Tents or Booths.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Tents or Booths.
I, JUAN WATSON ERNEST, of the City of New York, in the County and State of
New York, United States of America, Inventor, 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 relates to tents or booths, and has for its object to provide a
tent or booth frame formed of detachable and folding. parts that will stand and
support its covering against any ordinary wind, without ropes or stakes, or any
part of it being driven into the ground, and without unsightly and obstructing
braces or center standards; a further object being to provide a tent which one
person may easily set up, and to lessen the time and labor necessary for setting
up and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the con-
struction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which:-
Fig. 1, is an elevation, or exterior view of the tent with the top cover extended at
the eaves; and also having a part cut away to show the frame;
Fig. 2, is a top view of the central member or frame, expanded as one rigid
piece, to which is detachably secured the other parts of the tent or booth;
Fig. 3, is a side view showing one of the central members folded;
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views of metal angle braces and sockets for detachably
securing parts of the frame;
Figs. 7 to 18 inclusive, represent variations and details of construction, and
are fully explained in connection with the parts to which they belong.
In the drawings forming part of this specification, the like parts of my im-
provement are designated by the same letter of reference in each of the views,
and in said drawings, I have shown in Fig. 1 an ordinary tent or booth with a
part of the covering removed to show the frame; and at Z, a series of rafters
which are pivotally connected near their upper ends by the metal ring R, which
is provided with a connecting nut A, Figs. 2 and 8, which holds the ends of the
ring together. The ends of the rafters are peaked at to fit and intercept each
other when the rafters are extended; and to the other end of each rafter is
fastened a metal angle brace and socket P, (Fig. 4), the open end of the socket
being directed downwardly to receive the upper end of the legs L, (Fig. 7), which
are preferably four-sided poles, near the upper end of which is attached the rope
or strap D, and at the lower end the spike E.
Near the lower end of the socket is a lug, which is adapted to strengthen that
portion of the socket, and is provided with a circular opening which is screw-
threaded, and is adapted to receive a thumb screw S, the end of which is adapted
to impinge against the legs L, to detachably secure them in the sockets.
Instead of using the ring shown in Fig. 8, the well known construction shown
in Figs. 17, and 18 may be used, in which the ring R¹ is provided with radial
arms having sockets formed therein, and the rafters are pivotally connected
therewith, as clearly shown; and with either construction the rafters will be held
perfectly rigid when extended.

page_text: braces F firmly against the rafters Z. In very large tents to handle the top
part of the frame easier, the braces F may be fastened at both ends with the key
bolt, and can be quickly taken off, and should then have another standard BI,
near the other end; but I prefer in the removable brace to use a bar F2 (Fig. 12),
which is similar to one of the parallel braces shown in Fig. 11, and which is set
up edgewise between the rafters with thin pieces of metal f, fastened to the braces,
and formed with angular projections f³, which lap upon the rafters, a single key
or bolt passing through and securing them to the rafter.
The side covering C, may extend from the ground to the rafters, but I prefer to
leave an open space X, just below the braces F, and metal or leather eyelets,
are fastened near the lower edge, and rings or loops X2, near the upper edge of
said covering, and it is attached to the frame by passing the eyelets over the pins
or standards E, at the lower end of the legs, and the straps or ropes D, through
the rings or loops and after drawing the cover taut, fastening the straps or ropes
with a buckle or knot, as clearly shown in Fig. 7.
The upper cover may be made of oil cloth, canvas, or other suitable material,
and extends down over the space XX, and may be fastened to the side covering
by suitable buttons or hooks, or, it may be held on and made to stand up at its
edges to ventilate and light the interior, and for a better external appearance,
by using flat bars or strips of metal, one of which is shown in Fig. 10, in one
end of which a hole n, is formed by which it is secured to the cover near the outer
edge thereof, and is provided at the other end with a narrow opening n¹, and
between the ends is formed a hole n², with a narrow opening extending in the
direction of the hole n. Two screws n³, and nt, are inserted almost to their heads
in the side of the rafter Z, in such relation to each other that, when the hole
at n², is passed over the head of the screw n³, the narrow openings will pass simul-
taneously under the heads of both screws, and the pieces will be held firmly,
as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The angle of the support may be changed by adding
other screws with which to connect, or a hole may be made in the ends of the
rafters, or in the metal angle braces to receive the ends of the bars and hold them,
the tension of the cover if kept taut, will hold the bars from coming out."
