US3283733A

US3283733A - Portable and collapsible sportsman's seat

Info

Publication number: US3283733A
Application number: US472800A
Authority: US
Inventors: John C Boerma
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-07-19
Filing date: 1965-07-19
Publication date: 1966-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-08

Description

Nov. 8, 1966 J. c. BOERMA PORTABLE AND COLLAPSIBLE SPORTSMAN'S SEAT Filed July 19, 1965 INVENTOR. Jae PAM cTO/M/ I.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,283,733 PURTABLE AND COLLAPSIBLE SPORTSMANS SEAT John C. Boerma, Grand Haven, Mich, assignor of fifty percent to Donald J. Boer-ma, Comstock Park, Mich. Filed July 19, 1965, Ser. No. 472,800 3 Claims. (Cl. 108159) This invention relates .to seating means of the portable type such as are used by sportsmen, campers, and the like, and more particularly to a new type of such seating means which may be instantaneously assembled for use in the held, and which is readily collapsed to enhance its portability.

As persons such as sportsmen, hunters, and campers who spend considerable time in the out-of-doors are well aware, it is almost always desirable 'and frequently a necessity to have some sort of seat or chair which may easily be carried about, so that the person will not be forced to sit upon the earth itself or upon natural objects such as large stones, tree stumps, or the like which may or may not be available at any given time and which are likely to be wet and otherwise uncomfortable even if available. This is particularly true of persons who hunt large animals such as deer, since the hunting season oc' curs in cold and damp wintry weather and most of the time spent in hunting requires the hunter to remain as stationary as possible in a single location, where the game is expected to pass. Seats of a portable nature have been devised in the past, but for the most part the desirability of such seats has been strictly limited. This is true because, among other reasons, while previous seats may perhaps be said to be portable in the broad sense of the term, they are actually quite cumbersome and bothersome to carry about while hunting, Further, when such seats are used they are apt to be rather unsteady and not suitably rigid, and they also are quite restrictive and do not permit a hunter to make desired movements for observation while he is seated.

Accordingly, it is a major objective of the present invention to provide a truly portable seating means for sportsmen and hunters which is sturdy and rigid in use, and whilch is instantaneously collapsible to render it extremely easy to carry and completely portable.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible, portable seating means of the character described, which includes means for retaining the leg portion of the seating means in place upon the earth in a desired preselected location.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible, portable seating means of the aforesaid nature, which permits easy movement of the seat portion relative to the leg portion, so that the hunter may, while remaining seated, swivel about in order to more carefully observe the area of surveillance.

The foregoing objects and the advantages related thereto, together with additional desirable features and attributes of the invention, will become increasingly apparent following a consideration of the ensuing specification and its appended claims, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawings setting forth a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an upright, frontal, perspective view of the complete seating means;

FIG. 1 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of the upper extremity of the single support leg of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of the lowermost extremity of the single leg support of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, bottom perspective of .the seating Patented Nov. 8, 1966 platform shown in FIG. 1, showing further details thereof.

Briefly stated, the present invention provides a collapsible, portable seating means for sportsmen and the like, which includes a seat platform, a single upright support for said platform, means for detachably connecting the seat upon the upper extremities of the upright support which also allows relative rotative movement between the seat platform and the support when the same are con nected together, and means associated with the lower extremities of the support for fixedly retaining the same in a desired placement upon the earth. The seat and support are easily detachable from each other, and when so detached are easily carried or stored, in order to render the novel seating means completely portable.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, the assembled and complete seating means 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 in the normal upright position in which it is generally used. It will be observed that the seating means has a generally flat and preferably horizontal seat platform 12 upon which one sits, and a single upright support member 14 which supports the seat 12 above the ground. The lowermost extremity 16 of support 14- is formed, as by forging or swaging, into a point, and a generally flat, washenlike disk or shoulder means 18 is secured to .the support 14 a predetermined distance above the pointed end 16 thereof.

The upright support member 14 of the seating means 10 is illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. As seen here, the support itself is preferably a tubular metal member, whose overall length is preferably approximately two feet, although this may of course be varied if desired. The upper extremity of the support member (FIG. 2) carries a longitudina'lly-extending generally cylindrical projection 20 having an upstanding point formed at its end. The projection 20 may be formed integrally with the support, or the support may be provided with a cap structure 22 which interfits within the tubular support and is secured thereto as by a press fit or by welding or the like.

