Portable hanging shelf for attachment to vertical objects

A portable hanging shelf system is disclosed wherein one or more shelves are suspended in a horizontal position from generally vertical objects of varying diameter. A non-elastic flexible fabric belt encircles generally vertical objects of varying diameters, such as a tree trunk, and an adjustable lever-type buckle on the belt releasably grips and applies tension in the encircled portion of the belt to firmly secure a pair of brackets to the curved surface of the vertical object. A cord is connected to each bracket and forms a loop which receives one or more flat rectangular shelves. The cords pass through slots at the opposed ends of each shelf and the shelves are secured in an adjustable horizontal position at the desired height above the ground by a cord lock or by passing the cord through additional slots. Because the top ends of the cords are very close to the vertical object, when weight is placed on the shelf, the center of gravity of the shelf is spaced horizontally outward from its point of suspension and the resultant weight force causes the shelf to press firmly inward against the vertical object. All the components can be stored in a compact configuration and are easily transported in a backpack. The portable shelf system eliminates the need for nails or screws to be driven into trees and is particularly useful for campers and backpackers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates generally to hanging devices, and more particularly 
to a portable hanging shelf which is suspended in a horizontal position 
from generally vertical objects of varying diameter, such as a tree trunk, 
by a pair of cords attached to a pair of brackets removably secured to the 
object by a non-elastic flexible fabric belt which encircles the object 
and is fastened by an adjustable lever-type buckle. 
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
A common problem when camping, backpacking, or picnicing out of doors, is 
that there is no convenient level surface for placing articles associated 
with such endeavors. It is often desirable when cooking to have a level 
surface on which to place the stove or various cooking utensils, or when 
shaving, to have a level surface at a convenient height for holding a pan 
of water, shaving articles, and a mirror. On other occasions, it is 
desirable to have a level surface for storing articles above the ground to 
prevent animals from gaining access to them. 
Usually, if a picnic table is available, the table top serves as the 
storage area and quickly becomes cluttered with various items, thus, it 
would be desirable to provide an auxiliary storage shelf to keep items in 
a convenient easy to reach location and prevent clutter around the 
campsite and table. 
In the absence of a convenient storage surface, many campers will drive a 
nail into a tree to hang articles, such as lanterns and water bags which 
causes harm to the tree and is a safety hazard to other campers unaware of 
the nail sticking out of the tree. 
Thus, a longfelt need exists for a portable hanging shelf that can be 
carried in a compact stored condition, such as a backpack, and is quickly 
and easily installed on a tree trunk or other vertical object to allow a 
wide variety of articles to be suspended and supported above the ground on 
a level surface. 
There are several patents which disclose various hanging devices which 
encircle a vertical member and support other objects. 
Fischett, U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,612 discloses a fishing harness which is 
strapped around the waist of the user and has a socket or cup for bracing 
a fishing rod to relieve strain while fishing. 
Cucullo, U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,343 discloses a gravestone flower support 
which utilizes a metal band having its longitudinal edges bent over to 
form longitudinal beads along the top and bottom longitudinal edges and 
provide a guide for an adjacent band portion, likewise having its 
longitudinal edges bent over to form complementary beads. A toothed 
portion of the metal band interlocks with the beaded portion such that 
they cannot be released from each other. A metal wreath support and a 
metal conical flower receptacle have U-shaped bends at the rear portions 
for supporting them on the metal band. 
Humphery, U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,597 discloses a series of wedge-like housings 
containing a reel and retractable cable which are attached by the cable to 
a tree and serve as steps to allow a person to climb a tree. The 
retractable cable is pulled outwardly to encircle the tree and the outer 
end of the cable has a latching block which is inserted into a latching 
slot having a narrow groove which retains the latching block as the spring 
loaded reel takes the slack out of the cable. 
O'Neill, U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,526 discloses a hanging shelf assembly having 
a pair of webbing straps which are secured to a wall by a wall fastener 
and are formed in an endless loop and pass through slots in the shelves. 
Buckley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,537 discloses a sling and bracket type hanging 
device which can be mounted on a tree. The device utilizes a vertical 
bracket formed of V-shaped angle iron which is secured vertically to a 
tree trunk by an elastic band that encircles the trunk at the lower end of 
the bracket. An elongate horizontal support affixed to the medial portion 
of the vertical angle bracket extends horizontally outward therefrom and 
is supported by a rope sling which is looped around the tree trunk above 
the elastic band and its attached at its free end to the medial portion of 
the horizontal support arm. 
