Year: 1886

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I, CHARLES HOWE of Granville Cottage Kendall Road Colchester in the County
of Essex England Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
(a) Tent Covering is made of canvass calico india rubber or other material, in
separate tapered cloths each to be fastened at the top with a hook, and at the
edges with buttons and holes toggles and loops hooks and eyes lacings or other
fastenings with single or duble laps and at the bottom with pegs.
(b) Cap of same material as the covering and of suitable shape it covers the cloth
hooks and allows additional ventilation.
(c) Pole is made of tubes of iron steel or other material, in sections to be con-
nected by sockets screwed or with pins, finished at the top with a reducing socket
and a spike.
(d) Top Ring for fastening cloths cosists of a reducing socket of same materail
as the pole perforated withe holes corresponding with the number of cloths.
(e) Top Hooks are so constructed as to form double ended spanner for screwing
and unscrewing the various parts.
(f) Storm Guys of hemp wire or other material to be connected with the pole
at the top and by an anchor at the lower end.
(g) Tent Pegs are tubes of same material as the pole with solid or hollow
sharpened lower end and a hollow cross head screwed on the top.
(h) Each Intrenching Tool consists of spade pick axe hammer the spade of steel
or other material is rounded and sharpened on one edge to form an axe a hole in
centre of spade admits of the storm guys being connected therewith and forms a
storm anchor the pick is solid or hollow with a thread on one end for screwing
into the handle the hammer is solid and formed to screw into handle opsite the
pick the handle of these is formed of tubes which are also a section of the tent
pole and a tent peg connected together by a reducing socket which is likewise a
top ring for the tent pole the spade and axe screw or fix into one end of the
section of the tent pole and the pick hammer screw or fix into a cross head on end
of handle formed of the tent peg.
Any given number of the intrenching tools united to form the centre pole pegs
and anchor for the erection of a tent.
(i) One section of the covering one guy and one intrenching tool to be a section
of the convertible tent and intrenching tools.

page_text: I, CHARLES HOWE, of Granville Cottage, Kendall Road, Colchester, in the County
of Essex, Master Mariner 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 :-
The intrenching tool is composed of the following parts. A spade with one
edge sharpened to act as an axe, and with a hole in the centre of the spade. The
spade is screwed on to a socket, which at the other end receives the lower portion
of the handle in a thread of the same diameter as the first thread; or this lower
portion of the handle and this equalizing socket may be made in one piece. Upon
the spade is a spring catch fitting into a notch in the socket to prevent accidental
unscrewing, and a series of notches is made in the socket for that purpose, but I do
not claim this mode of securing the spade in position by a catch as part of my
invention. The lower portion of the handle is screwed above on to a reducing
socket, which at the top narrow end is attached by a screw to another portion of
the handle furnished with a spike. The spike end of this segment is screwed into
the reducing socket. This reducing socket is also furnished with a series of notches
like the equalizing socket for a purpose to be hereafter described. The other end
of the spiked portion of the bandle is screwed on to a cross-head, which has on one
side a pick screwed into it, and on the other side a solid nut screwed into it to act
as a hammer-head. This hammer-head may be secured by a set screw because it
will very seldom be necessary to remove it. All these screws are preferably taper
screws. In the reducing socket is made a double row of holes, the holes of the
lower row being in alternate position with those of the upper row. The tool thus
described constitutes a spade, pick, hammer, axe, and also a formidable offensive
and defensive weapon. It may be made of steel or any material sufficiently
strong, light, and hard. A smaller tool may be made by dispensing with the
lower segment of the handle and its socket, and screwing the spiked portion with
cross-head and reducing socket directly on to the spade. The handle of the spade
screws up conveniently for carrying in the following manner. The pick is
unscrewed and inserted in the spiked segment, and the cross-head screwed on over
it. The lower segment is drawn over the spiked segment, and the equalizing
socket screwed on to the external thread of the cross-head.
In addition to these uses every part of the intrenching tool is applicable in the
construction of a tent in the following manner.
I propose to pack up the tool I have described with a cloth which shall serve as
a part of the tent covering and be fastened with a rope, which shall also serve as a
guy. The tent pole is formed of the lower segments and equalizing sockets of the
handles of the intrenching tools, and would vary in height according to the
number contributing to the construction of the tent. Ten is a convenient number
but the method is adapted for a larger or a smaller number. The topmost lower
segment is screwed into a reducing socket, which above, would have screwed into it
a spiked segment to form the top of the pole. The covering of the tent would be
formed of any material such as is now used. All the cloths are identical in size
and shape and have a loop to which the guy is secured. The various cloths are

