Hunting chair

A hunting chair with several user-selectable configurations for hunting on hillsides includes a seat and back rest. A pair of support arms falls generally on the same plane as the seat and have a user-selectable length in a forward and a rearward direction. A cross brace may connect the support arms. Elongated extension members may define the user-selectable length. The elongated extension members or a pair of spikes may selectably define a pair of downwardly-extending legs.

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A. Field of the Invention

The Invention relates to hunting, particularly to hunting of deer or other big game on hillsides or in other steep terrain.

B. Description of the Related Art

Hunting is big business and hunters invest heavily in their sport. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service reports that 10.7 million persons in the U.S. hunted deer and elk for a total of 164 million days during 2006. Total hunting expenditures in 2006 were 22.9 billion dollars.

Much of the deer habitat available to hunters includes hillsides or other sloped terrain. Deer hunting involves waiting. The hunter selects a hunting location from which the hunter can observe approaching deer, but from which the hunter hopes that he or she will not be seen by the deer. The hunter then will wait with little or no motion, often for several hours. For a long hunt, the comfort of the hunter is important.

A hunter may utilize a conventional tree stand from which to hunt, which is a chair supported many feet above the ground by the trunk of a tree. The hunter in a tree stand achieves concealment from the deer by being located above the deer's line of sight. The options for a comfortable hunt available to a hunter who remains on the ground are limited, particularly when the hunter is hunting on hill sides or in otherwise sloping terrain.

The prior art does not teach the hunting chair of the invention.

III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Invention is a hunting chair that may be configured by a hunter in the field to assume any of a variety of forms to accommodate a variety of topographical conditions that the hunter may encounter while hunting on hillsides or in otherwise sloping terrain.

The hunting chair includes a seat and a back. The back folds with respect to the seat to render the hunting chair more compact for transportation. The seat has a first and a second side. The hunting chair includes a first and a second support arm on either side of the seat and corresponding to the first and the second side. The support arms extend from the front side of the seat of the hunting chair.

Each of the two support arms features an elongated extension member. The elongated extension members allow the first and second support arm to be further extended either in the forward direction or in the rearward direction. The elongated extension members may be extended or retracted differentially to accommodate variations in terrain or in the features of the selected hunting location. The two support arms may be defined by hollow channels and the elongated extension members may telescope within the hollow channels that define the two support arms. Each of the elongated extension members may be locked into a selected position with respect to its corresponding support arm by a clevis pin, cotter pin, by a mechanical latch, by a cam lock, by a nut and bolt, by a clamp, by a wedge, by a ratchet or by or by any other conventional means to fix the relative positions of one member with another.

An angled member selectably may engage both the first and the second elongated extension members. The angled member included a bend along its length. The bend of the angled member acts to center the hunting chair on a tree or other object when the angled member is in position on either the front or the rear of the hunting chair and the angled member is in engagement with the tree or other object. The angled member may be retained to the elongated extension members any of the means by which the elongated extension members may be attached to the first and second arms.

The back of the hunting chair features two ground-engaging spikes that may be deployed on the underside of the chair at either side of the back. The back of the hunting chair has a first and a second side that correspond to the first and second support arms of the seat. The first and second side each may be defined by a hollow back channel. Each hollow back channel defining the first and second sides includes a ground-engaging spike that is extendable from the hollow back channel. Each ground-engaging spike may be selectably extended or retracted. Each ground-engaging spike may be retained in the selected location by any of the means described above to retain the elongated extension members of the two support arms.

The upper portion of the back of the hunting chair includes a pair of attachment points in a spaced-apart relation. The attachment points retain a strap or rope. In use, the rope or strap may be attached to a tree, rock, post, or other object capable of supporting the load of the hunting chair and hunter on the slope.

The hunting chair may be configured as two or more side-by-side hunting chairs for two or more persons. For a two-person hunting chair, the support arms are located on the outermost sides of the chair seat and the ground-engaging spikes are located on the outermost sides of the seat back. Alternatively, a removable two-person seat may be releasably attached to the one person hunting chair, converting the one person hunting chair into a two person hunting chair.

