Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
I, ISAAC EMERSON PALMER, of Middletown, in the County of Middlesex, and State
of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an improvement in hammocks, with the object in view
of providing adjustable rests for the body, limbs, and arms of the occupant, to
enable the occupant to assume an easy position for reading or sleeping as he may
desire.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a view of the hammock in side elevation, as it appears when stretched
for use.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view, with the sides partially broken away, to show the
opposite sides of the seat frame.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the seat frame portion.
Fig. 4 is a view in longitudinal vertical section, showing a modified form of foot
rest; and
Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation, showing a modified form of fastening, inde-
pendent seat, back, head, and leg rest sections, in their adjustments relative to one
another.
In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the seat frame for interrupting the
natural curve of the hammock, to prevent the body of the occupant from slipping
out of position, and holding the hammock stretched laterally to prevent it from
wrapping around the body of the occupant, is so attached to the body of the
hammock as to entirely conceal it from view, while, at the same time, provision is
made for adjusting it toward and away from the head of the hammock, to suit
occupants of different heights, without requiring their head to rest elsewhere than
on the pillow rest provided for it.
The seat frame consists of a pair of side rails A A¹, preferably made in skeleton
form, and connected by one or more cross rungs, in the present instance four,
denoted respectively by a, a¹, a², a³.
I prefer to make the hammock body denoted by B, in two parts, bb, throughout
a portion of its length along the position which the back of the seat frame is to
occupy, and insert the back cross rung a of the seat frame within this elongated
pocket formed by the two parts of the body portion, passing the body portion
proper, over the cross rung a¹, adjacent to the back cross rung, and also over the two
front cross rungs a³, a³.
Along that portion of the body B of the hammock which extends over the front
cross rungs a², a³, I provide transverse pockets 62, 63, for the reception of one of the.
cross rungs a³, a³, in the present instance, the cross rung a³, which, for this purpose,
I make removable from the seat frame, in order that it may be inserted within the
one or the other of the pockets 62, 63, as may be desired, to adjust the frame toward
and away from the head of the hammock.

page_text: The cross rung a³ may be made removable from the frame, by means of any
well known or approved snap, such, for example, as the snap on the stick of the
ordinary umbrella. The number of pockets 62, 63, for adjusting the seat frame, may
be three or more, instead of two, in case a greater number than two is found
desirable.
The hammock may be supported at its head end by the supporting cords leading
from the head end of the hammock, as is usual, and, at its foot end, by hammock
supporting ropes C, C¹, leading from the front depending end of the seat frame A.
The hammock body, after passing the front of the seat frame, may be dropped into
the position shown'at B', to form a foot rest, and this foot rest may be raised and i
lowered, at pleasure, by means of a cord c attached by a sliding clamp c¹ to one of
the supporting ropes C, and connecting with a pair of cords 3, 3, leading over
bearings on the hammock supporting hook D, and thence to the hook at the end
of the ordinary supporting cords at the foot end of the hammock body.
From the opposite sides of the head end of the hammock, arm rests EE¹ depend 1
into position to receive the fore arms of the occupant of the hammock, to support
them while holding a book, as in reading. These arms rests E, E, are made
adjustable 'conveniently by means of an ordinary buckle e.
.2
Instead of extending the foot end of the hammock to form a foot-rest, it may be
stopped short, as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, or it may be continued back under-
neath the seat, and fastened at the head end of the hammock, as shown in dotted
lines in the same figure, and the foot rests may be suspended from the supporting
ropes C, C³, independently of the hammock body, and may, consist of, a cross bar. I
hung in depending supporting slings f f attached to the supporting ropes by,
sliding clamps ff of any well-known or approved form. The different positions
which this independent foot-rest may assume, are shown in Fig. 4 already referred
to, one position being shown in full lines, and another in dotted lines.
Instead of adjusting the seat frame by means of pockets in the hammock body,
it may be adjusted, as shown in Fig. 5, by providing the hammock body with side,
ropes G, and causing them to pass through the bearings 9 g¹ at the opposite ends of:
the seat section B2, and arranged in zig-zag order, so as to produce a binding effect
upon the supporting ropes G, when strain is put upon the seat frame. In this same
Fig. 5, I have also illustrated the back, head, and leg-rest sections, secured to the
supporting ropes G, and an auxiliary supporting rope G adjustable with respect
to the seat section Ba.
I have also shown what I term a longitudinal stretcher, denoted by, H, Fig. 1,
for determining the angle at which the hammock shall hang with respect to the
vertical. The stretcher H may be either flexible, or of rigid material, and is prefer-
ably made adjustable in length, and may be attached to the points of support at
the head and foot of the hammock, serving to hold them nearer together, or permit
them to assume a position farther apart, at pleasure, and.hence causing the hammock
body B to assume a position nearer the vertical or nearer the horizontal, as may be
desired.
1
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
I..
"
1. The combination with the body of a hammock and means for suspending its
head end, of a seat frame consisting of side rails and one or more cross slats con-
necting the side rails, the body of the hammock being formed. throughout a portion
of its length in two parts, adapted to embrace the cross slat or slats, and suspension
ropes leading from the foot end of the side rails of the frame, to interrupt the
natural curve of the body of the hammock, to form a seat, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a seat frame and means for adjusting it along, its
support, of a foot and leg rest, and means for adjusting it, with relation to the seat,
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the body of a hammock and means for suspending it,

page_text: of a frame adapted to interrupt the natural curve of a hammock, the said frame
being provided with a removable cross rung, and the body of the hammock being
provided with a series of pockets for the reception of the removable cross rung, to
hold the frame in different adjustments longitudinally along the body of the
hammock, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the body of the hammock and the seat frame engaged
therewith, of suspension ropes leading from the foot of the seat frame, and suspension
cords leading from the foot of the hammock body, and having a sliding engagement
with the said suspension ropes, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with the body of a hammock, a seat frame engaged there-
with, and suspension cords therefor, of an adjusting cord leading from the foot of
the hammock around a bearing, and from thence to a point within the reach of the
occupant of the hammock, and means for securing the cord in its several adjust-
ments, for regulating the height of the foot portion of the hammock, substantially
as set forth.
6. The combination with a hammock, of arm rests comprising a pair of loops
engaged at one of their ends with the head portion of the hammock, their other
ends being free to adjust themselves to the arms of the occupant, when the arms
are inserted within the loops, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination with a hammock body and means for suspending it, of a
longitudinal stretcher for determining the angle at which the body of the hammock
shall hang with respect to the vertical, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 7th day of December 1897.