Improvements in Hammocks.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
PARODY capons, mesova, .D.A., Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Hammocks.
I, HUGH DONALD FITZPATRICK, of 100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Registered
Patent Agent, 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 hammocks, and particularly to a hammock made of
wire.
The object of the invention is to provide a durable, safe and ornamental ham-
mock, which will be stronger and cheaper than ordinary hammocks and which
will not be affected by weather, so that the hammock may be left out of doors
throughout the season.
The particular object of the invention is to provide a hammock of coiled wire
fabric, and which in shape will resemble the ordinary hammock. Heretofore
attempts have been made and abandoned on account of the difficulty met with in
properly fastening the ends of the wires forming the fabric, and the difficulty of
properly forming and holding the form of a hammock, and also because the ham-
mocks that have been produced have been practically non-collapsible and there-
fore difficult and expensive to ship from place to place; therefore the specific
objects of my invention are to provide means of a simple and cheap nature, to
fasten the ends of the wires, preferably in a bunch at each end of the hammock;
second, to provide readily removable means that when in place hold the hammock
in shape; and third, to provide means for preventing the kinking of the edges of
the fabric at the ends of the spreading or holding devices.
My invention consists primarily in the bunching of the ends of the coils at each
end of the hammock fabric, forming a solid mass whereon, a cap or coil, having
an internal thread, is firmly screwed to prevent the pulling out of individual
wires or coils. This construction may be modified so far as to replace the threaded
cap by a wrapping of wire, and a preferred detail of the construction is the
arrangement of the bunch of coils so as to form a large thread upon the exterior
of the bunch, and whereon the cap is screwed or in which the wire wrapping
may be placed. As hereinafter explained the wires or coils may be collapsed in a
plane and bound together to prevent the slipping of individual coils.
My invention further consists in the combination with a wire hammock, with
a flexible spreader, preferably a flat steel strip, which bows downwardly and has
its ends slipped into sockets provided on the edges of the hammock. My inven-
tion further consists in the combination with the edge coils of the hammock, of
stiff wires or spring rods arranged therein and extending short distances of each
side of the sockets or fastening, or the spreaders.
The nature of my invention in detail, and the specific construction, will be
better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of
this specification, and in which:
Fig. 1 is a prospective view of one end of a hammock embodying my invention.

page_text: Fig. 2 18 an enlarged longitudinal section of the cap forming the end of the
hammock, with the wires fastened therein.
Fig. 3 illustrates the large thread upon the bunch of wires before the cap is
screwed on.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the threaded cap.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the edge finish or spreader socket of the ham-
mock.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 illustrates a modified form of cap or fastening, for the ends of the wires
or coils.
Fig. 8 illustrates a further modification thereof.
Fig. 9 shows the coils collapsed in a single plane with the bar fastening or
clamp therefor.
Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view thereof, and
Fig. 11 is a modification of the same.
As indicated in the drawings, the hammock is made up of a series of interlocked
wire coils 2-2, which extend longitudinally of the hammock and make up a
wide and flexible fabric, the edges of which are preferably finished by the employ-
ment of one or more sets of coils, making what is commonly known as cords in
the edges of the fabric, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6. At each end of the hani-
mock or piece of fabric of which it is formed, the ends of the coils are shucked
or collapsed together, and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8, are preferably
rolled into a solid round bunch. The gathered or collapsed coils may then be
secured by a cap or head, which may be cast directly thereon, the end of the
bunch being inserted into a suitable mold into which the metal is poured after-
wards; but I prefer to form the cap separately and afterwards secure the same
upon the bunch, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. When the ends of the coils
are compressed into a round bunch or end, see Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the surface of
the bunch or end will present a wide thread extending spirally around the bunch
and of considerable width. The cap 5 is cast or otherwise formed with an internal
thread 7 corresponding to the natural thread formed upon the wire bunch, and
said cap 5 may therefore be screwed or turned upon the end or bunch, and when
this is done the bunch is so compressed and tightened that the coils are firmly
secured in the cap; in fact no other fastening need be employed; but to make
the same sure and firm I preferably either use pins extending through the cap
and the bunch of wires, or instead run moulten lead 8, or the like, into the cap
and around the wires therein, the lead filling all of the unoccupied space as shown
in Fig. 2, and effectually locking the wires against any outward pull. Each cap
or ferrule 5 is provided with an eye or loop 6, in which a hammock rope may be
fastened.
A modification of this structure is shown in Figs. 7 and 9. As there illustrated,
I may employ a cap or ferrule, made of wire, preferably a spiral coil fitting the
natural thread upon the bunch of wires at the end of the hammock. In Fig. 7
the coil 14 is shown upon the bunch of collapsed coils. At the outer end of the
coil 14 the wire is formed into a loop or eye 15, and the free end 16 of this loop
is carried down through the middle of the coil and forced through the bunch of
wires and has its end 17 turned out through the side of the bunch to interlock
therewith, and thus dispense with any further fastening for the spiral wire cap
or ferrule.
Fig. 8 illustrates a modification comprising a short spiral coil or section 14',
adapted to be screwed into the end of the fabric, or instead wound and formed
thereon, and the bunch or end is additionally secured in the spiral by means of
an eye bolt having its stem or shank 18 threaded and extending down through
the middle of the bunch and fastened by a nut 19, which, when tightened upon
the bolt and against the wires, expands the bunch of wires beneath or outside of
the end of the spiral 14' and crowds and expands the wires within the spiral+

