Abstract:
An enclosed tree-mounted hunting blind supported in cantilever fashion off the side of a tree. The blind is a rigid, walled structure that is easily put up and taken down from the tree using its own cantilever support, and is light enough to transport to and from the tree at the beginning and end of hunting season with minimal effort. The assembled, tree-mounted blind, however, is as stable as a permanently mounted structure and offers the protection and comfort of a ground blind in a tree.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is in the field of hunting blinds of the type used by deer hunters. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Deer hunters often use hunting blinds to hide themselves in locations on the ground near expected deer paths. The blind usually has at least one “wall” formed from natural materials at hand such as sticks and foliage, or from dull-colored blankets or burlap material hung between poles or on a frame, or from plywood or lumber. The blind may be a portable camouflaged tent, or even an abandoned appliance or vehicle to whose presence deer have become accustomed. Blinds may be but one wall between the hunter&#39;s hiding spot and the deer, or may partially or fully surround the hunter for concealment from several angles or for weather protection in the colder fall and winter seasons when most deer hunting takes place. More elaborate blinds with shingled roofs, doors, sliding or hinged windows, chairs and benches are common, permanently located for use year after year. 
   Because hunters have long recognized that hunting from above the deer&#39;s field of vision is advantageous, treestands are also popular, especially with bowhunters. Treestands are platforms, often of metal or plastic grating or mesh, mounted in trees. They are typically small and portable, with room for a single hunter to stand or sit. These open platforms must be used with caution, since a fall can be serious, and they often are used with safety belts or harnesses in case a hunter loses his balance or nods off in his perch. Treestands tend to be favored by bowhunters because bowhunting often takes place in warmer weather and the stands are exposed to the elements, and because bowhunters need more space to nock arrows, draw, and shoot than do firearm hunters. 
   One approach taken by rifle hunters has been to build tower-type blinds that allow them to sit all day in relative comfort and greater safety well above the ground. These are usually expensive, heavy, and cumbersome, and if designed to be taken down at the end of a season require significant labor and transport. Firearm hunters have also used tree-house type blinds built directly into trees. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a walled, blind-style hunting enclosure removably mounted to the side of a tree in cantilever fashion. The enclosure is fully walled and in a preferred version is also roofed, yet is lightweight, easy to put up, and easy to take down. One wall of the enclosure is mounted adjacent the side of the tree trunk, while another wall has door access from a ladder. The blind and its cantilever support are designed to be assembled at the base of the tree to which it is to be mounted, and hauled vertically up and down the side of the tree trunk to be placed and secured in the desired hunting position. 
   Once installed against the trunk of a tree, the blind is supported entirely by the tree, and requires no supplemental supports. This allows the blind to move freely with the tree, for example in windy conditions. 
   The cantilever support is adapted to be fastened to the tree trunk at ground level to allow the blind to be assembled on it safely and conveniently, and then to guide the assembled enclosure vertically up the side of the trunk to a point where it can be refastened in its hunting position. 
   The walls of the blind are preferably formed in foldable, removable sections, for example foldable pairs, reducing assembly and disassembly time and making them easier to transport to and from the blind site. In one embodiment the floor of the blind is also foldable, and includes a channel defining the final shape of the blind and adapted to receive and align the wall sections accordingly. 
   In the roofed embodiments, the roof can be angled or gabled to keep water from dripping (and then freezing) onto the ladder. Windows that can be adjusted and opened from inside the enclosure are provided on each wall, including a wall facing the tree trunk. 
   These and other features and advantages of the inventions disclosed herein will become apparent upon further reading of the specification in light of the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a tree-mounted blind according to the invention, viewed from an angle below the level of the blind. 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the blind of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the blind of  FIG. 1 , with the tree trunk sectioned. 
       FIG. 4  is a rear elevational view of the blind of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of the blind of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a blind according to the invention, viewed from an angle below the level of the blind. 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the cantilever blind support from  FIGS. 1–6  relative to the tree, and of the main assembly sections of the blind of  FIG. 6  relative to the support. 
       FIG. 7A  is a top plan view of the base/floor of the blind of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 7B  is a bottom plan view of the base/floor of the blind of  FIG. 6   
       FIG. 7C  is a top plan view of the roof of the blind of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the assembled blind and support of  FIG. 1 , showing it positioned at the bottom of the tree in solid lines, and in its raised position in broken lines. 
       FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of an open-topped blind according to the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a tree-mounted blind enclosure  10  according to the invention is shown mounted on a tree  28 , for example between ten and twenty feet off the ground. Blind  10  is an enclosed structure, in the illustrated example a fully walled rectangular structure with front wall  12 , side walls  14  and  16 , and rear wall  18 , all formed from suitable wood such as plywood with appropriate internal framing. It will be understood that the invention is limited neither to a rectangular shape nor to wood construction, although for most purposes this combination will not only be adequate but preferred. Walls made from other rigid materials such as plastics or even metals are possible, although wood is believed to be the best material. And as described in  FIG. 6  below, other walled shapes such as hexagons may be desirable for certain features or appearances. 
