IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE SUMMER HOUSES OR MARQUEES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ritchie, of Hounslow, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE SUMMER
HOUSES OR MARQUEES."
Sealed the 20th March 1874, and dated the 26th September 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ritchie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th September 1873.
I, GEORGE RITCHIE, of Hounslow, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PORTABLE SUMMER HOUSES OR MARQUEES," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention has for its object improvements in portable summer
houses or marquees. I form the summer house or marquee with a
horizontal frame of a square, oblong, or other form, supported by
uprights; this frame supports the canvas walls of the summer house
or marquee, and also an umbrella covering, which may readily be
attached or detached from it. This umbrella covering may at pleasure
be tied to the side walls to form a complete covering to the summer

page_text: house or marquee. The horizontal frame, together with the umbrella
covering may be used either with or without a central pole. The horizontal
frame may also have attached to it pieces of canvas, which may when
desired be tied to one another, so as to form an inner ceiling or lining
to the covering of the summer house or marquee, and so obtain superior
ventilation and shade together with other important advantages.
I also use for the purpose of securing my uprights in the ground a
ground frame, upon which may usefully be attached a floor, which
will serve to keep the entire frame together and add strength to it.
Or I may use pieces of wood under cach upright, so shaped and con-
structed that the lower end of the upright may be dropped into it, and
by a partial turn be locked therein. The uprights will thus be
prevented from sinking into the ground or from being lifted off
from it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Ritchic in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
RITCHIE, of Hounslow, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Ritchie, Her special
licence, that I, the said George Ritchie, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Ritchie, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no:
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS.
IN PORTABLE SUMMER HOUSES OR MARQUEES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Ritchie, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands

page_text: and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Ritchie, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
The Invention has for its object improvements in portable summer
houses or marquees. I form the summer house or marquee with a
horizontal frame of a square, oblong, or other form supported by
uprights; this frame supports the canvass walls of the summer house
or marquee, and also an umbrella covering, which may readily be
attached or detached from it. This umbrella covering may at pleasure
be tied to the side walls to form a complete covering to the summer
house or marquee.
The horizontal frame, together with the umbrella
or covering, may be used either with or without a central pole. The
horizontal frame may also have attached to it pieces of canvass, which
may when desired be tied to one another, so as to form an inner
ceiling or lining to the covering of the summer house or marquee, and
so obtain superior ventilation and shade.
I also use for the purpose of securing my uprights in the ground a
ground frame, upon which may usefully be attached a floor, which
will assist in staying or keeping the summer house or marquee together
and afford additional strength.
The accompanying Drawings shew several sketches and diagrams,
which are to be understood as illustrative of only and not as limiting
the extent of the Invention.
Figure 1 is a diagram plan view of a horizontal frame of a generally
square form, made of light wooden or metal bars a crossing each other
at the corners, and supposed to rest on uprights or poles at the places
of crossing. Between or from the places 1 to 1*, and 2 to 2*, and 3
to 3*, and 4 to 4*, the canvass walls are spread and stretched to the.
ground, as indicated by the external dotted lines, and are or may be
also continued in a generally horizontal direction inwards or towards
the centre to form a ceiling or covering over the area 1, 1*, 2, 2*, 3, 3*,
4, 4*, and herein-after called an "inner ceiling." From the corners.of.this

page_text: '
area cords or ties are carried horizontally or nearly so to or near the
centre, where they support above them a central pillar or upright, as
shewn at 6 in the sketch section, Figure 2, the upright being stayed
by cords stretched from the corners in an inclined direction to its upper
part. From this an upper canvass covering or sunshade spreads, and
is stretched to cover a larger area defined by the ends of the bars a in
Figure 1, or by the dotted lines c in that Figure, denoting cords or
bars (of wood or metal), stretched or placed between the said ends or
projections. By this arrangement the differential space between the
two areas is not closed in but left open for ventilation. The lengths
'5 to 6, and 5* to 6*, denote the corresponding unclosed parts, as shewn
in Figure 2. In this Figure are also shewn cords, or light wooden or
metal ribs d, and struts or stretchers e, forwing a kind of umbrella
frame to keep the upper covering properly distended.
In rough weather, or when it is desired, the upright 6 may rest upon
a second removeable upright or central pole passing to the ground.. Or,
as in the sketch, Figure 3, one upright may rise from the ground to
the apex, and the umbrella arrangement be used or not used, as desired.
This Figure also illustrates at e, e, the use of the ground frame above
mentioned. The poles or uprights conveniently rest on this frame.
Or instead of a ground frame I sometimes use under each upright a
wooden ground socket or piece, so shaped and constructed that the
lower end of the upright may be dropped into it, and by a partial
turn round be locked therein. The uprights will thus be prevented
from sinking into the ground or from being lifted, the ground sockets:
being securely pegged down. These sockets may conveniently be made
of two thicknesses, or plates of wood about 9 inches square, or of
any suitable dimensions, screwed together at the corners, the upper
plate having a central hole for the upright to pass through and rests
upon the lower. This hole is also extended by a narrow slit in one a
direction, key hole fashion, or in two directions across itself for the
passage of a stud or studs projecting crossways from the upright at or
close to its bottom. And the surfaces of these plates in contact are
cut away or scooped out to form a rude box or chamber, within which
the studs may have room to turn. Or blocking pieces or thicknesses a
may be used between the two plates to form the said chamber. And
if desired the bottom plate may be provided with spikes, the more
effectually to keep the socket from sliding or moving on slippery
ground.