page_text: fastened together by buttoning in preference, but any other way such as lacing or
hooking may be employed. Each cloth may contain a ventilating orifice at the
narrow end. The shape of the cloth may be triangular throughout, or if desired
the wide part may be rectangular for a certain distance. A thimble or ring may
be fitted into the narrow end. There may also be lappets fastened to the cloth at
the junction of the rectangular and triangular portions. Each cloth is attached to
the reducing socket in the tent pole by a double hook which fits into one of the
holes of the socket and into the thimble or ring of the cloth. This hook is so
constructed as to serve as a spanner to tighten and loosen the parts of the
intrenching tool, and has one of the hook portions made with a spring so as to
form a more secure fastening to whatever it is attached. The cross-head of the
intrenching tool with pick and hammer-head serves as a tent peg, to which the
ordinary guy rope is secured. If more than ten men combine, or if additional
covering is required, the tent covering can be doubled in the following manner.
The additional cloths are attached to the lower row of holes in the reducing
socket, so that they are arranged alternately with the outer cloths, that is to say,
the edge of the inner cloth runs down the middle of the outer cloth. The loop of
the inner cloth passes through a hole in the outer cloth beneath the lappet, and its
guy rope is secured to the tent pegs on each side. I also provide for additional
or storm guys.
Each person should carry one half of a storm guy which is made of wire, hemp,
or other suitable material. The two halves of the storm guy are alike, & each half
consists of a rope of fixed length, & a portion adjustable in length in the manner
usually employed in guy ropes. The storm peg or anchor is made of the spade
with a tent peg through the hole & a reducing socket screwed on to the tent peg
beneath the spade to prevent the peg coming out; or the spade with the pick
beneath and across the orifice so as to allow the lower end of the guy rope to be
attached will serve as a storm anchor. The other end of the guy rope is looped
over the spike of the tent pole.
As all the cloths are alike, an opening can be quickly made in any part of the
tent by unbuttoning any portion.
For the purpose of shewing how my invention may be carried into effect,
I furnish drawings in which similar letters represent corresponding parts.
Fig. 1. is a view of the tent with single cloths and storm and ordinary guys.
The storm anchor is here composed of spade and pick.
Fig. 2 is a portion of tent with double cloths.
Fig. 3 is the intrenching tool complete.
Fig. 4 is the short form of the same.
Fig. 5 is the tool packed up with cloth and wrapped round with guys.
Fig. 6 is the tent peg.
Fig. 7 is the storm anchor.
Fig. 8 is the handle screwed up for transport.
A is the triangular part of the cloth with rectangular portion A¹, lappet A³,
orifice A³ beneath lappet, and thimble A'.
B is the spade with sharp edge B¹, and orifice B².
C is the equalizing socket screw.
D is the lower segment of handle.
E is the reducing socket.
F is the spiked portion of handle.
G is the cross-head.
H is the pick.
I is the hammer-head.
K is the double hook and spanner.
Lis the ordinary guy.
M is the storm guy of which one-half is shewn separately as M¹.
N is the guy of the inner cloth.
O is the cap of tent,

page_text: Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my Invention
and in what manner the same is to be accomplished I claim :
1st. The attachment of the tent cloths both in single and double layers by
means of the spanner and the reducing socket to the tent pole as herein described.
2nd. The intrenching tool consisting of spade, axe, pick, and hammer as herein
described.
3rd. The shorter form of the tool as herein described.
4th. The application to tent construction of every portion of the intrenching
tool, namely, as tent pole, tent peg, or storm anchor, as herein described.
5th. The spanner and its use as a hook for attaching the cloths to the tent pole.
6th. The method of packing up the handle of the intrenching tool as herein
described.