   Each wall is provided with a window  12   a ,  14   a ,  16   a ,  18   a , openable from the inside of the blind in known manner. Two possible examples include partitioned sliding windows, and hinged windows that drop down when a latch is released. 
   Blind  10  has a solid floor  20  and a solid roof  22 , for example also made from plywood and suitable framing members, thus providing a complete, weatherproof enclosure for a hunter in the tree. Access to the inside of blind  10  is through a door  24  formed in front wall  12 , reached by ladder  30  depending from front wall  12 . The ladder is preferably secured in place during the hunting season, but can also be removed and stored as desired between uses. The door can be placed in walls other than the front wall, depending on the desired angle of ladder access to the blind. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , blind  10  is mounted in cantilever fashion to the side of the trunk of tree  28 , supported on a generally L-shaped cantilever mount  26  so as to have rear wall  18  essentially squarely mounted next to the tree trunk. The floor of the blind rests on and is secured to horizontal cantilever arm portion  26   a  (in the illustrated embodiment comprising a pair of spaced, parallel wooden rails). Vertical support portion  26   b  is removably secured against the side of tree  28  via lower and upper anchor blocks  26   c  and  26   d  tensioned laterally against the tree trunk with suitably strong cables, chains, or straps  26   e . Triangular bracing  25  is added to the L-shaped cantilever support for strength. 
   Blind  10  is accordingly supported in cantilever fashion directly adjacent the vertical tree trunk, essentially paralleling the trunk for an unobstructed view (and shooting, when the windows are opened) in all directions except through the back wall, which faces the tree trunk. Even then, rear wall  18  is provided with a full width window that in most cases will be wider than even large diameter tree trunks for a partial view and/or shooting field to either side of the trunk. If the blind is fastened to an exceptionally large tree trunk whose diameter is equal to or greater than the width of the rear window (a rarity in today&#39;s forests), the flat, squared relationship of the windowed wall to the rounded trunk, along with the spacing of the rear wall from the trunk due to the thickness of the cantilever support&#39;s anchor blocks, will provide at least some field of vision to either side of the trunk through the rear window. 
   It will be understood that the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, and “parallel” used above in reference to the relationship of the cantilever support are used in a general and relative sense with respect to the tree and ground, since no tree is perfectly straight and vertical, and since the position of a given blind and its support will vary somewhat from one installation to another on different trees. 
     FIGS. 3 through 5  are top, rear, and bottom views of blind  10  and the section of the tree trunk to which it is fastened. The relationship of the rear wall  18  to the trunk  28  and the field of vision afforded through the rear window  18   a  are readily apparent (see  FIG. 4 ). The cantilever support&#39;s anchor blocks  26   c  and  26   d  are shown in more detail in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , with wide, V-shaped tree-engaging faces  27  for a cradled, self-centering wedge fit against the trunk. In the illustrated embodiment, the anchor blocks are made from wood, providing non-damaging surfaces against the bark of the tree. In the illustrated embodiment the blocks are laminated with multiple layers of engineered lumber locked together into a block with framing members and nails, screws, clamping members and/or strong adhesive. Eyebolts  26   f  are secured deeply into the anchor blocks, with hooks or eyes on their protruding ends to receive the ends of chains, cables or straps that can be tensioned around the tree. 
   In the illustrated example, upper and lower anchor blocks  26   c  and  26   d  are identical. The wide and relatively shallow nature of the V-shaped anchor block faces  27 , and their rigid vertical spacing on the trunk in a two-point tensioned connection, securely centers and locks the cantilevered mounting structure  26  (and blind  10 ) both vertically and laterally to the side of the tree. It will be understood that the angle and size of the V-shaped tree-engaging faces of the blocks could differ, but identical blocks have been found sufficient. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates an alternate tree-mounted blind  100  according to the invention, similar to blind  10  in  FIGS. 1 through 5  but hexagonal in shape. Like blind  10  it is fully enclosed by its six walls  112 ,  113 ,  114 ,  115 ,  116 ,  118  and corresponding windows  112   a ,  113   a , etc.; its floor  120 ; and its roof  122 . The door  124  is the same as in blind  10 , as are cantilever mount structure  26  and ladder  30 . The hexagonal shape is not only aesthetically pleasing in the visual context of the vertical, generally cylindrical tree, but offers a more finely gradated viewing and shooting field from the interior of the blind, better rear angle views around the tree trunk, and produces a smaller diameter and lighter blind for relatively the same interior comfort and usable space. The hexagonal shape also sheds wind better than a square-sided blind. 