Landau, U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,648 discloses a suspension cable shelf mounting 
system which utilizes crimped eyelets at the ends of the cable through 
which receive a wall fastener and bracket members having channel sections 
with gripping jaws which grip the top and bottom surfaces of the shelf. 
Lamprey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,096 discloses an anti-rotational outdoor shelf 
which is supported on triangular legs (brackets) secured to a vertical 
object by a belt which passes through slots in the legs (brackets) and 
relies on balanced gravitational forces for support and teaches away from 
tightly clamping the legs (brackets) against the vertical member. 
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and 
these patents in particular by a portable hanging shelf system wherein one 
or more shelves are suspended in a horizontal position from generally 
vertical objects of varying diameter without nails or screws. A 
non-elastic flexible fabric belt encircles generally vertical objects of 
varying diameters, such as a tree trunk, and an adjustable lever-type 
buckle on the belt releasably grips and applies tension in the encircled 
portion of the belt to firmly secure a pair of brackets to the curved 
surface of the vertical object. A cord is connected to each bracket and 
forms a loop which receives one or more flat rectangular shelves. The 
cords pass through slots at the opposed ends of each shelf and the shelves 
are secured in an adjustable horizontal position at the desired height 
above the ground by a cord lock or by passing the cord through additional 
slots. Because the top ends of the cords are very close to the vertical 
object, when weight is placed on the shelf, the center of gravity of the 
shelf is spaced horizontally outward from its point of suspension and the 
resultant weight force causes the shelf to press firmly inward against the 
vertical object. All the components can be stored in a compact 
configuration and are easily transported in a backpack. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable 
hanging shelf which can be easily and quickly attached to a vertical 
object such as a tree trunk to receive and support various articles. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a portable hanging shelf 
which is suspended by a pair of cords attached to a pair of brackets 
removably secured to a vertical object by a non-elastic flexible fabric 
belt which encircles the object and is fastened by an adjustable 
lever-type buckle. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a lightweight portable 
hanging shelf which can be stored in a small compact configuration and is 
transported. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a portable hanging shelf 
which is suspended by a pair of cords attached to a pair of brackets 
removably secured to a vertical object by a non-elastic flexible fabric 
belt which encircles generally vertical objects of varying diameters and 
is fastened by an adjustable lever-type buckle to releasably grip and 
apply tension in the encircled portion of the belt and firmly secure the 
belt in the encircled condition without damage to the surface of the 
object on which it is attached. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a portable hanging shelf 
which is particularly useful for campers and backpackers for supporting 
various articles above the ground and is easily carried in a backpack. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a portable hanging shelf 
which is easily adjusted to a horizontal position for supporting various 
articles on a level surface. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a portable hanging shelf 
which is easily adjusted to a horizontal position at selective heights 
above the ground for supporting various articles on a level surface. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a portable hanging shelf 
system in which more than one shelf may be suspended from a vertical 
object in a horizontal position at selective heights above the ground for 
supporting various articles on several level surfaces. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a portable hanging system 
which will eliminate the need to drive nails into trees and other vertical 
objects for hanging various articles. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide a portable hanging 
system which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and is 
rugged and reliable in use. 
Other objects of the invention will become apparent from time to time 
throughout the specification and claims as hereinafter related. 
