Improvements in the Construction of Tents.
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I, ALFRED SAVILL TOMKINS of Holmwood," Caterham, Surrey, Captain
Victoria Rifles, 1st Middlesex. Volunteers do hereby declare the nature of my
said invention to be as follows:-
Instead of using tent poles and tent ridge poles to support the tent, I support
the canvas by the crown or top of a waggon (baggage or otherwise), cart or
carriage, or by supports fixed in the waggon, cart or carriage if it has no cover or
tilt. When halting the canvas forming the tent is spread out on either side or all
round the waggon; the canvas may form the covering to the tilt. The waggon
thus forms the base and is the structure which (in place of the poles) supports the
tent. This combined waggon and tent is especially applicable to a waggon for
cooking on the march, being fitted with a Field Stove on a turntable at the tail of
the waggon, the smoke passing away through a chimney which passes through the
roof or tilt of the waggon. It is also specially applicable for ambulance work,
combining waggon, tent & cooking.
The advantages of this mode of supporting a tent are its portability, the weight
of the poles and ridge poles being done away with and no guide ropes or guide rope
blocks or large guide pegs being required. Space in the waggon is not taken up by
carrying the tent as it can be rolled up outside the waggon.
The tent will shelter many more men than the ordinary Military Bell Tent.
There great saving of time in pitching and striking the tent. Soldiers can
have its shelter up to the time of the waggon being horsed. The waggon can be
packed under cover.
.
Improvements in the Construction of Tents.
I, ALFRED SAVILL TOMKINS of Holmwood, Caterham, Surrey Captain Victoria
Rifles, 1st Middlesex Volunteers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention consists in a combination of a tent and waggon or vehicle in such
a manner that the waggon not only serves to transport the tent as well as men or
Poies C1

page_text: goods from place to place, but also, when stationary, it acts instead of tent poles
and ridge pieces to support the tent roof. By this arrangement no space is
required for accommodating tent poles and ridge pieces or the necessary ties and
stays, the weight of these parts is saved, the accident of any of them being lost or
mislaid is avoided, time in pitching and striking the tent is economised, men can
almost immediately on halting receive shelter and can enjoy it almost up to the
moment of the waggon starting; the waggon can be packed or unpacked under
cover; and, when the Tent is pitched, it affords greater accommodation than any
tent which has equivalent weight and bulk for transport.
I will describe the arrangement of a combined Tent and Waggon according to my
invention referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 is an end view shewing the Waggon in condition
for travelling with the Tent packed up upon it.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 4 is a transverse section and Fig. 5 is a side
view shewing the Tent as pitched for occupation.
A is the Waggon which may have a complete tilt roof or may have merely the
open framework of a tilt as indicated at B in Fig. 3; the canvas or other fabric of the
tent is spread over this roof or framework. During the movement of the Waggon,
this fabric is folded up in rolls C at each side and in rolls D at each end secured by
straps E. For the purpose of forming a tent, the fabric is unrolled and spread out
at the sides and ends, and its edges are secured to the ground by pegs F. The end
pieces D of the fabric are made separate from the side pieces C and may be most
conveniently made each in two separate pieces which can be folded up into the two
rolls D, one on each side, or they may be partly or wholly rolled or folded up at the
ends of the roof as indicatod in dotted lines D¹ at Fig. 2. When the Tent is closed,
the edges of those pieces may be secured together by buttons or by lacing as indi-
cated at G Fig. 5. Either end piece or pair of end pieces of fabric may be held up,
as indicated by the dotted lines D2 in Figs. 3 and 5 by uprights H to form an
entrance. Through the roof of the Waggon or tent there may be suitable apertures
for chimneys or for ventilation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
The construction of a tent by spreading sheets of canvas or other suitable fabric
from the roof or roof framing of a waggon or vehicle, thus dispensing with poles
and ridges, substantially as herein described.
11
1
1000