The hunting chair includes backpack straps that may be removable to allow the hunting chair to be carried into and out of the hunting location. The hunting chair may serve as a pack frame to which heavy loads can be attached. The hinge of the seat back may be oriented downward when the hunting chair is serving as a pack frame and the seat back may be upright to serve as a shelf to support a load when the hunter is wearing the hunting chair as a pack frame.

The elongated extension members may be exchanged for the ground-engaging spikes in the hollow back channels to support the seat of the hunting chair higher above the ground.

V. DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 through 7show the hunting chair2. The hunting chair2features a seat4and back rest6. Back rest6is foldable about hinge5about an upright position illustrated byFIG. 1and a flat position illustrated byFIG. 2. In the upright position, a hunter may sit on the seat4and rest his or her back against back rest6. In the flat position, the hunting chair2is reduced in size for easy transportation. When the hunter sits on the seat4with his or her back against the back rest6when the back rest6is in the upright position, the hunter is facing in a facing direction3.

As shown byFIGS. 1-7, the hunting chair2includes a first support arm10and a second support arm12. First and second support arms10,12extend along the first and second sides9,11of seat4. First and second support arms10,12and seat4fall fall generally upon and define a plane19.

As shown byFIGS. 3-5, first support arm10and second support arm12may be composed of a hollow side channel20. A first elongated extension member16and a second elongated extension member18are configured to fit within and slideably engage the first and second support arms10,12, respectively. The first and second elongated extension members16,18may be extended or retracted differentially and as desired by the hunter. The hunter may secure the first and second elongated extension members16,18in the desired location with respect to the first and second support arms10,12by use of clevis pins22. As used in this document, the term ‘clevis pin22’ means a clevis pin, a cotter pin, a mechanical latch, a cam lock, a nut and bolt, a clamp, a ratchet and any other conventional means to adjustably fix the position of one member with another.

FIG. 3illustrates that the first and second elongated extension members16,18may engage support arms10,12and may be extended to the front of the hunting chair2in the facing direction3. First and second elongated extension members16,18and first and second support arms10,12in combination define a front end17and defines a forward length7from the front edge14of the seat4to the front end17. Forward length7preferably is selected to accommodate the leg of a hunter between the front edge14and the front end17when the hunter is sitting on the seat4and facing in the facing direction3.

FIG. 4illustrates that the first and second elongated extension members16,18may be extended to the rear of the hunting chair2in the rearward direction21opposite to the facing direction3. First and second elongated extension members16,18are secured in the desired position by clevis pins22. When the first and second elongated extension members16,18are extending in the rearward direction21, each of the first and second elongated extension members16,18has a back end9opposite to the front end17. When the first and second elongated extension members16,18extend from the rear of the hunting chair, each of the first and second elongated extension members16,18defines a rearward length13from the rear edge15of the seat4to the back end9.

A cross brace54is illustrated byFIGS. 1,2,5,9,10,16and18. The cross brace54may be an angled member24that defines a bend26. The angled member24joins to the first and second elongated extension members16,18. The angled member24may be held in position on the elongated extension members16,18by clevis pins22. As shown byFIGS. 1 and 5, the angled member24may be attached to either the front or the rear of the hunting chair2. The bend26has a concave side29and a convex side31. The cross brace54has two orientations for each location. As shown byFIG. 1, the bend26may be oriented with the convex side31toward the seat4, or, as shown byFIG. 2, with the concave side29toward the seat4. The cross brace54with a bend26allows the hunting chair to conform to the available support, such as the trunk of a tree, as shown byFIGS. 9 and 10.

The cross brace54may be joined to side supports10,12by pegs

As shown byFIG. 6, back rest6of hunting chair2has a first side34and a second side36. First and second sides34,36may be composed of a hollow back channel38. Hollow back channel38of each of the first and second sides34,36is configured to receive a ground-engaging spike30, for a total of two ground-engaging spikes30. The hunter may selectably extend or retract ground engaging spikes30from the hollow back channel38. The hunter may secure the ground engaging spikes30in the desired position by clevis pins22.

