Abstract:
A hammock is provided with a pair of tubular sheaths which can be drawn toward one another to furl the hammock while it is suspended from trees.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/770,670, filed Jan. 29, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,851, which was a division of application Ser. No. 09/262,448, filed Mar. 4, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,763. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to hammocks. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   For camping and other recreational activities, different hammocks have been developed to provide shelter from insects, ground dwelling creatures and inclement weather. Being suspended above the ground, hammocks provide a more comfortable, dry, warm and clean surface than do tents. 
   In my U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,763, I described a hammock the bed of which is made from a substantially rectangular piece of material. That bed is slit at one end to allow one to enter the bed from below. Tension on the material keeps the slit closed while a person is lying in the bed. The present invention is designed for use with a hammock of the type described in my prior patent, and for other types of hammocks which lack rigid elements that would prevent the hammock from being furled or collapsed by lengthwise folding or gathering. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a sheath which can be quickly drawn over the hammock from either end, even while the hammock is suspended from trees. Preferably two such sheaths are provided, each attached to a respective end of the bed of the hammock, so that they may be drawn toward one another, meeting at the midpoint of the hammock, whereupon they fully enclose the bed material. The diameter of the sheath is made as small as possible, to minimize the volume of the stowed hammock, and the sheath is preferably tapered. The free end of each sheath forms a mouth which is reinforced with a stiffener to facilitate drawing the sheath over the hammock bed material. 
   Hammocks are easier to keep clean than tents, because they do not touch the ground in use. An advantage of this invention is that it enables one to furl or collapse a hammock without having to lay the hammock out on the ground, and thus avoids getting dirt and leaves into the hammock while rolling it up. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings, 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation of a hammock comprising a bed, an insect net and a canopy; 
       FIG. 2  shows the hammock, with a pair of sheaths at either end, the sheaths being retracted; 
       FIG. 3  shows the sheaths being drawn over the hammock; 
       FIG. 4  shows the sheaths fully drawn and containing the bed, the insect net, and the canopy; 
       FIG. 5  shows the hammock, in the sheaths, rolled up for storage; and 
       FIG. 6  shows the sheath in detail. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , a hammock  10  comprises a bed  12  and an insect net  14 , which is located above bed  12  and is attached along its edges  16  to longitudinal sides  18  of the bed  12 . A rain fly  20  may be placed above the hammock. The ends  22  of the bed  12  are connected by suspending ropes  24  to spaced anchors  26  such as trees. 
   The bed  12 , which is dimensioned to provide accommodation for one or more persons, is made from a sheet of flexible, breathable material. It must be of sufficient strength and resilience to withstand an appropriate load and repeated use under varying conditions. 
   Two identical sheaths  28 ,  30  are shown in  FIG. 2 , retracted in bunched form, one at either end of the bed, around the suspending rope. In this configuration, the sheaths are out of the way, where they do not interfere with use of the bed. 
   In  FIG. 3 , the side ropes have been released, so that the sheaths can be drawn over the bed material. The start of the drawing operation is shown. 
   In  FIG. 4 , the sheaths have been fully drawn over the bed, meeting at the midpoint of the bed. Preferably, each sheath is about half as long as the bed material, so that the sheaths are fully extended when they meet. 
     FIG. 5  shows the hammock, still in the sheath, rolled up for storage. 
   The sheath is preferably made of a low-friction material so that it does not drag unduly on the bed fabric material while it is being drawn. I prefer a nylon or polyurethane fabric for this reason. Currently, I most prefer a 30-dernier, 1.1 oz. silicone-impregnated nylon fabric because it draws easily over the hammock and has good water resistance. 
   One sheath is shown in detail in FIG.  6 . Here the sheath can be seen to taper, having a narrow closed end  32  and a wider open end or mouth  34  which is held open by a stiffener  36  inserted into the binding at the free end of the sheath. The stiffener makes it easier to grasp the mouth and draw it along the hammock. I presently prefer to form the stiffener from a polyethylene strip like that of a common cable tie. Other constructions, including closed rings. might be used instead. What is important is that the stiffener keep the mouth substantially open, and provide something to grasp with the fingers when sliding the sheath over the hammock. 
   The foregoing description has the narrow end  32  of each sheath connected to a respective end of the hammock&#39;s bed, over both the bed and the rain fly, so that both the bed and the fly are encased by drawing the sheaths. It is possible, however, to mount the sheath around the bed only, or around the fly only, so that one can be collapsed while the other remains free. Or separate sheaths might be provided: one for the bed and one for the rain fly. 
   While I prefer to have opposed sheaths as described and shown, it is possible to practice the invention with a single sheath which is as long as the bed, in which case the mouth of the sheath is drawn the full length of the bed, from one end to the other. 
   Since the invention is subject to modifications and variations, it is intended that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as only illustrative of the invention defined by the following claims.