Abstract:
A tree stand with a foot climber section having tree grippers, and a foot rest; a seat climber section with a rear end and a front end, tree grippers, tubular side members with front and rear ends, and inserts slidably in the side members between extended and retracted positions; and a seat releasibly attachable to the inserts when the inserts are in the extended position, and releasibly attachable to the seat climber tubular side members when the inserts are in the retracted position.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a tree stand with a seat that is adjustable in location to make the tree stand adaptable for hunting with bow and arrows or a rifle by advantageously and easily changing the location of the seat while hunting. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Tree stands that are adaptable for hunting with bow and arrows are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,104 to Amacker, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,602 to Leggett. 
     Amacker provides a seating section with a cross member on the tree stand. The cross member can be removed and replaced in a vertical orientation at the side of the tree stand to provide space for hunting with bow and arrows. 
     Leggett provides a pivotal seat that can be moved to a vertical position at the front of the tree stand to provide space for hunting with bow and arrows. 
     Neither Amacker or Leggett disclose or suggest applicant&#39;s concept of providing a seat that can be positioned on a tree stand for use while hunting with a rifle and easily repositioned while the tree stand is in use to provide seating and space for hunting with bow and arrows. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The tree stand has a foot climber and a seat climber that are to be used by a hunter in a conventional manner to climb a tree. The seat climber has a removable seat and tubular sleeves with retractable inserts that can be retracted within their sleeves and the seat positioned on the sleeves in close proximity to the tree to obtain unobstructed space and view for an archer or bow hunter. The retractable inserts can be extended and the seat repositioned on the inserts in outwardly spaced relation to the tree, so the hunter faces the tree when seated. The seat is positioned closer to the tree for an archer, who can sit with his back to the tree. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tree stand with the foot climber and the seat climber encircling a tree shown in phantom lines with the seat supported on retractable inserts in their extended position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but with parts broken away and schematically showing the seat positioned for attachment to the retractable inserts; 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line  3 — 3  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but showing in solid lines one of the retractable inserts in its retracted position and showing the same insert in phantom lines in its extended position; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bow holder, removed from the tree stand; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the tree stand adapted for the use by an archer with the retractable inserts in their retracted position and the seat supported nearer the tree on the sleeves for the inserts to provide unobstructed space and vision for an archer, shown in phantom lines; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, illustrating a bow supported in the bow holder attached to one of the sleeves for the retractable inserts; and 
     FIG. 8 is a frontal view, illustrating elastic loops stretched from rings depending from the metal frame to lugs extending transversely from the metal frame. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring more specifically to the drawings, the tree stand is broadly indicated at  10  in FIGS. 1,  2 , and  6 . The tree stand  10  comprises a foot climber, broadly indicated at  11 , and a seat climber, broadly indicated at  12 . 
     The Foot Climber 
     The foot climber  11  comprises a generally rectangular base frame  13  with tubular frame members  14  and  15  at the sides, welded to a tubular frame member  16  at the front and to a tubular frame member  17  at the rear. A plurality of tubular reinforcing bars  20  extend transversely between the side frame members  14  and  15 . 
     The legs  21  of a generally V-shaped gripper  22  are slidably and removably received in angularly disposed anchor sleeves  23  which are the forward end portions of a generally U-shaped support frame  24 . The legs  21  may be adjusted to desired lengths by positioning of bolts  29  in selected bores in the anchor sleeves  23  in registry with bores in the legs  21 . The support frame  24  is welded to the side frame members  14  and  15  in surrounding relation to the rear portion of the base frame  13  and in rearwardly spaced relation to the rear frame member  17  of the base frame  13 . A pair of upright supports  27  extend upwardly from the sides  14  and  15  of the base frame  13  to the angularly disposed forward end portions  23  of the support frame  24 . 
     A mat  25  of expanded metal overlies and is fixed to the base frame  13  and rear portion of the support frame  24 . An elastic strap  26  overlies the mat  25  and one of the reinforcing bars  20  to accommodate a user&#39;s feet when climbing. The elastic strap  26  is fastened at its ends to the side frame members  14  and  15  and at its mid-portion to the underlying reinforcing bar  20 . 
     The Seat Climber 
     The seat climber  12  comprises a U-shaped metal frame comprising with a front frame member  32  and side frame members  33  and  34  extending rearwardly from the front frame member  32 . Anchor sleeves  35  and  36  extend forwardly at an angle from the rear portions of the side frame members  33  and  34 . The legs  37  and  38  of a second gripper  40  are slidably and releasably received in the anchor sleeves  35  and  36 , and may be adjusted to desired lengths by positioning of bolts  39  in selected bores in the anchor sleeves  35 ,  36  in registry with bores in the legs  37 ,  38 . 
