Combination of camping accessories and adjustable bracket

A set of camping accessories comprising a range of accessories and hook-on clips, the clips being formed from two facing jaws provided with a common central clamping means and, at their ends, means for gripping, on the one hand, any body having a generally cylindrical shape and, on the other, a ball joint, each ball joint and each rear face of the accessories carrying either the male part or the female part of a rapid hook-on member.

The invention relates to a set of camping accessories comprising a range of 
accessories and hook-on clips. 
Campers, as well as all those who must occupy certain premises for a short 
or uncertain length of time, such as members of the staff of some 
work-sites, feel an increasing need for comfort. They contrive then to 
install in their tents, their living quarters and in other premises which 
they may have at their disposal, a whole range of accessories from the 
mirror to the toilet paper holder. It must however be recognized that up 
to now such installations are of the most make-shift, much use being made 
of wire and bits of string, which can only lead to a waste of time, 
irritability and discomfort. 
An aim of the invention is to remedy these well-known and often deplored 
disadvantages. It originates from the observation that every tent, every 
work-site living quarters, every shelter however provisional or precarious 
it may be is very often provided with at the least one, and mostly several 
bodies having a general cylindrical shape, this term covering not only 
tent poles, heating pipes, electrical installation conduits and water 
inlets and other equally cylindrical bodies according to the mathematical 
definition of the term, but also those having a square or polygonal 
section such as certain small girders or other small constructional 
elements made from wood or plastic material, all these bodies being 
perfectly fixed or else integral with a relatively stable unit, such as a 
table leg or else, if necessary, provided by the user himself, such as a 
stake stuck in the ground. 
Having made this observation, the invention relates to a set of accessories 
comprising a range of accessories and hook-on clips and it is 
characterized in that the clips are formed from two facing jaws provided 
with a common central clamping means and, at their ends, means for 
gripping, on the one hand, any body having a general cylindrical shape 
and, on the other hand, a ball joint, each ball joint and each rear face 
of the accessories carrying either the male part or the female part of a 
quick hook-on member. 
It will be readily understood that the user, however lacking in ability he 
may be, will be able to rapidly lock the accessory which he desires to use 
with the ball joint by using the quick hook-on members, then dispose the 
clip so that, on the one hand, it grips for example a vertical tent post, 
or a horizontal pipe, or any suitable body whatever its orientation, 
whereas, on the other hand, it grips the ball joint orientated so that the 
accessory is in a position of use, i.e. horizontal if we consider the tray 
or else oblique or vertical if we consider the mirror, then finally 
actuate the common clamping means for fixing the whole permanently by a 
single manoeuvre, the accessory being firmly and conveniently placed for 
handy and prolonged use. 
Advantageously, the rapid clamping means is a bolt with wing nut which 
passes through the two jaws, whereas these latter, which are identical 
carry on their internal face, on the one hand parallel indentations and, 
on the other, a cup having the same diameter as the ball joint. 
The user thus has at his disposal an efficient, cheap and particularly 
easily handled clip. 
The female part of the hook-on members is preferably, in accordance with 
the invention, carried by the rear face of each accessory, moulded with 
the accessory itself and formed by a vertical projecting channel in the 
position of use of the accessory considered. This channel has side faces 
advantageously chamfered to facilitate the penetration of the male part 
and perforated rear and front faces, if that will make the moulding 
operation easier. The front face is then, so as to guide the male part, 
provided with a cross piece whose lower rear end is chamfered in its turn. 
Similarly, and for the same purpose, the rear face of the channel may 
carry a slight chamfer at its front lower part. 
As for the male part of the hook-on members, it is carried by the ball 
joints and is formed by a nose whose end is split to allow its rear part 
to form a resilient locking barb. Thus, without a perceptible increase in 
the cost price, there is provided a set which is particularly easy to use, 
the accessories being interchangeable while still being firmly locked to 
the clips as long as they are used. 
The accompanying drawings represent one embodiment of the invention given 
by way of non-limiting example.

