«2 United States Patent Hennessy 00724338381 (io) Patent No: US 7,243,383 BIL 6 03) we wo an @) on) (2) 68) 656) MODULAR SUPERSTRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING MULTIPL Inventor: Thomas HAMMOCKS. Hennessy, Galiano Island «ay Assignee: Hennessy Holdings, Ltd. Galiano Island, British Columbia A) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the tea of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 USC. 1540) by 0 days. Appl. No.: 11862,268 Filed: Feb, 24, 2006 Int. Cl. AMSP 324 (200601) US. Ch soos S127; 5/130 Field of Classification Search 509.1 $/120-123, 127-130; 482/35, 36: 138/96 Se application file for complete search history. References Cited U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS. 34931 A 4’1862 Timmons «al sat 627.626 A * 611899 Owens S08 S51927 A * 41907 Fyfe sie 13 ta 973 A 71920. Paddca SH. A * 111922 Pion S30 (4s) Date of Patent Jul. 17, 2007 A+ 10198 48236 A 191939 A oi 2126636 8 * 89K 4836 2asig% A 8941 2oIs7ss A IW1982 Bates A 41968 Sussoi2 A * 7991 sino Sa2xMI A 61995 Seoooxs A 911997 S70L616 A * 121997 Rosengist sie SUSSAL A * $1998 Panella ‘Was GATOSI8 BL 102002 Ke 6.748962 BY 62004 Miler 200201830 AL 102002 Miler 20040222336 AL 11/2008 Miler * cited by examiner Primary Examiner —Michael Teetel (74) Atornes, Agent, or Firn—Shoemaker and Matare on ABSTRACT A system of tripods, bipeds and/or unipods is used to support ' polygonal atray of horizontal spars joined by comnsctor hubs. The array may be extended indefinitely, in onder 10 support @ desired nimber of hammocks. As few as three ilerent stock components are required. Fach hammock is suspended from the sracture by connecting its ends toa par ‘of the connector hubs 12 Claims, § Drawing SheetsU.S. Patent Sul. 17, 2007 Sheet 2 of 5 US 7,243,383 B1 34 30° 34° Fig. 3 32° 32°U.S. Patent Jul.17,2007 Sheet 3 of S US 7,243,383 B1U.S. Patent Jul.17,2007 Sheet 4 of S US 7,243,383 B1 30 14 Fig. 6U.S. Patent Sul. 17, 2007 Sheet 5 of 5 US 7,243,383 B1 30" 38 36 40 Fig. 7US 7,243,383 BI 1 MODULAR SUPERSTRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING MULTIPLE HAMMOCKS: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a superstructure for supporting stile hasnmocks, Hammocks are most often used in wooded areas, where they can be hung from trees, Hammocks have the advantage ‘of keeping a person off the ground, minimizing his contact with insects and ground moisture. Modem hammocks are inexpensive and very light—some only weigh a few ‘ounces—and they promote air eieulation, an advantage particularly in topical conditions. However, not all loca tions have the tees needed for hammock use It would be beneficial to provide hammock users —par- ticularly large groups of them, like Boy Scouts, adventure tourists and military units witha lightweight superstre- ture from which they could suspend their hammocks, and whieh they could easily transport as needed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ‘An object of the invention is provided a structure for supporting multiple hammocks where tees are not avail- able, or not plentifl, as in desert environments oF on military bases Another object of the invention isto provide @ hammock supporting structure which can be assembled quickly and ‘without tools ‘A further object is to provide a set of only few different ‘components from Which hammock supporting structures if indefinite extent can be constructed. These and other objects are attained by a superstructure {or supporting multiple hammocks as deseibed below. BRIBE DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of & superstmcture for supporting multiple hammocks; FIG, 2 shows a connecting hub thereof; FIG. 3 shows @ modified form ofthe connecting hub: FIG. 4 shows a portion of a trangle-hased array of indeterminate size, IG. § shows « portion of « square-based array of inde terminate size: FIG. 6 shows a portion of @ hexagon-based array of indeterminate size; and FIG. 7 shows another modified form of the connecting ib. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A simple example of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 ‘where a structure for supporting, multiple hammocks “1” ‘comprises central support 10 in the form ofa tipod having at east three legs 12, plural radial spars 14 extending ‘outward from the eentral support, peripheral spars 16 inter- ‘connecting the ends of neighboring radial spars, and periph- ‘eral suppons 18, one at the end of each radial spar. The Peripheral supports shown in this example are_bipods Tormied from tWo legs 20. The spars may be thin-pauge luminum tubes or other elongate strctures having com- pression strenu and stfiness suilieient to oppose the ten 0 o 2 sion of loaded hammocks without buck Ihave been stspended from the strcture. ‘While the inner ends of the peripheral spars shown in FIG. 1 are supported by a tripod, and the outer ends are supported by bipods, some of the supports might be unipods (single vertical tubes or legs). I use the word “stanchion” in a slenerc sense below, to mean a unipod, a biped, or a tripod. ‘Regarlless ofthe numberof legs it as, each stanchion bas 8 connecting hub at its upper end which interconnects the Jeg (in the ease of a bipod or tripod), and also hs structure {or receiving or attaching one or more spars In FIG. 1, the number of radial spurs is six, but any ‘number greater than two is possible, Six is advantageous beeatse hexagons nest with others without wasting space, $0 fan indefinite number of such staictres can be joined together The leas 12, 20 and spars 14, 16 are interconnected by lhubs, not showa in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 shows a connecting bub 30 in detail Iv includes three downwardly extending tabs 32 Which seat ia the tops of the tipod legs, and six radially extending tabs 34, each of which seats in the inner end of ‘one of