IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR METHOD OF SLINGING HAMMOCKS FOR MILITARY AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas St. Lawrence McGwire, Captain
1st Royals, of Porchester, in the County of Hants, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR METHOD OF SLINGING HAMMOCKS FOR
MILITARY AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th December 1864, and dated the 1st July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas St.
Lawrence McGwire at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 1st July 1864.
I, EDWARD THOMAS ST. LAWRENCE MCGWIRE, Captain 1st Royals, of
Porchester, in the County of Hants, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR METHOD OF SLINGING HAMMOCKS
FOR MILITARY AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvements in the arrangement or
construction of hammocks, whereby they may be readily slung or suspended
above the ground in the open air or in rooms, so that officers and soldiers,
volunteers or travellers, may repose in comfort with all the advantages of
a suspended hammock over a blanket laid on the ground. The hammock
may be used in gardens, on decks of vessels, or in any place desired. I
propose to sling the hammock from each end by means of two rods or short
wooden staves, which are to be placed on the ground at an angle of forty-five
degrees or thereabouts, and are each stayed by means of a cord attached to
two pegs driven in the ground at positions forming a triangle with the base of

page_text: the staves, the middle of each cord being raised to the top of the pole and
looped around it, so as to form guy ropes. The hammock is then slung
between the two staves by means of cords or clews passing through eyelet
holes in the hammock, the centres of such clews being formed into a laced
loop to surround the top of the staves. The weight of the hammock is then
sufficient to maintain the position of the staves by drawing them against the
action of their stays. In rooms or on decks of yachts or ships screwed eye-
bolts are to be substituted for pegs, and must be screwed in the floor and the
guy ropes fastened thereto. As a substitute for the ordinary canvass hammock
a soldier's blanket may be used, eyelets being made at each end for attach-
ment to the clews, and two cords inserted at the edge and near the side of
the blanket to strengthen it, leaving a flap to cover over the occupant; or a
common net may be used and the blanket placed therein; or the soldier's
coat and cape might be applied in like manner, by connecting them together
by rings or loops and passing a cord through them, and then attaching each
end to the staves by eyelets and clews. The poles or rods may be made of
thin iron tubing if desired, but wooden staves will be found sufficiently strong
to support the weight of the occupant. By this Invention a soldier in the
field may in a few minutes provide himself with a hammock slung above the
ground, thus avoiding all the evils of sleeping on a cold and wet bed. The
poles and cords with the hammock and other attachments may be readily
taken down and rolled up together, so as to be conveniently portable. When
this new method of slinging hammocks is adopted on board a vessel, I propose
to apply to each foot of the staves a wooden shoe or rest for the insertion of
the foot to prevent the stave from slipping on the deck in bad weather; each
shoe would be secured in position by a cord coming from the screwed eye-
bolts, and passing through a similar eye-bolt screwed in the rear of the shoe,
or through a hole made in the shoe itself. Although I propose generally to
adopt only one staff or rod at each end of the hammock, yet in some cases I
might apply two or even three staves to form a tripod support. Where two
staves are applied at each end, they might be brought together at the top and
slope towards the feet, leaving a space between their base; two cords should
then be brought from the pegs or rings, and crossing each other be tied to the
feet to prevent their slipping outwards; or the two staves might be set
parallel to each other at a suitable distance apart, so as to form a "tressle"
support.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Thomas St. Lawrence MGwire in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 31st December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS ST. LAWRENCE MCCGWIRE, Captain 1st Royals, of Porchester, in the
County of Hants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho
said Edward Thomas St. Lawrence McGwire, Her special license that I,
the said Edward Thomas St. Lawrence McGwire,
executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas St.
Lawrence McGwire, my executors, administrators, or 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 THE MEANS OR METHOD OF SLINGING HAMMOCKS FOR MILITARY
AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Thomas St. Lawrence McGwire, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal
of one of them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, 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 Edward Thomas St. Lawrence
McGwire, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 consists in certain improvements in the arrangement or
construction of hammocks, whereby they may be readily slung or suspended
above the ground in the open air or in rooms, so that officers and soldiers,
sailors, volunteers, or travellers, and others may repose in comfort with all the
advantages of a suspended hammock over a blanket laid on the ground. The
hammock may be used in gardens, on decks of vessels, or in any place desired.
I sling the hammock from each end by means of two rods or staves of wood,
which are placed on the ground or floor at an angle of fifty-five degrees, or