As shown byFIG. 16, the ground engaging spikes30may be configured with a cross section similar to that of the elongated extension members16,18and may slideably engage the side channels20composing the support arms10,12. In such event, the ground engaging spikes30are also pegs33that can serve to connect the cross brace54to the side channels20.

FIG. 7illustrates that back6includes two spaced-apart attachment points40. A strap40is connected to both of the attachment points40. As used in this document, the term ‘strap’ means any rope, cord, strap, or other object capable of supporting a load only in tension. The strap42preferably has little stretch. The length of the strap42may be adjusted using a conventional strap tensioning apparatus43.

The use of the hunting chair2is illustrated byFIGS. 8-13.FIG. 8shows the hunting chair in place on a hillside with ground50sloping under the hunting chair2. The back6of the hunting chair2is in the upright position and the two attachment points40are strapped to a tree28by strap42. Ground-engaging spikes30may be deployed to support the back6; alternatively, back rest6, and hence the hunting chair2, may be supported by straps42alone. As shown byFIG. 8, the hunting chair2is not dependent upon level terrain for a seating position comfortable for the hunter.

FIG. 9illustrates an application of the hunting chair2when it is not desirable to strap the back6of the hunting chair2directly to the trunk of the tree28. Angled member24is attached to elongated extension members16,18by clevis pins22. Elongated extension members16,18extend to the rearward of the hunting chair from support arms10,12and are retained in the selected location by clevis pins22. The bend26of angled member24causes angled member to center the trunk of tree28on the angled member24, and hence on hunting chair2. Attachment points40are attached to the tree28by strap42. The hunting chair2is firmly attached to tree28, but in a spaced-apart relation to the trunk of the tree28. The hinge5connecting the back rest6and the seat4features a stop so that the seat4and back rest6act as a bell crank transferring a downward force on the seat4into a tension load on the strap42. The weight of the hunter applies tension to the strap42, which tension forces the angled member24against tree28, as by the action of a cam. The cam action causes the hunting chair2to remain in the selected position.

FIG. 10illustrates use of the hunting chair2on a hillside behind a tree2. Ground50slopes beneath hunting chair2. The angled member24is attached to the elongated extension members16,18on the front side of hunting chair2. Bend26of angled member24engages the trunk of the tree28and centers the hunting chair24on the trunk of the tree28. Ground engaging spikes30are deployed and assist in holding the hunting chair2in place with respect to tree28. The hunting chair2is wedged between the trunk of the tree28and ground50, securely holding hunting chair2in position.

FIG. 11illustrates use of the elongated extension members16,18. In the example ofFIG. 11, the hunter selects a location in front of a rock52or other fixed object with ground50sloping away from the hunting chair2. Elongated extension members16,18are extended differentially to hold the hunting chair2in a spaced-apart relation to the rock52in the desired orientation and location. Strap42extends from attachment points40to the trunk of a tree28, to a second rock52or to any other suitable anchor point. The weight of the hunter applies tension to the strap42, which tension forces the ends of elongated extension members16,18against rock52, as by the action of a cam. The cam action causes the hunting chair2to remain in the selected position.

FIG. 12illustrates use of the elongated extension members16,18in the forward direction. The hunter selects a location uphill of a rock52or other object too large to be received by angled member24. The hunter extends the elongated extension members16,18differentially to conform to the selected position and the surface of the rock52. The hunter attaches the elongated extension members16,18in the desired position with clevis pins22. The hunter extends the ground-engaging spikes30. The hunter places the ground-engaging spikes in contact with the ground and the elongated extension members16,18in engagement with the rock52. The hunting chair2is retained in the selected position, even though ground50slopes away under the hunting chair2.

FIG. 13illustrates another use of ground-engaging spikes30. The hunter selects a location where the ground50slopes downhill from a tree28or other anchor point. Ground engaging spikes30prevent the lower side of the hunting chair2from sliding down hill, while straps42prevent the back rest6, and hence hunting chair2from pitching forward down the hill.