The above noted objects and other objects of the invention are accomplished 
by a portable hanging shelf system wherein one or more shelves are 
suspended in a horizontal position from generally vertical objects of 
varying diameter without nails or screws. A non-elastic flexible fabric 
belt encircles generally vertical objects of varying diameters, such as a 
tree trunk, and an adjustable lever-type buckle on the belt releasably 
grips and applies tension in the encircled portion of the belt to firmly 
secure a pair of brackets to the curved surface of the vertical object. A 
cord is connected to each bracket and forms a loop which receives one or 
more flat rectangular shelves. The cords pass through slots at the opposed 
ends of each shelf and the shelves are secured in an adjustable horizontal 
position at the desired height above the ground by a cord lock or by 
passing the cord through additional slots. Because the top ends of the 
cords are very close to the vertical object, when weight is placed on the 
shelf, the center of gravity of the shelf is spaced horizontally outward 
from its point of suspension and the resultant weight force causes the 
shelf to press firmly inward against the vertical object. All the 
components can be stored in a compact configuration and are easily 
transported in a backpack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In the following discussion, the portable hanging shelf will be described 
as being installed on the trunk of a tree, but it should be understood 
that it can be installed on other types of vertical objects of various 
diameters. Referring now to FIG. 1, several portable hanging shelf 
assemblies 10 in accordance with the present invention are shown suspended 
by a pair of cords 11 attached to a pair of brackets 12 secured to the 
trunk of a tree T by a non-elastic flexible fabric belt 13 which encircles 
the tree trunk and is buckled tightly around the trunk by a cam-type 
buckle 14. The present portable hanging shelves are particularly useful 
for backpackers, hikers, campers, and various out door activities where it 
is desirable to have a level surface for holding various articles, such as 
stoves, food items, water jugs, lanterns, wash basins, etc. 
As shown in FIG. 2, each bracket member 12 is an inverted, generally 
L-shaped member having a rectangular vertical portion 14 and a rectangular 
upper portion 16 which extends outwardly perpendicular thereto. The 
vertical portion 15 has a vertical slot 17 which extends upwardly from the 
bottom end and terminates near the top surface of the upper end to define 
a flat rectangular tang 18 spaced parallel to the flat back surface 15A of 
the vertical portion 15. The length and width of the slot 17 is sufficient 
to slidably receive the belt 13 (described hereinafter). Each bracket 12 
is installed onto the belt after attaching the belt to the tree trunk but 
prior to fastening the buckle by sliding the slot 17 over the top edge of 
the belt to capture the tang 18 between the inner surface of the belt and 
the exterior surface of the tree trunk. The outwardly extending upper 
portion 16 of each bracket 12 has a pair of vertical counterbored holes 
16A extending therethrough to receive the free ends of a length of cord 11 
and the remaining portion of the cords form a loop 11A. In the preferred 
embodiment, the cords 11 are made of nylon and the free ends are knoted to 
prevent them from being pulled downwardly through the counterbored holes 
16A and the tip ends are burnt to melt the nylon material and prevent 
fraying. 
Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the belt and cam buckle arrangement 
will be described. The flexible belt 13 is formed of substantially 
non-elastic flexible fabric material, such as nylon webbing. A loop ring 
20 formed of rigid plastic or metal material is secured onto one end of 
the belt 13 by looping the belt around the ring 20 and stitching it onto 
itself. The other end of the belt 13 is connected to a cam buckle member 
14 formed of rigid material, such as plastic or metal. The preferred 
buckle member 14 is of unitary construction and has a pair of parallel 
side walls 21 and a top wall 22 to form a generally U-shaped cross section 
slightly wider than the belt width. The back end of the buckle 14 has a 
short bottom wall 23 and a parallel spaced rail member 24 extending 
transversely between the side walls 21. The top wall 22 extends angularly 
upward a distance from the open rear end forming a flat surface 25 and 
then angles downwardly a longer distance to the forward end defining a 
lever portion 26. A slot 27 extends transversely across the lever portion 
26 near its intersection with the flat surface 25 and angularly inward a 
distance along the side walls 21. 
As best seen in FIG. 4, the free end 13A of the belt 13 is passed beneath 
the bottom of the buckle 14 and then passed over the rail 24 and back 
beneath the bottom wall 23. The belt 13 can then be placed around the tree 
trunk T and the loop ring 20 and buckle 14 placed in close proximity to 
one another as seen in FIG. 3. The loop ring 20 is then placed into the 
slot 27. While holding the buckle and loop ring together in one hand, the 
free end 13A of the belt 13 may be pulled to remove any slack in the belt 
portion encircling the trunk. At this point, the brackets 12 are placed 
onto the belt 10 with their tangs 18 captured between the interior surface 
of the belt and the exterior surface of the tree trunk. 