To set up the tent, spread out the rafters Z, and adjust the braces F, as has been
described, and as shown in Fig. 2, spread the top cover over the rafters, and lift
up one side and adjust successively the legs in position, the side covering can be
fastened in place as has been explained, and the top covering can either be
fastened to the sides, or, with the bars, to the rafters, as has been explained.
To prevent the tent from capsizing in the event of a very high wind, pins may
be driven at the foot of two or more legs on the windward side, or on opposite
sides of the tent, and made fast to the legs with short pieces of rope or with
straps.
In the drawing, eight rafters Z, and legs L, are shown, but the number should
vary with the size and shape of the tent or booth.
My invention is not limited to the exact form, construction and arrangement of
the various parts, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such alterations
therein and modifications thereof, as fairly come within the scope of my invention.
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:-
1. The means substantially herein shown and described to rigidly hold a tent
or booth in an upright position.
2. In a tent or booth, a central member or frame comprising a series of rafters
pivotally connected together at one of their ends, so that the ends may impinge
against and brace each other, and a series of braces or bars forming a circuit
at the other end of the rafters, the end of said braces or bars being lapped upon
the rafters, and attached thereto with pins or bolts, the braces being of a length

page_text: in cross section, a series of braces or bars connecting the free ends of the rafters
and forming a circuit and a series of legs adapted to engage with sockets and to
support the frame.
10. In a tent or booth, the combination of a series of rafters pivotally connected
at one of the ends to fold upon themselves and a series of metal braces with sockets
which are angular in cross section, said braces being bent centrally to form an
obtuse angle and each being provided with a threaded bolt or thumb screws to
removably attach one end with a suitable leg, the other end being attached to
the outer end of one of said rafters.
11. The combination in a tent or booth of a series of rafters upon the outer ends
of which are secured metal angle braces with sockets provided with screw threaded
bolts, the other ends of said rafters being pivotally connected with a central ring
and adapted to fold upon themselves, a series of legs adapted to enter said sockets,
and a number of panels or sections of rigid material extending from one leg to the
next, and being detachably secured thereto, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
12. A tent or booth comprising the combination of a series of rafters pivotally
connected at one of their ends, a series of legs adapted to support said rafters,
a series of metal angle braces with angular sockets adapted to detachably unite
said legs and rafters, and a series of bars or long braces adapted to grip the outer
end of rafters between the ends of braces, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
13. A tent or booth comprising the combination of a series of rafters pivotally
connected at one of their ends and a hole through their other ends, of a series
of braces connecting said rafters, a series of metal keys consisting of a rod with a
handle formed at one end thereof and a shoulder adjacent to said handle, the other
end being provided with a lug or projection, and a washer having a circular
inclined plane adjacent to an opening formed therein, to impinge the end of
braces against the rafters by the operation of said key upon the circular inclined
plane.
14. In a tent or booth, a flexible top covering and thin strips or bars of rigid
material provided with attaching holes whereby one end of said bar may be
attached to the top covering of the tent or booth, and the other end being provided
with a slot in the end thereof and a keyhole adjacent thereto, said slot and key
hole being adapted to engage the shanks of screws or bolts suitably mounted on
the central member, whereby means is provided to hold the flexible top cover
extended at its edge.
15. In a tent or booth, a series of suitable legs and a side covering of flexible
material, extending nearly to the eaves, and which is provided with eyelets at
the lower edge thereof and with rings, loops or holes at the upper edge; said legs
having a pin or projection at their lower ends adapted to engage the eyelets
attached to the lower edge of the side covering, and having a strap, rope or thong
attached near the upper ends of legs to engage the rings, loops or holes near the
upper edge of side covering, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
16. In a tent or booth, an angular brace, the same being provided with a leg
socket and a rafter socket, said sockets being rectangular in transverse section,
the rafter socket being adapted to be secured to a rafter by screws or bolts, and
the leg socket being adapted to be secured to a leg by a thumb screw, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
17. In a tent or booth, folded braces pivoted to suitable rafters near their
outer ends, and extending successively from one rafter to the next and folding
between the rafters when packed for shipping but when expanded for use, holding
the rafters rigidly fixed and bracing against each other, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
18. In a tent or booth, a flexible top covering and thin strips or bars of rigid
material provided with attaching holes whereby one end of said bar may be
attached to the top covering of the tent or booth and the other end provided with