page_text: thereabouts, and are each.stayed by means of a cord attached to two or more
pegs diven into the ground at positions forming a triangle with the base of the
staves, the middle of each cord being raised to the top of the pole or staff, and
looped around it so as. to form guy ropes or stays. The hammock is then
slung. between the two. staves by means of cords or clews passing through
eyelet holes in the ends of the hammock, the. centres of said clews being
formed into a laced loop to surround the top of the staves. The weight of the
hammock is then sufficient to maintain the position of the staves by drawing
them against the action of their stays. In rooms or on decks of yachts or
ships screwed eye-bolts are to be substituted for pegs, and must be screwed
in the floor, and the guy ropes fastened thereto. As a substitute for the
ordinary canvass hammock, a soldier's blanket may be, used, eyelets being
made at each end for attachment to the clews, and two cords inserted at the
edge and near the side of the blanket to strengthen it, leaving a flap to cover
over the occupant; or a common net may be used, and the blanket placed
therein; or the blanket may be strengthened on the supporting surface by jute
or other material being thrown in during its manufacture; or the soldier's
coat and cape might be applied in like manner, by connecting them together
by rings or loops, and passing a cord through them, and then attaching eacli
end to the staves by eyelets and clews. The officer's great coat or cloak can
be similarly arranged to act as a hammock. The poles or rods may be made
of thin iron tubing, if desired, but wooden staves will be found sufficiently
strong to support the weight of the occupant. The wooden staves may be
made in two parts, if desired, and put together by a fishing rod joint. By
this Invention a soldier in the field may in a few minutes provide himself with
a hammock slung above the ground, thus avoiding all the evils of sleeping on
a cold and wet bed. The poles and cords with the hammock and other attach-
ments may be readily taken down and rolled up together, so as to be con-
veniently portable. When this new method of slinging hammocks is adopted
in a room or building or on board a vessel, I propose to apply to each foot of
the staves a wooden shoe or rest for the insertion of the foot to prevent the
staff from slipping on the floor or on the deck in bad weather. Each shoe
would be secured in position by a cord coming from the screwed eye-bolts and
passing through a similar eye-bolt screwed in the rear of the shoe, or through
a hole made in the shoe itself, or round a groove cut in the shoe; or the
shoe may be dispensed with and a groove may be cut in the front and sides of
the feet of the staves for the cords to enter. These cords should invariably
cross each other behind the feet of the staves or be looped, to prevent dis-
arrangement. Although I propose generally to adopt only one staff or rod at

page_text: each end of the hammock, yet in some cases I might apply two or even three
iron or wooden staves to form a tripod support; in which latter case the
strain on the tripod might be lessened by an inequality in the length of the
legs, and so as to enable a small force to hold the tripods back. Where two
staves are applied at each end they might be brought together at the top, and
slope towards the feet, leaving a space between their base; two cords should
then be brought from the pegs or rings, and crossing each other be tied to the
feet to prevent their slipping outwards; or the two staves might be set
parallel to each other at a suitable distance apart, so as to forni a tressle
support; or two staves may be used at each end united by a hinge joint at
their apex, a ring being situated at such joint, one cord could stay the two
by being attached to a peg or ring in the central line of the hammock.
:
In order to illustrate the principle of my Invention, reference is made to
the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1, which gives an ordinary example of á
hammock suspended from the ground and slung to the staves.
"
d, d, are the cords or
From this example all
a is the hammock, to which the clew cords c, c, are attached by eyelets;
these cords are concentrated into clews with laced loops forming eyes to
surround the tops of the staves b, b.. These staves, may be made each in two
halves of metal tubing or of wood, and screwed together. or put together
by a fishing rod joint when required for use. This method would facilitate
the portability of the hammock when packed together.
stays tied to the pegs e, e, hammered in the ground.
the others described will be rendered intelligible, and it shrews how easily a
hammock can be slung without the aid of trees or walls, and be made available
under any circumstances, the means of slinging, supporting, and attaching
being all portable, and part and parcel of the Invention. Fig. 2 shews on
au enlarged scale a method of securing the staves on a floor or deck. Here the
groove is adopted, but the adjustment by passing the cord round the head of
staff, which is the easiest and best method, is preserved. It is of advantage
and greatly facilitates the adjustment to be able to alter the length of the
stays, both for the shoe, foot, and for the head of staff. This is provided for
by looping and seizing the cord a, c, on the loop hook at a, and likewise the
shoe cord b, d, on the other loop hook at b. Thus the mainstay is adjusted
freely and without confusion at b, while the shoe cord is as easily adjusted at a.
The square foot d must be preserved; and if likely to injure a carpet, a small
piece of leather e may either be placed under it loosely or attached to shoe
cord, so as to slide at will e¹. The foot cords should invariably cross near the
foot, and a slide or "keep" with a leather tongue will give greater stability
and security. There is no reason why at one end (say the head of the

page_text: hammock) the cords should not be permanently fixed; there would then be only
,one set of cords to arrange, saving time and trouble, and serving as a good
guide for arranging the other end; but it would still be necessary to preserve a
means of adjustment at the head and at the foot, so that should the cords
stretch there would be no uneveness; the staff should stand at about 55 degrees,
see Fig. 3. When desired, a stretcher may be applied at one or both ends of
the hammock, in order to form a cot.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion that I do
not limit myself to the precise details or configuration of parts I have herein
described, as the same may of course be varied or modified in many ways
without departing from the object in view; what I claim and desire to be
secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent are, the improve-
ments in slinging hammocks for every variety of use, even in open ground,
substantially as herein specified and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas St. Lawrence McGwire,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four.
Witness,
E. A. STUART, Cap.,
The Royal Regt.
E. T. ST. L. MCCGWIRE. (L.B.)