Once the brackets are positioned as desired, the lever portion 26 of the 
buckle 14 is cammed over as indicated by arrows in FIG. 4. As the lever 
portion 26 is pulled outward from the direction of the trunk T, the buckle 
14 will pivot about the axis of the portion of the loop ring in the slot 
27 causing the flat surface 25 to move toward the trunk. As this takes 
place, the two plys of the belt 13,13A beneath the bottom wall 23 at the 
rear of the buckle will be pressed together. Further movement of the lever 
portion 26 causes the rear portion of the buckle to roll over, acting as a 
cam, firmly gripping the two plys 13,13A of the belt together and drawing 
the looped end of the belt and loop ring together until the flat surface 
25 is pressed against the trunk (FIG. 5). The angle of the slot 27 in the 
side walls 21 is such that when the buckle 14 is cammed over, the belt 13 
is firmly tensioned around the trunk and the pulling force on the loop 
ring 20 at the bottom of the slot 27 is below the axis of opposed pulling 
force of the looped portion of the belt 13 to prevent the buckle from 
rolling back over the axis of the loop ring. 
After the belt is firmly tensioned, the brackets 12 are firmly secured to 
the tree trunk or other vertical object and the shelf is installed, as 
described below. It should be noted, that with the present invention, no 
nails, screws, or other fasteners are driven into the surface of the tree 
or other vertical object, only the webbing belt is in direct contact with 
the exterior of the tree trunk or other vertical object, thus preventing 
damage to the surface. When it is desired to remove the belt and brackets, 
the lever portion of the buckle is pivoted back over in the opposite 
direction releasing the belt tension. 
Referring now to FIG. 6, a flat rectangular shelf 30 is installed in the 
loop portion 11A of the cords 11. In the preferred embodiment, the shelf 
30 is sized to fit into a backpack to serve as a stiffener or divider when 
not being used as a shelf. The shelf 30 is a flat rectangular member and 
has a pair of slots 31 and 32 extending inwardly a short distance from the 
laterally opposed ends, one near each corner. 
The shelf 30 is installed by holding it in a generally horizontal position 
at the approximate desired height and sliding opposite sides of the loop 
portion 11A of each cord 11 into the slots 31 and 32. The remaining 
portion of the loop portion of the cords 11 then hangs down beneath the 
shelf 30. In this embodiment, a spring loaded cord lock 33 is installed on 
the looped portion of the cords 11. While the cords 11 are loose, the 
shelf can then be manipulated to place it in a level horizontal position 
at the desired height. Once the shelf has been properly positioned, the 
cord lock 33 is moved upwardly near the underside of the shelf 30 and then 
released to hold the opposite sides of the cord 11 together. The looped 
path of the cord 11 through the slots 31 and 32 and the cord lock 33 
prevent relative movement between the shelf and the cords. Once weight has 
been placed on the shelf, the cords are maintained tightly in the fastened 
configuration. 
FIG. 7 shows another method of securing the shelf to the cords. In this 
embodiment, a flat rectangular shelf 34 has three slots 35, 36, and 37 
extending inwardly a short distance from the laterally opposed ends near 
each corner, and three closely spaced slots 38, 39, and 40 extending 
inwardly a short distance from the laterally opposed ends midway between 
the outer slots 35, 36, and 37. 
The shelf 34 is installed by holding it in a generally horizontal position 
at the approximate desired height and sliding opposite sides of the loop 
portion of each cord 11 into the outermost slots 35, underneath the shelf, 
upwardly through the next inwardly adjacent slots 36, over the top surface 
of the shelf, downwardly through the next inwardly adjacent slots 37, 
underneath the shelf, upwardly through the slots 38 and 39, and then 
downwardly through the center slot 40. The remaining portion 11A of the 
loop portion of the cords 11 then hangs down beneath the shelf. While the 
cords 11 are loose, the shelf can then be manipulated to place it in a 
level horizontal position at the desired height. Once the shelf has been 
properly positioned, the remaining portion of the loop portions are then 
pulled downwardly to tighten the cords 11. The serpentine looped path of 
the cords 11 through the slots prevent relative movement between the shelf 
and the cords. Once weight has been placed on the shelf, the cords are 
maintained tightly in the serpentine looped path. 
Because the top ends of the cords are very close to the vertical object, 
when weight is placed on the shelf, the center of gravity of the shelf is 
spaced horizontally outward from its point of suspension and the resultant 
weight force is a vector which extends angularly downward and inward 
toward the vertical object (point of suspension), thus, the shelf has a 
natural tendency to press firmly inward against the vertical object. Under 
most conditions, the shelf will remain stable and resist lateral movement 
when supporting a weight. However, to further insure against lateral 
movement or swaying due to high winds, a weight may be tied to the portion 
of the cords which hangs down beneath the shelf, or the portion of the 
cords which hangs down beneath the shelf may be staked to the ground. 
