Waterproof and Weatherproof Canvas Covered Temporary Portable House.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 21st Apr., 1897-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Waterproof and Weatherproof Canvas Covered Temporary Portable
House.
ATHOL EDWARD MAUDSLAY of Littlebourne Twyford Winchester Hants do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a temporary and portable canvass covered weatherproof and
water proof house in some cases fitted with doors windows and wooden floors, the
canvass to be hung on a wooden frame work somewhat resembling several wooden
clothes horse frames, each frame to be hinged to the other with lift off hinges, each
piece of the frame work to come entirely apart one from the other, and when in
position each piece to be secured to the other by bolts and butterfly nuts. The floor
boards to rest upon dowels inserted in the lowest horizontal bar of the frame work,
the ridge of the roof to be supported by a tightly stretched rope and the entire
frame work when in position to be secured to the ground with iron tent pegs driven
through rings attached to the lower part of the vertical bars, and also to be secured
without by guy ropes attached to tent pegs. The frame work when completely
canvas covered forming a shelter absolutely weather and waterproof. Bamboo rods
will also be employed to form verandahs and support awnings. When not using floor
boards as flouring I use Willesden waterproof ground sheets or other waterproof
sheeting. My cauvas house is a substitute for tents where absolute shelter from
weather is desired.
My invention relates to a temporary and portable house suitable for military
purposes to be erected at the seat of war, or during manoeuvres, or gunnery or
musketry practice, or to be employed by naval brigade when ashore." Suitable
also for arctic expeditions being warmer and drier than tents, and I also propose
that my house shall be used by colonists, travellers, explorers or engineers engaged
in constructing railways, bridges, and other public works, buildings, and erections at
a distance from habitations affording them accommodation or shelter. Or shall be
used by sportsmen, game keepers, fishermen, water bailiffs, coastguards, watchmen or
anyone needing a temporary dwelling or shelter of a thoroughly portable description,
absolutely weather proof and waterproof cool in hot weather, warm in cold weather,
speedily adjustable to climatic conditions, easily and quickly erected and as speedily
taken down, packed up and transported, with the comfort of a house and the
portability of a tent.
Each portion of the frame work of this temporary erection takes entirely to pieces
consisting when taken apart of a number of rods which can be tied up or pushed into
a long bag, or can be covered by a canvas wrapper and so transported free from
injury.
When put together and before the canvas walls are attached the frame work with
have to a certain extent the appearance of a large clothes horse, but instead of being
hinged with webbing after the manner of a clothes horse rendering it impossible to
separate fraine from frame, every frame when put together will he secured to the
adjoining frame with lift off hinges, galvanized or not as the case may be.

page_text: The horizontal and vertical portions of the frame work will be slotted out and
shouldered together to the depth of a quarter of an inch, just sufficient to keep them
rigid, and each vertical bar will then be secured to a horizontal bar with bolts and
butterfly nuts. When the frames are hinged toget er each frame will make a part
or portion of the walls of my canvas house, the frame work being afterwards and
collectively canvas covered; whilst other smaller canvas covered frames will make
doors which can be bolted and fastened by shooting bolts into a plate above or below
the doorway. also arrange some of my frames so that windows can be introduced
which windows shall be made to open and close. The window frames are secured to
the frame work walls of my house with bolts and nuts, the canvas covering of the
louse being cut out where the windows come and the edges of the canvas being
inserted between the window frame and the frame work wall which supports the
canvas is thereby held firmly between the frame work and the window frame. This
arrangement prevents all draught or leakage and renders the window when closed
absolutely weatherproof and waterproof. Over the windows I attach a spring blind
made of Willesden perforated rot proof canvas; these blinds are of course fitted in
the interior of the house to obstruct the light or secure privacy.
I board the floors of these houses in the following manuer. I insert dowels in the
lower horizontal rail of each frane forming the walls, and boring a hole in the end of
each floor board drop the end of the floor board over the dowel in order to secure it.
in its proper position; the floor boards extending from the one frame to the frame
opposite with a joist midway between to support theth in the centre; the floor boards.
to be rabbitted longitudinally or not as the case may be in order to prevent any
draught rising from beneath the floors.
