Improvements in Tents, Bathing Boxes, and like Structures.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 5th Sept., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 11th Oct., 1887.
Improvements in Tents, Bathing Boxes, and like Structures.
I, JOHN SUTHERLAND of 3 Albany Street Kelvinside, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, Bank Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention which relates to tents for military and other purposes and to bathing
boxes and like structures has principally for its object to so arrange the framing
that it is capable of being folded up into small space and easily transported from one
place to another.
As arranged under the invention the framing of such structures consists of four
corner posts or pillars each of which is jointed at or near the middle of its length in
such a manner as to be capable of being folded one part on the other. At their
lower and upper ends the corner posts are connected or tied together by bars or
beams which are also jointed at or near the middle of their lengths and capable of
being folded one part on the other the connections between the ends of these bars or
beams and the vertical posts or pillars being made by means of pins, screws, or their
equivalents in such a way that the bars or beams are capable of turning through an
are upon them. Struts or braces are provided in conjunction with the vertical
posts or pillars, these struts or braces being also formed in two parts connected
together in such a way as to be capable, for economy of space in stowage, of folding
one part on the other. When extended the upper ends of them connect to the top
bars or beams in such a way as to give rigidity to the structure, and the said
structure also provided with mooring or guy ropes which are attached at or near
the upper ends of the vertical posts and moored to the ground with any suitable
anchoring arrangement.

page_text: The covering of the tent consists of a canvas or other hood secured on bars of
metal or wood which are capable of being folded together, the said bars when the
tent is being erected being secured to or placed on pins or studs projecting from the
upper ends of the corner posts. The body of the structure is covered with canvas or
other like material secured to the framing in any suitable manner so as to be easily
detachable and when it is desired that a floor should be provided the said floor
consists or may consist of parquetry work capable when the structure is taken down
of being stowed within or wrapped round the folded framework.

page_text: I, JOHN SUTHERLAND of 3 Albany Street, Kelvinside, Glasgow in the County of
Lanark, Bank Agent, 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 :-
This Invention which relates to tents and to bathing boxes and like structures has for
its object to arrange the framing so that it shall be capable of being folded up into
small space in.order that the structure may be easily transported from one place to
another.
On the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view of the frame in its erected
position, figure 2 is a view illustrating the mode of folding parts of the frame
together in the act of taking it down and figure 3 shews the whole tent folded up for
transport figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 being details hereinafter more particularly
referred to.
As arranged under the Invention the framing of the tent or like structure consists
of four corner posts a each of which is hinged at or near the middle in such a way as
to be capable of being folded one part upon the other as seen at figure 3. In
conjunction with the hinge which may be of any ordinary construction there is
provided as shewn by figures 4 and 5 a lock consisting of two plates b, c, the upper
end of the plate b, being secured to the upper section of the post and the lower end
of the plate c to the lower section. The lower edge of the plate 6 overlaps the upper
edge of the plate c and it has a pin in it which passes into or through a hole in the
plate c and locks the two sections of the post together the lock being released when it is
desired to fold up the post by pressing the plate c inwards or by drawing the lower
edge of the plate 6 outwards until the pin in it is free of the hole.
At their lower and upper ends the corner posts a are tied together by bars d,
which are also hinged or jointed at the middle as shewn and capable of being folded
one part on the other the connection between the ends of the bars d and the posts a
being made by pins, screws or their equivalents in such a way that the bars can turn
through an are upon them. In conjunction with the upper tie bars d, struts or
braces e are provided, these struts or braces being as shewn by figure 6 also formed in
two parts which are so connected together by a pin that the part e₁ can be turned round
so as to lie upon the part e which part is connected by a pin or its equivalent to the
post a. A recess g is made in the post to receive the strut or brace when folding up
the frame. The outer end of the part e¹ of the brace has an eye h in it which in
erecting the frame passes over a T headed pin or button on the tie bar d the button
being then turned with its head across the slot whereby the brace is secured in
position. Besides the eye h, the part e¹ of the brace has two holes in it into which
when the brace is extended, two pins ; in the part e enter and lock the two sections

page_text: together. The struts or braces e give rigidity to the structure and besides them, guy
ropes are attached at or near the upper ends of the posts and moored to the ground
by any suitable anchoring arrangement.
The frame for the roof of the tent consists as shewn by figures 7, 8 and 9 of a
ring k to which the upper ends of four bars are connected the lower ends of the
said bars being provided with eyes m which pass over pins or studs n projecting from
the upper ends of the posts a. Figure 7 shews the roof frame folded together for
transport. The said frame is covered with a canvas or other hood which may be
permanently attached to it so as to fold in and open out after the manner of an
umbrella. The canvas or other covering for the body of the tent is hung upon the
framing in any suitable manner so as to be easily detachable and when it is desired
that a floor should be provided it consists, or may consist of parquetry work capable,
when the structure is taken down, of being stowed within or wrapped round the
folded frame work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a tent, bathing box or like structure a framing jointed and arranged so as to
be capable of folding up into small space, substantially as described with reference to
the drawings annexed.
2. A jointed frame for the class of structure set forth capable of folding up into
small space the principal parts when extended being locked in position, substantially
as described with reference to the appended drawings.
Dated this Third day of September 1887.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.