the radial spars. The hub may have holes of hooks to ‘which hammock ropes may be tied. Many alterative cone siruetions forthe connecting hub are possible. For example the tabs could be replaced by other forms, such as the sockets M4), shown on the hub 30a FIG. 3 or receiving the Jegs and spars. Or, a8 shown in FIG. 7, te hub 30" could be csonsiucte by joining plural vee plates 36 with fasteners 38. ‘The fasteners serve as pivot points for the ends 40 of the spars and legs, which inthis case are Mattened or have fst ced inserts Tn use, hummocks are suspended between the tripod connecting hub and the bipod connecting bubs by looping the hammock suspension ropes over hooks or projectio (illustrate) oF through holes (not shown) inthe hub and the bipod connectors a good lone toe is availabe, it may be possible to use the treo trank in Tien of the center tripod, with suitable ‘modifications which would he within he skill of an ordinary person. ‘The invention is aot limited to a hexagonal assembly. FIG. 4 shows an even simpler version of the invention, where the spars are amanged in an aeray of equilateral ‘eiangles, and FIG. $ depicts an arrangement with four supports arranged in a square, A hexagonal array isi trated in FIG. 6 pref that all the spars ofthe invention be identical, and ‘at therefore the polygons making up the aera’ be regular polygons (all equilateral triangles, all squares or all regular hexagons), but other arangements are posible. Making ll the spars identical has the advantage of minimizing the ‘numberof different pars which must be kept on hand, and simplifying constriction, Similarly, 1 prefer that all te legs be identical, although on hilly ground it may be necessary 10 use some legs of diferent lengths. One can compensate for ‘minor variations in ground contour, simply’ by altering the Jeg angles. For this reason, it is prefered thatthe hubs be ‘made ofa strong but flexible material, such asa hard rubber or plastic, or that they have free play or some other way of allowing the leg angles to be changed according to ground fontoue "The number of tubes of legs at each supporting location ‘may be judiciously chosen to minimize the number of logs per hammock, without making the structure unstable. Plainly, using only unipods as supports will not work, since ‘without any diagonal brocing, the stmctare would collapse sideways under load (*rackng” failure). On the other hand, once hammocksUS 7,243,383 BI 3 tripods are not required at every support point. It ean be showa that fora polygonal spar arrangement having N spars, ‘aminimum of 2 supporting legs are required, For example, the spars forming «triangle ean be supported atone vertex by a to, at one vertex by a bipod, and at the remaining vertex by #unipod, and he stable in all directions. square ‘canbe supported by tripods at opposite comers, and unipods the ollie two corners, Thus, an array may be constricted in which only some of the stanchions are tripods, the remainder being bipods and/or unipods ‘An advantage of the invention is that it enables one 10 build « hammock-supporting structure of indefinite or lin- itless size from as few a toe different stock components (legs, spars, connecting hubs). ‘Since the invention i subject to modifications and varia tions, i is intended thatthe foregoing description and the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted ony ilus- teative of the invention defined by the following claims. Telaim: 1. A structure for supporting multiple hammocks, said structure comprising ‘a plrality of substantially horizontal spars and 4 plurality of stanchions for supporting the plurality of ‘pars a distance above the grind, cael of said stanchions baving one of more legs and ‘connector at its upper end for interconnecting said ews and supporting an end of atleast two of sid horizontal ‘Spars whereia said connector has means for permiting angular adjustment of said legs with respect to one Another, 2, The invention of claim 1, wherein each connector has ‘at Teast one hole to which a hammock end may be atached, 3. The invention of claim 1, wherein each connector has ‘atleast one hook to Which a hammock end may be atached, 404 structure for supporting multiple hammocks, said structure comprising ‘a plality of substantially horizontal spars and 4 a plurality of stanchions for support Spars a distance above the ground, cach of sa stanchions having one oF more legs and a ‘connector at its upper end for interconnecting said lees ‘and supporting an end of at least two of sid horizontal spars wherein ssid connector is made of a flexible ‘material so as to permit angular adjustment of the legs with respect to one another S.A structure for supporting multiple hammocks, suid structure comprising plurality of substantially horizontal spars and 4 plurality of stanchions for supporting the plurality of spars a distance above the ground, cach of sai stanchions having one or more legs and 3 ‘connector tis upper endfor interconnecting said les land supporting an end of at least two of sid horizontal spars wherein the spars are arranged to form, when Viewed from above, a plurality of eongrueat triangles. 6. The invention of claim 8, wherein atleast one of the stanchions has three or more Ten. 7. The invention of claim 5, wherein at least one of the stanchions comprises thre legs joined at thei upper ends to form tripod, 8, The invention of claim 5, whercin the total number of legs in the stracture is at least twice the total number of spars 9. The inveation of claim &, wherein the total number of legs in the structure is twice the total namber of spars 10, The invention of claim, wherein all ofthe connectors are identical to one another 11. The invention of claim 8, whercin only some of sad stanchions are tripods, 12, The invention of claim 5, wherein some of said stanchions are bipods the plurality of