In order to form a room by the use of these frames, when hinged together they
must of course be placed at right angles to each other, and in order to make rooms of
any required size larger than would be possible with only one frame on either wall,
one, two, or three frames may be employed on either side of such rooms according to
the dimensions that the room is required to be.
To these houses there is an inner flat ceiling of canvas, and an outer ridge roof
supported along the ridge by a rope. In order to obtain this support I fix a piece of
wood to the centre of each frame forming the end of my house, and this piece of
wood extends considerably above the top of this frame, two or three feet as the case
may be. I then bore a hole through at the top of this batten, passing a rope
backwards and forwards through the batten I so contrive that it shall hold the rope
fast forming a perfect cleat. The rope may then be tied up inside the tent, or passing
to the exterior of the tent be made fast to a tent peg.
The walls of the tent are to be of waterproof canvas, thoroughly rot proof, the
outer roof to be also waterproof and rot proof. The frame work to be secured to the
ground with iron rings screwed into the vertical uprights and secured to iron tent
pegs. The outer walls as I have before said to be secured to the ground by the two
ropes that form the ridge of the roof and any other ropes that it may be found
advisable to introduce.
All doors to be constructed on the same principle as the light wooden frame work
employed for walls, the doors to be canvas covered and hinged to frame work and
when fastened to be bolted at top and bottom or otherwise secured as explained.
Bamboo rods are to be introduced to support an overhanging roof, the rods forming
the eaves of the roof of the tent, but this arrangement will only he adopted in some
cases, frequently the tents will be erected without an overhanging roof. When the
roof is made to overhang and project in front of the walls of the house, the bamboo
rods will either rest on the wooden frames at either end of the house or be supported
by wooden battens projecting therefrom. The bamboo rods will be jointed at the
corners, and upon the rods curtain rings will move to and fro supporting curtains
which will be looped up during the day but drawn of a night in cold, wet, or
tempestuous weather and secured to the ground by iron tent pegs to prevent their
swaying to and fro, and to afford security from trespassers.
The floors in the living rooms of such houses to he 6 or 9 inches off the ground

page_text: but the canvas walls to reach the ground.
The floors to be covered with felt or rot
proof canvas carpets laced up in the corners, and when so turned up and laced
forming a skirting round the room absolutely draught and weather proof and the
top of this skirting to be secured to the fraine work walls, or waterproof sheeting
can be used without wooden floors.
All the substantial fraine work of such canvas houses to be secured together with
bolts and butterfly nuts of the Whitworth or some other suitable pattern.
Flap tables will be secured to the frame work where needed, probably being
fastened to the centre horizontal bar. Large bags for the storage of clothes and
linen will also be secured thereto, also mirrors and hooks upon which to hang
clothes, or anything that adds to the comfort or sensible ornamentation of the
interior. The rooms will be warmed with oil stoves self contained, or with stoves
having a chimney passing out through the roof and insulated therefrom either
with asbestos or some other suitable insulator. Oil stoves will be used too for
the purpose of cooking, and Moule's or some other earth closets will be in general
use in passage or enclosure provided for the convenience of occupiers of these
houses.
The invention consists in the application of the clothes horse principle to the
creation of temporary dwellings, and the advantages claimed for my invention
are that these houses are absolutely weatherproof, that one can live in them in
perfect comfort and without any danger to health as compared with a tent.
That they fulfil a great want in providing a temporary and easily removable
dwelling.
