Patent Publication Number: US-3875952-A

Title: Tent

Description:
United States Patent n91 Black 1 1 TENT [76] Inventor: John 0. Black, 18094 Parkside,  
 Detroit, Mich. 48221 [22] Filed: Aug. 5, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 494,854  
 [52] U.S. C1 135/3 C; 135/1 D; 135/8 [51] Int. Cl. A45f 1/16 [58] Field of Search 135/1 C, l R, I D, 2 C, 135/3 C, 4 B, 5 B, 8, 16, DIG. 8; 47/21 [561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 321,722 7/1885 Herron 135/2 618,367 1/1899 Stebbins 1 Apr. 8, 1975 Flynn et a1 135/8 Sankey 47/21 Primary E.\&#39;aminerRichard J. Scanlan, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Conrad L. Herman Attorney, Agent, or FirmHarness, Dickey &amp; Pierce [57] ABSTRACT The tent has a central post, a truncated conical wall of fabric with a ring at the bottom and a rim of smaller diameter at the top. A conical top of fabric, lucite or other plastic material which functions as a skylight, is supported above the top rim. Entrance to and from the tent may be provided by a door or by a plurality of ropes disposed along the inside of the fabric by which the ring of greater diameter at the bottom may be pulled upwardly from the inside or outside to expose the interior of the tent.  
 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures TENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While tents heretofore have been provided with a central pole, it is believed the use of the smaller rim at the top of the pole and the larger ring carried by the bottom of the fabric is novel. The fabric tapers to the top rim, the rim and rings being square or circular further distinguishes from such known structures. Mechanism is provided by which the bottom ring is raised from the inside or outside of the tent which is also believed to be new and to distinguish from the known art.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The tent is believed unique as it is portable and can be quickly assembled in a camping area, on the beach or in a storage or assembly area. It can be used to provide privacy and may be opened manually or electrically from the interior or outside of the tent. A central pole is provided which may be adjustable in height having a reduced extending end at the top for receiving the hub of the spokes of a rim with a spiked extension therebeyond for receiving the grommet in the fabric top. A ring the same shape as the rim but larger in dimension has the truncated conical fabric secured thereabout in position to engage the ground when lowered with the top of smaller diameter also secured to the rim. A conical top of fabric, transparent plastic or the like extends from the rim to the spike at the top of the pole to enclose the rim and tent top and provide light therethrough when lucite or other transparent plastic forms the tent top. Ropes are secured to the ring, herein illustrated as four in number, equally spaced thereon when the ring and rim are circular or at the corners if the ring and rim are square. The ropes extend upwardly on the inside of the fabric to pulleys on the spokes adjacent to the rim and flanges sleeve on the pole to which they are secured for movement upwardly and downwardly therewith. The sleeve has oppositely disposed eyes to which a pair of ropes are secured which pass downwardly over pulleys near the bottom of the pole where they are extended and secured together to provide a length to extend outwardly beyond the bottom ring. Advantage is provided by having the ropes disposed on the inside of the tent adjacent to the fabric so that when the ropes are pulled downwardly along the pole the sleeve moves downwardly therewith. The four ropes will carry the ring upwardly and support the fabric of the wall which tapers inwardly and the sides of the tent will be open. The two ropes at the bottom can be attached to drums driven by a motor which is operated from a circuit having a switch on the inside and one on the outside of the tent fabric and connected to an available 115V source or to a l2V battery of an automobile.  
  The rim and ring may be provided in section as well as the central pole so as to reduce its size and volume so that it can be placed in a bag to be transported to a camp or other site. A tent bottom made of plywood may also be provided cut into sections so as to be easily transported. A central wall oflight weight material may be connected to the ring and rim spaced from the tent wall so as to provide a double wall construction for insulating purposes. When electricity is provided. an outlet may be mounted within the tent for illuminating purposes. While the tent is illustrated in the drawings as a wall of reduced dimension at the top without any openings therein, it is to be understood that a zipper may be provided on one side and across the bottom of the wall to produce an entrance or exit opening to the tent and to ventilate the tent area.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a broken sectional view of a tent embodying features of the present invention;  
  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 3 is an enlarged broken view of the top portion of the tent as viewed within the oval 3 of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3, taken on the line 44 thereof;  
  FIG. 5 is an enlarged broken view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, as viewed within the circle 5 thereof;  
  FIG. 6 is an enlarged broken view of the central bot tom structure illustrated in FIG. 1 showing an electric drive for raising and lowering the tent, and  
  FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6, taken on the line 7-7 thereof.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A tent 11 has a central pole 12 which may be made in two sections having a telescoped portion 13 with aligned holes 14 by which adjustment is made. At the top a tubular extension 15 of smaller diameter is provided having a projecting rod 16 at the end. A rim 17 is supported on cross members 18 reinforced at the center by a washer I9 of substantial diameter which has a central hole 21 through which the tubular extension 15 will pass. The wall of the tent is made from a fabric 22 such as canvas which is of truncated conical shape having the top smaller and secured about the rim 17 by stitching or other securing means. The bottom of the fabric 22 is secured about a ring 23 which engages the ground after the pole is secured in position preferably over a stake 24 which has been driven in the ground.  
