Combination tree seat and animal drag

A combination tree seat and animal drag device includes an elongated central support having a first end and a second end and an elongated cross support attached to the first end of said central support and extending approximately transverse thereto. The central support and cross support together form a substantially T-shaped frame member. A seat member is removably attached to a planar surface of said frame member. Tree grip means are provided on the second end of said central support. An elongated strap is removably attached at each end thereof to an attachment means at the ends of the cross support. The frame member may be attached to a tree by engaging the grip means on the central support with an outer surface of the tree and passing the strap around the tree and attaching the strap to the attachment means on the cross support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
(1) Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a portable device which can be attached to a tree 
and form a seat and which can also be used to drag a heavy animal out of 
the field. 
(2) Description of the Prior Art 
The use of portable tree stands or tree seats by hunters and the like is 
well established. Such devices are usually portable and are mounted and 
demounted to the trunk of a reasonably sized tree. Tree seats provide a 
support means which enable a hunter to remain relatively motionless, 
either at ground level or higher, while awaiting the approach of a deer or 
other animal. Examples of known prior art devices are shown in U.S. Pat. 
Nos. 4,022,292; 3,368,725; 3,352,379; 3,241,734; and 3,065,821. These 
devices are not easy to use and are relatively expensive due to the 
complexity of the device and the number of elements included. These 
devices are also awkward to use and too heavy to carry for any long 
distance. U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,537 discloses a relatively simple tree 
stand, but since it includes a threaded spike which is driven deeply into 
a tree, this device may injure a tree and its use may be restricted in 
many states. 
Some of the known tree seats have another substantial use. The devices 
shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,241,734 and 3,368,725 also function as a pack 
frame. The device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,379 can be converted into a 
game cart. However, the latter device requires that a pair of saplings be 
cut down and secured thereto and is rather complicated and unwieldy to 
use. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable 
tree seat which is simple in construction, easy to mount and demount, 
convenient to carry, and secure when mounted. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tree seat which 
is adjustable for varied tree diameters but will not harm the tree trunk. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tree seat 
which can be easily used to drag a large animal out of the woods and which 
also has other substantial uses. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a device 
which is lightweight, inexpensive and easy to manufacture. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, I have invented a combination tree seat and animal drag device 
which includes an elongated central support having a first end and a 
second end and an elongated cross support attached to the first end of the 
center support and extending approximately transverse thereto. The central 
support and cross support together form a substantially T-shaped frame 
member. A seat is removably attached to a planar surface of the frame 
member. The second end of the central support includes a tree grip means 
on the second end of the central support. The device includes an elongated 
strap removably attached at each end to an attachment means at the ends of 
the cross support. In a preferred embodiment, the central support is 
hollow and is open at the second end and includes a removable plug for 
closing the open end of the central support. The tree grip means is 
ideally formed from serrating a part of the second end of the central 
support, preferably along an upper edge thereof, to form a plurality of 
gripping teeth. 
The attachment means on the cross support is preferably a single slot at 
each end. The strap may be securely fastened to one end of the cross 
support and removably attached to a second end of the cross support. In 
order to aid the carrying of the device, a lower surface of the central 
support includes a belt clip adjacent the first end thereof. The strap may 
carry a frictional engagement means, such as a flat plate slidably mounted 
on the strap and having a plurality of outwardly projecting teeth on a 
surface thereof. In this manner, the strap may be more securely connected 
to an outer surface of the tree. In another embodiment, the device 
includes a flashlight built within the central support and directly 
outwardly at the second end of the central support.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
One embodiment of a combination tree seat and animal drag device 2 in 
accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-6. The device 2 
includes an elongated central support 4 and an elongated cross support 6 
attached to a first end 8 of the central support 4. Central support 4 and 
cross support 6 are joined together at about the midpoint of cross support 
6 and cross support 6 extends approximtely transversely thereto beyond 
central support 4. Together the central support 4 and cross support 6 form 
a substantially I-shaped frame member. 
