An Improved Construction of Various Collapsable Objects Designed to Facilitate the Inflation thereof.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 20th May, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL DIECIFICATION.
An Improved Construction of Various Collapsable Objects Designed
to Facilitate the Inflation thereof.
I, MAXIMILIAN CARL JOHANN GOTTLIEB GIESSMANN of 247, Commercial
Road, London E. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a portable boat, balloon, life saving
dress, or other similar useful article of a buoyant nature in such a manner that the
same can be packed away in a very small compass and can be readily brought into
use in a very short space of time when required.
In order to construct an article previouly decided upon 1 form the same in such
a manner that it shall be collapsible the material used being a gas water or air tight
fabric. The exterior thereof is formed of the desired shape and upon the same
assuming the form required I construct an inner lining of a smaller capacity and
like shape and connect the same in such a manner one within the other that there
will be a gas or air tight space around the exterior of the inner lining. At any
convenient part of the article I place a back flap valve to facilitate the charging of
the article with gas, air or water, which ever may be required to be brought into
use. Supposing for instance it is desired to construct a collapsible or portable boat
the same is formed in a proper shape of the material above described the double
sides and seams thereof being so bound in conjunction with one another as to give
necessary strength and rigidity when inflated whereby the boat is rendered
tensible and is caused to assume the desired shape in a very few moments should
a traveller possessing the same require to cross a river or stream at any desired
point.
It will be readily understood that any other similar article of a useful and
buoyant nature can be formed in the same manner one being within the other and
the two connected in an air tight manner whereby a light compact and collapsible
article is obtained which can be brought into immediate use in a very short space.
of time when required.
D
BOLL 1
LA
1000
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Construction of Various Collapsable Objects Designed
to Facilitate the Inflation thereof.
I, MAXIMILIAN CARL JOHANN GOTTLIEB GIESSMANN of 247, Commercial
Road, London E. Engineer, 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 thereof :-
This invention relates to improvements in portable tents for use during military
or exploring operations and consists in so constructing them that the walls although
composed of the usual canvas, india rubber or other tent cloth shall present an
amount of rigidity which has hitherto only been afforded by tents constructed of
heavy material such as wood or iron the use of which is attended with great
inconvenience owing to the difficulty of transporting them from place to place.
In carrying out my invention I forin the walls of the tent double the two layers
or thicknesses of material being connected internally at regular intervals by webs
or stays of flexible material, such for instance as that of which the walls themselves
07

page_text: are constructed. By means of an air pump the annular space or spaces existing
between the two walls can be filled with compressed air and when the filling has
been completed the tent will have assumed its required shape and will be possessed
of such an amount of rigidity as will render it self supporting in calm weather.
When the air is allowed to escape the tent collapses and can be folded and packed
for transport in the usual manner.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents an elevation partly in section of
one form of tent constructed according to my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are
respectively an elevation partly in section and a horizontal half section illustrating
another form of tent or hut. Figs. and 5 are details showing the cells in an
inflated state and in a state of collapse. Fig. 6 shows one of the webs or partitions
perforated to allow for the diffusion of air. Fig. 7 is an elevation and Fig. 8 a
plan of a modified form of my invention.
A and B are the two sheets of canvas, india-rubber cloth or other material connected
by the partitions a, a', a², which divide the space between the walls into cells or
chambers e c¹ c² &c. the partitions being perforated as shown in Fig. 6, the whole
forming a cellular wall. These partitions may be also formed of gauze.
In Fig. 1 the cellular wall is fixed at the apex to a pole P. Suitable ropes or
cords
e¹ &c. are fixed at one end to the said pole and at the other to staples,
hooks, or pegs driven into the ground. The cellular wall W in which the series of
cells are arranged horizontally is divided into sections at a ẞy &c. each section
being provided with a tap t which is connected to the india-rubber pipe p of the
air pumpe the boundary partition of each section being solid.
Figs. 2 and 3 show the application of my invention to another tent provided with
openings O, o, o the opening O forming a doorway and the other two forming
windows, t, t, being taps which are connected in turn to the india rubber tube p of
the air pump C in order to successively inflate the various sections. In this
application the cells of the wall W, are arranged vertically. a Bẞy &c. indicate
the different sections or impermeable joints formed of non-perforated partitions.
Figs. 7 and 8 show a modification of my invention according to which I use a
number of collapsible pipes or tubes a, a¹, a², a³, a &c. arranged and connected
together so as to form the framework of the tent which is covered subsequently by
canvas or other material. a a &c. are vertical tubes connected at the bottom with
another tube a' curved in the form of a ring and at the top with a ring a² similarly
formed. The tubes a³ a³... &c. act as rafters and are connected to the ring a² and
the small ring a' at the top. C' is the covering material torn off to illustrate
the tubular framework such cover being fixed by hooks h, h, h, &c. to the rings
a¹, a² & a¹.
The tubes are cemented or otherwise connected together wherever they are in
contact so as to impart additional rigidity. t, t¹, &c. are taps fixed at the junction
of the vertical inclined tubes at the upper and lower rings a¹ a².
It will be obvious that the foregoing illustrations of the method in which my
invention may be carried out are susceptible of various modifications, they serve
however as examples of what I deem the best system of construction, viz. that of
forming the complete tent of a series of air tight sections or compartments each of
which is strengthened internally by perforated webs or stays, the great advantage
of this system being the protection afforded against complete collapse of the tent
in case one of the compartments should be torn or perforated.
Fewer valves would be requisite if the air-tight partitions were dispensed with
and a saving of time occupied in inflating the tent would thereby be gained but
this advantage is a very minor one compared with the security afforded by the air-
tight partitions.
Having thus 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. The employment in the construction of tents of double walls held together by

page_text: webs or stays so as to provide an annular air-space substantially as and for the
purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In the construction of tents such as described the subdivision of the air space
into a number of separate chambers or compartments each provided with a separate
air valve substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. Forming the walls of tents of tubes cemented together such tube being
provided with air valves and covered externally with canvas or other suitable
material substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of May 1891.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.