IMPROVEMENTS IN TENT FRAMES, AND IN RENDERING COVERINGS FOR TENT FRAMES AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND FIBRES AND SURFACES WATER- PROOF
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Godfrey Rhodes, of Albemarle Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Major in Her Majesty's Army, and James Syme, of
Bishopsgate Street, in the City of London, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TENT FRAMES, AND IN RENDERING COVERINGS FOR TENT
FRAMES AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND FIBRES AND SURFACES WATER-
PROOF."
Sealed the 27th March 1861, and dated the 2nd October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Godfrey Rhodes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
October 1860.
We, GODFREY RHODES, of Albemarle Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Major in Her Majesty's Army, and JAMES SYME, of Bishopsgate Street, in the
City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TENT FRAMES, AND IN RENDERING COVERINGS FOR TENT
FRAMES AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND FIBRES AND SURFACES WATERPROOF," to
be as follows:-
Our improvements in tent frames consist in forming them of rigid upright
posts united by hinges or bands to other rigid posts, bars, or beams, which,
when in position, are fixed at an angle more or less acute with the upright
posts, and which are all united at their upper ends to an open loop or ring, or
to a solid block; or the sloping beams on one side may be hinged to the
sloping beams on the opposite side. We secure the posts and beams in their

page_text: respective positions by means of bars or strutts hinged to the inner faces of the
uprights, and attached to the under or upper sides of the sloping beams.
These bars may be formed with a folding joint, if desired. The lower ends of
the uprights are stepped, where convenient, in blocks of stone, wood, or
masonry, otherwise they are driven into the ground. Eaves lines and foot
lines are carried round the upright posts at or near their tops and bottoms, to
afford stability and the means of securing the tent covering. In some cases
we use a transverse tie beam, which also may be formed with a folding
joint.
Our improvements in rendering coverings for tent frames and other textile
fabrics, fibres, and surfaces waterproof, consist in coating or impregnating
them with a solution obtained as hereafter stated.
We dissolve or obtain solutions of metals, ores, minerals, or their oxides by
treating them with an alkali, and by preference with ammonia. In some cases
we add to the solution cotton wool or other fibrous or ligneous or gummy
substance, lichens or sea weed, which become more or less dissolved.
After being allowed to settle and become clear the supernatant solution is
drawn off and is ready for use.
The solutions vary in color according to the substances acted on by the
alkali, consequently different colors may be given to the threads or other sub-
stances immersed in or surfaces painted or coated with the solutions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Godfrey Rhodes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GODFREY
RHODES, of Albemarle Street, in the County of Middlesex, Major in Her
Majesty's Army, and JAMES SYME, of Bishopsgate Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of October, 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 us,
the said Godfrey Rhodes and James Syme, Her special licence that
we, the said Godfrey Rhodes and James Syme, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Godfrey Rhodes
and James Syme, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at

page_text: 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 " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN TENT FRAMES AND IN RENDERING COVERINGS FOR TENT FRAMES AND
OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND FIBRES AND SURFACES WATERPROOF," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Godfrey Rhodes and James
Syme, or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their, or one of our or 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 we, the said Godfrey Rhodes and James
Syme, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
Our improvements in tent frames consist in forming them of rigid upright
posts, beams, or colums, united at top by hinges or bands to other rigid posts,
bars, beams, rafters, or other appliances, which, when in position, or when the
tent frame is erected are fixed at an angle more or less acute with the upright
posts to form the roof of the tent, and which are all united at their upper ends
by joints or hinges to an open loop, ring, solid block, or other suitable appliance
of any desired form or shape; or they may be hinged or otherwise secured to a
solid or hollow block made of wood or metal, or of the two combined, having
a hole formed in the crown or headpiece for the purpose of ventilation; or the
sloping beams, bars, or rafters on one side may be hinged to the sloping
beams, bars, or rafters on the opposite side. We secure the posts, beams, and
roof in their respective positions by means of bars or strutts, hinged or other-
wise attached to the inner face or faces of the uprights, and attached to the
under sides of the sloping beams or other available parts of the frame. These
bars may be formed with a folding joint, if desired. The lower ends of the
uprights are stepped or inserted, where convenient, in blocks of stone, wood,
metal, or masonry, otherwise they are driven a short distance into the ground,
or they are inserted in the floor or other base on which the tent is to be
erected. Eaves lines and foot lines composed of rope, metal, rope wire, or
other such like pliable materials are carried round the upright posts at or near
their tops and bottoms to afford stability to the tent frame and partly the
means of securing the tent covering to the frame. In some cases we

page_text: use a transverse tie beam or bar, which also may be formed with a folding
joint.
Our improvements in rendering coverings for tent frames and other textile
fabrics, fibres, and surfaces waterproof consist in coating or impregnating
them with a solution obtained as hereafter stated.
We dissolve or obtain solutions of metals, ores, minerals, or their oxides, by
treating them with an alkali, and by preference with ammonia. We obtain the
solution of metal or metallic substance by first reducing it to a fine powder,
which we place in a suitable closed vessel, adding liquid ammonia thereto until
the vessel is filled to about two-thirds of its capacity; the metallic powder is
left in the vessel for a period varying with the density of solution required.
In some cases we add to the solution gun cotton, wool, or other fibrous or
ligneous or gummy substance, lichens or seaweed, which become more or less
dissolved. After being allowed to settle and become clear the supernatant
solution is drawn off and is ready for use.
The solutions vary in color according to the substances acted on by the
alkali, consequently different colors may be given to the threads or other
substances immersed in or surfaces painted or coated with the solutions.
When the substances are immersed in the solution in order to their being
rendered waterproof the period of immersion must vary with the thickness or
substance of the material operated on, but we have generally found from six
to fifteen minutes to be sufficient,
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,-
First, the construction of tent frames, substantially in manner herein-before
described.
Second, coating or impregnating textile (fabrics, fibres, and surfaces with a
waterproof solution obtained in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Godfrey Rhodes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
GODFREY RHODES. (L.S.)
(Major.)