Improvements in Tent and Lawn-tennis Pegs and Appliances for Securing Cords, Ropes, Chains, Stays, Guys, and the like Tackle 'to the Ground.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 27th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tent and Lawn-tennis Pegs and Appliances for
Securing Cords, Ropes, Chains, Stays, Guys, and the like Tackle
'to the Ground.
I, ARTHUR THOMAS ALLEN, of 23 Christ Church Road, Pitsmoor, Sheffield, in the
County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN TENT AND LAWN-TENNIS PEGS AND APPLIANCES FOR SECURING
CORDS, ROPES, CHAINS, STAYS, GUYS AND THE LIKE TACKLE TO THE GROUND," to be
as follows:-
The object. of my invention is to provide the means by which cords, ropes, chains,
stays, guys and the like tackle may be more firmly attached and secured to the ground
than is the case with the appliances ordinarily employed and although my invention
is applicable to a great variety of such purposes, a description of it as applied to a
tent peg will suffice to illustrate its general principles and construction.
Tent pegs, as is generally known, are small wooden pins which are driven into the
ground for securing the cords or ropes by which the canvas of a tent is stretched and
kept in position and in windy weather great discomfort and inconvenience has been
experienced through these pegs working loose and it has sometimes happened that a
tent and even a whole camp has been blown down.
To obviate this defect my improved tent peg is constructed as follows; It consists
of two principal parts viz. a blade and a shank, the shank being attached at, or near
to, the centre of the blade by means of a hinged joint which allows of the shank being
moved through an angle of ninety degrees or say from its first position when not in
use, which is that of being in line with the blade, to its second position when in
use, which is that of a right angle or other convenient angle to the blade.
The blade I make in a variety of forms but I find the form of a spade well adapted
for this purpose and for a tent peg it may be made in thin plate or sheet metal, the
shank which I also make in metal may be stamped, forged, cast or otherwise formed
into the required shape, it is provided with an eye, hook or ring at its upper end and
with a hole or eye for the connecting or joint pin at its lower end, a swell or projection
is also formed at the lower end by means of which it is prevented from moving out of
line with the blade on one side.
When connected together and the shank is in the first position (in line with the
blade) the appliance has the appearance of a small spade or harpoon and when in the
second position with the shank at right angles to the blade it somewhat resembles a
small anchor or kedge.
The manner in which this appliance is used for a tent peg or other analogous purpose
is as follows;
The blade and shank being in the first position as already described, the blade is
forced into the ground at an angle of 45 degrees with the surface, until the shank is
buried up to or nearly up to its upper end leaving the eye, hook or ring above ground.
The shank is now pulled over to the opposite angle, to facilitate which I form it with a
knife edge on one or both sides, the blade thus remains at the angle at which it was first
forced into the ground and the shank after being pulled over occupies a position at a
right angle or thereabouts to the blade and in this position it is almost impossible to
pull or cause the blade to drag, as the whole surface of the blade is in the direct line
of resistance.
When it is desired to take up the appliance the shank is drawn back to the first
position, when it can be easily raised or drawn from the ground.
From the description just given it will be seen that when my improved appliance
has to be forced or driven into hard ground, that it is desirable that the shank should,

page_text: when in the first position, be as fair in line and central with the blade as possible and
that the joint pin and connection should, so far as is consistent with strength, be as
restricted in size and of a form to offer as little resistance to the earth as possible, also
that when in the second position the pull on the blade shall be as direct and as evenly
distributed as possible. In order to effect these objects 1 construct the blade with a
slot running in the direction of its length (i.e.) in line with the shank and of a width
corresponding to the width of the shank. The joint pin by which the shank is attached
to the blade I construct of a piece of round metal of the same size in diameter as the
eye in the shank, this pin I make long enough to extend some distance across the blade
and at each end of the pin I form a longitudinal slot, these slots being equi-distant
from the end of the pin leaving the part which goes through the eve of the
shank solid, when the pin has been inserted into the shank, the shank is passed into
the slot in the blade and the blade is passed into the two slots in the pin and when in
position the pin is rivetted at each side to the blade. The pin in the eve of the shank
is made an easy fit so that when it becomes necessary to use great force to drive the
blade into the ground the bottom end of the shank will bear on the bottom of the slot
so as to relieve the stress from the rivets which secures the pin to the blade. The stop or
projection at the end of the shank being, as has already been explained, so formed as
to stop the shank from being drawn out of line with the blade except in one direction
which will be on the side on which the pull of the rope or other tackle will be
received.
