IMPROVEMENTS IN TENTS, MARQUEES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, ALSO IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING PARTS THEREOF
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Chesterman, of Sheffield; in the County
of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TENTS,
MARQUEES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, ALSO IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING PARTS
THEREOF
"
Sealed the 7th May 1861, and dated the 9th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Chesterman, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
November 1860.
I, JAMES CHESTERMAN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TENTS, MARQUEES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, ALSO IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING PARTS THEREOF,'
to be as follows:-
In
My Invention refers to tents and other similar articles constructed with a
central rod, and with a head frame similar to that of gig umbrella, and
consists, first, in forming the ribs to taper from the inner ends or those which
are connected to the central ring of the frame head towards the outer ends, or
otherwise in such manner as to obtain the greatest strength at or near the
centre of the frame.
Second, in machinery for forming hollow ribs. For this purpose I employ

page_text: grooved rollers or revolving wortles in substitution for the drawing process
now usually adopted. Both these improvements apply to umbrellas and
parasols as well as to tents.
Third, I affix to the bottom of the central rod or pole for supporting the
frame a pronged tripod consisting of three bars of metal with the extremities
bent down and terminating in prongs to enter the ground and support the
frame. For convenience of packing I make the arms of this tripod to fold
and occupy little space. Although I prefer a tripod, yet four or more pronged
arms may be used; I also adapt a folding table to the central rod which rests
upon a disc, fixed on the rod, and is secured by a collar being screwed down
upon it. For the sides of the tent I hook on to the outer ends of the ribs a
canvas or other suitable cover which extends to the ground, and I ensure the
steadiness of the tent by holding ropes hooked on to the ends of the ribs at one
end, and attached at the other to stakes driven in the ground.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Chesterman, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CHESTERMAN, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said. James Chesterman, Her special licence that I, the said James
Chesterman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Chesterman, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TENTS, MARQUEES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES, PARTS OF WHICH
ARE APPLICABLE TO UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, ALSO. IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFAC-
TURING PARTS THEREOF," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Chesterman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately, after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Chesterman, do hereby declare the
nature; of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof; reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:
My Invention refers to tents and other similar articles constructed with a
central rod and with a head frame similar to that of a gig umbrella, and
consists, first, in forming the ribs to taper from the inner ends or those which
are connected to the central ring of the frame head towards the outer ends,
or otherwise, in such manner as to obtain the greatest strength at or near the
centre of the frame.
Second, in machinery for forming hollow ribs. For this purpose I employ
grooved rollers or revolving wortles, in substitution for the drawing. process
now usually adopted. Both these improvements apply to umbrellas and
parasols as well as to tents.
Third, I affix to the bottom of the central rod or pole for supporting the
frame a pronged. tripod-consisting of three bars of metal with the extremities
bent down and terminating in prongs to enter the ground (and support the
frame). For convenience of packing, I make the arms of this tripod to fold
and occupy little space. Although I prefer a tripod, yet four or more pronged
arms may be used. . I also adapt a folding table to the central rod which rests
upon a disc fixed on the rod and is secured by a collar being screwed down
upon it.
1
When the ribs are applied to a tent I prefer to turn up the extreme outer
ends so that the end of each rib shall form a hook. In some cases I attach
hooks to the outer ends of the ribs. For the sides of the tent I hook on to
the outer ends of the ribs a canvas or other suitable cover which extends to
the ground, and I ensure the steadiness of the tent by holding ropes hooked on
to the ends of the ribs at one end, and attached at the other to stakes driven
in the ground.
"
Figure 1, of the accompanying Drawings is a sectional elevation of a tent
made in the manner previously described; a, is the lower partof the central rod
which is connected to or inserted in the prong. 6 of the tripod c, c, c, a detached
view of which is given at Figure 2; the prongs are intended to be inserted in
b

page_text: the ground when the tent is fixed, and it is made in such manner that the prongs
can be folded and laid together for the sake of compactness and portability,
as shown at Figure 2. The upper part of the rod a terminates in a screw
threaded socket d, into which the threaded end e of the rod f is screwed. This
rod f carries at its upper end a ring or collar g, to which the ribs h, h, are
hinged; i is the travelling collar or runner on the rod f, and k, k, are the rods
or stretchers connecting the head frame with the traveller; 1, 1, are hooks
arranged round the lower circumference of the frame to which cords m, m, are
attached leading to the ground for steadying and strengthening the tent.
Canvas or other fabric'n is also hooked or connected in other convenient
manner to the lower part of the frame and led down to the ground where it is
retained by cords and pegs o, o; p is the table fitted to the upper end of the
rod a; it rests upon a collar and is retained in place by the nut q being screwed
down upon it. The table is formed by preference of three parts, a central
part with a hole in it for passing over the rod a, and two side parts hinged to
the central part for the convenience of being folded down when not required
:for use.
.
Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 4 a side elevation of a pair of rollers or wortles
turned, engraved, or otherwise prepared for forming hollow ribs; a, a¹, are the
rollers or wortles keyed on shafts.b, 6', having rotary motion communicated
to them in any convenient manner; c, c, are tapered grooves formed in the
circumference of the roller a, and d, d, are corresponding tapered projections on
the roller a¹, produced either by engraving or turning by the aid of an eccentric
chuck one roller and leaving a corresponding projection in the other roller,
or the rollers are first turned eccentric to their collars, and have the grooves
and projections formed after being mounted on their collars by being turned
excentrically to the collars. The metal is passed between the two rollers, and
on rotary motion being communicated to them the metal leaves the rollers
in the form of hollow tapered ribs. The taper and size of groove and projection
may be varied to suit the size of the rib to be produced, the shafts on which
the rollers are mounted are also capable of adjustment. so as to regulate the
distance apart of, the rollers and consequently the depth of groove produced
in the rib. If desired the ribs may be formed with two or more grooves.or
hollows instead of with one groove only as before described, the rollers for
wortles being suitably prepared to produce the number of grooves required.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is, to be performed; I declare that I claim,
First, the construction of tents, marquees, and other similar articles having

page_text: a central rod for a support carrying a frame somewhat similar to that of a
gig umbrella, in combination with a tripod stand for supporting the same, and
other appliances, the whole being arranged substantially in manner and for the
purposes herein-before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, the employment in tents, umbrellas, and parasols of ribs made to
taper as herein-before described.
And, third, the employment of grooved rollers or revolving wortles for
forming hollow tapered ribs as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Chesterman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, One thousand eight"
hundred and sixty-one.
JAMES CHESTERMAN. (L.B.)