Abstract:
A hammock stand includes faux bamboo nodes formed periodically along the tubular component, which a color highlighted for simulating a bamboo appearance.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to stands for hammocks and, in particular, to hammock stands having simulated bamboo components. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hammocks are a popular home and recreational accessories. In the past the hammocks have been primarily supported between permanently fixed locations such as trees, posts, walls or the like. For use where such support structure is not available, freestanding support stands have been increasingly available as representatively disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 944,661 to Buck, U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,845 to Hsu, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,994 to Barmettler. These stands are formed using standard tubular materials, can be disassembled and transported to varying locations. Specialized components can be incorporated to provide styling variations to the basic support as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,873 to Wolf and U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,994 to Barmettler. 
     Other commercially available stands have features elaborate iron grillwork and laminated beams for making the stand an independent design statement. Such embellishments are costly, and more difficult to transport. Recently, hammock stands use a triple bar type construction have become popular, as representatively shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,302 to Anderson. Therein a pair of transverse leg assemblies support upwardly diverging that are interconnected with a longitudinal base tube to provide a rigid self supporting framework. Support hooks are attached to the upper ends of the support tubes and a hammock attached thereto and suspended therebetween. 
     In view of the strength and safety considerations for the foregoing hammock stand construction, the components are typically formed of heavy gage steel tubing. The stands are available in a variety of painted, textured and brushed finishes to provide a weather resistance suitable for outdoor use. The décor of the stand, however, is generally secondary to styling of the hammock wherein woven ropes, wooden spreader bars and accessories are available in wide variety. In view of the foregoing limitations, it would be desirable to provide a hammock stand formed in shapes and styles not entirely dictated by the underlying components. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Hammocks are warm weather recreational and relaxation equipment, evoking a tropical environment and the associated lifestyle. Attendant accessories oftentimes expand on the theme, using wicker, rattan, and like materials for chairs, rockers, footrests, swings and the like. Highly synonymous with this setting is bamboo-based construction wherein natural and replicated bamboo materials are used in the construction and decoration of accessory products. 
     The present invention provides a hammock stand that affords a simulated bamboo appearance, without sacrificing the strength, durability and safety of conventional, freestanding hammock stands. Herein, the conventional tubular stand is enhanced with structural accents in the form of replications of bamboo culms including nodes, sheath scars and internodes, spatially configured and coated to replicate and connote the unique features of their natural counterparts. Such features are achieved by providing periodically along the length of the tubular components conically flared and styled nodal areas formed of a formable polymeric coating that is bonded to the outer surface of the component. A preferable coating is a flowable thixoptropic material such as polyurethane, polyester, polyurea and hybrid mixtures. Commercially available formulations used in auto body repair, such as Bondo Body Filler, are well suited for adherence to the tubes, detailing before curing, and satisfactory cured strength. A typical node will have a generally conical flare terminating at a transition band with a succeeding internode section of the simulated culm. The nodes are provided with longitudinal indentations of sheath-scars, the locus of a detached leaf. The molded tube is primed and base coated with a primary bamboo color, streaked longitudinally to accent rib striates, with the nodal transitions highlighted with accent colors indicative of natural contrasts. The resulting hammock stand, with the faux bamboo contours and colorations, captures the exotic and mystical aura of tropical settings. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to enhance of styling of triple beam hammock stands. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a tubular hammock stand having a faux bamboo finish. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide faux bamboo tubular articles by integrally forming periodic flaring nodal areas connected with internodal tubular area, and finishing with coloration replicating natural bamboo materials. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following written description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hammock stand and hammock in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a hammock stand tube having a culm section including a node and an internode; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a leg tube end cap; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary progressively sectioned perspective view of a culm node illustrating the reinforcing ring; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a culm node on a tube; 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of the culm node taken along line  6 — 6  in FIG. 5; and 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a tube and mold for casting a culm node in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings for the purpose of described embodiment only and not for limiting same, FIG. 1 shows a faux bamboo hammock stand  10  supporting at upper longitudinal ends thereof a conventional hammock  12  shown in dashed lines. 
