An Improved Portable Hammock, applicable also as a Tent or Pavilion.
Year: 1897

page_text: An Improved Portable Hammock, applicable also as a Tent or
Pavilion.
I WILLIAM CHARLES TANNER of 7 Moreland Street Goswell Road in the City
of London; Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved portable hammock which may also be
converted into a tent or small pavilion capable of being quickly erected and of
being folded up or packed into a small compass.
According to my invention I provide a pair of tripods the legs of which are
formed of wood or other light material or metal tubing and are hinged at the top
to a small horizontal plate carrying a central screwed stud which engages with aud
fixes a longitudinal bar connecting the two tripods together.
To this bar is secured a covering of canvas or other suitable material provided
on each side with a longitudinal bar supported in an extended position by three
rods or arms hinged on each side of the central bar two of the said arms on each
side being also kept in a suitable position by stays pivoted to the side legs of the
tripods.
Each of the said small plates carries a hook from which is suspended a chain or a
rod, rope or combined rope and chain and the like connected at each end to the
hammock for supporting the same in a swinging position, small chains also con-
necting the hammock with the side legs of the tripods for preventing too great
a lateral swing. The legs of the tripods are also connected together by small
bars pivoted centrally together between them so as to act when they are opened
out as rigid stays but to double up when the legs are folded together.
In connection with the above described apparatus I also provide an outer
covering of canvas or other suitable material for surrounding the hammock and
supports and forming a tent or pavilion. This covering is provided with four
vertical posts whose lower ends engage with eyelets or rings fixed to each of the
side legs of the tripods and their upper ends engage with sockets fixed to the ends
of the upper side bars forming the cover. The said posts thus form corner supports
to the outer covering and the latter is hooked alon its upper edge to the side bars
its ends being carried around the outer legs of the tripods where they are hooked
or buttoned together. One side of the covering is divided in the centre.to form an
opening into the interior of the structure.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved
portable hammock without the outer covering and Figure 2 is an end view

page_text: thereof. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus, to a smaller scale, with
the outer covering attached forming a tent or pavilion and Figure 4 is an end
view Figures 5 to 11 are details.
a a are the side legs of the two, tripods and a¹ the outer or end leg. The upper
ends of these legs are pivoted to the small plate 6 by means of the lugs or arms 6¹
shown to a larger scale in Figure 5 and the bolts 62. To each plate is fixed a
central screwed stud c and a hook d, e is the central longitudinal bar connecting
the tripods together by engaging with the said studs to which they are secured by
nuts.
The hammock is formed of a strip of canvas f, or other suitable material con-
nected at each side to bars f¹ and kept in an extended position transverselv by
bars engaging with studs f³ at each end of the bars f see Figure 11. The
hammock is suspended at each end by means of the chains 9 passing over the
hooks d and attached to the hooks g' fixed to the bars f. The tripods are kept
in an extended position by means of the bars h pivotted to each of the legs and
hinged in the centre at h¹ to permit of the legs being folded together and the
legs a are firmly fixed to the ground by means of spikes or pins i¹ passing through
eyes or rings as shown in Figure 2. k is the canvas cover provided with bars k¹
and kept in an extended position by means of rods 7 pivoted at 11 to each side of
the bar e a tongue 1 on their outer ends engaging with straps or sockets k³ on the
ends of the bars k¹ as shown in Figure 6. These rods are supported by stays m
pivoted to the legs a and formed with hooked ends engaging with eyes 12 on the
rods as shown in Figure 2 n are small chains attached to the legs a and engaged
with the hooks g¹ to prevent the hammock from swinging too much sideways.
The hammock is preferably provided, with a strip or covering of thick material
and this may be raised at one end to form a support for the head or shoulders of
the person lying therein by providing the said end with a rod whose projecting
ends are engaged with one of the links of the chain g as shown in the dotted lines
Fig. 2.
When converting my improved apparatus into a tent or pavilion as shown in
Figures 3 and 4 I provide two separate pieces of canvas p p each forming one side
and suspend them by hooks from the side bars k¹ their ends being suspended to
hooks ef on the ends of the central bar e. The ends of these side pieces overlap
the legs a¹ of the tripods and are hooked together and one side is divided in the
centre so as to form an opening or doorway pa which may be closed and fastened
by tapes p³.
The side pieces ppl are provided with bars q for supporting them in position,
the tops of the said bars being provided with metal strips or tongues which
engage with sockets fixed to the sides of the bars kl as shown in Figures 8 & 9
whilst the lower ends of the bars are supported by pins s entering cyclets or
rings fixed to the legs as shown in Figure 10.
It is evident that my improved structure may be quickly and easily taken to
pieces and packed into a small compass by removing the bar e and bending up the
bars or arms h (which form rigid stays when in a horizontal position by means of
the projecting lip h³ Figure 7) thus enabling the legs a a¹ to be folded together.
The hammock f may be used as a seat by suspending it from the chains g at a
suitable height.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In portable hammocks the combination of a pair of tripods formed with
pivoted legs provided with hinged stays, a connecting bar provided with a cover
and chains suspended from hooks for supporting the hammock substantially as
described and for the purposes specified.
2. In portable hammocks the combination of a pair of tripods connected to-
gether by a bar e provided with a cover and a canvas covering p p provided with
Supporting bars q substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 3. The improved combined portable hammock and tent or pavilion substantially
as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of June 1897.
J. B. FLEURET,
5 Hatton Garden, London, Agent for the Applicant.