FIG. 8 shows an installation utilizing two vertically spaced shelves 34A 
and 34B. The brackets 12, cords 11, and shelves 34A and 34B are configured 
as described previously, and given the same numerals of reference, but are 
not described in detail to avoid repetition. The upper shelf 34A is 
installed in the same manner described with reference to FIG. 7. In the 
two shelf installation, after the upper shelf 34A has been installed, the 
lower shelf 34B is installed in the loop portion 11A of the cords 11, 
which extends beneath the upper shelf 34A. The lower shelf 34B is 
installed by holding it in a generally horizontal position at the 
approximate desired height beneath the upper shelf and sliding opposite 
sides of the loop portion 11A of each cord 11 into the outermost slots 35, 
underneath the shelf, upwardly through the next inwardly adjacent slots 
36, over the top surface of the shelf, downwardly through the next 
inwardly adjacent slots 37, underneath the shelf, upwardly through the 
slots 38 and 39, and then downwardly through the center slot 40. The 
remaining portion lib of the loop portion 11A of the cords 11 then hangs 
down beneath the shelf. While the cords 11 are loose, both shelves can 
then be manipulated to place them in a level horizontal position at the 
desired height. Once both shelves have been properly positioned, the 
remaining portion of the loop portions are then pulled downwardly to 
tighten the cords 11. The serpentine looped path of the cords 11 through 
the slots prevent relative movement between the shelves and the cords. 
In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the slot arrangement of FIG. 7 is 
shown, but it should be understood that the cords may be fastened to the 
shelves using on one pair of slots and cord locks as described in FIG. 6. 
The preferred shelf members may be formed of wood or plastic, and may be 
provided in various configurations. FIG. 9 shows a shelf member 41 having 
an open grid configuration 42 surrounded by a solid frame 43 which 
contains the slots 31 and 32 (or 35-40) for receiving the cord, as 
previously described. This embodiment is very lightweight and strong, and 
the open grid pattern allows air to pass therethrough to prevent movement 
or swaying due to strong winds. 
FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of a shelf member 45 which has a central 
opening 46 surrounded by a solid frame 47 which contains the slots 31 and 
32 (or 35-40) for receiving the cords, as previously described. As shown 
in FIG. 10, a wash basin 48 or other vessel having a radial flange 49 at 
its top end may be placed into the central opening 46 and supported on the 
frame 47 surrounding the central opening. In some instances, another 
suitable container may be placed into the aperture, such as a pot, pan, 
bowl, etc. 
FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of a shelf member 50 which has 
longitudinal side 51 slightly curved to more closely fit the contour of 
the tree or other vertical object, and may also be provided with outwardly 
extending protuberances 52 to engage the surface of the vertical object to 
prevent lateral movement or swaying due to high winds. 
Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7, and to FIG. 12, there is shown a bracket 
53 which may be used with the portable hanging shelf. The bracket 53 is a 
generally rectangular member having a horizontal portion 54 with a 
vertical portion 55 at one end. A slot 56 extends inwardly from one end of 
the bracket and terminates near the vertical end 55. The width of the slot 
56 is sufficient to receive and frictionally engage the outer edge of the 
shelf when the bracket is pressed onto the shelf. The vertical portion 55 
of the bracket 53 extends downwardly a distance and then curves upwardly 
to define a J-shaped hook 57. Various articles may be hung from the hook 
57. A slot 58 extends transversely across a small extension on the top 
surface of the horizontal portion 54 of the bracket 53. A thin flat mirror 
M may be frictionally engaged in the slot 58. The bracket 53 is 
particularly useful when shaving or washing. 
When not in use, the belt 13 and buckle 14 may be folded or rolled into a 
compact configuration, and the brackets 12 may be placed together and the 
cords 11 wound around them to form a compact configuration which will 
easily fit in a small space such as the pocket of a backpack. The shelf or 
shelves may be placed into the backpack to serve as a stiffener or 
divider, such that all of the components of the shelf system may be stored 
in a backpack or other small space and easily transported. 
While this invention has been described fully and completely with special 
emphasis upon a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that within 
the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise 
than as specifically described herein.