IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMOCKS, SUITABLE ALSO FOR BEING USED AS A CHAIR, OB AS A STRETCHER
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Major Edwin Robert Wethered, of Woolwich, in
the County of Kent, Paymaster Royal Artillery, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMOCKS, SUITABLE ALSO FOR BEING USED AS A CHAIR,
OB AS A STRETCHER,”
Sealed the 23rd January 1872, and dated the 25th August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Robert Wethered
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th August 1871.
I, Major EDWIN ROBERT WETHERED, of Woolwich, in the County of
Kent, Paymaster Royal Artillery, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMOCKS, SUITABLE ALSO FOR BEING
USED AS A CHAIR OR AS A STRETCHER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in hammocks, suitable
also for being used as a chair or as a stretcher. For this purpose the
hammock is composed of a length of canvass or suitable fabric with a
broad hem along each side edge to receive rods or sticks, the rods
or sticks on cach side being by preference in three lengths, one a short

page_text: length at the central portion (which is to form the seat, then the
hammock is used as a chair), and one at the foot and head ends
respectively; or other means may be adopted for connecting the rods
or sticks to the side edges of the fabric. A bar of wood or other material
is also similarly applied to the fabric across the front of the central
portion forming the seat to keep the side sticks or rods at a proper
distance one from the other, or this bar or distanco piece might be..
connected at its ends to the sticks themselves. Similar distance pieces
are in like manner applied to the head and foot ends of the hammock,
or the canvass or fabric may be attached to metal frames, either separate
or jointed together. The hammock is supported at its centre by straps;
there being two straps on cach side, one from the forward and the other
from the back end of the central portion or seat. These straps are
led up either to a hook or pole or suitable support. Two other straps
are also led from the head end of the hammock to the pole or support,
and by shortening or lengthening these straps the inclination of the
head end of the hammock may be varied, so that it may either be in-
a. horizontal position or nearly so, or may be raised into a suitable
inclined position to serve as the back of a chair. When the hammock
is to be used as a stretcher it may be carried by a pole or poles passed
through loops on the seat straps, the pole or poles being placed either
crosswise or lengthwise of the hammock, or the hammock might be
so formed as to be carried by the sido poles themselves; the several
lengths of which each side rod is composed being then rigidly connected
together by pieces of tubing being slid over the joints or otherwise.
1
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edwin Robert Wethered in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Major
EDWIN ROBERT WETHERED, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent, Pay- 3
master Royal Artillery, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year
of our Loid One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give 38

page_text: and grant unto me, the said Edwin Robert Wethered, Her special
license that I,, the said Edwin Robert Wethered, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin Robert
Wethered, 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, SUITABLE ALSO FOR BEING USED AS A CHAIR OR AS A
) STRETCHER," upon the condition (amongst others). that I, the said
Edwin Robert Wethered, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the 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 Edwin Robert Wethered, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
O the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in hammocks, suitable
also for being used as a chair or as a stretcher.
The hammock is constructed of a piece of carpet or other fabric of
5 suitable length and width, and with wooden bars attached to it on either
side to stiffen it. There are two bars on each side meeting near the
middle, so that the sides of the hammock not being, rigid from end
to end the part for supporting the head and shoulders of the user can
be raised, so as to meet at an angle the part for supporting the legs
b and feet. This part of the hammock is suspended by slings from a
gaff hung upon a tent pole or against any upright which may be
conveniently situated. The head end of the hammock is also supported
from the gaff by cords, the length of which can be adjusted with facility.
There are transverse stiffeners at the head and beneath the seat of the
5 hammock. The hammock is converted into a chair by using shorter
stiffening bars at the foot end, or if preferred the bars may be jointed.
When required as a stretcher long side bars are used running from.
end to end of the hammock fabric and projecting to form handles..

page_text: The hammock bars may fit together with sockets to serve as bars for
the stretcher, or other bars may be provided.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
unto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hammock set up for use. a is a
tent pole or upright; 6 is a gaff hung therefrom, it is shewn separately
in plan at Figure 2; c is the hammock fabric, it has wide hems at the
sides and ends. Wooden stiffening bars & and e are inserted into the
side hems, they overlap in the middle, the hems being open to allow
the ends of the bars to protrude; the bars have eyes at their ends, and
cords ff passing through the eyes connect them. g is a bar for
stiffening the head of the hammock, and h is an iron stiffener to keep
the side bars d a sufficient distance apart. This stiffener has rings at 1
its ends, and the bars & are passed through the rings; the hems in the
fabric c may be cut through to admit the ends of the stiffener. i, i, are
the suspending slings, they have four loops at their ends through which
the hems which receive the bars & pass.,, are rings upon the sling.
cords, the gaff 6 is inserted through them. These rings may be of brass' s
tube threaded on to the cords and bent into a ring form. k, k, are the
cords connecting the head of the hammock with the gaff, they are
made fast around the bars e, and also to frictional runners ?, one of
which is shewn separately and full size at Figures 3; each cord & passes.
from the bar e through the eyes of the runner to the ring and then its
end returns to the runner. When there is no strain upon the cord the
runner can easily be moved along it, and the head can thus be raised
to any suitable inclination.
Figure 4 shews the apparatus erected as a chair, the head end being.
fully raised and shorter bars being substituted for the bars d; or these a
bars may be in two parts connected the one with the other with sockets
so that a part of the bar may be detached, or if the hammock bars d
are not jointed their ends may be allowed to project to the rear of the!
chair. If desired tho seat may be, stiffened by fixing a bar m, with
sockets at its ends, on to the rear ends of the bars d. This bar m may 3
at other times be fixed between the bars d; at the foot end of the
hammock n, n, are rails upon the slings, on to which a book rest o made

page_text: of fabric may be hooked when required. The rails n, as is shewn, may
be set in an înclined position. In place of the gaff b a horizontal bar
supported in any convenient manner may be employed; or the two
slings may be attached to two uprights, one on either side; or the slings
may pass to a central ring, which may be hung upon a hook in a ceiling,
but for use in a tent the arrangement of pole and gaff represented, in
the Drawings is the most convenient.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
claim, the construction of hammocks substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Robert Wethered, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
.
two.