rest. This may be accomplished in substantially the same manner as is the object above, it being found that the curvature of the up er surface of the bar such as to provide tiie uniform tension desirable in the flexible end suspension member, sufliciently approximates the contour of the human arm as to make the bar so constructed acceptable as an arm rest.

Hammocks of this type as commonly constructed have the flexible end supporting member supported upon the end suspension bars by the provision of an elongated pocket or hem in the upper edge of the flexible member, such pocket or hem serving to receive and inclose the bar. It is desirable however, to have the ends of the bar inclosed as well as the side portions thereof, and further that such end closing means appear substantially like that of the material forming the pocket.

An object of the present invention is to provide for concealing the ends of the bar exposed by the open ends of the ocket, such closing means being of a simp e character readily constructed and such as will not detract from the appearance of the hammock.

To this end it is proposed to provide caps of afabric similar to that employed for the end suspension members and to slip such caps over the ends of the supporting bars, the edges of the caps lying beneath the ends of the pockets in the suspension members and being secured in any desirable manner thereto or to the end bars.

As a convenient mode of carrying into effect the above objects, the arrangement disclosed in the accompanying drawings may be employed, it being understood however,

that this is merely illustrative of one of the many wa sin which such objects may be accomplished.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an end elevation of a hammock embodying the present invention, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration, and

Fig. 2 is a detail to enlarged scale, illustrating the end of one of the supporting bars and the manner of covering the same.

1 indicates the framewhich may as usual be of angle iron or other suitable stifiand relatively light material. Upon this frame is supported the mattress 2 and rising from the frame at each end are lugs 3 to which may be connected links as 4, 5, serving to support a back frame 6 carrying the back cushion 7. The structure thus far described is substantially in accordance with that disclosed in the patent to Mintz, 1,308,096 filed July 1, 1919, although the exact arrangement and construction of the frame and back rest is not essential to the carrying into effect of the present invention. 1

The end'members of the frame 1 are sup ported in the usual manner by means of flexible strips of material preferably of textile fabric such as indicated at 8. These textile strips having the frame suspended at their lower edges are supported at their upper edges upon rigid supporting bars such as indicated at 9. The bars 9 may have staples or eyes 10, 11, secured thereto, to which the ends of chains 12, 13 may be attached, the upper ends of these chains being fastened to a ring 14 or other suitable device. For supporting the adjustableback rest in position a chain 15 may be employed as in the patent above referred to.

In order to compensate for the irregular strains which may be imposed upon the fabric strips due to the springing of the frame 1 when loaded, the upper surfaces of the bars 9 are provided with a downwardly concave curvature as indicated at 16. The curvature of the upper surface of the bar will preferably take the form of a catenary or of a curve of generally similar type, it being found that a curve of this form is especially well adapted to distribute the strains uniformly throughout the length of the fabric when the latter is subjected to a centrally disposed load such-as is imposed thereupon when a person reclines in the hammock. While a curve of this type is particularly desirable, it is not to be understood that curves of other forms may not be employed, as any curvature of the upper surface of the bar, such as to assist in distributing the strains uponthe fabric may, it is contemplated, be employed without departing from the spirit 7 of the present invention.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the vertical distances'between the ends of frame 1 and the top bars 9 are reduced virtue of their reduced dimensions the end bars of frame 1 will sag less in the middle. This is advantageous not only for mechanical reasons but also because the fabric ends 8 are subjected to less oblique strains and therefore present a smoother appearance than when the ends of frame 1 sag in the middle.

While the upper surface of the bar need not necessarily be parallel to the lower surface thereof, it is found convenient in practice to make the bar of substantially uniform cross section from end to end, the lower surface thereof between points such as 17, 18, adjacent the ends of the bar, being curved downwardly as indicated at 19 and lying substantially parallel to the upper surface thereof. As a convenient mode of securing the fabric strips to the bar, the fabric strip may be provided with a longitudinally extending pocket at 20, such pocket taking the form of a hem formed by turning the edge of the fabric over and uniting the edge to the'main body of the fabric by lines of stitches as indicated at 21. Other modes of securing the fabric to the bar may, however, be employed if desired, such for example as by the use of metallic fasteners or clamping devices.

When, as herein shown, the bar is of substantial cross section, it is particularly desirable that the end of the pocket be provided with some means for covering and concealing the end of the bar. Such means may, if desired, take the form of a cap 22, preferably of textile fabric of a similar texture and color to that employed for the fabric supporting strip 8. Such cap may be produced by folding the fabric as indicated at 23 and the cap thus formed will be slipped over the end of the bar with its free edges underlying the end'portion of' the pocket, and secured in any desired manner thus,

fully concealing the end of the bar from vlew.

Having thus described a preferred form of the invention and the mode of employment of the same, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hammock of the class described comprising 'a seat frame and an end bar, a strip of fabric secured to said frame at the bottom and to said bar at the top, and said bar having a downwardly curved central portion whereby the vertical dimension of said fabric is greater at the ends than at the central portion. I

2. A hammock .of the class described com- Ill prising a seat frame and an end bar, a strip of fabric secured to said frame at the bottom, and having at its top a pocket adapted to receive said bar, and said bar having a downwardly curved central portion whereby the vertical dimension of said fabric is greater at the ends than at the central portion.

3. A hammock of the class described comprising a seat frame and an end'bar. a strip of fabric secured to said frame at the bot tom and to said bar at the top, and said bar.

having end portions substantially parallel with said frame, and a downwardly curved central portion whereby the vertical dimension of said fabric is greater at the ends than at the central portion.

4. A hammock of the class described comprising a seat frame and an end bar, suspension means secured to said bar adjacent the ends thereof whereby the central portion of said bar is unobstructed, a strip of fabric secured to said seat frame at the bottom and to said bar at the top, and said bar having a downwardlv curved central portion whereby the vertical dimension of said fabric is greater at its ends than at the central portion. 4

5. In a hammock device in combination a supporting bar, a fabric strip having a longitudinal open-ended pocket within which said bar is inclosed, and a fabric cap having an open end, said cap being constructed and arranged to be slipped over an end of said bar and to have its free edges concealed from view by the end portion of said pocket.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts this 6th day of October 1920.

HARRY MINTZ.

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