SWINGING BEDS AND COVERS AND TENTE, TO ENABLE SOLDIERS AND OTHERS TO SLEEP OFF THE GROUND AND DRY WITH OR WITHOUT AN ORDINARY TENT FIRST MODIFICATION FOR SIXTEEN MEN
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Archibald White at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th July 1855.
1, ARCHIBALD WHITE, of Great Missenden, in the County of Buckingham,
Conveyancer and Land Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for SWINGING BEDS AND COVERS AND TENTE, TO ENABLE SOLDIERS AND OTHERS
TO SLEEP OFF THE GROUND AND DRY WITH OR WITHOUT AN ORDINARY TENT," to be
as follows, viz. :-
FIRST MODIFICATION FOR SIXTEEN MEN.
Four tripod stands, of wood or metal piping, each stand formed of three legs,
so jointed together at top, as that when not in use they will lay close together;
and cach leg, if of wood, having at its other end a ferule projecting beyond
such end, and such projecting part so notched, and turned out as to form a
fork, to hold on anything on which it might be placed; and if of metal piping,
having its end so notched and turned out as to form such a fork.
A rectangular frame of wood or metal piping, about eight feet long by
about six or seven feet wide, supported at each of its four corners by one
of the said tripod stands, and being further supported in the centre of each
side by a leg of wood or iron piping, hung by a joint to the inside of such centre,
and acting from the ground in the inside of and in support of such frame at
an angle of about 45° with the horizon, or such other angle as the shape of the
ground on which it might be used would permit it to fall; to each of such legs
to have a ferule and fork, if of wood, and a fork, if of metal piping, at its
end, similar to the ferule and fork on the tripod legs, and the joint by which
cach of such legs to be fixed to its sile piece to be such an one as will allow it

page_text: readily to be attached and separated from such side piece, or to fold when
packed up alongside of and close to such side piece; a similar frame supported
under and at a sufficient distance from the other frame also at each of its
four corners by the same tripod stands, and in the centre of its sides by legs,
similar to those before described, for the support of the centre of the other
frame, such frames to have each of their 8 fect sides in one piece, or in two
pieces jointed together in the middle, and to be used with or without a stretcher
from such middle joint on one side to such middle joint on the other side of
the frame, as may be found necessary, and suchstretchers to be, if found con-
venient for packing, so jointed to the tent pole as that they will turn vertically
on such joint, and lay when packed in their entire length close by the side of
such pole, and such frames to be for the convenience of packing each jointed
at each of its four corners by joints that will readily put together and take
asunder, or allow one end piece of each frame to lay when packed up close
alongside each side piece.
Six hammocks to be swung across each frame, by so attaching one end of
each hammock to one of the eight feet sides of the frame, and one end of the
same hammock to the opposite side of the same frame, as that the cords by
which it is attached will slip freely from the end to the centre of such frames
and back again, and one hammock to be swung from the under side of and in
a line with each of the same sides of the frames.
A pole to be set upright in the centre of the frames, to which to attach
cords to support a waterproof cloth cover, some of such cords to extend
from the top of such pole to and be tied to the top of the said tripod
stands and thence to the ground, and to be, if necessary, tied to the bottom
of the outside leg of such stands, and others of such cords to extend from the
top of such pole over the sides and ends of such frames to the ground, and
such cover to extend from within a few inches of the top of such pole over
all such frames, hammocks, and tripod stands to the ground; a cap formed
of a frame covered with waterproof cloth to be placed on the top of such
pole a few inches above the part to which such cords are attached, so as, while
|_ suffering air to have free passage in and out, it may prevent rain entering such
cover; also to have in it as many other openings as may be necessary for the
purpose of ventilation, each so guarded by covers, as while giving free passage
to air will prevent rain entering; such pole to be of wood or metal piping,
either in onc piece or more pieces than one; and if of wood, and in more
pieces than one, to be put together by means of ferules or other joints; and
if of metal piping, and in more pieces than one, one of such pieces to slide into
the other for convenience of packing when not in use.

