Rapidly Deployable and Adjustable Fail-Safe Tree Stand and Integrated Harness with Seat

Abstract

The invention is a rapidly adjustable, inherently safe, mobile climbing tree stand with harness of the type used by hunters to ascend and descend a tree and to furthermore remain seated in a fall protected mode while at height in a tree. The inherently safe tree stand has redundant fail safe fall protection and utilizes ANSI standard arborists ge

Claims

1. A lightweight, rapidly deployable, easily erectable, rapidly adjustable, inherently safe tree stand of the type used by hunters to ascend and remain for extended periods of time in a tree above the ground comprising at least some or all of the following: a. a heavy duty climbing rope with a heavy duty mechanical stop affixed at one end; b. a safety harness; c. an adjustable, reclinable seat with back and head rest; d. a trailing rope grab; e. an optional arborist's hand ascender; f. an attachment point; g. a base walkway/footrest; h. optional modular ladder sections known as sticks; i. an optional safety life line; j. a foot ascender; k. a modified Prusik or VT-Prusik or any similar friction knot; and l. a throw rope.

2. The inherently safe tree stand of claim 1 where the safety harness is an arborist's safety harness compliant with ANSI standards.

3. The inherently safe tree stand of claim 1 where the trailing rope grab is an arborist's trailing rope grab compliant with ANSI standards.

4. The inherently safe tree stand of claim 1 where the heavy duty climbing rope is an arborist's climbing rope compliant with ANSI standards.

5. The inherently safe tree stand of claim 1 where the adjustable reclinable seat is a modified bosun's seat that is collapsible and can be attached to the hunter's back while ascending the tree.

6. The inherently safe tree stand of claim 1 where all major safety components are removed from the tree and safely stored out of the elements after the hunter descends the tree.

7. The inherently safe tree stand of claim 1 where the mechanical stop affixed to one end of the arborist's rope is a cast iron bolt with a breaking strength of at least 2000 pounds.

8. A method of ascending a tree using a lightweight, rapidly deployable, easily erectable, rapidly adjustable, inherently safe tree stand comprising at least some or all of the following steps: a. a hunter affixes or ensures that a heavy duty mechanical stop is safely and firmly affixed to a climbing rope; b. a throw rope is attached to the climbing rope at the opposite end of the climbing rope, specifically to the end that does not have the mechanical stop affixed to it; c. the throw rope is pulled down such that the climbing rope is pulled up until the mechanical stop engages the arborist's ring or threaded eyebolt; d. the hunter dons an ANSI rated safety harness and connects it to a trailing rope grab. e. the hunter attaches a modified collapsible bosun's seat to his/her back in the collapsed mode; f. the climbing rope is threaded through the trailing rope grab; g. the trailing rope grab is affixed to the safety harness; h. a friction knot is attached to the climbing rope at approximately the level of the hunter's head; i. a foot ascender is attached at one end to the bottom loop of the friction knot; j. the climbing rope is affixed to the foot ascender; k. the foot ascender is looped around the hunter's foot; l. one of the hunter's hands grasps the friction knot; m. the hunter's other hand grasps the climbing rope below the point where the safety harness is attached; n. the hunter begins the ascent by moving the friction knot up approximately twelve to eighteen inches with one hand with the effect of bringing the foot up; o. the hunter then stands and pulls the climbing rope up with his other hand thereby eliminating the slack in the climbing rope below the harness attachment point; and p. the hunter repeats these steps until he reaches the desired height.

9. The method of claim 8 where the hunter deploys the collapsible seat upon reaching the desired height.

10. The method of claim 8 where upon reaching the desired height, the hunter deploys the collapsible seat and attaches the seat to the bottom of the friction knot thereby removing significant pressure on the hunter's upper legs due to slackening of the safety harness.

11. A lightweight, rapidly deployable, easily erectable, rapidly adjustable, inherently safe tree stand of the type used by hunters to ascend and remain for extended periods of time in a tree above the ground that comprises the following two features that prevent rapid uncontrolled descent from the tree stand: a. a friction knot affixed to a climbing rope and b. a trailing rope grab affixed to the climbing rope.

12. The inherently safe tree stand of claim 11 where the friction knot is a Prusik knot or a VT Prusik knot.

13. The inherently safe tree stand of claim 11 where the friction knot has at least four turns.

14. The inherently safe tree stand of claim 11 where the trailing rope grab is an ANSI approved device that is safely rated for at least 500 pounds.