A seat 10 is removably attached to an upper planar surface of the frame 
member formed by central support 4 and cross support 6. As shown in the 
first embodiment of the device 2, the seat 10 is supported by and rests 
directly on the upper planar surface 12 of central support 4. The seat 10 
is spaced a short distance above cross support 6 due to the size of cross 
support 6, but since seat 10 is preferably made of a soft foam, the seat 
10 will come into contact with and also be supported by cross support 6 
when the device 2 is in use. The seat 10 is connected to central support 4 
by elastic band 14 and to cross support 6 by a pair of elastic bands 15 
and 16. Other means for removably attaching seat 10 to central support 4 
and cross support 6 may be used, such as a hook and loop closure (e.g., 
Velcro.RTM.), snaps, and the like. 
A second end 18 of central support 4, the end furthermost from cross 
support 6, includes a tree grip means which enables second end 4 to 
securely engage the outer surface of a tree trunk. In the embodiment of 
the device 2 shown in FIGS. 1-6, the second end 18 is serrated, preferably 
only along the upper surface 12 of central support 4, to form a plurality 
of gripping teeth 20 directed outwardly therefrom. 
The device 2 also includes an elongated strap 22 which is attached either 
permanently or removably to each end 23, 24 of cross support 6 by an 
attachment means. In the device 2 shown in FIGS. 1-6, the first end 23 of 
cross support 6 includes a slot 25 therethrough and the second and 24 of 
cross support 6 includes a similar slot 26 therethrough. Slots 25 and 26 
are adapted to engage the strap 22 and fasten it securely to cross support 
6. In a preferred embodiment, one end of strap 22 is looped through one of 
the slots, as shown, slot 25, and securely fastened to cross support 6 by 
a rivet 28 or the like. The other end of strap 22 can be removably 
attached to slot 26 in a manner to be explained hereinafter. 
In order to make device 2 lightweight and versatile, it is preferred that 
central support 4 be hollow and open at the second end 18. Various items 
needed by a hunter, such as matches, tissue, food and the like may be 
carried within and kept dry by central support 4. The opening at the 
second end 18 may be closed by a removable plug 30. Plug 30 may be formed 
from a flexible foam material with a string handle 31 for ease of removal. 
It is preferred that cross support 6 be made as a hollow, cylindrical tube, 
both to make device 2 lightweight but also to make cross support 6 easy to 
grasp by a user's hand. While cross support 6 is shown as a straight tube, 
it may also be formed in other configurations, such as an arcuate shape 
with ends 23 and 24 bent inward toward the second end 18 of the central 
support 2. The outer surface of cross support 6 may be formed 
appropriately or coated with a frictional material to aid in gripping the 
cross support 6. The first end 8 of central support 4 may be formed in a 
pair of outwardly directed flanges 33 and 34 which are bent around cross 
support 6 and joined thereto by a plurality of rivets 35. Other 
arrangements for joining together central support 4 and cross support 6 
into a unitary frame member can be utilized. 
To aid in carrying device 2 into the woods and the like, a lower surface 37 
of central support 4 may be provided with a belt clip 38 adjacent the 
first end 8 of central support 4 and near cross support 6. 
The installation of device 2 onto the trunk of a tree 40 is shown 
sequentially with reference to FIGS. 7-9. Initially (see FIG. 7), device 2 
is positioned with seat 10 parallel with and adjacent the tree 40. The 
second end 18 of the central support 4 is positioned at approximately the 
desired final height of the device 2 above the ground. The strap 22 is 
wrapped around the tree 40 at about the level of the cross support 6. At 
this point, the strap 22 is only affixed to one end of cross support 6. 