Amongst the other purposes to which my invention is applicable may be mentioned
a peg or stake for securing the stays of telegraph poles or scaffolding, a stake for
mooring boats or other craft to the shore, a ground anchor for securing the ropes or
chains of a temporary suspension bridge, and many other similar uses.
As the nature of the strains, to which such pegs stakes or ground anchors as herein
described are subjected, is increased, I construct the several parts on a larger scale
and in some cases in lieu of making the blade of plate or sheet metal it may be forged,
stamped, cast or otherwise formed of various thicknesses, for example it may be made
thicker towards the centre of the blade and thinner as it approaches the outer edges
of the same.
As an alternative method of securing the joint pin to the blade in lieu of forming the
slots in the pin for the reception of the blade, I form recesses or pouches in the blade,
one on each side of the longitudinal slot, such recesses or pouches being stamped,
pressed, cast or otherwise formed to a depth and size equal to half the diameter of the
pin. Into these recesses the pin after it is fitted into the eye of the shank is laid and
secured either by caps or by rivets or otherwise.
When the above method is employed the pin would be placed at what may be called
the back or rear side of the blade, that is the opposite side to which the pull or stress
on the shank is received when in use.
Dated this 28th day of April 1890
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.
No text detected.

page_text: than is the case with the appliances ordinarily employed and although my invention
is applicable to a great variety of such purposes, a description of it as applied to a
tent peg will suffice to illustrate its general principles and construction.
Tent pegs, as is generally known are small wooden pins which are driven into
the ground for securing the cords or ropes by which the canvas of a tent is
stretched and kept in position and in windy weather great discomfort and incon-
venience has been experienced through these pegs working loose and it has sometimes
happened that a tent and even a whole camp has been blown down.
To obviate this defect my improved tent peg is constructed as follows: It consists
of two principal parts viz.: a blade and a shank, the shank being attached at, or
near to, the centre of the blade by means of a hinged joint which allows of the
shank being moved through an angle of ninety degrees or say from its first
position when not in use, which is that of being in line with the blade, to its
second position when in use, which is that of a right angle or other convenient
anglo to the blade.
The blade I make in a variety of forms but I find the form of a spade well adapted
for this purpose, and for a tent peg it may be made in thin plate or sheet metal,
the shank which I also make in metal may be stamped, forged, cast or otherwise
formed into the required shape, it is provided with an eye, hook or ring, at its
upper end and with a hole or eye for the connecting or joint pin at its lower end,
a swell or projection is also formed at the lower end by means of which it is
prevented from moving out of line with the blade on one side.
When connected together and the shank is in the first position (in line with the
blade) the appliance has the appearance of a small spade or harpoon and when in the
second position with the shank at right angles to the blade it somewhat resembles a
small anchor or kedge.
The manner in which this appliance is used for a tent peg or other analogous
purpose is as follows:-
The blade and shank being in the first position as already described, the blade is
forced into the ground at an angle of 45 degrees with the surface or horizon until the
shank is buried up to or nearly up to its upper end leaving the eye, hook or ring
above ground. The shank is now pulled over to the opposite angle, to facilitate
which I form it with a knife edge on one or both sides, the blade thus remains at the
angle at which it was first forced into the ground, and the shank after being pulled
over occupies, a position at a right angle or thereabouts to the blade, and in this
position it is almost impossible to pull or cause the blade to drag, as the whole surface
of the blade is in the direct line of resistance.
When it is desired to take up the appliance, the shank is drawn back to the first
position, when it can be easily raised or drawn from the ground.
From the description just given it will be seen that when my improved appliance
has to be forced or driven into hard ground, that it is desirable that the shank should,
when in the first position, be as fair in line and central with the blade as possible
and that the joint pin and connection should so far as is consistent with strength,
be as restricted in size and of a form to offer as little resistance to the earth as
possible, also that when in the second position, the pull on the blade shall be as
direct and as evenly distributed as possible. In order to effect these objects I con-
struct the blade with a slot running in the direction of its length (i.e.) in line with
the shank and of a width corresponding to the width of the shank. The joint pin by
which the shank is attached to the blade I construct of a piece of round metal of the
same size in diameter as the eye in the shank, this pin I make long enough to
extend some distance across the blade, and at each end of the pin I form a
Jongitudinal slot, these slots being equidistant from the end of the pin, leaving the
part which goes through the eye of the shank, solid, when the pin has been inserted
into the shank, the shank is passed into the slot in the blade and the blade is
passed into the two slots in the pin and when in position the pin is riveted at
each side to the blade. The pin in the eye of the shank is made an easy fit, so that
when it becomes necessary to use great force to drive the blade into the ground the

page_text: bottom end of the shank will bear on the bottom of the slot so as to relieve the
stress from the rivets which secure the pin to the blade. The stop or projection at
the end of the shank being, as has already been explained, so formed as to stop the
shank from being drawn out of line with the blade, except in one direction,
which will be. on the side on which the pull of the rope or other tackle will be
received.