The lower extremity of the support member 14 (FIG. 3) is convergently swaged and then trimmed to form a broadened point 16 capable of penetrating the earth when it is placed thereupon and weight is app-lied to .the top of the member. A generally annular, transverse groove 17 is preferably formed in the support member 14 a short distance above the pointed extremity 16, and the flat, disk-like shoulder means 18 seen in FIG. 1 mounts upon the support member 14 by being pressed telescopingly thereover until seated Within the groove 17. The shoulder means 18 thus comes into flat, abutting contact with the surface of the earth when the point 16 is forced thereinto, thereby limiting the extent of penetration which may result and positively establishing the elfective height of the seating platform 12.

The seat platform 12 of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4, which shows the bottom portions thereof. It will be noted that the seat platform is a generally rectangular structure which may be made of a desired wood, metal, or plastic, and which may if desired include suitable padding on the upper portion to make it more comfortable to sit upon. A hearing recess 24 having cylindrical sides which converge to form a pointed end is formed generally centrally in the bottom of the seat platform 12, preferably by means of a bearing sleeve 26 embedded in or suitably secured to the bottom of the seat platform.

The bearing recess 24 of the seat platform 12 should be of such a diameter as to smoothly receive the projection 20 of the support member 14, with the pointed end of the projection providing a needle bearing for contacting the pointed end of the recess. The extent to which the projection extends into the bearing recess need not be particularly great, and for the most part need merely 'be such as to prevent the seat platform 12 from either tipping away from or slipping sideways off the upright support 14. It has been found in practice that an engagement of approximately three-fourths inch is quite sufficient for this purpose. The bearing contact between the pointed projection and recess portions provides for extremely easy rotative movement between these two parts, which is not likely to produce squeals or other noises which might startle the game or alert it to the presence of the hunter. It should be noted, however, that the cap structure 22 of the upright support 14 may be formed to provide a generally flat, annular support shoulder 28, and that the bearing sleeve 26 of the seat platform 12 may provide a generally flat bearing surface 30. The shoulder 28 and the surface 3% may then be used in bearing contact with each other to provide a smooth relative rotation between the seat platform 12 and the upright support 14, if this type of configuration is desired; however, this configuration may produce squeals, which the pointed construction does not do.

, As FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 reveal, a length of cord 32 or like material is passed through an appropriate eyelet 34 anchored to the support 14. One end of this cord is anchored behind eyelet 34, as by a knot, while the other end passes through a corresponding eyelet 36 secured to the underside of the seat platform 12 and is looped upon itself to form a thong or sling 38. This arrangement provides a very convenient and preferred means for carrying the novel seating means, or will subsequently appear more fully.

Having now completely described the structure involved in the present seating means, and having also indicated the manner of its assembly and disassembly, the use thereof while afield in the out-of-doors should be quite apparent. Upon beginning the days hunting, a deer hunter (for example) may detach the seat platform 12 from the upright support 14, and then suspend the entire seating means from one shoulder, as by slinging the thong 38 over his arm and about the shoulder. He may then walk with completely unencumbered hands to a desired hunting position. Alternatively, either or both the seat platform and upright support may conveniently be carried in one hand when disassembled, if this is desired.

Upon reaching a selected hunting position, the hunter merely slips the projection 20 of the support member 14 into the bearing recess 24 of the seat platform 12, places the pointed end extremity of the support upon the ground, and seats himself atop the seat platform. When the weight of the hunter is placed upon the seat platform, the point portion 16 of the support naturally penetrates into the earth, and this serves to steady the seat and maintain it in a desired placement upon the ground, in an upright condition.

The penetration of the pointed. end extremity into the ground is limited at a desired point when the disk-like shoulder means 18 comes into abutting relation with the surface of the earth. This establishes the seating height of the device. At this extent of penetration, the seating means is quite steady under the weight of the hunter, and in fact is free-standing, so that if the hunter should arise the seat will remain upright in position and will not fall over into adjacent snow or water or the like. Instead, it will merely remain stuck in the ground so that the hunter may subsequently resume his seat whenever he desires. Further, even while seated the hunter is not limited as to his position, but due to the interaction of the rotatable, detachable connection between the seat platform and the upright support, the hunter may rotate about on his seat for the maximum effectiveness in surveying his hunting position. Due to the complete ease of assembling and disassembling the seat, the hunter may move as often 'as desired during the day without the necessity of spending time and effort in changing his seat or setting up new seating facilities, but instead may devote his entire time to the hunt.

Having gained a full appreciation of the concepts underlying the invention, various changes and modifications in the preferred structure shown herein may be suggested to those skilled in the art to' Which it pertains. Consequently, all such variations and. modifications as incorporate the spirit of the invention are to be considered as within the scope of the claims appended herebelow; unless these claims by their language specifically state otherwise.

