WO1998005237A1

WO1998005237A1 - Portable hammock

Info

Publication number: WO1998005237A1
Application number: PCT/GB1997/002085
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Christopher Durden
Original assignee: Michael Christopher Durden
Priority date: 1996-08-03
Filing date: 1997-08-04
Publication date: 1998-02-12
Also published as: AU3777797A; GB9616374D0

Abstract

A free-standing, portable hammock (10) comprises a fabric body support (11), strut members (12) for holding the body support above the ground in use, and guy ropes (13) for attachment to the strut members, the strut members being stabilized in use by tensioning forces exerted between the guy ropes and the body support. The strut member comprises axially interconnectable leg portions (16, 17) and filamentary elements (19) connected between the respective leg portions, one leg portion carrying a slidable collar (21) with laterally-disposed arms (23) pivotably mounted thereon, the outer end of each arm being engaged with each filamentary element, whereby with the leg portions axially interconnected the collar is slidable along the leg to a position where the arms are splayed radially outwardly to tension the filamentary elements and create substantial ridigity in the leg.

Description

Portable Hammock

This invention related to a portable, free-standing hammoc .

Hammocks are well known devices for providing elevated sleeping or reclining accommodation. Historically they are made from netting or other fabric and require to be anchored to and suspended from two substantial fixed supports , such as two trees . This feature alone severely limits the usefulness of the hammock as a serious piece of survival, camping or leisure equipment in locations where supports are not immediately available. Free-standing hammocks are also known, in which the fabric is suspended from a ground-supported frame, but such hammocks are too large and heavy to be transported on foot, even though the frame is made to be disassembled.

The object of this invention is to provide a hammock with demountable supports such that the entire apparatus can be readily packed and carried conventionally as part of a "back-pack" and can be quickly assembled an any location that will provide appropriate anchorage points for tensioning or guy ropes such as those used with tents and other camping equipment.

Accordingly, in a first aspect the invention provides a free-standing, portable hammock, the hammock comprising a fabric body support, strut members for holding the body support above the ground in use, and guy ropes for attachment to the strut members, the strut members being stabilised in use by tensioning forces exerted between the guy ropes and the body support.

Preferably, a rope or cord or other tensioning element connects together the upper ends of the strut members, above the body support, whereby in use the tensioning element relieves the body support of at least some of its function in applying tensioning forces to the guy ropes .

According to a second aspect of the invention, a strut member suitable for use with a hammock comprises axially interconnectable leg portions and filamentary elements connected between the respective leg portions, one leg portion carrying a slidable collar with laterally-disposed arms pivotably mounted thereon, the outer end of each arm being engaged with each filamentary element, whereby with the leg portions axially interconnected the collar is slidable along the leg to a position where the arms are splayed radially outwardly to tension the filamentary elements and create substantial rigidity in the leg.

Preferably, the filamentary elements are connected between the respective outer end regions of the leg portions and the arms are each engaged with a middle part of a respective filamentary element.

The leg portions may be connected together via a double- ended male connector with an intermediate annular ridge, flange or other obtrusion which in use is radially proud o£ the leg and acts as an abutment or stop means to provide a limit to the movement of the slidable collar, the arms being engaged with the filamentary elements at such a position that the arms are at a slight over-centre tensioning position at the limit of movement of the collar. The arms may be cranked or bent at their inner ends and journalled in the slidable collar on a pivot axis which intersects the collar, either radially or preferably on a non-diametral chord. In a preferred arrangement, four arms are employed and the collar carries two parallel channels formed along respective chords on each side of the central aperture, the inner ends of respective pairs of adjacent arms being pivotably housed and abutting in the channels so that co pressive forces arising on tensioning the filamentary elements are dissipated principally within and between the arms rather than within the collar.

The engagement means by which the filamentary elements are attached to the ends of the bracing arms may comprise solid balls having apertures formed therein which enclose the ends of the bracing arms and entrap the filamentary elements therein, thereby covering any sharp edges on the bracing arms which may otherwise cause injury.

Feet for example in the form of cross-members may be provided at the ground-engaging end of the strut members, to reduce swaying in use.

Preferably, the components of the hammock are lightweight to facilitate their transport. For example, the body support may be made from a netting material, the strut members may be made from aluminium or an aluminium containing alloy and the filamentary elements may be made from a lightweight inelastic cord such as Kevlar (trade mark) cord although inelastic metal wires or ropes may be used.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a guy rope ground anchor assembly comprises a perforated plate and a plurality of stakes, each suitable for passing through a respective perforation in the plate, whereby in use stakes are driven into the ground at an angle causing the above- ground ends of the stakes to rest close to one another in a converging, preferably pyramidal, configuration, the end of the guy rope being looped around said ends and through a further perforation in the plate, whereby tension forces on the guy rope are transmitted to the stakes in a downwards or ground-penetrating direction.

Preferably, the perforations are formed at pre-determined angles in the plate and the stakes are a sliding fit in the perforations, whereby they are encouraged to adopt the desired angle in the ground. Three stakes are preferably employed and the plate includes a fourth, axial, hole to accommodate the guy rope, and in use the stakes are disposed in relation to the guy rope so that the tensioned guy rope lies substantially between two of the stakes.

The invention also includes a hammock as hereinbefore described, including an awning attached to at least one of the strut members thereof.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1 shows the general arrangement of a hammock in the assembled state;

Figure 2 shows schematically a strut member for use in the hammock of Figure 1 in the partially erected state;

Figure 3 shows the strut member of Figure 2 in the fully erected state;

Figure 4 shows the attachment of the tensioning cords of the strut member to the arms; Figure 5 shows the attachment of the arms to the collar; and

Figure 6 shows a guy rope anchor in the in-use position.