Amongst the other purposes to which iny invention is applicable may be
mentioned a peg or stake for securing the stays of telegraph poles or scaffolding,
a stake for mooring boats or other craft to the shore, a ground anchor for
securing the ropes or chains of a temporary suspension bridge and many other
similar uses.
As the nature of the strains to which such pegs, stakes or ground anchors as
herein described are subjected is increased, I construct the several parts on a larger
scale, and in some cases in lieu of making the blade of plate or sheet metal, it may
be forged, stamped, cast or otherwise formed of various thicknesses, for example it
may be made thicker towards the centre of the blade and thinner as it approaches
the outer edges of the same.
As an alternative method of securing the joint pin to the blade, in lieu of forming
the slots in the pin for the reception of the blade, form recesses or pouches in the
blade, one on each side of the longitudinal slot, such recesses or pouches being
stamped, pressed, cast or otherwise formed to a depth and size equal to half the
diameter of the pin. Into these recesses, the pin after it is fitted into the eye of the
shank, is laid and secured either by caps or by rivets or otherwise.
When the above method is employed the pin would be placed. at what may be called
the back or rear side of the blade, that is, the opposite side to which the pull or stress
on the shank is received when in use.
The nature of my invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which;
Fig. 1, represents a front view of one of my improved tent or lawn-tennis pegs, the
shank being shown in the first position in line with the blade.
Fig. 2, is a side view of the same.
Fig. 3, is a side view of the shank when removed from the blade.
Fig. 4, being a section of the same through the line A. B.
Figs. 5 and 6, are front and side views of the blade removed from the
shank, and
Figs. 7 and 8, are side and end views of the joint pin by means of which the shank
is attached to the blade.
Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, are similar views of a blade and pin shewing the alternative
mode of construction and method of securing the joint pin to the blade.
Fig. 13 represents my improved tent or lawn-tennis peg as it would appear in the
second position in the ground when in use, the dotted lines represent the shank in the
first position in line with the blade, the position in which it would be driven into
the ground at an angle of 45 degrees or thereabouts to the horizon.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
a, is the blade.
b, is the shank.
c, is the binged joint.
d, is the eye, hook or ring at the upper end of the shank and
e,
is the hole or eye for the joint pin at the lower end of the shank.
f, is a swell or projection also formed at the lower end of the shank by means of
which it is prevented from moving out of line with the blade on one side.
9, g, is the knife edge or edges of the shank.
h, is the slot in the blade.
i, is the joint pin.
,, are the longitudinal slots in the same.
k, k, are the rivets or other equivalent fastenings.
1. is the bottom end of the slot.

page_text: m, m, are the recesses or pouches formed in the blade as an alternative method for
securing the pin.
n, the dotted lines on Fig. 10, represent an alternative mode of securing the pin to
the blade by means of a cap or caps.
0,
is the back or rear side of the blade.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
(1) In tent and lawn-tennis pegs and appliances for securing cords, ropes, chains,
stays, guys and the like tackle to the ground, the combination of parts and appliances
comprising, the blade, a, with the slot, h, the shank, b, with the knife edges, 9, 9,
and the stop, f, the joint pin, i with the longitudinal slot, j,j, and the mode of
securing the same to the blade substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 13, in the accompanying sheet of
drawings.
(2) In a blade for a tent peg and the like appliances herein described the
alternative method of securing the joint pin, i, to the blade, a, by forming in the
blade recesses or pouches, m, m, in combination with the cap or caps, n, n, or
the rivets, kk, or other equivalent fastenings substantially as and for the purposes
herein described and illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, on the accompanying sheet
of drawings.
(3) In tent and lawn-tennis pegs and the like appliances, the arrangement and
combination of parts by means of which the blade in line with the shank may be
driven into the ground at one angle and the shank be afterwards drawn over to an
opposite angle so as to occupy a position at right angles to the blade or thereabouts,
so that when the pulling strain comes on the shank the blade offers the maximum
resistance; also the means by which the shank may be drawn back to the first position
in line with the blade when they can be raised or drawn from the ground with the
minimum of resistance substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings Figs. 1 to 13.
(4) Improvements in tent and lawn-tennis pegs and appliances for securing cords,
ropes, chains, stays, guys and the like tackle to the ground substantially as and for
the purposes herein described and illustrated.
Dated this 14th day of June 1890.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.