IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMOCKS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander McAlister, of West India Dock Road,..
in the County of Middlesex, Sail Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMOCKS."
Scaled the 25th October 1870, and dated the 13th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander MºAlister
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th May 1870.
I, ALEXANDER MCALISTER, of West India Dock Road, in the County.'
of Middlesex, Sail Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMOCKS," to be as follows:-
-
The object of this Invention is to afford a more comfortable hámmock
than those hitherto in use to be used on board emigrant, troop, and other
vessels or ships which have need to accommodate a great number of:
passengers.

page_text: There has been great difficulty hitherto in slinging ordinary hammocks
so as to make them in any degree comfortable, and they have always
source of great discomfort, and especially when used by
been a
landsmen.
This Invention, which I designate a "conic hammock," relates to
improvements on the ordinary hammock, and consists as follows:-To
form the body of the hammock I take a piece of canvas or woven flexible
fabric or other suitable material, and shape each of its ends so as to make
a curve of such a form as that when the hammock is made and properly
slung, being freely suspended from the hooks, it shall readily be adapted
to the natural form or curve of the body when at rest in the hammock.
I then take two end pieces of the same width as the body piece, and
shape their lower ends exactly to the same curve; the upper ends of the
same are cut so that each end piece forms a triangle with an outwardly
curved bottom or base. These pieces are then laid over the body or first
piece in such a manner that the curved parts exactly coincide, and they
are then firmly sewn together. By these means it will be found that
when the hammock is slung from the hooks and suspended from the
same by a rope or ordinary lanyard passing through an eyelet hole in
the top of each end piece (or the apex of the triangle) with the body at
rest in it, it will be found much more comfortable, as the curves given
to the pieces when a weight such as a human body is put into the
hammock readily form or adjust themselves to the curve of the body,
and by this means the sides of the hammock are drawn upward and
inward, so that they close nearly over and form a place of rest much
more comfortable and conducive to health than those constructed without
frames hitherto in use, and further by this means the weight of the body
is distributed over the whole surface of the hammock, so that every
portion is made to bear an equal strain.
.
'
This Invention altogether dispenses with the clews or nettles (the
strings by which ordinary hammocks are slung) and all the evils
attendant thercon, and it consists principally in substituting in licu
thereof the triangle-shaped end pieces, each with a curved bottom in
combination with the body, also provided with curved ends, as the
hammock itself when slung is suspended from the upper portion of cach
end, and in that position resembles an ordinary canoe. The top forms &
continuous curve, having a radius considerably larger than that of the
curve which forms the bottom of the same.

page_text: It may be here remarked that the above described process is that
which is preferred to be used, but there are various modifications which
are sometimes used as follows:- -The ends of the body may be made
straight and the end pieces be more deeply curved, or the end pieces
may have a straight base, and the ends of the body be more deeply curved,
or the curves may be made with a larger radius in both cases, and a
piece with convex sides cut out of the middle, but care must be taken
that the parts to be sewn together must always coincide in length; that
is, for instance, the curved end of the body must be equal in length to
the straight base of the triangle, so that when sewn there will be no
puckering.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander M'Alister in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, ALEXANDER
MCALISTER, of West India Dock Road, in the County of Middlesex, Sail
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander M'Alister, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander M'Alister, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander McAlister, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMOCKS,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander M*Alister
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe.
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
"

page_text: same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander MºAlister, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same t
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to afford a more comfortable hammock
than any hitherto in use to be used on board emigrant, troop, and other ]
vessels or ships which have need to accommodate a great number of
passengers and others.
The hammock is also well adapted for camping
purposes.
There has been great difficulty hitherto in slinging ordinary hammocks
so as to make them in any degreo comfortable, and they have always 1
been a source of great discomfort and especially when used by landsmen.
This Invention which I designate a "conic hammock" relates to
improvements on the ordinary hammock and consists as follows:-
To form the body of the hammock I take a piece of canvas or woven
flexible fabric or other suitable material, and shape cach of its ends so 2
as to make a curve of such a form as that when the hammock is finished
and made as herein-after explained, and properly slung, beeing freely
suspended from the hooks, it shall readily be adapted to the natural
form or curve of the body when at rest in the hammock. I then take
two end pieces of the same width as the body piece and shape their:
lower ends exactly to the same curve. The upper ends of the same are
cut so that each end piece forms a triangle with an outwardly curved
bottom or base. These picces are then laid over the body or first piece
in such a manner that the curved parts exactly coincide, and they are
then firmly sewn together, after which the outside edges are "tabled" {
or hemmed with or without cord or line and the end pieces fitted with
eyelet holes or holes and "thimbles." By these means it will be found that
when the hammock is slung from the hooks and suspended from the same,
either by the cyelet holes themselves or by a rope or ordinary lanyard
passing through the eyelet hole in the top of each end piece (or the apex 3
of the triangle) with the body at rest in it it will be found much
more comfortable than any hammock hitherto in use, as on account of