  A conical top 25 has the bottom edge stitched to the fabric 22 or otherwise secured to the rim 17 with a grommet 26 at the apex through which the rod 16 extends. The conical top 25 may be made of the same fabric 22 as the tent wall but it is to be understood that it may be made from a transparent plastic so that light may pass therethrough to illuminate the interior of the tent during the daytime. The ends of four ropes 27 are connected to the ring 23 directly or to eyes 28 provided thereon. The ropes 27 extend upwardly along the inside of the tent wall and pass over pulleys 29 and extend inward along the cross members 18 to pulleys 31 adjacent to the central pole 12. The pulleys are secured on the center and rim area of the cross members 18 by bearing members 30. After the ropes pass over the pulley 31 adjacent to the pole 12 they extend downwardly through apertures in a flange 32 on a sleeve 33 which slides up and down on the pole 12. The ropes have knots in the ends which prevent them from passing outwardly of the apertures in the flange 32 after being advanced therethrough.  
  The sleeve 33 has a pair of oppositely disposed eyes 34 in which a pair of ropes 35 are secured by having knots tied in the ends thereof. The ropes preferably drop downwardly and pass through a pair of pulleys 36 located at the bottom of the pole l2 and extend therebeyond a distance to have the ends pass outwardly beneath the ring 23 where they are secured to a handhold element 37. The element 37 may be grasped and pulled outwardly to have the ring 23 move upwardly when entrance to the tent is desired.  
  In the same manner, the ropes extending through the pulleys 36 may be grasped from the inside of the tent and pulled upwardly to have the ring 23 move upwardly so as to open the tent. When in tent open&#39;position the ring is shown in dot and dash line position at the top of the tent with the fabric 22 resting upon the four ropes 27. When in open-position, a pair of spring pressed fingers 38 are moved outwardly above the flange 32 of the sleeve 33 to lock the ring 23 in raised tent-opened posi tion. When in raised, locked position, the upward pull on the ropes 35 located beyond the pulleys 36 will move the sleeve 33 downwardly a sufficient amount to permit the fingers 38 to be moved inwardly against a spring 39 to permit the sleeve 33 to pass upwardly thereover. It is to be understood that a zipper 41 may be placed in the fabric 22 of the wall and along the bottom thereof to provide an entrance and exit to the tent and permit the ventilation thereof. In most instances, however, the zipper is omitted.  
  The pulleys 36 are secured to a plate 42 which is welded or otherwise secured to the bottom of the pole 12. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the plate 42 has had a plate 43 substituted therefor on which a motor 44 is mounted. The motor drives a pair of drums 45 to which the ends of the ropes 27 are secured for winding onto or from the drums 45 when the motor 44 is energized. Current from a line 46 may be supplied from a 115V receptacle or from a battery of a car, whichever is available. The motor is operated in either direction of rotation so that the ropes 35 may be wound onto the drums 45 to raise the ring 23 and fabric 22 or to release the ropes 35 to lower the ring 23 and fabric 22 to close the tent. A three-way switch 47 may be secured to the motor 44 or to the plate 43 and a similar switch 47 may be attached to a stake in the ground outside of the tent with the three conductors connected to the switches in a manner to provide three-way operation so that the motor may be energized from either the inside or out side of the tent. The circuit is such as to change the direction of rotation of the motor at the end ofeach operation each time the motor is energized. In this manner, the tent may be raised and lowered by the manipulation of the switch 47 on the inside or on the outside of the tent.  
 I claim:  
  1. In a tent. a central pole having a reduced top end extension, a rim having cross members supported on the top end of the pole, a free bottom ring enclosing a greater area than the rim, fabric connected to the rim and to the ring forming a truncated conical wall therebetween, a plurality of lengths of rope within the tent secured to the bottom ring, pulleys on the inner and outer ends of the cross members over which the ropes pass to be adjacent to the pole, a flanged sleeve slidable on said pole with the ropes secured to the flange, and a pair of ropes supported on said sleeve the downward pull on which moves the plurality of ropes downwardly along the pole to thereby raise the bottom ring and the fabric forming the tent wall upwardly to expose the tent interior.  
  2. A tent as recited in claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a pair of eyes to which the pair of ropes are secured.  
  3. A tent as recited in claim 2, wherein a pair of pulleys are provided at the bottom of the pole through which the pair of ropes pass to extend outwardly beyond the ring so that the sleeve may be drawn downwardly to raise the tent from either the outside or inside thereof.  
  4. A tent as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of rope lengths are four in number and spaced equal distances apart.  
  5. A tent as recited in claim 1, wherein a conical fabric section is secured over a rod extending from the reduced end portion of the post and to the wall fabric on the rim to enclose the top opening of the tent.  
  6. A tent as recited in claim 5, wherein the conical portion covering the top opening is made of transparent material to provide illumination to the tent interior during the day.  
  7. A tent as recited in claim 5, wherein the rim and ring are of circular formation.  
  8. A tent as recited in claim 4, wherein a pair of winch drums are provided at the bottom of the pole engaged by the pair of ropes, and motor means for driving the drums in either direction of rotation.  
  9. A tent as recited in claim 8, wherein a circuit having a three-way system containing a pair of switches which are positioned on the interior and outside of the tent respectively for operating the motor in either direction.  
  10. A tent as recited in claim 9, wherein reversing switches are provided for reversing the direction of motor operation at the end of each operation.