I omitted to say that there will be an inner wall as well as an outer, and that
during cold weather and in cold climates felt will be introduced between the inner
and outer walls and inner and outer roof thereby providing the greatest warmth and
confort compatible with ready portability. The canvas is secured to the frame work
thus. At the top and bottom of the canvas walls are a number of brass eyelets and
these are booked on to round leaded brass screws which are screwed into the top
horizontal bar of the frame work. There are a similar lot of brass eyelets at the
hottom of the canvas walls 6 or 9 inches from the ground, and these after the
canvas has been hooked on to the upper screws are fastened on to other screws
on the lower horizontal bar of the framework, whereby the canvas is stretched flat
and tight and has a rigidity which is lacking in tents. The outer canvas roof is
secured to the walls with strong hooks and eyes, the outer roof falls over the walls
thereby providing protection from the west her. When the canvas house is taken to
pieces for purposes of transportation it will he packed as follows. The framework
forming a number of bars will go into a long canvas bag or wrapper, tied and
padlocked at the neck or otherwise secured, the guy ropes and guys will also go into
this bag, a small bag will contain the bolts, butterfly nuts, and tent pegs, and
all other iron work.
The bamboo rods will form another canvas covered package. The window or
windows will be secured with bolts between two boards thereby rendering it impossible
to break the glass. The floor boards will go one on the top of the other and be
secured together with long bolts and with nuts. I furthermore in some cases erect
these houses with an upper floor with a wood staircase, in which case the frame work
will not be hinged together but built up in the manner of a crate like the old
fashioned frame work employed when wooden clincher built overlapping wooden
houses were erected, the difference being that in my house the walls are made
entirely of canvas and each part of the framework is detachable and easily taken to
pieces, and when put together secured with bolts and nuts after the manner of my
smaller houses on the bungalow principle. I also make houses for military purposes,
the doors when open forming an excellent support for canvas awning and in such
manner can be used during the day thereby giving additional space under cover.
The idea of these houses was suggested by having a large clothes horse screen made
to afford protection from draught on my lawn at ny place in Hainpshire, which screen.

page_text: I from time to time improved, first adding a flat roof, then a ridge roof, then floors,
windows, and doors, until it became as it now is.
One of my tents i contrive as follows. I place two eight feet square rooms with
the doors facing one another. Between these two rooms there is a space of 8 feet
which during the day forms an admirable lounge, the doors of the rooms being open
or closed as the case may be, if open there is a clear passage from back to front, but
if the wind, rain, or sun enters from either point, the doors on that side may be
closed thereby affording perfect shelter, and of a night the doors on either side may
be closed thereby enclosing the two rooms over the entrance to which a curtain may
be hung, so that during the day the lounge is open although the doors of the rooms
are closed. The doors of the rooms may be kept closed during the night and the
passage between the two rooms be left open.
ATHOL EDWARD MAUDSLAY,
Littlebourne Twyford, Winchester, Hants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Waterproof and Weatherproof Canvas Covered Temporary Portable
House.
I ATHOL EDWARD MAUDSLAY Littlebourne Twyford Winchester Hants do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists in the adoption of waterproof canvas for the walls and roofs
of temporary dwellings of a more solid and permanent nature than mere tents, and
in its substitution for wood or iron in all places where a temporary or portable
residence is required consisting of one or more rooms no matter what the climatic or
atmospheric conditions may be, or it may be used as a hospital or ambulance erection
or in any case where absolute protection from the exigencies of climate or weather is
needful, for military or civilian purposes. It has the advantage of possessing more
solidity than tents and can be fitted up in many respects like any other room or
house having if desired a raised floor standing some distance from the ground. It
is moreover easily erected and as speedily taken down and transported to wheresoever
it may be required. Each room of which the house consists has to a certain extent
when stripped of its canvas walls the appearance of a large clothes-horse screen, but
instead of each side of the room or rooms being hinged with webbing they are secured
one to the other with lift-off hinges, or with hinges secured by a pin passing through
their centre, or by whatever other means of security appears best to answer the
purpose of rendering their attachment feasible.
Each portion of the frame work of which the sides consist. takes entirely to pieces.
