Improvements in Tents.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug.,
1895
Improvements in Tents.
We, HARRY HEATON, the Younger, Managing Director, of the Firm of Capon,
Heaton and Company Limited, of Lifford Mills, Kings Norton, in the County of
Worcester, and HENRY DONALD HOPE, of 55 Lionel Street, in the City of
Birmingham, Mauufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention relates to tents and is especially applicable to military tents.
Our object is to dispense with the tent poles at present in use and to provide
a pneumatic system of support by which it is only required to pump up the tent
with an inflator to produce the necessary rigidity of form.
In one method of carrying our invention into effect we construct a tubular ring
of any suitable metal rubber or other material to support the crown or upper part
of the tent, and we provide this tubular ring with projecting tube pieces and an
ordinary pneumatic tyre valve with a convenient nozzle attachment for inflating.
To the projecting tube pieces we attach suitable canvas covered india-rubber tubes
and these tubes are of such length as to take the place of the tent poles. They are
looped to the interior of the tent in any convenient manner and attached to the
tent pegs driven in the ground just as poles are attached.
On inflating the system by pumping into the tubular ring, the pneumatic tubes
become rigid and supply an efficient support for the tent cloth. The tubes may
be so formed and so looped or tied to the canvas of the tent as to give any
desired outline of tent. Preferably we attach these tubes to the tent in an easily
detachable manner so that upon deflation the tubes may be removed and packed up
in small bulk for ready transit.
In one arrangement of tent we use four pneumatic tubes and one metal tubular
ring.
Our invention may be carried out according to several modifications; for
example, the canvas of the tent may be made with cellular straps or bands passing
vertically to form vertical ribs and horizontally to form horizontal ribs. On
inflating these ribs or the system of ribs or cells the tent at once assumes its
required position, and firmly maintains its dimensions as if supported by the
ordinary tent poles. More than one tubular ring may be used, or metal tubes may
be adopted in other forms than rings depending on the particular shape of the tent
to be produced.
An essential feature of our invention consists of the pneumatic system of support
for tents, but the details of the system may be varied considerably without
departing from the invention.
This 7th dr. f Ontahan 1001
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: We, HARRY HEATON, the Younger, Managing Director of the Firm of Capon-
Heaton and Company, Limited, of Lifford Mills, King's Norton, in the County
of Worcester, and HENRY DONALD HOPE, of 55, Lionel Street, in the City of
Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
aseertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to tents, and is especially applicable to military. tents.
Our object is to dispense with the tent poles at present in use, and to provide a
pneumatic or hydraulic system of support by which it is only required to pump up
the tent with an inflator or a.pump for.liquids to produce the necessary rigidity of
form.
Part of our invention also consists in a method of inflating, tents supported by
pneumatic tubes or cells, or chambers.
Referring to the two accompanying sheets of drawings.
Figure 1 shows in elevation a system of flexible tubes arranged as inflated by
air or distended by water to act as tent poles.
Figure 2 is an external elevation of.a tent so supported.
Figure 3 is a plan showing one arrangement of tubes for supporting the upper
part of the tent:
Figure 4 is a plan showing another arrangement for the same purpose.
Figure 5 shows one mode of connecting the 'tubes to a tent peg or spike.
Figure 6 shows a pláte fastening to form the attachment to the ground.
Figure 7 shows a tent framework with cross tubes as well as upright tubes.
Figure 8 shows in section a tent' with bands or cells attached to the canvas.
Figure 9 shows a single tube tent, and
Figure 10 shows a gas bottle as applied to charging a tent.
In one method of carrying our invention into effect, we construct a tubular
ring A Figure 3, of any suitable metal, rubber or other material, to support the
crown or upper part of the tent, and we provide this tubular ring with projecting
tube pieces BB BB and an ordinary pneumatic tyre valve B with a convenient
nozzle attachment for inflating or charging.