15. A method of descending a tree using a lightweight, rapidly deployable, easily erectable, rapidly adjustable, inherently safe tree stand comprising at least some or all of the following steps: a. ensuring that the throw line back to the ground level while descending; b. squeezing the friction knot gently to initiate a slow controlled descent; c. engaging the trailing rope grab to stop the descent if the hunter squeezes the friction knot too much and a more rapid or uncontrolled descent begins; d. once safely on the ground, the hunter packs up the climbing rope, friction knot, trailing rope grab and the rest of the gear and either moves to the next tree or leaves the field for the day, thereby ensuring that only the throw line, the threaded eye bolt, and the optional ratchet strap with attached arborist ring remain outside in the environment; and e. safely storing the climbing rope, friction knot, trailing rope grab, foot ascender, hand ascender, and carabiner out of the elements in order to preserve their safety ratings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 shows the hunter sitting comfortably and safely in the instant inherently safe tree stand 10.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows the sticks leading up to the attachment point, the throw line with the attached climbing rope being pulled through the attachment point.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a close up view of the rope grab, the harness, and the optional hand ascender.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the hunter about to ascend the tree with the following equipment: the foot ascender, the trailing rope grab, the safety lightweight harness, the arborists rope, and the modified bosun's seat assembly (not shown) on the hunter's back as he prepares to scale the tree.

[0032] FIG. 5 shows the hunter ascending the tree along the rope using the foot ascender and the hand ascender together.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows the hunter in the static position sitting comfortably and safely on the bosun's chair. At this point, the bosun's chair is attached to an attachment point such as an arborists ring or ratchet strap.

[0034] FIG. 7 shows the hunter in the shooting position on the other side of the tree. This configuration allows the hunter to move noiselessly around the entire azimuth of the tree with virtually no noise and with obstructed view from the tree stand.

[0035] FIG. 8 shows some of the equipment used in the present invention including the climbing rope, threated eye bolt, hand ascender, foot ascender, and trailing rope grab.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] The present invention relates generally to a tree stand of the type used by hunters to safely ascend a tree and safely and comfortably remain in an elevated position above the floor of the forest. More specifically the instant device is a modified portable tree stand that is lightweight, rapidly deployable, easily erectable, rapidly adjustable, inherently safe and has a flexible and mobile harnessed reclinable seat integrated into the tree stand. Whereas many tree stands are permanent, the present invention can be moved easily from tree to tree with only a small portion of the required hardware permanently affixed to a tree. Permanent tree stands are subject to failure due being exposed to the elements for protracted periods of time. The instant invention solves this issue by allowing the hunter to take the key safety related aspects of the invention inside and out of the elements after use.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, the hunter is shown seated comfortably in the portable tree stand 10 while it is firmly and safely attached to a tree 50. The various major components of the tree stand are: a safety harness 80 and collapsible seat assembly 20, a friction knot 90, the climbing rope 40, the trailing rope grab 60 attached to the safety harness 80, a ratchet strap firmly secured to the tree with an arborist's ring attached to the strap, foot rests 95. The ratchet strap 100 and attached arborists ring (not shown) and the throw line are the only items of the present invention that remain in the tree. All other parts of the invention can be and should be removed from the elements every evening.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 2, the ladder sections (known in the industry as “sticks”) 110 are shown attached to the tree. In the initial setup phase, the hunter must place the ratchet strap 100 with attached arborist's ring at the desired height, which is generally 20 to 30 feet above the ground. The hunter will ascend the sticks to position the ratchet strap at the desired height. During the initial setup, the hunter may also screw a threaded heavy duty eyebolt with a minimum 2,500 pound breaking strength into the tree. As the years go by and the tree grows, the heavy duty eyebolt will become more and more embedded in the tree thus resulting in an extremely strong and resilient attachment point for the instant tree stand. When the ratchet strap with attached arborist's ring is firmly attached, the hunter then threads an arborist's throw rope 40 through the arborist's ring with sufficient length to reach the ground. Also shown is the climbing rope 120

[0039] Referring to FIG. 3, an enhanced closeup of the trailing rope grab 60 attached to the safety harness 80 is shown. The trailing rope grab 60 is a descent limiting apparatus that only allows a hunter to slip a few inches if he or she loses his or her balance in the tree stand. The trailing rope grab 60 also incorporates a locking mechanism that holds the rope grab in a fixed position with respect to the climbing rope. Also shown is an additional safety line 130.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows the hunter ready to start to ascend the tree 50. The hunter is fully engaged in the safety harness 80 and the bosun's seat assembly in the collapsed mode is attached to the hunter's back. The climbing rope 40 (an ANSI approved arborist's climbing rope) is shown properly threaded through trailing rope grab 60 which in turn is attached to the safety harness 80. A foot ascender 85 is attached at one end to a carabiner or similar device attached to the bottom of a friction knot 145. The hunter's foot is placed into the loop of the foot ascender 87 near ground level.