I claim:

1. A collapsible, portable seating means for sportsmen and the like, comprising in combination: a generally fiat seat platform; means forming a generally cylindrical bearing recess in one of the underside of said seat platform or in the top of said upright support member; a single upright support member; the other one of said seat platform or upright support member having a generally cylindrical protrusion; said protrusion being receivable within said bearing recess to rotatably and removably mount said seat upon said support; said upright support member having a lower extremity formed to penetrate into the earth to retain the support in a desired placement thereupon; shoulder means attached to said support a predetermined distance above said pointed extremity to abuttingly contact the earth and limit the penetration of said support thereinto; an elongated flexible member secured to said seat platform and said upright support member for coupling them together even when detached at said bearing recess thereby facilitating the carrying thereof on the shoulder of a person by slinging said elongated flexible member thereover.

2. A collapsible, portable seating means for sportsmen and the like, comprising in combination: a generally flat seat platform; means forming a generally cylindrical bearing recess in one of the underside of said seat platform or in the top of said upright support member; a single hollow tubular upright support member; the other one of said seat platform or upright support member having a generally cylindrical protrusion; said protrusion being receivable within said bearing recess to rotatably and removably mount said seat upon said support; said hollow tubular upright support member having a swaged lower extremity formed into a point to penetrate into the earth to retain the support in a desired placement thereupon; a transverse groove in said support located a short distance above the said point; and a washer-like disc press-fitted over said tubular support into said groove providing a shoulder means attached to said support a predetermined distance above said pointed extremity to abuttingly contact the earth and limit the penetration of said support thereinto; said seat and tubular support when detached from each other being easily carried to render said seating means completely portable.

3. A collapsible, portable seating means for sportsmen and the like, comprising in combination: a generally flat seat platform; means forming a generally cylindrical bearing recess in one of the underside of said seat platform or in the top of said upright support member; a single hollow tubular upright support member; the other one of said seat platform or upright support member having a generally cylindrical protrusion; said protrusion being receivable within said bearing recess to rotatably and removably mount said seat upon said support; said hollow tubular upright support member having a swaged lower extremity formed into a point to penetrate into the earth to retain the support in a desired placement thereupon; a transverse groove in said support located a short distance above the said point; and a washer-like disc pressfitted over said tubular support into said groove providing a shoulder means attached to said support a predetermined distance above said pointed extremity to abut- 5 6 tingly contact the earth and limit the penetration of said 1,736,177 11/1929 Snook 52-157 support thereinto; an elongated flexible member secured 2,362,746 11/1944 De Vries 248-384 to said seat platform and said upright support member 2,607,398 8/1952 Andrews 24844 for coupling them together even when detached at said 2,607,643 3/ 1952 M t lf 1032.153 bearing recess thereby facilitating the carrying thereof 5 2 720 249 10/1955 pfiterson 10 14 on the shoulder of a person by slinging said elongated 77 2 3 1 5 Bamette flexible member thereover.

FOREIGN PATENTS R f t d th E e erencesCle e Xamme 850,535 9/1939 France.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 425,305 4/1890 Daniels et a1. 24s 415 CLAUDE LE ROYJYimaI'Y Examiner- 1,21s,357 3/1917 Bauer 10s 15s

Claims

1. A COLLAPSIBLE, PORTABLE SEATING MEANS FOR SPORTSMEN AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A GENERALLY FLAT SEAT PLATFORM; MEANS FORMING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BEARING RECESS IN ONE OF THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID SEAT PLATFORM OR IN THE TOP OF SAID UPRIGHT SUPPORT MEMBER; A SINGLE UPRIGHT SUPPORT MEMBER; THE OTHER ONE OF SAID SEAT PLATFORM OR UPRIGHT SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PROTRUSION; SAID PROTRUSION BEING RECEIVABLE WITHIN SAID BEARING RECESS TO ROTATABLY AND REMOVABLY MOUNT SAID SEAT UPON SAID SUPPORT; AND SAID UPRIGHT SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A LOWER EXTREMITY FORMED TO PENETRATE INTO THE EARTH TO RETAIN THE SUPPORT IN A DESIRED PLACEMENT THEREUPON; SHOULDER MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE ABOVE SAID POINT EXTREMITY TO ABUTTINGLY CONTACT THE EARTH AND LIMIT THE PENETRATION OF SAID SUPPORT THEREINTO; AND ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEMBER SECURED TO SAID SEAT PLATFORM AND SAID UPRIGHT SUPPORT MEMBER FOR COUPLING THEM TOGETHER EVEN WHEN DETACHED AT SAID BEARING RECESS THEREBY FACILITATING THE CARRYING THEREOF ON THE SHOULDER OF A PERSON BY SLINGING SAID ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEMBER THEREOVER.