page_text: The Figure 4 shews sketch section of two of the improved tents (with
horizontal frames above the uprights), joined together to form a
marquee; Figure 5 is an elevation to correspond. Other proportions
instead of the square form represented may of course be employed.
3.The following plan will admit of great variety of treatment, whether
for rectangular forms or other, namely, the employment of uprights
with T pieces or cross heads at or near the top, perforated for or having
the means of attachments for cords, and, if desired, for canes or other
light framing or appendages of wood, metal, or any suitable material.
A pair of such cross headed uprights are shewn in the diagram,
Figure 6, and any number of these may be used to construct a
marquee of any desired length.
:
It is apprehended that if the top canvass or covering / be stretched
from the apex to the outer projection m of the cross head m, n, and
thence stayed to the ground; and that the sloping canvass walls o be
stretched from the inner projection n of the cross head to the ground
at p, and be therefor firmly pegged or anchored; not only will the
open space between m and n afford ventilation, as at the spaces between
5 and 6, and between 5* and 6×, in Figure 2 (an inner ceiling may
be used as before, if desired), but the effects of wind or side pressure
upon the marquee will be (at any rate in degree) balanced or
neutralized in respect of the tendency to sway over (in the direction of
the wind or pressure) which the upright might otherwise have. Thus the
upright on the left hand of the Figure will by a current of wind in the
direction arrow q acting against the top covering and above the cross
head m, n, have a tendency to sway over in the direction arrow q*,
and by the same or a similar current acting, as at 8, in the same
direction, but against the wall and below the cross head, have a tendency
to sway over in the opposite direction 8* by reason of the firm
anchoring of the wall to the ground at p, as it is evident that any
(sail like) curvature or bagging must necessarily shorten a straight
line between top at n and bottom at p, and as the top n cannot become
lower such shortening can only be had by a movement towards the left,
or, as before stated, in the direction arrow 8*. This construction will
consequently permit the use of lighter materials than are ordinarly
used, thus greatly assisting the contemplated object of portability.
The said diagram will be sufficient to explain the construction of a
long marquee of rectangular form with ordinary angular apex or ridge,

page_text: +
:
two lines of cord being stretched longitudinally between the cross
heads of adjoining poles, thus from m on one to m on the next, and
similarly from n on one to n on the next; or light poles or canes may
be added to or substituted for the cords to take the strains between
the uprights and transmit them thereto in the manner already
described.
Figure 6° shews a perspective sketch of cross head bored with holes
for reception of canes or poles; and Figure 6% a sketch to correspond,
shewing these applied.
Figure 7 is a sketch indicative of a barrel-headed marquee or tent,
which may be constructed in a similar manner:— Here however, and
the same may be done in other cases, the walls are double, with space
between the inner and outer wall; and the outer is stretched from the
outer projections of the cross heads to the ground. On one side of the
figure the outer wall is shewn rolled up instead of stretched. Arched
ribs of cane or iron, of light scantling, may be used for the top.
The ends may be plain, or if desired the barrel headed construction
admits of hooded ends, somewhat similar to a bathing machine, capable
of being raised or lowered at pleasure. This is illustrated by sketches,
Figures 8 and 9, shewing a longitudinal external side view and
longitudinal section respectively of a tent constructed accordingly.
Such hoods may also be applied to ordinary angular roofs or coverings.
Figure 10 is a sketch supplied as an illustration of another variety
of form of tent (with angular ends), which the use of the cross-headed
uprights conveniently permits, also as shewing the use in certain cases
of light trusses or roof principals with stretcher bars or struts z; all
admitting of taking to pieces and packing into a small compass.
It remains to remark that one general object is portability, with
which purpose in view everything should be as light as is consistent
with due strength.
Also that any convenient materials may be employed in place of
those particularly named.
Also that I contemplate sometimes employing an elastic attachment
at either edge of the side walls to the horizontal frames, from which
the top covering or inner ceiling springs, whether such frames be of
wooden bars, as in the diagram, Figure 1, and other figures, or be

page_text: formed by a combination of the cross heads of the cross-headed poles,
tied or otherwise secured together. Such attachments may be
conveniently effected by bands of elastic webbing applied continuously
or at intervals in the length, or by elastic cords applied at intervals.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not claim as of this Invention, broadly, the use of a
rectangular frame with crossed ends and upper covering stretched to
the ends thereof over a larger area than the area bounded by the top
of the sloping walls, such configuration being the subject of the
"useful" design, No. 5490, registered on the Eleventh day of
September 1873, on my behalf (as proprietor) in pursuance of the
Designs Copyright Amendment Act (6 and 7 Victoria, Chapter 65).
But I do claim the constructing portable summer houses or marquees,
substantially in the mode or modes herein described and illustrated by
the Drawings, including any and all such combinations of the said mode
or modes as may be convenient. And by means of which improved
portability, space, or ventilation, are obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Ritchie, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
GEORGE RITCHIE. (L.S.)