Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Tents.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Tents.
We, MORITZ GOTTSCHALK and JOHANNES COENNING, Proprietors of the
Firm of Gottschalk & Co., Manufacturers of 18-22 Schlachthofstr. Cassel, in the
Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The present invention consists of a method of supporting tents by means of
metallic wires bands chains or the like and in the peculiar manner of attaching the
tent canvas to the same, by means of which the effects produced on the said canvas
by atmospheric or other influences shall be prevented from being communicated to
the tent pegs. The invention further comprises certain alterations in some kinds
of tents, in so far as such alterations are of particular advantage when employing
the novel method of attachment forming the main object of the invention.
In all kinds of tents in which the canvas is supported on central and side poles,
or on central poles only, considerable inconvenience arises from the expansion and
contraction of the canvas and of the ropes extending from the poles to the tent
pegs, due to atmospheric influences. In wet weather for instance it is always
necessary to slacken out the ropes all round, in order to prevent the pegs from
being drawn up and thus endangering a total collapse of the tent. In order to
obviate this disadvantage it has been proposed to employ wire ropes, which do not
contract or expand on change of weather to any noticeable extent. Great difficulty
has however been experienced in finding a suitable method of attaching the canvas
to the wire ropes, because although the latter do not contract when wet, the canvas
does and consequently either bulges the wire out between the points of attachment
of wire and canvas, thus loosening the pegs, or the canvas will be strained between
these points to such an extent as to cause the same to tear.
The
In order to avoid these disadvantages we have found it necessary, to provide the
wire ropes or other metallic connections with a loose sleeve, slightly exceeding in
length that part of the metallic connection which it is desired to cover and being
attached at its ends to the said metallic connection. Thus the said sleeve being
amply long will not be stretched along the rope, but lie loosely on the same.
wire or other metallic connection binds the top of the pole to the tent peg and the
canvas is attached to the sleeve. The result of such a combination of the tent
supporting frame and the canvas is most advantageous, since on a change of
weather taking place neither the wire rope nor the pole will be noticeably affected,
the sleeve and canvas only will contract or expand, which both are at liberty to do,
such contraction or expansion however not being communicated to the wire
connection nor to the tent pegs. Thus the tent framing consisting of the poles and
wires, will always remain steady, whilst the canvas has free play to contract and
expand, owing to the sleeve being sufficiently loose on the wire. It should be
distinctly understood, that the length of the sleeve only exceeds that of the wire
rope (or of that part of the wire rope which it covers) sufficiently to allow for the
contraction and expansion of the canvas, and that this sleeve is attached at both
ends to the said metallic connection so that a radical displacement of the said sleeve
on the wire is quite impossible.
In constructing tents according to the above described method we have found it
to be of advantage to carry the exterior canvas of the tent down to the pegs instead
of breaking the line at the walls and carrying the canvas down vertically at this
point to form an upright wall. The advantages connected with this system are

page_text: manifold; first the connection of the tent canvas and lines is more efficient, the
lines being clothed right down to the ground and consequently not able to be run
against at night time then again the area covered by the tent is greatly increased,
although the tent does not require a greater area for pitching than hitherto,
because at present that portion of the ground surface extending from the outside of
the tent walls and bounded by the tent pegs, around the tent is entirely useless, but
if covered in could be used as an additional sleeping room or as a store room.
With lined tents the interior shape of the tent may be kept the same as at present,
the lining being carried vertically downwards inside to form the walls as at present,
the exterior canvas only being.extended outwards. Furthermore the weight of the
tent will only be increased by this alteration to an amount equal to the weight of
the strip of canvas by which the exterior canvas is lengthened.
And in order to make our present Specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters denote similar parts
throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 is a detail view of the wires and sleeve,
Fig. 2 a transverse section through a tent constructed according to our invention
and
Fig. 3 a perspective view of the exterior of the tent.
The wires a a are attached at each end to a suitable ring d or other device
suitable for connecting the same to the pegs or to the top of the poles. The loose
sleeve b encloses the wires and may be secured at each end to the rings d, or if
it is not desired to cover the whole length of the wire the end of the sleeve may be
secured at any point of the said wire. The eyelets c serve to hold the wires in
position in the sleeve and also to permit the sleeve to be laced to the tent. One
wire only may be employed instead of two, the sleeve being correspondingly
modified, or metal bands or chains may be substituted for the wire. The sleeve
may also be formed by simply sewing canvas round the metallic line, or by a woven
or other hose of any suitable material. We do not confine ourselves to any
particular form of metallic connection or of the sleeve. Referring to Fig. 2 in the
form of tent here illustrated the covered wires extend from the ridge h to the
pegs 9 and the exterior tent canvas e is made to extend the same distance or even
to overlap the pegs, the lining fis dropped down vertically at f' to form the walls
inside and thus give the interior of the tent the same shape as heretofore, whilst a
covered room will be formed at y which may be used for accommodating sleepers
or for storage as desired. The weight of the tent will only be increased by the
weight of the strip a by which the side is lengthened all round. Doors may be
made in the lining if desired to permit approach to the room y. Windows may be
arranged in the walls or instead of these the roof may be made of a lighter
colored canvas, which admits light enough to dispense with the windows altogether,
or windows may be arranged in the roof just above the point f¹. The improve-
ments constituting the present invention are not confined to any particular form of
tent as they may be adapted to almost any form of tent. For instance if it is not
desired to continue the sides down to the pegs the walls may be vertical as hereto-
fore and in this case the sleeve need not be extended over the whole length of the
wires, but may be fixed to the same at that point where the walls depart from the
wires at f¹, but it is advantageous to continue the sleeve down to the peg so as
to completely cover the wires, chains or other metallic connection, to prevent
rusting.
Any known device may be used, for tightening up the wires, we have found that
simply a piece of chain, attached to the ring d suffices, as the position of the pegs
may be determined with sufficient accuracy previous to driving in the same, and
the lines will be tightened up sufficiently on driving the pegs home. The links
of the chain will then allow a slight displacement of the lines whilst driving in
the pegs, i.e. another link may be chosen for connection to the peg, should it be
discovered that the position of the same is not quite accurate. Moreover as these
metallic lines are not subject to alterations, caused by atmospheric changes, no

page_text: device for tightening or slackening the lines, after the tent has once been pitched,
is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A method of supporting tents, consisting in connecting the poles to the pegs
by means of metallic wires, bands, chains or the like, having a loose sleeve thereon,
fastened at its ends to the said metallic connection, the length of the said sleeve
being made to exceed that of the chain or the like, or that part of the same
which it covers, by a sufficient distance to allow for contraction or expansion of
the sleeve or tent canvas, the tent canvas being attached to the sleeve, substantially
as described.
2. In combination with the method above claimed, the production of the tent
walls down to the pegs, for the purpose substantially as described.
3. In combination with the method above claimed, in connection with lined tents,
the production of the outer walls down to the pegs, whilst the lining falls vertically
downward from the top of the wall poles as heretofore, in the manner and for the
purpose substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of December 1893
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.