page_text: The fastenings shown in Figs 9 and 10 are light and cheap, but are not as neat
and attractive as the cap 5 shown in Fig. 1, and I therefore prefer the latter.
To counteract the tendency to collapse, I preferably extend the hammock at each
end by a flexible spreader, preferably a flat spring or steel strip 9. To hold this
strip I prefer to employ metal clips 10, secured to the edges of the hammock.
These clips are U-shaped and are provided with raised parts 11 which form the
sockets for the ends of the spring or flexible strip 9. The clips 10 are secured on
the hammock by rivetting the same through and through, and to prevent the
forming of a sharp kink or bend in the edge of the hammock and at the clip, I
preferably strengthen the part of the hammock where the clip is placed by a
short piece of spring wire 12, arranged in the edge coil or cord of the hammock
fabric, as shown in Fig. 1 and in Figs. 5 and 6.
."
The hammock is galvanized, galvanized wire being preferably used in the manu-
facture of the fabric; or the wires may be enamelled, with the object of protect-
ing the hammock from the weather so that it will not rust. A very comfortable
hammock may be formed as indicated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, where the coils
making up the fabric are collapsed in a single plane and are secured in any suit-
able manner, as by casting a bar or strip thereon or by fastening bars or angle
pieces upon the ends of the wires, as shown in the drawings. This construction,
however, is more expensive than that heretofore described and the hammock dloes
not possess as neat an appearance, and furthermore cannot be so readily packed
for shipment. For these reasons, therefore, I prefer the hammock shown in
Figs. 1 to 8. A marked advantage of this hammock follows from the employ-
ment of the spring spreaders, which may be readily removed from the sockets and
placed longitudinally in the hammock, whereupon the coils of the hammock will
collapse into a long rope or bunch, which may be rolled or coiled into the form of
a hoop or ring that is easy to handle and to pack for shipment or storage. I
prefer to use small rings or loops of string 22 in the fabric to hold the bow of
the spring spreader, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby relieving the sockets from said
strain so that they may be of very light construction.
The fabric is made up of small coils, so that the meshes of the fabric will not
catch the clothing or buttons, and whereby the fabric is made extremely flexible
and soft.
It is obvious that my invention may be altered or modified in its details of con-
struction, and I therefore do not confine the same to the specific constructions
herein shown and described.
.
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:v
:
1. A wire hammock, comprising a fabric composed of small coils of wire inter-
locked, the ends of the coils being gathered and secured, as described.
2. A wire hammock composed of interlocked coils bunched at the ends, and a
spiral arranged upon each end to secure the coils and for attachment to the ham-
mock ropes, substantially as described.
3. The combination, with the gathered ends of the wire fabric coils, forming a
bunch or roll having a natural thread upon its surface, of the spiral or screw
arranged thereon in the thread thereof, substantially as described.
4. The combination, with the gathered ends of the wire coils forming a bunch
or roll having a natural thread upon its surface, of the spiral or screw arranged
thereon in the thread thereof, and additional means to prevent the drawing of the
wires from said spiral or screw, substantially as described.
5. The combination, with a bunch of wire coils, of the cast metal cap or end
thereon, substantially as described.
6. The combination, with a bunch of wire coils, of the cast metal cap or end
thereon, said cap being provided with an integral eye or loop for the attachment
of the hammock rope or support, substantially as described.

page_text: 7. The wire fabric composed of interlocked coils and having its es gathered
or bunched, in combination, with the heads or caps upon said ends, curing the
ends of the coils and providing means for hanging the hammock, substantially
as described.
-
8. The means for securing the ends of the coils of the wire fabric, which con-
sists in a cylindrical cap or ferrule arranged upon the gathered ends of the coils
and suitably secured thereon, substantially as described.
9. The combination, with the gathered ends of the wire fabric coils, forming
the thread described, of the spiral screwed thereon, substantially as described.
10. The combination, with the gathered ends of the wire fabric coils, forming
the thread described, of the cap screwed thereon, and said cap being filled to pre-
vent the loosening or turning of the cap on said thread, substantially as described.
11. The combination, of the gathered or rolled coiled wire fabric, with an inter-
nally threaded cap or ferrule screwed thereon, substantially as described.
12. The combination, in a hammock, of the hammock fabric, with the flexible
spring spreaders transversely arranged therein, having their ends detachably
secured to the edges of the fabric, and loops in the fabric to hold the bow or
middle portions of said spreaders, substantially as described.
13. The combination, in a hammock, of the hammock fabric, with a flexible
spring spreader detachably and transversely secured to said fabric, substantially
as described.
14. The combination, in a hammock, of the hammock fabric, with a flexible
spreader, and means for so securing said spreader to the edges of the hammock
that it may be readily detached therefrom to permit the collapsing of the fabric,
substantially as described.
15. The combination, in a hammock, of the hammock fabric, the clips arranged
at the edges thereof, and the spring spreader extending transversely across the
hammock and having its ends held in said clips, subtantially as described.
16. The wire hammock fabric, with the clips on the edges thereof, the wires
arranged in said edges, and the spreader having its ends in said clips, substan-
tially as described.
17. The combination, of the wire fabric, with the metal clips fastened on the
edges thereof and having or forming sockets, and the spreader having its ends
slipped into said sockets, substantially as described.
18. The combination, of a wire hammock, with a spreader and the wires or rods
provided in the edges of the hammock at the ends of said spreader, substantially
as described.
19. The combination, with the hammock, of the bow spring spreader, having
its ends held at the edges of the hammock, and readily detachable therefrom,
whereby the hammock may be collapsed and, if desired, formed into a coil or ring
for shipment.
20. The combination, with the wire fabric having the ends of its coils drawn
together and suitably fastened, of the metal sockets permanently attached to the
edges of the fabric, and the spring spreaders extending across the fabric and
having their ends slipped into said sockets and easily removable therefrom, sub-
stantially as described.
Dated thin and day of tuanot 1909