Next (FIG. 8), the gripping teeth 20 of central support 4 are placed in 
contact with the tree 40 and the device 2 is pivoted about the second end 
18 of central support 4 moving the first end 8 of central support 4 toward 
the ground. In an intermediate position, as shown in FIG. 8, the free end 
of strap 22 is fastened to the other end of cross support 6, all the while 
maintaining the contact between the tree 40 and the strap 22 at the same 
level. The gripping teeth 20 are then pushed completely into the tree 40 
and the device 2 is pivoted toward the ground until the second end 18 of 
the central support 4 contacts the tree 40 and prevents any further 
downward movement. (FIG. 9.) This last motion also tensions the strap 22 
so that the device 2 is securely fastened to the tree 40 without slipping. 
The device 2 is now ready to be used with seat 10 substantially parallel 
with the ground. To remove the device 2, the above steps are repeated in 
reverse order. 
The use of one of the slots on the cross support 6 to releasably secure the 
strap 22 thereto is shown in FIG. 10. A loop 42 is formed in the strap 22 
near one free end 43 and a double layer of strap 22 forming the loop 42 is 
placed through slot 23 with the loop 42 oriented outwardly therefrom. The 
free end 43 of the strap 22 is then passed through loop 42. The strap 22 
is then tightened and the strap 22 passing through loop 42 keeps the loop 
42 from being pulled through slot 23. The strap 22 can be quickly removed 
by pulling the free end 43 out of loop 42 and removing the strap 22 from 
the slot 23. 
Generally, the frictional engagement between the trunk of the tree 40 and 
the strap 22 will hold the strap 22 in position. Placing the strap 22 
above a branch or other protrusion in the tree will also help to keep the 
device 2 securely mounted in place. However, the particular tree selected 
may be too smooth or slippery (i.e., from mold and the like) to create 
sufficient frictional engagement with a strap 22. In that event, the strap 
22 may be provided with a frictional engagement device to securely connect 
the strap 22 to a tree trunk and prevent slippage. One example of such a 
frictional engagement device 46 is shown in FIG. 11. Device 46 is an 
elongated plate which has a pair of spaced mounting slots 48, 49 through 
which the strap 22 is passed. One surface of the frictional engagement 
device 46 has a plurality of outwardly projecting teeth 50. The other 
surface of device 46 (not visible in FIG. 11) is preferably smooth and 
comes in contact with the strap 22. Device 46 is positioned at the point 
of contact between the tree and the strap 22. Device 46 is thin and 
relatively flexible so that it can conform to the curved surface of the 
tree. 
The device 2 discussed above may also be easily used to drag a heavy animal 
out of the woods. As shown in FIG. 12, device 2 is positioned with the 
second end 18 of central support 4 oriented toward a deer 52. The strap 22 
is securely wrapped around the deer's neck and the ends of strap 22 are 
fastened to the cross support 6. The framework formed by central support 4 
and cross support 6, forms a handle which may be easily grasped by a 
hunter's hand 54. The deer 52 may then be easily and comfortable dragged 
out of the woods. The seat 10 may be removed while device 2 is used to 
drag an animal or it may be left in place on the frame as shown in FIG. 
12. 
A second embodiment of a tree seat and animal drag device 60 in accordance 
with the present invention is shown in FIG. 12 with the strap removed. 
Device 60 is very similar to device 2 discussed above and only the 
additional features will be identified. In device 60, the interior of 
central support 4 is provided with a flashlight 62 having the bulb end 
located and directed outward at the second end 18 thereof. The flashlight 
62 is controlled by an on-off switch 64 on an outer surface of the central 
support 4. Device 60 is particularly useful when a hunter enters the woods 
well before sunrise in order to select a favorable hunting position. By 
building a flashlight 62 directly into device 60, the hunter need not 
carry a separate flashlight. 
The central support 4 and cross support 6 are ideally hollow and made from 
aluminum which is strong yet lightweight and does not corrode. The seat is 
preferably a lightweight foam covered with a sturdy vinyl or the like. The 
device may be painted with a bright orange color or the like so that the 
user is visible to other hunters. 
Having described hereinabove the preferred embodiments of the present 
invention, it is to be understood that the invention may be otherwise 
embodied within the scope of the appended claims.