page_text: A stake to drive into the ground with a cord or strap attached to it for use
under the centre of each tripod, and to which the corner of the lower or only
frame used could be tied, to steady and keep all in place; one of such frames,
or both, to be used, as may be decined best.
This modification of the beds should be used in rows, in which case each
pair of frames in the centre of a row will require but one end, two tripod
stands, two stakes, and no ends to the cloth covers lower than the end of the
top frame, such end of the cloth cover being at that part so united to the same
part of the end of the cover of the next in the row as that all rain shall be
excluded. This modification may be used without the cover in an ordinary tent.
SECOND MODIFICATION.
Each bed to be formed of a hammock supported at cach cud by a tripod
stand, similar to those before described, but much smaller and lighter, and the
hammock kept extended from head to foot by a pole or stretcher of wood or
metal piping; if of wood, in two or more pieces joined by ferules when in
use; and if of metal piping, in two or more pieces, sliding when not in use
into each other.
Each hammock to be formed of a waterproof great coat or cloak, having
cords or other means of attaching one end of it to a ring or hook fixed to one
of the said tripod stands, and at the other end having a piece of cloth attached
to make such coat or cloak of the required length, or having such a piece of
cloth attached at each end, and that either permanently, or so that it can be
readily taken off and put on with cords, or other means of attaching such piece
or pieces to a ring or hook fixed to another tripod stand, such added piece or
pieces when the coat or cloak is not in use as a hammock to be used as a
cape or capes, or otherwise folded out of the way; such coat or cloak and
added piece or pieces to be, if necessary, strengthened throughout their entire
length by cords or bands sewn to them, and to have, if found necessary,
two pieces of wood or small metal piping from six to twelve inches long each,
to be placed one at each end of and across each hammock to keep the ends
apart when in use.
A tent pole of wood or metal piping in several pieces; if of wood, jointed
together for use ferules or other simple means; and if of metal piping,
jointed together for use by the end of one sliping sufficiently into the end of
another, each of such pieces being so formed as that any of such pieces of any
pole will, when required, form a tent pole with any other of such pieces of
any other similar tent pole.
A picce of waterproof cloth of a shape and size either to form with other

page_text: similar pieces a cover for and with such last-mentioned tent pole, a tent over
several beds, or, without such pole, by being laid along the stretcher, and from
end to end of each bed, keep such bed or beds dry, with rings and strings, or
buttons, or hooks and eyes, or both, or other simple means of attaching together
such pieces to form a tent, or to attach each piece to a single bed. so as to keep
it from being blown off by the wind, and with such means of attachment so
arranged as that such openings to any desired extent may be had as will allow
the free passage of air but exclude rain, this piece of cloth to so fold up as
that it may be carried in a pocket of the great coat or cloak.
A piece of small cord of sufficient length to reach twice from the top of the
tent pole to the ground and tie to the outside legs of the tripod stands, or to
two tent pegs to be driven in the ground, to be also with two such tent pegs
carried by each man.
The intention in this second modification of the beds is, that each man shall
carry his own bed, bedstead, and portion of tent, that is to say, each man's
great coat or cloak shall form his hammock, and each man shall carry one
tripod stand, one stretcher, his portion of tent, and tent pole, two small tent
pegs, and a piece of small cord of sufficient length to reach twice from the
top of such tent pole over the bed to the ground, and tie to such tent
pegs when driven into the ground, so that three men could sleep off the
ground and dry, by cach supporting one end of his hammock by the tripod
stand be carried, and the other end by the tripod stand of one of the other
men, thus placing the beds in the form of a triangle, and making each
tripod stand support one end of two beds, and either laying each his portion
of tent lengthways on his bed, or by uniting the three pieces together, form
with the piece of tent pole cach carried a tent, which would do also for use
in the day, so that the men would always bave a dry bed and tent with them.
Less than three men will rarely be required to sleep together, but when such
is the case, each must either carry a second tripod stand, or, with his firelock,
bayonet, and portion of tent pole and string, form one for supporting one end
of his bed, unless he can find a tree or stem or stake which he can substitute,
and he must lay his portion of tent lengthways over his bed.
This second modification of the beds may also be used in ordinary tents,
one end of each bed being, if necessary, supported by the pole or other support
or supports of such tents.