   The hexagonal blind  100  of  FIG. 6  is only one of many possible shapes that can be used for the enclosed blind structure, including but not limited to rectangles, octagons, and even cylinders. It is preferred, however, that the shape chosen have a flat rear wall facing the tree and a flat front wall for a door and ladder opposite the cantilever support on the tree trunk. 
   The enclosed, tree-paralleling shape of the blind and its cantilever mount to the side of the tree allow the blind to be assembled and installed on the tree in a unique and convenient manner. The blind&#39;s walls, floor, and roof portions are preferably constructed as separate modules or sections that are easily transported and that can be quickly assembled using ordinary hand or power tools at the base of a tree, for example by bolting or screwing the sections together. The cantilever support structure  26  is formed as a separate, stand-alone module that is easily transported to the tree, fastened to the base of the tree with its chains in the same manner shown higher up in  FIGS. 1–6 , and then used as an off-the-ground platform at a convenient height to assemble and secure the blind to the support structure. 
   The hexagonal blind  100  shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  lends itself particularly well to a convenient modular assembly that is easy to transport to and from the blind site. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the flat rectangular walls  112 – 118  are formed in three hinged sections that fold flat for transport and that open up into freestanding sections to be positioned on and secured to floor  120 .  FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate a preferred folding floor structure adapted to receive the hinged wall sections. Floor  120  has two symmetrical folding halves  120   a  and  120   b , hinged along centerline  121  with hinges  120   f  on the underside base framing  120   e  so as to fold flat. The upper side of floor  120  has a wall-receiving channel  120   c  defined about its periphery by raised wooden frame members  120   d . The wall sections are simply dropped into place in channel  120   c  and secured to one another and/or the floor, ready to receive roof  122  shown in  FIG. 7C . Roof  122  is formed in six triangular sections  122   a  with roof anchor cleats  122   b  aligned to form a hexagon sized to fit inside the hexagonal walls and be secured thereto with removable fasteners. 
     FIG. 8  shows the fully assembled blind  100  and support  26  being raised as a unit straight up the side of the tree, for example with a hoist and/or pulley system anchored to the tree, the ground, and/or a vehicle. The wide V-shaped tree-engaging faces on the anchor blocks serve as guides and prevent undue rotation or twisting as the combined blind and support are raised into position. Once in position, the tensioning means secured to the blocks are simply tightened once again around the tree trunk to lock the blind in its final hunting position. The ladder can then be placed at the door of the blind. 
   It will be understood that the foregoing method for pre-mounting the cantilever support  26  to the tree and assembling the blind on the support at the base of the tree is not limited to hexagonal blind  100 , but can be used for any shape of blind designed for use with support  26  against the side of a tree. For example, square blind  10  in  FIGS. 1–5  can be assembled to support  26  in similar fashion. For a blind so assembled to be raised up along the trunk of the tree, however, it should be symmetrical, taller than it is wide, and of relatively small diameter to minimize twisting and swinging. 
     FIG. 9  illustrates an enclosed, walled blind of a type more likely to be preferred by warmer weather hunters and bowhunters. Blind  200  is open-topped with four windowless walls  212 ,  214 ,  216 ,  218 , a drainable floor  220 , and a door  224 . Blind  200  still provides a fully walled enclosure for the hunter, and is mounted on the same cantilever support structure  26  shown in  FIGS. 1–8  for blinds  10  and  100 . Its construction and materials are similar, except for the flooring which preferably allows rain, leaves and snow to fall through, for example by making the floor from expanded metal mesh, strong plastic grating, or wooden slats with spaces between them. Blind  200  can be assembled, raised, secured, and lowered in a manner similar to that described above for blinds  10  and  100 . 
   It has been found that with the windowed blinds such as  10  and  100 , draping a dull or camouflage colored piece of fine mesh such as mosquito or no-see-um netting over the inside surface of a window as shown at  17  in  FIG. 1  effectively renders the hunter and his motion inside the blind invisible from the outside, yet able to see clearly enough to hunt. This mesh or screen also creates a mirror effect when viewed from the outside of the blind, such that the trees and sky are reflected in a non-game-spooking manner, adding to the concealment effect. 
   It will be understood by those skilled in the art that my invention is subject to various modifications not expressly disclosed in the preferred examples set forth above. Changes in materials, dimensions, and shapes; the specifics of framing, fasteners, and window and door closures; modifications to the cantilever support; and others that will be apparent now that I have explained the invention through these examples will be within the scope of the invention as claimed below. It will also be understood that although the invention is ideally suited and intended for hunting, it may be possible to put it to similar uses such as game and bird watching, for example. I accordingly claim: