HAMMOCK CHAIRS
Year: 1886

page_text: I, GEORGE B. Hooк, a citizen of the United States of America & resident of
Brewer in the County of Penobscot & State of Maine one of said United States,
Sail-maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for HAMMOCK CHAIRS
& in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described &
ascertained in & by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved Hammock Chair or Swinging Seat and is
illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a top view or pattern of one of the two pieces which form the seat of
my chair.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my chair and foot rest.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my chair & foot rest with awning attachment.
Similar letters refer to corresponding parts throughout the figures.
The object of my invention is to provide a suspended swinging seat the body of
which shall be capable of adjustment at various angles & furnished with a foot
rest so attached as to be capable of adjustment longitudinally & at any desired
angle with reference to the seat proper.
My invention consists of a peculiarly formed & constructed seat A; in the
method of suspending the seat; in the attachment of the apron B; and in the
arrangement of the foot rest C and awning E. My method of suspension is
however applicable to chairs & hammocks of various kinds.
The back & bottom of my seat A is preferably made of duck or any strong
textile or pliable fabric. It is formed in two pieces shaped as shown in Fig. 1
long enough to extend from slightly above the head to the bend of the knee when
the person for whom the seat is designed is in a sitting posture. Each piece is cut
in the following manner. The outer edge w is slightly concaved or hollowed
inwards & the inner edge x is sharply curved outwards at the lower end which is
to become a part of the bottom of the seat. Extending upwards from the convexity
named the curve of the inner edge diminishes gradually towards the head.
The
head y & foot z of each piece is cut off on a bias from the end of the inner edge
towards the middle of the outer edge-the bias at the foot being greater than at
the top. The relative proportions of the curves & biases are not absolute &
may be varied as desired. The inner edges of the two pieces formed as described
are then sewed together or otherwise united & the outer edges w nailed or lapped

page_text: over & sewed around or otherwise secured to two arms or ribs t t of wood or any
stiff or rigid material curved sharply at their lower ends at somewhat less than a
right angle & of a length equal to the outer edges w of the seat. The bends of
the arms may be reinforced & stiffened with metal straps bent to the curve of the
arms. No cross pieces or braces are used to preserve the spread of the arms, &
the seat thus formed when suspended as hereafter shown & occupied will, like a
hammock, partially envelope & to a great extent adapt itself to the form of the
occupant whose hips rest in the sag of the seat formed by the convexities of the
pieces of which the seat is made. The object of cutting bias the ends of the pieces
of which the seat is made is to give straight edges at top and bottom when the
pieces are united. The head, sides, back and legs as far down as the knees, of the
occupant are thus supported & protected & when desired the lower part of the legs
also by the apron B as hereafter shown.
The seat is suspended in the following manner. Near the ends of each of the
arms ttat fh, f'h' I attach the suspending lines a a¹, a a¹ & at convenient
points near the centres of such lines I secure the eyes or rings b b¹, b b¹ or as many
more of such rings as may be desired. These eyes are adapted to engage with
hooks c c fixed in any rigid supports from whence the whole device is suspended.
The object of the several eyes bb' at different positions upon the lines a a¹ a a¹ is
to alter the inclination of the seat proper A. When used in.a nearly perpendicular
position the seat should be suspended by the eyes bb as shown in Figs. 2 & 3.
When a partially reclining position is desired the seat is suspended from the
eyes b¹¹ or from other eyes still further downward upon the parts a¹ a¹ of the
suspending lines-the effect being to lower the top & raise the bottom of the
Beat A.
The foot rest C is preferably made of wood or some rigid substance & is
attached to the parts a¹ a¹ of the suspending lines by the lines g g¹, g g¹. The
ends of the parts g g of these lines are attached to a¹ a¹ at convenient points o o
& running through grommets d d which encircle these lines & the parts a¹ a¹ of
the suspending lines downwards through apertures n n in the foot rest C pass
under the bottom of the foot rest & thence upwards through apertures m m in the
foot rest are secured to the parts a¹ a¹ of the suspending lines at convenient
points first passing through the grommets e e encircling these lines & the
parts a' a' of the suspending lines.
As the lines g g¹, g g' render & work freely in the apertures m n, m n the foot
rest C when occupied by the feet will by a slight pressure assume a position at
any convenient inclination. If the foot rest C is found to be too far removed from
the seat to accommodate the occupant one pair or both of the grommets d d, e e
may be slid down to the positions shown in the drawings or even farther the
lines g g¹, g g¹ rendering through the apertures in the foot rest. If it is desired to
lengthen the lines g g¹, g g¹ & carry the foot rest C farther from the seat A one
pair or both of the grommets are slid upwards.
I also provide an apron B either permanent or detachable extending from the
lower end of the seat A to the foot rest C. This apron forms a protection for the
backs of the legs when the seat is used in an upright position & when the seat is
tilted back to a reclining position forms substantially an extension of the body of
the seat.
I have further provided as an attachment to my seat the awning E applied as
shown in Fig. 3 which I suspend by rings or loops from the hooks cc in such a
manner as to admit of its tilting forwards & backwards. Through rings or eyes at
convenient points upon the arms of the seat A 1 pass loosely the lines ii, i i¹ the
ends of which I make fast to convenient points upon the front & back of the
awning frame. If the sun is in front the parts ii of the lines are pulled down
& the awning is tilted forwards & if the sun is behind the parts of the lines
are pulled down & the awning is tilted backwards the bights of the lines being
pulled out & knotted to any convenient point & the position of the awning thus
secured.