The three horizontal bars which cross the three vertical wooden bars resting in slots
which are cut out of the vertical bars and shouldered thereto, square headed bolts
passing through where the bars cross or impinge on each other, and render the entire
fabric rigid and secure. In some cases the horizontal as well as the vertical bars
will he cut out and shouldered as described the bolts in many cases having butterfly
nuts which can be easily unscrewed without using a screw wrench so that when
stripped of the canvas walls and roof the frame work to which the canvas is attached
can be easily taken apart and will then consist of a number of wooden rods which can
be roped or strapped together and be then pushed into and packed up in a long
canvas bag, or be wrapped up in the ground sheets used on the floor of the tent, or
be rolled in the canvas walls of the house.

page_text: I make these canvas covered rooin or rooms with or without windows and doors;
when doors are fitted they consist of frame work similar to the sides of varying width
according to the requirements. The windows are fitted to the frame work of the
rooms by means of bolts and nuts and are easily removable, when packed for
transport being secured between two boards to prevent the glass being broken. The
canvas walls are cut out where the windows come, and in the absence of windows
screen canvas may be introduced into this opening and be covered by a pulldown
outside blind when protection against the weather is requisite. To render draught
impossible and to prevent rain driving in I fit or introduce the edge of the canvas
wall where cut out for the window in between the window frame and wooden frame
work of the roon, so that when the nuts are firmly screwed up and the window
secured in its place there can be no possibility of leakage or draught and the window
when closed is absolutely weatherproof and waterproof. When I board the floors of
these rooms I do so in the following manner. I rest the ends of the floor boards on
the lowest horizontal bar of the framework of which the walls of the room consist
and placing another side horizontal bar on the top of the floor boards when in position
I secure them thus to the sides of each room so that they slide in between the
upper and lower of these two horizontal bars; also they can be placed on the lower of
the two bars and be kept in position by the pressure of the upper of the two bars.
I also fit at the opening of each room a strong ash or oak joist having its greater
width placed vertically, and to this I secure a light steel or iron T or channel iron
girder or wooden joist which gives a centre bearing, the other end of such joist being
secured by bolts to the back frame work of the room, the floor boards being screwed
or bolted to this centre joist as the case may be; or I in some cases fit only one side
joist to either side, this joist I plough down the centre so that the floor boards may be
slid into the groove made by such ploughing and be furthermore secured mid way
across the rooin to a joist of either irou or wood. In very small rooms the centre
joist may be dispensed with say in the case of rooms not exceeding 6 feet square. In
all cases I make my floors some distance from the ground and with no central bearing
on the ground so that the space beneath the floors may be used as a store room or
may be excavated and form in that case a very large space for storage absolutely
protected from the weather besides being concealed from passers by, in which case
the store may be used as a hiding place for articles of value it being impossible to
have access to such store except by removing the floors. The front joist might be
secured with a padlock in which case the floor boards could not he removed except by
destroying the frame work of the room, since in addition to the floor board four
boards reaching from the level of the floor to the ground could be secured to the
upright frame work of the room with bolts the nuts securing which could be fastened
on the inside of the room beneath the floors and be ungetatable and unapproachable
from the outside; so that in fact the sides of each room consist of a frame work not
unlike the frame work of a clothes-horse, each frame being flush on the top there
being three horizontal bars and three vertical except where windows are fitted, in
which case there will be four vertical and three horizontal bars. In every case the
lowest horizontal bar or bars will be several inches off the ground. To the bottom of
each vertical bar of which the frame work of these rooms consists I attach with
marine glue a square of Willesden waterproof and rot proof paper of exactly the same
superficial area as the base of the upright post, and over the paper I screw squares of
zine inch thick, thereby protecting the upright frame work of the room from injury
and rendering it impossible when standing on wet ground for the wood to be injured
by damp, as when the paper and zinc are fitted no part of the wood work comes in
immediate contact with the ground.