     The anchor sleeves  35  and  36  are supported by uprights  41  and  42  extending from the juncture of the front frame member  32  with the side frame members  33 ,  34 . A V-shaped gripping plate  43  extends forwardly from the front frame member  32  and is anchored at its ends with the front ends of side frame members  33  and  34 . 
     The foot climber  11  and the seat climber  12  are manipulable by a hunter in a known manner to climb a tree. 
     The frame members  33  and  34  function as, and are hereinafter referred to as, tubular sleeves  33  and  34  for retractable inserts  44  and  45  that slide easily into the open rear ends of tubular sleeves  33  and  34 . As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the insert  44  has laterally extending threaded bores  44 A and  44 B positioned for alignment with unthreaded bores  33 A and  33 B that extend transversely through the sides of the tubular sleeve  33 . Bore  33 A in the tubular sleeve  33  is positioned to align with the threaded bore  44 A in the insert  44  when the insert  44  is fully retracted in the tubular sleeve  33  (FIG.  4 ). A bolt  46  is threaded in the bore  44 A to hold the retractable insert  44  in its retracted position when the insert  44  is positioned with its threaded bore  44 A in registry with the unthreaded bore  33 A in the tubular sleeve  33 , as in FIG.  4 . The bolt  46  is threaded in the bore  44 B to hold the retractable insert in its extended position when the insert  44  is positioned with its threaded bore  44 B in registry with the unthreaded bore  33 B in the tubular sleeve  33 , as in FIG.  3 . 
     The tubular sleeve  34  has corresponding bores  34 A,  34 B and the retractable insert  45  has corresponding threaded bores  44 A,  44 B and bolts  46 . 
     The threaded bolts  46  are each equipped with a handle  48  that is fastened by a length of plastic line  49  to respective tubular sleeves  33 ,  34 . 
     A seat, broadly indicated at  50 , is supported on the inserts  44 ,  45  when the inserts are in their fully extended position, as in FIGS. 2 and 3. The seat  50  comprises a tubular rectangular metal frame  51  to which a cushion  52  is permanently attached. The seat frame  51  is removably attached to the retractable inserts  44 ,  45  when the inserts  44 ,  45  are in their extended position (FIG.  1 ), and the seat frame  51  is removably attached to the tubular sleeves  33  and  34  when the inserts  44 ,  45  are in their retracted position (FIG.  6 ). 
     The apparatus for selectively attaching the seat frame  51  to either the tubular sleeves  33 ,  34  or the retractable inserts  44 ,  45  comprises anchor rings  53  (FIG. 3) that depend from the seat frame  51  near the tubular sleeves  33 ,  34 . The rings  53  support elastic loops  55  that are selectively engageable with lugs  57  projecting laterally from the sides of the seat frame  51  (FIG.  3 ). 
     The apparatus for releasably attaching the seat frame also includes flanged caps  60  that extend upwardly from the free ends of the retractable inserts  44 ,  45 . The rear wall of the frame  51  has slots  62  and  63  (FIG. 2) to receive flanges  64  that extend forwardly from the caps  60  to engage the slots  62 ,  63  in the rear wall of the seat frame  51  whether the seat  50  is positioned for use on the tubular sleeves  33 ,  34  or positioned for use on the extended insets  44 ,  45 . 
     In use, if the seat  50  is positioned on the tubular sleeves  33 ,  34 , as in FIG. 6, the elastic loops  55  are stretched from their anchor rings  53  and wrapped around the tubular sleeves  33 ,  34  and then hooked on the lugs  57 . If the seat  50  is positioned on the extended inserts  44 ,  45 , the elastic loops  55  are stretched from their anchor rings  53  and wrapped around the extended inserts  44 ,  45  and then hooked on the lugs  57 . 
     A bow holder  70  (FIG. 5) is attached to the free end portion of the tubular sleeve  33 . The bow holder  70  is held in place by its sleeve  71  that fits over the tubular sleeve  33 . A pair of fingers  72  extend in horizontally spaced relation to each other from the sleeve  71  to receive and support a hunter&#39;s bow, as shown in FIG.  7 . 
     There is thus provided a tree stand with a seat that can be adjusted during use of the tree stand to provide seating and space for hunting with bow and arrow or seating for hunting with a rifle. The seat is available for use in either position. 
     Although specific terms have been used in describing the invention, they have been used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.