So as to simplify the explanations, it will be noted straightaway that all 
the parts which will be described (with the exception perhaps of the bolt 
and its nut) are made preferably by moulding from a suitable plastic 
material. In all cases they are all designed to allow such a method of 
manufacture. 
In FIGS. 1 and 2 can be seen an accessory A comprising a coat-rack formed 
from two hooks 1 and a support 2 which will be used in a vertical 
position. This latter carries on its rear face, and moulded therewith, the 
female part F of a hook-on member whose male part will be described 
further on. This female part F which is to be found again on the five 
other accessories of FIGS. 3 to 7, is formed by a channel having four 
walls; the front wall merges with support 2 itself; rear wall 3 is 
rectangular; side walls 4 are chamfered towards the bottom. 
Accessory B of FIG. 3 is a tray intended to be used in the horizontal 
position, as also the container of FIG. 4. 
In FIG. 5 there is shown a coat-hanger rack D whose support 2, which 
receives the female part F, is integral with a toothed bar 5 for the 
coat-hangers, stiffened by two wings 6. 
A similar support 2 is integral, according to FIG. 6, with a roller holder 
E formed by a cross-shaped shaft 7 on which may be fitted, according to 
its size, a roll of toilet paper, a roll of household paper or else a roll 
of aluminum sheet. 
Finally accessory G of FIG. 7 is a mirror of which only the rear face 
forming support 2 is visible. 
It is any one of supports 2 which is partially shown in perspective in FIG. 
8 and in section in FIGS. 9 and 10. We naturally find again in these 
figures the female part F with its rectangular rear face 3 provided at its 
lower front part with a slight chamfer 3' and its said faces chamfered. 
Furthermore, these figures show the male part M of the hook-on members, 
formed by a nose 8 whose end is split at 9 so that its rear part has a 
slight resilience used for forming, by means of a suitable projection, a 
barb 10. 
The nose is moulded with the ball joint 11 which is intended to cooperate 
with clip P which will now be described. 
This clip comprises two similar jaws 12 and 13, drilled so that there may 
pass therethrough bolt 14 whose polygonal head is advantageously locked in 
a suitable housing in jaw 13 and which cooperates with a wing nut 15. Each 
jaw carries on the one hand a series of parallel indentations 16 and, on 
the other hand, a cup 17 having the same diameter as ball joint 11. 
The assembly thus described is used in the following way. 
On hook 8 of the male part M is locked the accessory which it is desired to 
secure by sliding the hook in the channel formed by bottom 2 and walls 3 
and 4 of female part F. This operation which is carried out by moving the 
hook in the direction of arrow f in FIG. 9 is facilitated by the chamfered 
shape of walls 4 and by the resilience of the barb. It is made easier 
because of the slight chamfer 3' provided at the lower front part of wall 
3. At the end of the operation the parts are in the position shown in FIG. 
10, and the barb having come back to its rest position ensures their 
interlocking. With the ball joint placed in cups 17, the user clamps in 
jaws 12 and 13 any substantially cylindrical body shown in FIG. 10 as a 
tube T and slightly tightens nut 15. He then places the accessory which he 
has chosen in the desired position and interlocks the whole by tightening 
nut 15. It should be noted here that because of the remarkable 
organisation of the elements forming the invention, the user may place the 
accessory in any desired position, whatever the orientation of member T. 
To make the drawings more easily understandable, it has been assumed, in 
FIG. 10, that the accessory is for example the tray P which is desired 
horizontal. But it could be mirror G orientated upwards or downwards. 
Moreover, whether it is the tray or the mirror, a slanting disposition in 
relation to the plane of the drawing or to the axis of the tube could be 
chosen. Similarly, tube T has been shown horizontal but it is clear that 
the accessory may be placed in the desired position whatever the position 
of tube T. This latter could be vertical or slanting, i.e. could occupy 
any position whatsoever in the plane perpendicular to the plane of the 
drawing. But it could also occupy any other position in any other non 
vertical plane without the placing of the accessory being in any way made 
more complicated. 
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 11 and 12 which show a variation of the 
female part of the hook-on members, a variation which is advantageous in 
some cases at the stage of mounting the accessories. According to this 
variation, the rear face 3 of the channel has a window 18 and the front 
face, merging with support 2, a window 19. To facilitate the introduction 
of hook 8, it has shown useful to provide in window 19 a cross-piece 20 
whose lower rear part is slightly chamfered at 20'. It goes without saying 
that accessories provided with such a channel are used in exactly the same 
way as those of FIGS. 1 to 7.