In order to provide a ridge roof over each of these rooms or over a number of
these rooms placed collectively I fit to the centre post or upright frame work of the
side walls an additional piece of wood of the same size as the upright posts or bars;
this piece of wood extends two or three feet above the top horizontal bar of the
frame work & through it I bore a number of holes so that a rope may be passed
from side to side of the house, which rope passing through the holes I have

page_text: mentioned consecutively may be firmly held in cleat fashion rendering the rope.
absolutely rigid, horizontal, and senre, and enabling it to form a perfect ridge on
which the canvas roof may rest; or a bambo or asli pole may he substituted for a
rope. When a rope is used after it has passed throng the holes in the additional
upright the said rope may be carried out on either side of the canvas walls through
eyelets in the canvas walls and secured to the ground by means of iron tent pegs,
galvanized iron blocks and wooden holdfasts being used fo render the rope absolutely
secure and to enable it to be tightened up when slack. When a bamboo or ash pole
is used to form the ridge it is secured to the top of the additional upright frame work
of the tent with square-headed coach holts senewed into it horizontally. When an
ash rod or bamboo is used to form the ridge the rope may he passed through the
lower holes in the additional upright bar and passing backwards and forwards he
cleated to the sides rendering the rope rigid, and furtherm re rendering it impossible
for the hamboo or ash rod forming the ridge to be displaced, in addition to which
the rope when carried out to the side of the canvas house and secured to the ground
will support the honse where it most needs support. The doors are hinged to the
side frame work and secured with holts to a plate overhead, and to the front joist
supporting the floors, the doors can also be bolted when required, and being fitted
with small mortice locks may be locked when leaving the house and a handle being
fitted in addition to lock and key one can open and close the doors as in the case of
an ordinary house door.
The frame works of which these honses consist are in all cases placed at right
angles to one another thereby rendering them absolutely square. I make my frames
of the best English ash that wood being the most suitable and durable for the purpose.
When the doors are open they are secured to a projecting arm which rests on the top
of either side of the frame work; the roof when doors are required to remain open
being extended so as to form an additonal covered and walled in space, the doors
being bolted into the extending arms. The room or rooms of which the house
consists can be made any size by merely placing one frame in a line with the other,
in most cases I make my frames 8 feet wide by 7 ft. 6 in. high, but they vary in size
according to one's requirements.
Allowing that a room he 8 ft. square two rooms placed side by side but. 6 ft or 8 ft
apart may be provided with an intervening canvas roof and back to make good the
unprotected spare hetween the two rooms so that when the canvas back and roof is
secured thereto an additional 6 ft. or 8 ft. room is provided without adding any
further wooden framework.
I so far as possible make and keep all holt and screws uniform and interchangeable
and all parts of the wooden frame work to fit no matter how situated. The canvas
of which the walls consist is laced to the top horizontal bar through brass eyelets
and attached to the roof by means of hooks and eyes. For walls and roof I employ
waterproof canvas, in fact all canvas employed in iny houses for either walls or roof
is absolutely waterproof and weather proof. The front portion of the roof can be
extended in fine weather and folded back of a night or in inclement weather by
employing extending wooden stays or arms projecting from and attached to the top
horizontal bar of the framework of the house.
I fit in some cases a flat inner ceiling which is raised in the centre by means of a
cord passing through a brass eyelet in its centre and terminating in a knot by which
means the flat roof is raised in canopy fashion and draped. To this cord I attach an
overhead lamp rendered absolutely safe by making use of a metal reflector suspended
some inches below the centre of the ceiling. I also attach canvas bags to the centre
horizontal har for storing articles of wearing agarel; these bags are strast on to
the centre horizontal bar by means of straps made of webbing. I also in some cases
make pockets in the canvas walls of the house which I conceal by a canvas dado
running round each room, and to the centre horizontal bar I attach by means of
straps made of webbing a sheet of waterproof canvas which makes a raised bed
whether provided with a mattress or not. In a roon 8 ft. square six raised beds may
be slung to the frame work. These cots or beds extend from side to side of the

page_text: room or rooms and when unfastened or unstrapped can be rolled up and secured to
the side frame work of the room being then out of the way for the day, or they may
be when not used in doors inade use of as ambulance carriers seeing that I make an
endless pocket at either side of these canvas sheets through which I slide bamboo
or ash rods enabling two men to act as bearers; and these beds are furthermore
extended and held rigid when being so carried by short pieces of bamboo or ash
placed horizontally and at right angles to the bamboo or ash bearing poles. These
beds are also serviceable as "sleeping ground sheets being absolutely waterproof. I
also fit flap tables to the frame work of my houses which can be raised or lowered at
pleasure and beld in position without the intervention of legs to encumber the space;
and owing to the fact of using a wooden frame work to support the outer walls I am
enabled to fit hooks for hanging articles of wearing apparel, clocks, mirrors, bookcases,
gun, stick, and unbrella racks without in any way interfering with the strength or
durability of the frame work, stuce the same bolts that secure the frames together
act equally well for supporting whatever convenient articles is attached to the frame
work of the house. I by means of using several frames can construct a house or
bungalow of any size consisting of rooms up to 32 ft. square.
