Fire escape – ladder – or scaffold – Scaffold external of shaft
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-23
2001-03-06
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold
Scaffold external of shaft
C108S152000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196354
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to tree-mountable stands and, more particularly, is concerned with a portable tree stand assembly having a seat and platform and different arrangements for adjusting the positions of the seat and platform relative to the lean of a tree which supports the tree stand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable tree stands are widely used for supporting hunters, nature enthusiasts, photographers and others at an elevated position in a tree to watch for game and to observe wildlife. Representative examples of portable tree stands are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,350 to Gray, U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,918 to Brunner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,941 to Richard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,215 to Burgin and U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,135 to Ambler et al.
Portable tree stands, such as those disclosed in the Brunner et al., Richard and Ambler et al. patents, are well-known having seats and foot rests or platforms which are pivotally supported by a support bracket structure which is attachable to a tree. The seats and platforms of some prior art portable tree stands, however, are not adjustable to different angular inclinations or positions relative to the support bracket structure of the stand in order to compensate for variations in the vertical angle of the supporting tree and thereby permit leveling of the seat and platform. Other prior art tree stands permit leveling of the platform but not the seat. Thus, the seats and platforms of prior art portable tree stands are not adjustable to positions where they are substantially parallel to one another or substantially level along a horizontal reference irrespective of the inclination of the lean of the supporting tree.
Consequently, a need remains for a portable tree stand that will retain the seat and platform generally parallel to one another irrespective of the lean of a supporting tree.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a portable tree stand assembly designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The portable tree stand assembly of present invention has an upper seat and a lower platform pivotally mounted to a support bracket structure and which can employ any one of three different embodiments of an arrangement for adjusting the positions of the seat and the platform relative to the support bracket structure and thus to the lean of the tree supporting the tree stand. These three different embodiments of the seat and platform position adjustment arrangement provide a variety of choices for users in accomplishing the seat and platform position adjustment and thereby meet different preferences a user may have depending upon the conditions the user faces in actual field use.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a portable tree stand assembly which comprises: (a) a support bracket structure attachable to a supporting tree and having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; (b) a seat pivotally mounted to the upper end portion of the support bracket structure; (c) a platform pivotally mounted to the lower end portion of the support bracket structure; and (d) a seat and platform position adjustment arrangement interconnecting the seat and platform to the support bracket structure between the upper and lower portions thereof and being adjustable relative to the support bracket structure to movably place and retain the seat and platform in a substantially parallel relation to one another and respective substantially level positions for a range of lean angles of the supporting tree to which the support bracket structure is attached. In all embodiments of the assembly, the support bracket structure also has a middle portion disposed between and interconnecting the upper and lower end portions.
A first embodiment of the seat and platform position adjustment arrangement includes an elongated arm, pivot means for pivotally interconnecting the arm between the seat and platform, and a pair of cables. The elongated arm has opposite ends. The pivot means includes a T-bar pivotally mounted to the seat and connected to one opposite end of the arm. The pivot means also includes support brackets attached to the platform and pivotally connected to arm at the other opposite end thereof. Each cable has opposite ends and is connected at one end to the platform and at the other end to selected ones of pluralities of attachment element provided on the middle portion of the support bracket structure at different vertically spaced locations therealong. The attachment elements can be a plurality of hook members mounted at the different vertically spaced locations on the middle portion of the support bracket structure.
A second embodiment of the seat and platform position adjustment arrangement includes a pair of plates, a seat brace member and a pair of cables. The pair of plates are mounted to the middle portion of the support bracket structure. Each plate defines a plurality of notches at different vertically spaced locations thereon. The seat brace member has a substantially U-shaped configuration and opposite ends. The seat brace member is pivotally mounted at one end to the seat and is releasably receivable at the other end within selected ones of the notches on the plates. Each cable has opposite ends and is connected at one opposite end to the seat brace member at the selected one of the different vertically spaced locations and is connected at the other opposite end to the platform.
A third embodiment of the seat and platform position adjustment arrangement includes variations of the second embodiment. One variation includes the seat brace member having a substantially U-shaped configuration formed by a pair of side links having opposite ends and a middle link disposed between and interconnecting one opposite end of one side link and one opposite end of the other side link. The seat brace member is pivotally mounted at the other of the opposite ends of the side links to the seat and is securable within the notches on the plates at the different vertically spaced locations. Each side link also defines a series of spaced apart recesses. The opposite ends of each cable are attachable to one of the side links of the seat brace member at the selected ones of the spaced apart recesses and attached at the other opposite end to the platform.
Another variation includes a pair of substantially inverted U-shaped mounting brackets mounted to the platform. Each substantially inverted U-shaped mounting bracket defines a series of spaced apart notches. The opposite ends of each cable are pivotally mountable to the substantially inverted U-shaped mounting brackets of the platform at the spaced apart cutouts. The opposite ends of each cable are attached to the seat brace member as in the second embodiments.
A third variation has a plurality of hook members mounted at the different vertically spaced locations on the middle portion of the support bracket structure similar to the first embodiment. One end of each cable are coupled to a selected one of the hook members. The opposite end of each cable is pivotally mounted to one of a pair of loop members on the platform as in the first variation of the third embodiment.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 36276 (1999-08-01), Smith
patent: 3817350 (1974-06-01), Gray
patent: 4890694 (1990-01-01), Williams
patent: 5143177 (1992-09-01), Smith
patent: 5538101 (1996-07-01), Kempf
patent: 5562180 (1996-10-01), Herzog et al.
Anthony Tod E.
Schirer Michael
Flanagan John K.
Flanagan John R.
Flangan & Flanagan
Stodola Daniel P.
Thompson Hugh B.
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