     The stand  10  comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced leg tubes  20  operatively connected to a pair of longitudinally disposed, outwardly and upwardly diverging support tubes  24  and interconnected by a base tube  26 . The inner upper ends of the support tubes  24  include hooks  28  for suspending the hammock  12 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 through 4, the leg tubes  20 , the support tubes  24  and the base tube  26  are elongated tubular members having a cylindrical core  29  of heavy gauge steel. Each tube comprises periodic bamboo culm sections including replicated bamboo nodes  30  longitudinally spaced by replicate culm internodes  32 , and are stylistically suggestive of bamboo plants. The ends of the leg tubes  30  are provided with protective and decorative end caps  40  as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Each leg tube  20  includes a support nipple  44  that is centrally fixedly attached to the upper portion thereof, generally by welding. The nipple  44  is also a tubular member. The nipple  44  is disposed transverse to the leg tube  22  at the center thereof The nipple  44  comprises a horizontal lower disposed inwardly of the leg tube  20  and an upper arm obliquely disposed outwardly of the leg tube  20  and extending upwardly and outwardly at a shallow angle of about 30° or other suitable orientation. The lower arm is telescopically inserted into the outer end of the base tube  26 . The upper arm  52  is telescopically inserted into the lower end of the support tube  24 . The connection between the nipple and the tubes may comprise a frictional fit, or enhanced with a releasable locking mechanism. 
     Each support tube  24  includes a mounting cap assembly  60  telescopically received at the upper end thereof The cap assembly  60  includes the mounting hook  62 . The other end of the mounting hook  28  is connected with the support chain of the hammock  12 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 through 6, each bamboo section includes the node  30  and the internode  32 . The internode is a decoratively coated section of the core tubing and includes circumferentially spaced random striations  62  and intermittent blemishes  64 , both of which are suggestive of natural conditions in bamboo. The node  30  has a generally frustoconical surface  70  extending from the internode and terminating at a circumferential rim  72  with a reverse frustoconical annular band  74  suggestive of an annular nodal termination band. The rim  72  lies in a plane inclined with respect to the axis  76  of the associated tube section, also suggestive of nodal termination in native bamboo plants. An angle of about 45° to 75° produces attractive simulation, with an angle in the order of about 60° preferred. The band  74  and outer surfaces of adjacent sections  80  and  82  of the node and internode are provided with contrasting coloration to the internode, further suggestive of the coloration contrasts in natural material. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 through 6, the node  30  is formed and defined by a frustoconical collar  90  adhered to the outer surface of the core  29 . The collar  90  comprises an inclined split annular ring  92  bounded on either side by a front section  94  and a rear section  96 , the later of which are formed of a formable material. The ring  92  is inclined substantially the same as the rim  72 , having an inner diameter sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the tube to accommodate the orientation. The ring  92  may be welded or otherwise fixed to the tube. The filling material is applied manually to the tube and against the ring and sculpted to the desired contour thereby encasing the ring  92 . An outwardly opening sheath scar groove  93  is formed in the outer surface prior to material setting through the circumferential gap in the ring. Additionally, the ring provides supplemental bonding surfaces for the filling material and reinforces the nodal definition. 
     The node sections  94 ,  96  are formed of a structural material, natural or synthetic suitable for the desired surface contouring and compatible with the strength requirements of the stand. Preferably, the collar is a formable polymeric coating that may be locally applied and formed before curing. Suitable materials are flowable thixotropic polymeric formulations including polyurethanes, polyester, polyureas and hybrid mixtures. Commercially available formulations used in auto body repair, such as Bondo Body Filler, are well suited for adherence to the tubes, permit detail forming before curing, and satisfactory cured strength. 
     Referring to FIGS. 7, the node section  100  may also be molded directly onto the tube  102  by surrounding the tube with a mold  104  having an inner mold surface  106  corresponding to the nodal configuration defining a mold cavity, filling the mold cavity with a liquid material suitable for casting, such as iron or alloyed material, allowing the material to harden, removing the mold, and surface finishing the exterior using conventional techniques. The nodal collar may also be established by preformed elements secured by suitable means such as adhesives to the tube. 
     The finished tube element may be finished with desired highlighting and coloration. In a preferred rendition, the internode is formed with a base final color and streaking with a contrasting color for simulating natural striations is effected by conventional techniques. For example, a yellow shade provides dramatic results for the base coloration. The striated coloration may be blended with a darker coloration at the ends of the node and the transition band to the internode using the striation color, preferably a brown shade. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to hammock stands, it will be appreciated that other decorative pieces using tubular construction may also achieve a desired faux bamboo design, utilizing the above described techniques, it will be appreciated that varying styling renditions of bamboo can be achieved utilizing the above described construction to achieve designs associated with varying real and fanciful bamboo species. Each, however, will having the underlying rigidity and proven manufacture of tubular construction, with definition enhanced by the periodic bamboo node and surface compatibility for decoration with bamboo colorization and features. 
     Having thus described presently preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will now be appreciated that the objects of the invention have been fully achieved, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the sprit and scope of the present invention. The disclosures and description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention, which is defined solely in accordance with the following claims.