Need advice for mounting to I-beam

[NCPatrick]

Why, did you already drill holes in your I-beams? That was QUICK.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Grizz may have a good alternate solution. I've got several vertical posts along the perimeter. So Grizz, you're saying to hang directly from a horizontal bar that would carry any non-vertical loads, and hang the h bar to the posts to support the vertical load, correct?

The idea, yes, is that the horizontal bar takes the non-vertical loads, and whatever you attach it to (e.g. hang from the I-beam or from the vertical posts) takes the vertical load.

Grizz

[CajunHiker]

Why, did you already drill holes in your I-beams? That was QUICK.

Not really that quick. Holes were drilled when mounting the 3 fans and also a small hole near the exposed end to hang a (worthless) bug zapper.

I'd also add that the awning survived Katrina quite well, except for one corner being clipping by a branch from a 50'-ish pine tree.

[Youngblood]

lesson I learned when I tried hanging from an I-beam in my garage---if you're attaching at a point 8 ft high, that's equivalent to tying to a tree at a height of 8 ft...now how far apart would two trees need to be if you were going to attach at 8 ft???? A loonnngggg ways. That or end up hanging it so high that you have to use a step ladder to get into the hammock!

You can finesse this by hanging a rigid bar (strong enough to take the compression forces) from the I beam, at a lower level, and hang from that. For related reasons I've been interested in how to make such a bar as light as possible, and able to be broken down into manageable pieces.

Grizz

Grizz,

I touched bases with our old buddy Isaac and he had some thoughts on this problem with this patent on Longitudinal Stretchers For Hammocks.

[Ramblinrev]

Don't patents expire?

[tnoisaw]

I've used these as a plumber but not with aluminum I beans.

[Youngblood]

Don't patents expire?

Yes. The basic deal with a patent is you get exclusive rights for a period of time in exchange for advancing the technology by explaining how you did it.

[Ramblinrev]

This is the kind of thing I was talking about. It is called a "heavy bag hanger" but whether it would be suitable for aluminum I beams depends on the weight to be hung and the capacity of the beam.

http://www.immortalusa.com/DisplayIm...ame=HBH2%2Ejpg

[Tobit]

A patent provides the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, offering for sale, or importing the patented invention for the term of the patent, which is usually 20 years from the filing date. A patent is, in effect, a limited property right that the government offers to inventors in exchange for their agreement to share the details of their inventions with the public. Like any other property right, it may be sold, licensed, mortgaged, assigned or transferred, given away, or simply abandoned.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Grizz,

I touched bases with our old buddy Isaac and he had some thoughts on this problem with this patent on Longitudinal Stretchers For Hammocks.

how 'bout that guy.

I was thinking about substantial solid ends, like a block of wood, with a small number of segments of aluminum tubes between them.

When this problem is solved, then a relatively small and portable hammock stand can be made. The state of the HF art on this is what WBG and pedro have done with aluminum uprights----but on these the horizontal force has to be conveyed (inefficiently) to the ground through cords and stakes. And the ground has to cooperate.

With Issac's idea conveyed to Space Age Materials we can make a stand that doesn't need stakes. Could use a couple of aluminum poles (crossed, perhaps lashed, perhaps) as an endpoint to support one end. The other end could be hung from a tree, or another endpoint made. I have a stand like this except that (i) the horizontal piece is really two 6' long 1" diameter pipe threaded together, with a pair of 2x4's serving as the support end. I want a stand I can bring on an airplane as carry-on luggage (a somewhat arbitrary, but descriptive requirement).

thanks for the patent link

Grizz