[0041] FIG. 5 shows the hunter ascending the tree using the instant invention in conjunction with the stand-sit method of moving up a tree. In this case, the upper end of the foot ascender is attached to a carabiner 147 affixed to the bottom loop of the friction knot 145. The hunter's right hand grasps the friction knot and moves it upwards from 12 to 18 inches. This has the effect of lifting the leg engaged in the foot ascender up. With his left hand, the hunter grabs the climbing rope and pulls himself up the 12 to 18 inches while essentially standing up. At the same time, the hunter pulls the climbing rope up with his left hand to take the slack out of the climbing rope. In this view, the modified bosun's seat is not shown in order that the other components of the instant invention can be readily seen and understood. Normally, the modified bosun's seat is attached to the hunter's back. It is important to note that the total weight of component parts of the present invention is less than 20 pounds.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 6, the hunter is shown with the instant invention fully deployed at the desired height in a tree. The modified bosun's seat 150 has been deployed from the collapsed position to the seated position. The safety straps 160 attached to the bosun's seat are affixed to the carabiner 147 affixed to the bottom of the friction knot 145. In this configuration rope/trailing rope grab assembly is in a slack position, which results in pressure being taken off the portion of the safety harness 80 that goes under the hunter's thighs. This is important since there is no undue pressure on the key femoral arteries in the legs. In other harness-oriented tree stands, there is significant pressure on the femoral arteries which can lead to blood flow problems if the hunter stays aloft too long. FIG. 6 also shows the arborist's ring 152 attached to the ratchet strap 100.

[0043] The defense in depth aspect of the instant invention is also exhibited in FIG. 6. As mentioned above, the safety straps leading from the modified bosun's seat are attached to a carabiner or similar device affixed to the bottom of the friction knot. The friction knot holds the bosun's seat firmly in place. In the highly unlikely event that the friction knot or the carabiner or the straps fail and the hunter begins to fall, the trailing rope grab 60 will engage the climbing rope and stop the fall after only a few inches of rapid descent.

[0044] FIG. 6 also shows the hunter resting his feet on the walkway 95. This is another case of the instant invention being built for long term comfort and staying power in the tree stand without putting undue stress on legs, knees, or arms. Note also that the bosun's seat can be switched into many positions from essentially a straight back chair to an almost fully reclined position by moving the attachment points straps to the various positions 162 on the frame of the modified bosun's seat. This has the added benefit of not keep the hunter in the same position for too long which can lead to stiffness and cramping.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 7, the hunter is shown on the opposite side of the tree in the shooting position. One of the innovative aspects of the instant invention is the hunter can move around the entire azimuth of the tree circumference quickly and noiselessly. He also can lean over to get a better shot without fear because the harness, bosun's seat and trailing rope grab provide defense in depth against falling.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 8, several key components of the present invention are shown including the following: [0047] a. a trailing rope grab 60. Many types of trailing rope grabs may be used. The key is that they be ANSI certified for use in trees and be safety rated for up to 500 lbs of weight. [0048] b. a hand ascender 63. In an alternate mode, the hand ascender may be used instead of the friction knot. [0049] c. climbing rope 40 with mechanical stop attached 42. In this instance, the climbing rope is an ANSI certified arborist's rated at more than 1,000 lbs. The mechanical stop can be any type of bar, cast iron, or piece of metal rated to several thousand pounds breaking strength that will hold the climbing rope in place when the mechanical stop engages the arborist's ring (attached to the ratchet strap) or the eye of the threaded eye bolt. [0050] d. threaded eye bolt 64. This is installed during the initial setup of the apparatus on a given tree. Eventually, the tree will grow and the threaded eye bolt will become deeper and deeper embedded into the tree thereby forming a more and more secure attachment point. However, initially the ratchet strap with arborist's ring attached will be the primary attachment point. In addition, during initial uses (for the first year or two), the climbing rope may be threaded through both the threaded eye bolt and the ratchet strap/arborist's ring assembly. [0051] e. a carabiner 147 used to attach the straps of the modified bosun's seat to the bottom of the friction knot. [0052] f. a foot ascender 85

METHOD OF OPERATION

[0053] The best mode for practicing the present invention is presented in the following sections: Initial Setup, Ascending the Tree, Using the Tree Stand at the Desired Height, and Descending the Tree.