FIG. 14illustrates backpack straps48. The hunting chair2may be supported on the back of the hunter by backpack straps48, easing the transportation of the hunting chair2to and from the hunting site. The hunting chair2can serve as a pack frame to which loads may be attached. Back rest6may be oriented downward when the hunter is wearing the hunting chair2and the back rest6may be upright, allowing back rest6to serve as a shelf to support a load.

FIG. 15illustrates a two person hunting chair2. The two person hunting chair2functions in all respects in the same manner as the one person hunting chair2, but is provided with one or more seats4sized to accommodate two or more persons. The two person embodiment includes support arms10,12, elongated extension members16,18, an angled member24and ground-engaging spikes30.

FIG. 16illustrates an additional configuration of the hunting chair2for use in the situation where the hunter wishes to sit higher above the ground50than shown byFIGS. 8-13. As shown byFIG. 16, elongated extension members16,18may be inserted into hollow back channels38on either side of back6. The first and second elongated extension members16,18are retained in position with clevis pins22. A cross brace54slides over elongated extension members16,18and is held in place by clevis pins22. Cross brace54reinforces elongated extension members16,18. Elongated extension members16,18define downwardly extending legs23when inserted into hollow back channels38. Elongated extension members16,18define a length27of the downwardly extending legs23between the downwardly extending leg end25and the bottom27of the seat4. The length27is selectable by the hunter.

Ground-engaging spikes30optionally are inserted within first and second support arms10,12and held in place with clevis pins22. The angled member24optionally may be attached to ground engaging spikes30either on the front end of first and second support arms10,12as shown byFIG. 16, or on the opposite end of first and second support arms10,12. When the angled member24is attached to either end of first and second support arms10,12, the hunting chair2may be supported by a tree28or other object as illustrated byFIGS. 9 and 10. The hunting chair2may be supported in the configuration illustrated byFIG. 16in any of the positions illustrated byFIGS. 8-13.

FIG. 17illustrates a selectably attachable two-person seat56. The selectably attachable two-person seat56may be attached to the hunting chair2to allow two persons to hunt together. The hunting chair2with the two-person seat56attached may be used in any of the configurations illustrated byFIGS. 8-13and16. The two-person seat56may be detached for use of the hunting chair2by one person or for transportation of the hunting chair.

In all embodiments and in each of the examples described above, the hunting chair can support a hunter on sloping ground50so that the hunter is not required to depend on level terrain to support the hunting chair2.

FIGS. 18 through 20show an alternative embodiment of the hunting chair2. In the alternative embodiment, support arm10is connected by a support arm hinge58to seat4. Support arm10may rotate about support arm hinge58among user-selectable positions.FIG. 18illustrates a first support arm10position where the support arm10is proximal to the front edge14of the seat4. When the support arm10is fixed in the first position, the hunting chair2functions as described above relating toFIG. 10.

FIG. 20illustrates the support arm10in a second position in which the support arm10is proximal to the rear edge15of the seat4. In the second position, the alternative embodiment functions as described above relating toFIG. 9.

FIG. 19illustrates the support arm10in a third position in which the support arm10depends downward from seat4and in which support arm functions as the downwardly extending leg23described above relating toFIG. 16.

FromFIG. 21, the folding hunting chair may be equipped with downhill legs58to support the chair on a hill when no tree or rock is available. Downhill legs58may be attached to cross brace54that is attached to the support arms10,12. The downhill legs58support the front ends17of the support arms10,12above the ground. The connection of the downhill legs58to the cross brace54may be hinged to allow adjustment of the downhill legs58with respect to the cross brace54. Alternatively, the downhill legs58may be extendable with respect to the cross brace54for the same purpose, as by a channel communicating through the cross brace54and configured to receive the downhill legs58. The downhill legs58may be defined by the first and second elongated extension members16,18, or by ground-engaging spikes30.