Referring to Figure 1, the hammock, generally indicated

10, includes a netting body support 11, strut members 12, guy ropes 13 and ground anchors 14. A tensioning cord 15 connects the upper ends of the strut members. The guy ropes 13 apply tension to the cord 15 through the strut member 12 and also support a person lying in the netting

11, the weight of the person relieving at least some of the tension in the cord 15.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3, each strut member 12 consists of two aluminium leg members 16, 17 located end- to-end by a plastics connector having an annular outwardly-extending flange 18.

Four equal-length inelastic cords 19 are anchored to the free or outer ends of the leg members via bushes 20 formed with an outwardly-directed cone. Leg member 17 carries a slidable collar 21 which includes parallel chordal channels 22 on each side of the aperture which rotatable receive the cranked ends of arms 23 which are connected at their remote or distal ends at the centre of the cords 19. With the collar towards the outer end of the leg member, the arms lie at an angle to the leg member and the cords 19 are slack; on sliding the collar towards the flange IS, the arms rotate in the channels 22 and gradually assume radial outwardly-directed positions which tension the cords, the flange 18 acting as a stop member with the arms at an over-centre position with the cords under tension.

In use, the assembled strut members 12 are placed with one end on the ground, the bush cone 2C penetrating the ground, or onto an optional foot member. The other end is supported by the tensioning cord 15 and the guy ropes 13.

Figure 4 shows the attachment of the arms 23 to the cords 19 by the use of balls 24 which are formed with slotted apertures 25 and a central cavity. A knot is tied at the centre of the cord and positioned at the end of the arm, and held in place by the ball, the channel receiving the cord on each side of the knot and the cavity receiving the knot and the end of the arm.

Figure 5 shows in detail how the inner, cranked ends of the arms 23 are received in the channels 22 formed through the collar 21, two arms already having been engaged in one channel and the dashed lines indicating how the free ends of the other arms are engaged in the other channel. Once so engaged, the end surfaces of the arms are in abutting relationship within the channel. Each crank angle is 45^* so that each adjacent pair of arms subtends an angle of 90' when the arms are radially-extending in a common plane.

Referring to Figure 6, a ground anchor, generally indicaced 61, includes a perforated plate 62 and stakes 63. A guy rope 64 is passed through the central perforation in the plate, the running end being formed in a loop 65 and the standing end being attached to the hammock. The stakes 63 are driven into the ground through the outer perforations in the plate at an angle such that the upper ends of the stakes form a pyramid above the plate. The loop of the guy rope tends to exert a downwards force to the stakes, resisting disengagement from the ground. For transportation, the ^'leg members are separated by uncoupling them from the connector and the cranked ends of the arms are removed from the chord 1 channels . The component parts may then be placed in a bag together with the netting material, guy ropes and ground anchor components .

Claims

1. A free-standing, portable hammock, the hammock comprising a fabric body support, strut members for holding the body support above the ground in use, and guy ropes for attachment to the strut members, the strut members being stabilized in use by tensioning forces exerted between the guy ropes and the body support.

2. A hammock according to claim 1, including a tensioning element connecting together the upper ends of the strut members.

3. A strut member suitable for use with a hammock according to claim 1 or claim 2 , the strut member comprising axially intercoπnectable leg portions and filamentary elements connected between the respective leg portions, one leg portion carrying a slidable collar with laterally-disposed arms pivotably mounted thereon, the outer end of each arm being engaged with each filamentary element, whereby with the leg portions axially interconnected the collar is slidable along the leg to a position where the arms are splayed radially outwardly to tension the filamentary elements and create substantial rigidity in the leg.

4. A strut member according to claim 3, in which the filamentary elements are connected between the respective outer end regions of the leg portions and the arms are each engaged with a middle part of a respective filamentary element.

5. A strut member according to claim 3 or claim 4 , in which the leg portions are connected together via a double-ended male connector with an intermediate annular obtrusion which in use is radially proud of the leg and acts as an abutment or stop means to provide a limit to the movement of the slidable collar, the arms being engaged with the filamentary elements at such a position that the arms are at an over-centre tensioning position at the limit of movement of the collar.

6. A strut member according to claim 5, in which the arms are cranked or bent at their inner ends and are rotatably journalled in the slidable collar.

7. A strut member according to claim 6 including our arms, the collar including two parallel channels formed along respective chords on each side of the central aperture, the inner ends of respective pairs of adjacent arms being pivotably housed and abutting in the channels.

8. A strut member according to any of claims 3 to 7, in which the engagement means by which the filamentary elements are attached to the ends of the bracing arms comprise solid balls having apertures formed therein which enclose the ends of the bracing arms and entrap the filamentary elements therein.

9. A hammock according to claim 1 or claim 2 including strut members according to any of claims 3 to 8.

10. A hammock according to claim 9, including a guy rope anchor assembly comprising a perforated plate and a plurality of stakes, each suitable for passing through a respective perforation in the plate, whereby in use stakes are driven into the ground at an angle causing the above- ground ends of the stakes to form a converging, preferably pyramidal, configuration, the end of the guy rope being looped around said ends and through a further perforation in the plate, whereby tension forces on the guy rope are transmitted to the stakes in a downwards or ground- penetrating direction.

11. A hammock according to any of claims 1, 2, 9 or 10, further including an awning attached to at least one of the strut members thereof.