Initial Setup

[0054] A few preliminary steps must be taken before using the present invention. [0055] 1. The hunter must affix an attachment point at the desired height above the ground. Normally this will be between 20 and 30 feet above the ground, but any other height will suffice as desired by the hunter. [0056] 2. The hunter will have to install portable ladder sections (known in the industry as “sticks”) to reach the desired height. Alternatively, the hunter may use a ladder, use a lineman's climbing rope looped over a tree limb or any other means to reach and safely install the attachment point. [0057] 3. As mentioned above, the attachment point will most likely be an arborist's ring attached to a heavy duty ratchet strap (for the first year or two). At the same time, a threaded eye bolt will be screwed into the tree. Over time, as the tree grows, the threaded eye bolt will become deeply embedded into the tree and the need for the arborist's ring/ratchet strap assembly will be diminished. [0058] 4. The final step is to thread the throw rope through the arborist's ring and/or the threaded eye bolt. There should be sufficient length to the throw rope to allow it to reach the ground. Note that the throw rope may be left outside in the elements indefinitely as may the threaded eye bolt and ratchet strap/arborist's ring assembly. However, the other components of the instant invention may not be left out in the elements in order to comply with ANSI standards.

Ascending the Tree.

[0059] In order to safely ascend a tree, the following steps are taken. [0060] 1. The hunter affixes or ensures that a heavy duty mechanical stop is safely and firmly affixed to the rope. [0061] 2. The throw rope is attached to the climbing rope at the opposite end of the climbing rope—i.e. the end that does not have the mechanical stop affixed to it, [0062] 3. The throw rope is pulled down such that the climbing rope is pulled up until the mechanical stop engages the arborist's ring or threaded eyebolt. [0063] 4. The hunter puts on the ANSI rated safety harness and connects it to the trailing rope grab. [0064] 5. The hunter attaches the modified bosun's seat to his/her back in the collapsed mode. [0065] 6. The climbing rope is threaded through the trailing rope grab. [0066] 7. The trailing rope grab is affixed to the safety harness. [0067] 8. A friction knot is attached to the climbing rope at approximately the level of the hunter's head. Note that in an alternate mode, an arborist's hand ascender can be used in place of the friction knot. [0068] 9. A foot ascender is attached at one end to the bottom loop of the friction knot. [0069] 10. The climbing rope is affixed to a foot ascender. [0070] 11. The foot ascender is looped around the hunter's foot. [0071] 12. One hand grasps the friction knot. [0072] 13. The other hand grasps the climbing rope below the point where the safety harness is attached. [0073] 14. The hunter begins the ascent by moving the friction knot up approximately twelve to eighteen inches with one hand. This has the effect of bringing the foot up. [0074] 15. The hunter then stands and pulls the climbing rope up with his other hand. This eliminates the slack in the climbing rope below the harness attachment point. [0075] 16. The hunter repeats these steps until he reaches the desired height. In general, it should take less than a minute to reach the desired height with this method.

Using the Tree Stand at the Desired Height

[0076] Once the hunter has reached the desired height, the following steps are taken. [0077] 1. At the desired height, the hunter deploys the bosun's seat and adjusts the seat to the desired reclining or straight up position. [0078] 2. Straps on the side of the modified bosun's seat are attached to the carabiner or similar attachment device affixed to the bottom of the friction knot. [0079] 3. Then the harness is slacked such that there is minimal pressure on the major arteries of the upper leg. [0080] 4. At this point in time, the hunter is safely and comfortably seated in the modified bosun's chair. [0081] 5. The trailing rope grab will engage if the apparatus begins to fall.

Descending the Tree

[0082] When the hunter desires to descend the tree, the following steps must be taken: [0083] 1. The hunter must remember to bring the throw line back to the ground level while descending. [0084] 2. When the hunter desires to descend the tree, he/she merely squeezes the friction knot gently and a slow controlled descent will begin. [0085] 3. If the hunter squeezes the friction knot too much and a more rapid descent begins, the trailing rope grab will engage and stop the descent. [0086] 4. Once on the ground, the hunter packs up the climbing rope, friction knot, trailing rope grab and the rest of the gear and either moves to the next tree or leaves the field for the day. The key is that only the throw line, the threaded eye bolt, and the optional ratchet strap with attached arborist ring remain outside in the environment.

[0087] While the preceding presents the best mode for practicing the instant invention, variations of the invention may be used in alternate modes. For example, the best mode contemplates use of a friction knot. Other similar knots may be used such as a Prusik knot or a VT Prusik knot may be used. In other modes, a hand ascender may be used instead of a friction knot. Other modes may include other types of attachment points permanently affixed to a tree. One mode contemplates leaving the sticks attached to a tree as a means of descending the tree in the event the trailing rope grab seizes. Or sticks may only be used to install the attachment points and then removed and used on another tree. The present invention contemplates use of a modified collapsible bosun's seat. However, other types of seats may be used as long as they do not compromise the safety features of the present invention. Finally, the instant invention specifies use of carabiners, while any type of appropriate weight tested reliable snap attachment may be used.