A NEW OR IMPROVED SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTING TENTS, AND IMPROVED TENT EQUIPMENT
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of No. 11, Wellington
.Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTING TENTS,
AND IMPROVED TENT EQUIPMENT."-A communication from abroad by
Armand Couette, of No. 64, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 17th October 1873, and dated the 19th April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th April 1873.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED SYSTEM OF CON-
STRUCTING TENTS, AND IMPROVED TENT EQUIPMENT," a communication to me
from abroad by Armand Couette, of No. 64, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris,
France, to be as follows:-
A tent being essentially a portable object continually shifted from
place to place, the attention of tent makers has always been directed
to three main points, namely, lightness, simplicity, and strength.

page_text: Further, the small bulk into which a tent must pack is of incontestable
importance.
This Invention consists in the construction of tents upon a novel
system, which will permit. their being used for a multiplicity of
purposes.
Thus tents may be constructed to serve as ambulances for the army,
with beds and necessary apparatus for carrying the wounded, dressing
their wounds, and similar purposes.
A tent of another kind is constructed for the dwelling of the surgeons,
who may even transform it into an operating chamber.
Tents may also be made upon the same system for hunters, travellers,
and other purposes.
The principle of construction of these tents is based upon the necissity
of a rapid setting up and taking down of the tent while leaving the
surface, which it covers free, that is to say, dispensing with the ordinary
centre pole.
Further, tents set up for the ambulance may be of an indefinite length
while preserving a fixed breadth and height.
The tents termed ambulance tents are constructed as follows:-
certain number of supports made as shown, Fig. 1 of the accompanying
Sheet of Drawing, are placed at certain distances apart according to the
length to be given to this tent; these supports are composed of two
props or rafters A joined at the top like a step ladder, a cross piece B
keeping them suitably spread apart when set up. Two arms C hinged
on each side of the props A serve to uphold the tent cloth or cover.
rope a passing over the top of this framing and pinned to the ground
stays this framing, and another rope 6 (see Fig. 4) passing over the top
of each these props runs the entire length of the tent and keeps the
props at their proper relative distances. The cloth or covering is placed
over the whole and constitutes the tent.
A
The surgeon's tent, shown Fig. 2, may be used for a variety of other
purposes; thus it may be constructed and appropriated for hunting or
travelling requirements. It is composed of three distinct parts, uprights,
roof, and inner roof. The uprights A, A, are joined in couples by the
buttresses b, b, and the sablière plates or raising pieces C, C; these
pieces are hinged so as to fold, as shown at Fig. 3. The roof is composed
of four under rafters d, d, joined to the four upper rafters e, e, and the
E

page_text: king post P; these pieces are fastened together by leather straps when
the tent is set up. When the tent is taken down the roof folds exactly
like the framing of an umbrella.
The beds with which it is proposed to supply these tents are composed'
of a frame jointed at two places a, a, (see Fig. 5), and of six legs, also
jointed; iron cross pieces keep the legs apart, and a strap r passing
under the bed from end to end keeps the bed open and the legs vertical.
The table to be used in the surgeon's tent for general purposes
and also as an operating table will further serve as packing case. This
table will be composed of four pannels or leaves hinged together so that
they may fold at right angles when it is desired to transform the table
into a case. In this position the case is nearly complete, the two ends
only being wanting, and these are closed by two pannels which are not
part of the table, but are fitted to the case to close it and keep it in.
shape. The feet are movable and are withdrawn when the trans-
formation into a case takes place. Metallic rods forming ties are fixed
by one part to the feet of the table, and by the other to the table itself;
they thus serve to prevent any bending of the table when open.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
:
Patent, by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 17th October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence
that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Gedge, my
cxccutors, 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,

page_text: and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A. NEW OR IMPROVED
SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTING TENTS, AND IMPROVED TENT EQUIPMENT," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Armand Couette, of No. 64, Faubourg
St. Martin, Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Edward Gedge, my executors or administrators, by.
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should 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 William Edward Gedge, do hereby,
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same.
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The ambulances or field hospitals. now used by armies are rather
provisional hospitals than ambulatory constructions.
The main object of this Invention is the construction of a system of
ambulance suitable for the reception of the wounded in a campaign and
the dressing of their wounds, and the tent is the construction preferred
as best fulfilling the requirements of the object sought; it was necessary,
however, to modify its construction to render it suitable for the service
required, that is to say, to give it dimensions sufficent for the reception
of a certain number of beds, and nevertheless make it easy to pack and
transport.
The ambulance tent, shown Fig. 4, of the accompanying Sheet of
Drawing embodies this Invention, and is intended to contain fifty beds,
it is constructed as follows:-A certain number of supports, composed of
two uprights united at the top by a joint similar to that of a pair of
steps, (sce transverse section, Fig. 1,) serve to uphold the tent cover. The
two uprights A, A, united at the top by a pin as aforesaid, are kept at
a suitable distance apart by the brace B, two other braces C propping
from each side of the uprights A, each of these pieces being hinged so as
to fold without difficulty. A rope E (see Fig. 4) passes over the top of
each of these uprights and being fastened to the ground at E', at each
end of the tent keeps them all in a vertical position and at equal dis-

page_text: tances apart. Transverse cords F, F¹, pass over the top and are fixed to
the ground on each side of the uprights. The result of this arrangement
is that a tent may be lengthened to any desired extent by increasing
the number of the uprights.
.
The surgeon's tent of this Invention, which may also serve as operating
chamber, is illustrated Figures 2, 3, and 5, its mode of construction also
permits its use as a travelling or hunting tent or otherwise. It is com-
posed of three parts, uprights, roof, and foundation frame; the foun-
dation or bottom frame is made of four arms J hinged together at right
angles, the frame is laid on the ground and serves to seat the lateral
uprights A, A, (Fig. 2). The uprights are hinged to the braces or stays
and to the sablière or raising pieces C so that they may all fold together
as illustrated, Fig. 3. The combination of four sides so constructed con-
stitutes the tent, all that is further required is to cover it, which is done
by the aid of the roof composed of four rafters N cutting the tent
diagonally from angle to anglé and of four joints cutting it parallelly
on its sides and fixed to the sablière pieces C, each of these pieces being
held in the centre by the king post M. When this tent is packed the
roof folds up like an umbrella, the sides as shown ¾ folded at Fig. 3 and
the foundation or bottom frame each two branches like those of a
compass, the whole being then tied together.
The bed of this Invention which is equally suitable for travellers and
for ambulances is illustrated Fig. 7. A frame jointed at a is provided
with six feet b jointed to it, these feet being strengthened by cross pieces
c, d. Iron wire bent into the shape of a St. Andrew's cross further
strengthens the framing. A strap f,f¹, serves to keep the bed open and
the legs upright, at the same time giving all requisite rigidity to the bed.
Under the cross pieces d are square staples or other receptacles for
handles when the bed is to be transported from one place to another.
The table to be used in the ambulance tent is composed of four leaves
hinged together so as to fold at right angles to transform a plane into a
parallelopipedon. In this position the packing case is nearly formed,
the two ends only being wanted. These two parts, which are not needed
for the table are fitted to the case so as to uphold the leaves or panels.
The feet of the table are removed when it is transformed into a case,
when fitted to the table they are stayed by metal rods propped against

page_text: one of the leaves. The result of this arrangement is that the table
cannot bend when opened out.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.