My houses are easily packed for transport in the following fashion. The floor
boards go one on the top of the other and are secured together with a long bolt
passing through two boards, in between which any floor boards are placed. The canvas
ceiling, walls, and roof go into rough canvas bags, the window is secured between two
boards with bolts and nuts; the ropes are placed in the saine bag as that which takes
roof, ceiling, and walls; the bolts, nuts, and screws go into a small bag. The girder
or T iron joist is transported without packing. The tent. pegs are tied together, and
the wooden frame work and hamboo or ash rods are roped or strapped together and
pushed into a rough canvas bag or rolled up in the ground sheets.
At the entrance of my canvas rooms or houses I in some cases substitute canvas
sliding doors or curtains for doors hung on hinges; that is I attach curtains where
they meet in the centre of the opening giving admittance to my canvas rooms to two
upright ash rods which when drawn close together hold the curtains rigid, the sides of
the curtains being sewn vertically to the walls of my canvas room. These curtains are
attached to rings at the top and bottom, and through these rings both at the top and
bottom passes an iron curtain rod. The central vertical ash rols to which with bolts
and nuts the curtain is attached 1 bore out both at top and bottom so that the two
curtain rods may pass through them, and to enable these ash rods to move easily to
and fro suspended to the curtain rods I introduce iron sheaves into them both above
and below the hole through which each iron curtain rod passes and these iron sheaves I
rivet into a mortice hole cut at the top and bottom of these vertical ash rods or bars
so that when they move backward and forward on the curtain rods they are more
easily propelled to and fro than though the iron curtain rods were merely passed
through a hole bored in them from side to side since owing to the introduction of the
sheaves the ash rods are suspended to the iron curtain rods. If when one ash rod is
brought into the centre of the opening it be bolted at top and bottom into pieces of
ash crossing the opening of each of iny rooms horizontally and the other ash rod be
securely pullocked to the one so bolted then the curtains or sliding canvas door
will be held rigid and present the appearance of a tightly stretched wall of canvas
affording absolute protection to wind and weather. I introduce through the upright
ash rod which is not locked at top and bottom but which moves to and fro giving
access to the rooin an ordinary spindle to either end of which I attach a brass door
handle, so that both inside and outside the tent a means is provided for pushing the
door to and fro. When both doors are pushed to the sides of the room there is an
absolutely clear and unobstructed opening from one side to the other. When the two
upright ash rods are brought together they can be securely pullocked in the following
manner. Through each rod I pass an eyebolt from the outside to the inside, having
a nut on the inside, so that when I wish to secure the rods close together and lock
the room up I pass a padlock through the two exterior rings of the eyebolt thereby
rendering it impossible for the curtain or sliding doors to be opened or access to be

page_text: had to the interior of the room without cutting through the canvas, so that anyone
quitting the room for a time and leaving articles of value in it is enabled to protect
them in a measure from being stolen, although of course no canvas walled room can
afford absolute security, yet one may be satisfied with the knowledge that unless the
canvas he cut and an indictable offence be committed nothing can be removed from
the interior of such house, whereas in the case of a mere tent articles can be removed
without any such offence being committed as would amount to or be characterized as
a forcible entry. Consequently whereas a person stealing from a tent could only be
indicted for larceny, a person breaking into one of my canvas houses could be charged
with the more serious offence of housebreaking with a burglarious intention.
