Apparatus and methods for attaching objects to trees
OwnerThomas J. Edgington, Bradley T. Edgingtoninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Devices and methods for attaching objects to living trees. Various forms of the devices employ a flexible member and mounting member that are configured to be looped and secured around a tree portion at a beginning of a predetermined time period. The mounting member and flexible member are configured to slide relative to each other to accommodate growth of the tree portion such that the device remains secured to the tree portion for at least the duration of the predetermined period of time without the need for human intervention. In other embodiments, the mounting member is integrally formed with the object or no mounting member is employed.
Claims20
Apparatus for securing an object to a portion of a living tree, said apparatus comprising:
- a cable including a first end and a second end and a length that is greater than an expected circumference of the tree portion at an end of a predetermined period of time;
- a mounting member having a first portion secured to said first end of said cable, said mounting member further having an opening therethrough that is dimensioned to receive said second end of said cable therethrough after the cable has been wrapped around a portion of the tree portion;
- and
- at least one friction generating member configured to be secured in a sliding frictional engagement onto a portion of said cable extending beyond said opening in said mounting member to cinch the cable around the tree portion, said at least one friction generating member dimensioned so as to interact with said mounting member as the tree portion expands to thereby permit said cable portion to frictionally slip relative to said friction generating member.
Apparatus for securing an object to a portion of a living tree at a fixed elevation, said apparatus comprising:
- a cable including a first end and a second end and a length that is greater than an expected circumference of the tree portion at an end of a predetermined period of time;
- a mounting member secured to said first end of said cable;
- a friction generating hole through said mounting member sized to receive therein a portion of said cable therethrough in sliding frictional engagement, said friction generating hole defining a hole axis;
- and
- an access slot extending from an outer perimeter of said mounting member to said friction generating hole along a slot axis that is substantially transverse to said hole axis to enable the cable portion to be inserted into said friction-generating hole in said frictional sliding engagement therewith to cinch the cable to the tree portion such that as the tree portion expands, the cable is configured to frictionally slide through said friction generating hole while remaining cinched to the tree portion.
Apparatus for securing an object to a portion of a growing tree for at least an expected period of time, said apparatus comprising:
- a flexible member having a length that is greater than an expected circumference of the tree portion at an end of the expected period of time;
- and
- a mounting member configured to movably engage a first portion of said flexible member and a second portion of said flexible member such that when said first and second portions of said flexible member are extended around the tree portion in opposite directions and brought into sliding frictional engagement with the mounting member, the apparatus is secured to the tree portion and said first and second portions of said flexible member can move relative to the mounting member without human intervention as the tree portion expands to enable the flexible member and mounting member to continue to be secured to the tree portion for at least the expected period of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.