Ridge Line Possibility

[OldMan]

I was reading some threads yesterday that were discussing patents on internal structural ridge lines and I had a thought about an alternative. Being new to hammocking, and not a DIY'er, I thought I would float it out and see if it had any merit.

Start with an 1/8 inch length of Amsteel long enough to put Woopie Slings in each end with 10-12 feet in between to serve as a ridge line. Add a gathered end hammock with a 2 foot length of Amsteel tied as a tail to both gathered ends. Feed the ridge line through the core of the tail pieces (like is done in a Woopie Sling) and then build the Woopie slings on the ends of the ridge line. Seems like this would allow almost instant adjustment to the sag on the hammock as well as simplify the attachment of the 'internal' ridge line to the hammock suspension. If there is no weight in the hammock you should be able to slide the hammock tails into any desired position on the ridge line. Put some weight in the hammock and the tails should tighten down over the ridge line and be as secure as the Woopie Slings are. If need you might could tie a fancy Prussic (sp) knot on the ridge line near the tails to prevent them from accidentally moving.

The bug fly could then either be hung from the ridge line or draped over it with the the ridge line passing through a hole at each end. You could gather the ends of the bug screen and whip around the ridge line like the hammock body is wrapped around the internal ridge line.

If this works, you would have what could pass for an internal ridge line that is easily adjustable and does not pass through the gathered hammock end and in possible violation of a patent.

Thoughts?

[opie]

I make my adjustable ridge lines with adjustable loops on either end. A double ended whoopie sling. No dead eye.

The 2' tail with the whoopie buried in it, if I am unserstanding you correctly, isnt neccessary.

Ideally, you incorporate the adjustable loop of the whoopie into the gathering or suspension line of your hammock.

You could do a UCR type... Where you have 12-13' of a single line going from one end to the other and have the constrictor part of the UCR attached to the hammock and, or suspension. I think that would work better, and be lighter than a whoopie.

Also... I dont think you will violate a patent if you copy someones design. If you copy it and try to sell it, then you may have issues.

[slowhike]

I was thinking the ridge line patent was made mute when the "patent" thread showed much older pictures of hammocks w/ ridge lines.

[OldMan]

I make my adjustable ridge lines with adjustable loops on either end. A double ended whoopie sling. No dead eye.

OK. I believe that is the same thing I was describing, at least for the ridge line.

The 2' tail with the whoopie buried in it, if I am unserstanding you correctly, isnt neccessary.

The tail was there as a way of hanging the hammock onto the ridge line. So rather than having the ridge line go through the hammock, the hammock would hang from it.

You could do a UCR type... Where you have 12-13' of a single line going from one end to the other and have the constrictor part of the UCR attached to the hammock and, or suspension. I think that would work better, and be lighter than a whoopie.

Sorry, UCR?

[OldMan]

I was thinking the ridge line patent was made mute when the "patent" thread showed much older pictures of hammocks w/ ridge lines.

I don't know. I have only made it half way through the old thread on the patent debate. And this was just as much about passing on a wild idea that floated around in my brain all night as it was a way to avoid patent issues. I don't have the hammocking experience to know if the idea had any merit or not.

[opie]

OK. I believe that is the same thing I was describing, at least for the ridge line.

Probably... Im a visual person and sometimes confuse myself.

The tail was there as a way of hanging the hammock onto the ridge line. So rather than having the ridge line go through the hammock, the hammock would hang from it.

You may be referring to what someone else came up with called the "single line suspension."

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=4719

It sounds similar. And this is where I believe this..

Sorry, UCR?

Comes in.

The UCR (utility constrictor rope) is something a member introduced here awhile back.

How it works is you have a single stretch of cord....We'll use amsteel. On one end you splice a fixed eye. Then you take another stretch of rope... I like to use about 40" and splice a fixed eye onto that. Then you take the longer section and bury that into the shorter section with the eyes opposite one another.



The red is the constrictor. That picture is just a mock up test jobby.

[TeeDee]

I use a Whoopie Sling for my ridge line. The whole sling is adjustable from a min span of 110" to a max span of 120" (if I remember correctly. It's been a while since I changed the span I have left it set at 118" since shortly after making the ridge lines.). It has a fixed eye on one end since I couldn't see any reason to adjust both ends.

Since the min span is 110", the gap between the adjustable eye and the fixed eye is approximately 108".

[OldMan]

You may be referring to what someone else came up with called the "single line suspension."

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=4719

That is indeed the concept I was thinking of. The difference is that instead of attaching via a ring and clove hitch, I was passing the ridge line through the core of the tail that was attached to the hammock. Also using woopie slings at the end of the ridge line for attachment to the tree huggers.

The UCR (utility constrictor rope) is something a member introduced here awhile back.

Interesting. Thanks

[OldMan]

I use a Whoopie Sling for my ridge line. The whole sling is adjustable from a min span of 110" to a max span of 120" (if I remember correctly. It's been a while since I changed the span I have left it set at 118" since shortly after making the ridge lines.). It has a fixed eye on one end since I couldn't see any reason to adjust both ends.

I think I understand what you have done there, making the ridge line internal to the hammock adjustable. What I was trying to describe was more like the Single Line Suspension that Opie mentioned, replacing the rings by passing the suspension line through the core of the tails attached to the hammock ends.

[opie]

OldMan... If you give me some very specific measurements, Ill mock something up and see how it works.

I need total length, from one end to the other. Youll need to measure the length of your hammock and keep that in mind when you figure total length.