Furthermore when the two ash rods are brought together of a night and a person
living in one of my canvas rooms desires to prevent any draught from passing between
the curtains where secured to the ash rods I arrange that a flap of canvas sewn on to
the curtain on the one side can be brought over to the opposite curtain and booked
and eyed thereto, thereby rendering the opening between the two curtains absolutely
waterproof, weather proof, and draught proof, metal catches being fitted on the inside
of the ash rods so that when brought together and one is bolted the other may be
securely attached thereto.
My invention is shown in detail in the attached 4 sheets of drawings-
Fig. 1. gives an illustration of the tent-room viewing it from the front.
represents the ridge roof. V. is the valance hanging in the front of the roof, and
E. E. are the two ends of the wooden extenders. E. S. the extending sides. C. the
ceiling, and D. D. the curtain doors. It will be seen that there are two ring
bolts on the doors which when drawn together can be secured with a padlock as
described.
Fig. 2. represents the back of the Tent-room showing the window, and the bottom
of the walls extended to throw off the wet.
Fig. 3. is another view of the Tent-room from the front showing the roof, one door
half closed, and the mode of securing the guy ropes.
Fig. 4 gives the framework. A 1 is one of the upright frames of the tent. C3 is
one of the horizontal rails. B2 is one of the door posts fitted with a sheave at top
and bottom through which an iron rod passes at either end, the curtains or canvas
doors being attached to these iron rods by rings and fastened securely to B 2. 1) 4 is
one of the two horizontal bars which are attached to the side of the frame work of the
room by means of nuts and bolts. As will be seen it is grooved out to take the floor
boards.
Fig. 5. gives an illustration of the frame work when put together. S. S. are the
strainers which are attached to the centre vertical side frame work. B. is a bamboo
rod fastened between the strainers to form a ridge roof; in the strainers holes are
bored at intervals through which a rope is passed from one side to the other and then
brought out through the sides of the tent and tent pegged to the ground. W. shows
the position of the window, and P. P. are the two door posts as shown in Fig. 4
at B 2.
Fig. 6. gives details of the general arrangement. A. is the bamboo rod that is fixed
between the strainers to form the ridge roof. It is strengthened with canvas in the
centre and at the two ends which are plugged to take the coach bolts which attach
the rod to the strainers. C. is a vertical portion of the frame work crossed by a
horizontal bar and secured by a bolt and nut. Bolts with square heads are
recommended as shown in Figure B. D. D. is a side view of a centre vertical portion
of the framework with a top and centre horizontal bar and the strainer attached. H. is
one of the hinges used to connect the frame work together, it will be seen that the
pin of the hinge is removable enabling the framework to be taken apart. E. shows a
centre vertical bar with a lower horizontal bar crossing it fastened with a ring bolt.
secured with a nut on the outside, into this ring a tent peg is driven which helps to
secure the frame work to the ground. F. shows a top horizontal bar secured by a bolt
and butterfly nut to a vertical bar.
In D. D. it will be seen that there is a ring bolt securing the centre horizontal bar,

page_text: the centre vertical bar, and the strainer together which is secured by a nut on the
inside. To this ring bolt, which passes through the canvas, guy ropes are
attached.
Fig. 7. shows the bamboo rod fixed between the two strainers with a rope attached
from its centre which supports the inner ceiling, drawing it up in the form of a
canopy. S. S. are the straining posts, B. the bamboo rod, and R. is the rope which
is, fastened to a wooden disk which lifts the ceiling to the requisite height.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The improved construction and arrangement of waterproof and weatherproof canvas
covered portable structures and fittings therefor substantially as described and
illustrated.