page_text: the curves given to the pieces, when a weight, such as a human body,
is put in the hammock it readily forms and adjusts itself to the curve
of the body, the sides of the hammock being drawn upwards and inwards
so that they close nearly over; the whole figure forming a place of rest
much more comfortable and conducive to health than any hammocks
constructed without frames hitherto in use, the weight of the body being
distributed over the whole surface of the hammock, so that every portion
is made to bear an equal strain.
This Invention altogether dispenses with the clews or nettles (the
strings by which ordinary hammocks are slung) and all the evils atten-
dant thereon, and it consists principally in substituting in lieu thereof
the triangle-shaped end pieces, each with a curved bottom, in com-
bination with the body also provided with curved ends; as the hammock
itself when slung is suspended from the upper portion of each end, and
in that position resembles an ordinary canoe.
It may be here remarked that the above-described process is that
which is preferred to be used, but there are various modifications which
may or can be used as follows:-The ends of the body may be made
straight and the end pieces be more deeply curved, or the end pieces
may have a straight base and the ends of the body be more deeply
curved, or the curves may be made with a larger radius in both cases,
and a piece with convex sides cut out of the middle; but care must be
taken that the parts to be sewn together must always coincide in length;
that is, for instance, the curved end of the body must be equal in length
to the straight base of the triangle, so that when sewn there will be no
puckering.
This improved hammock requires no stretchers and is so constructed
that all parts bear an equal strain, thereby insuring the longest wear
possible and the greatest comfort consistent with safety. The hammock
can be slung or unslung in a few seconds and can be stowed away in
a very small space or triced up overhead. It can also be used com-
fortably without mattress or bedding and can be washed as casily
as an ordinary hammock, and there are no corners for vermin to
harbour in.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improve-
ments in Hammocks," I will now proceed to describe more in detail the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into

page_text: practical effect, and in order that the same may be distinctly under-
stood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof,
and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof, that is
to say:
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 represents a plan
view of the pieces of cloth or canvas after having been cut to one of the
forms herein explained and described and that most preferred, and as
ready to be sewn together (or laced by having a continuous cord passed
through the eyelet holes Z), so as to form the improved hammock, as
shown in Figure 3, which is drawn to a smaller scale; and Figure 2
illustrates the way or manner of ascertaining the various shapes the
different parts are caused to have or assume, as herein-after explained.
The mode of manufacturing the hammock may be described as
follows-Taking (merely for an easily understood illustration an oblong
piece of suitable canvas or cloth 1, 2, 3, 4, (Figure 1) one hundred and
seven inches long by forty-nine inches broad, and cut the end pieces Y, Y,
and body X to the required shape, as hercin-after explained. They are
then sewn or laced together (and after being tabled or hemmed with or
without cord or provided with eyelet holes) it forms the improved
hammock, as shown in Figure 3. These measurements would be for the
Government size of hammock, but when other sizes are required the
width and length would be proportionately altered.
The mode of manufacture above described is merely for an easy
example, but when the picces are being cut from the cloth or canvas
they are cut so as to economize as much as possible the waste pieces that
are shewn on the Drawings, resulting from cutting the pieces for cach
hammock from an oblong piece.
The manner of mathematically determining the said shapes or curves
so that when the end pieces are sewn to the body, any straight lines
drawn from the apex of one end to the apex of the other shall all be of an
equal length, is as follows:-Firstly. When the base of the end pieces
and the ends of the body are all curved. Suppose A, C, D, F, Figure 2,
part of an oblong piece of canvas or other cloth suitable for manu-
facturing into hammocks. From the point A' measure down the
line A', C', twenty inches, and mark B; make B, E, parallel to A', F.
The parallelogram A', B, E, F', would then represent half the piece of

page_text: cloth from which the end piece is cut, and B, C, D, E, half the picce
from which the body piece is cut. From A' measure up the line A
about twenty-three inches and one-third. Then with A³ as centre and
with radius of about forty-three inches and one-third from point B.
describe the arc or curve B, I; join A', I. The Figure A¹, B, I, then
represents the form of one-half of one of the end pieces. With a
similar curve B, J, the waste pieces are severed from the ends of the
body; B, J, D, represents the form of one-half of one end of the body
picce. Secondly. When only the base of each end piece is curved, the
body remaining intact, a parallelogram N, O, P, Q, the width of one-half
of which C, B, E, D, as represented in Figure 2, is twenty-four inches
and half. From the point A' with a radius of 20 inches from point B
describe arc or curve B, h, and measure from B along the same
24 inches and join A', h. The figure A', B, h, would then represent the
form of one-half one of the end picces. And, thirdly. When the ends
of the body only are curved. Along the line B, E, measure any number
of points any suitable distance apart, but for example, say, 4 inches, and
mark the points k, l, m, n, o, p, &c., and from these draw lines parallel
to E, D. Then from point E down the line E, D, measure twice the
distance from E to J and mark j, then firstly from measure twice,
where the line intersects the curve B, J, down the line k, k¹, and
mark ; secondly, from down line & measure twice 1-8, proceeding
as before, and mark ", and from points m, n, o, p, measure down their
respective lines twice the distance from each separate point to the point
where its respective line cuts the arc or curve B, J, and mark, and after-
wards join all these points j, q, 1, 8, t, u, v, &c., by a continuous curve,
and the figure B, j, D, would then represent the form of one-half one of
the ends of the body piece, and the curve B, j, would be about
29 inches long. Prolong the base of cach end picce so as to make it of
an equal length, and then join A³, 10, and A', B, w, would represent the
form of one-half one of the end pieces.
The hammock may be made of two lengths of cloth and sewn together
longitudinally, being cut as described above, but this is not material,
and it is not preferred. A rope may or it may not, as preferred, be
passed along, and secured to the outside edges of the hammock to
strengthen it.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in Hammocks” together with the mannow in subiah 41

page_text: would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention, the improved
manufacture or construction of hammock, as herein-beforo described and
as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, or any mere
variation or modification theṛcof.
In witness whereof, I, tho said Alexander M°Alister, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.