page_text: My suspension device may be used upon variously formed seats & either with or
without the foot rest attachment and by varying the curve & length of the arms
& the sag of my seat different requirements may be accommodated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The herein described seat formed of two pieces of any strong textile or
pliable substance each shaped with a convexity on its inner edge & a concavity on
the outer edge the same being secured together lengthwise at their innner edges
and secured at their outer edges to curved arms substantially as described.
2. As an attachment for a swinging seat the apron B extending from the edge
of the bottom of the seat A to the foot rest C substantially as described.
3. The herein described device for suspending a swinging seat or hammock
consisting of the suspension lines a a¹ a a¹ furnished at convenient points near
their centres with a sufficient number of eyes adapted to engage with hooks
attached to rigid supports-substantially as described.
4. In combination with a seat swinging or suspended by the suspension lines a a³,
a a¹ or in any equivalent manner the foot rest C supported & adjustable longi-
tudinally by lines g g¹ g g¹ attached at their upper ends to convenient points o o
upon the parts a¹ a¹ of the suspension lines & running through grommets d d
encircling said lines & the parts a¹ a¹ of the suspension lines through apertures n n
in said foot rest under the bottom of said foot rest & thence upwards through
apertures mm in said foot rest & through grommets e e encircling said lines & the
parts al al of the suspension lines to convenient points p p upon said parts a¹ a¹ of
the suspension lines substantially as described.
5. The herein described swinging seat or hammock consisting of the combination
of the seat A; suspension lines a a¹ a a¹ provided with eyes b b1, b b1; foot rest C;
lines gg, g g attached at their upper ends to convenient points o o upon the
parts a a of the suspension lines & running through grommits d d encircling said
lines & the parts a¹ a¹ of the suspension lines through apertures n n in the foot
rest C under the bottom of said foot rest & thence upwards through apertures mm
in said foot rest & through grommets e e encircling said lines & the parts al a¹ of
the suspension lines to convenient points p p upon said parts a¹ a¹ of the suspension
lines the whole with or without the apron B-substantially as described.
6. In combination with the herein described swinging seat A and suspension
lines a a, a a¹ the awning E furnished at each end of its frame with rings or
loops adapted to engage with hooks c c & provided with the guy lines i i¹, ii¹-
substantially as described.
C Dangor III сте County
134848
Witnesses
April 1886.
MELVILLE H. WARDWELL.
J. FRED LOCKWOOD.
aforesaid COIS Town day or
GEORGE B. HOOK.