To the projecting tube pieces BB BB Figure 3; we attach suitable canvas
covered' india rubber tubes, and these tubes we construct of such length as to take
the place of tent poles.
The tubes are looped 'or attached to the interior of the tent in any convenient
manner, and attached to the tent pegs driven in the ground just as polès are
attached.
Instead of adopting the ring tube A' with the attached tubes B; the cross
tubes B may be connected together at the centre as shown in Figure 1 or
Figure 4.
The rubber or other flexible air tight tubes E may be connected to the tubes B
by screw couplings C and similar couplings D may be used for connecting to the
spikes F.
The spike F and its connection D are shown more clearly at Figure 5.
A plate G with coupling D and spike F1 is shown at Figure 6.
The tubes E are suitably stopped up at their lower ends by plugs or other
devices.
Ou inflating the system by pumping into the tubular ring or other 'portion of

page_text: the system the pneumatic tubes becomes rigid; and supply an efficient support for
the tent cloth. The tubes-may be su:formed and so looped or tied to the canvas
of the tent as to give any desired outline of tent.. Preferably, we attach these
tubes to the tent in an easily detachable manner, so that upon deflation the tubes
may be removed and packed up in small bulk for ready transit.
At Figure 7 we show the pneumatic cubes. E connected by cross tubes I which
may be coupled together by couplings It! These cross tubes are inflated together
with the other parts of the system, and so provide lateral support and rigidity.
An entire framework-of-pneumatic tubes: may. be: se arranged, and in some cases
spikes or pegs may be dispensed with.
In the arrangement of tent herein before described we use four pneumatic tubes,.
and one metal tubular ring or corresponding cross tubes, but we may adopt a
greater or less number of tubes, as we desire.
Our invention may be carried into effect according to several modifications; for
example, the canvas of the tent may be made with cellular straps or bands J
Figure 8, passing vertically to form vertical ribs, and horizoutally to form
horizontal ribs. On inflating these ribs or the system of ribs or cells, the tent at
once assumes its required position, and firmly maintains its dimensions, as if
supported by the ordinary tent poles. More than one tubular ring may be used,
or metal tubes may be adopted in other forms than rings, depending on the
particular shape of the tent to be produced.
The tubes M & C may be distended by hydraulic pressure instead of air
pressure, the same arrangements as herein before described being adopted.
Where hydraulic pressure adopted we add to the system an air vessel, as K
Figure 6, and supply the vessel with compressed air to keep up the liquid pressure
in the event of slight leakage.
Instead of constructing a tent with multiple tubes, as E Figures 4 and 7, or
with cellular strips or bands, as J Figure 8, we sometimes provide a single
central pole-tent, as shown at Figure 9. The central pole L is a pneumatic tube
of considerable diameter, provided with a spike Fat the lower end, and having
ropes M attached at the top and carried to pegs N as shown. The central
pneumatic or hydraulic tube L with its ropes is shown at Figure 9, without the
canvas.
Another part of our invention relates to tents, as hereinbefore described, and
consists in a method of charging such tubes or cells without an inflator or pump.
For this purpose we
use a metal bottle of the kind commonly used to hold
compressed gas, and we charge such bottle with air or even liquid carbonic acid at
high pressure.
To inflate the tent we apply the bottle to the nozzle of the system, and charge
it to any desired pressure. Safety or reducing valves may be used to prevent
bursting.
Such a bottle is shown at Figure 10 connected up to a nozzle and pneumatic
tube in the act of inflating the central tube of the single tube tent of Figure 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is.
1. A pneumatic or hydraulic tent in which the support and rigidity of form of
the tent is obtained by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure applied to flexible tubes or
cells of rubber or other material, which tubes or cells are so combined as to form
the framework of the tent as herein set forth.
2. Inflating or distending the tubes or cells of pneumatic tents as claimed in the
preceding claim by means of compressed gas contained in a metal bottle as herein
set forth.
3. A single tube pneumatic or hydraulic tent constructed substantially as
herein before described with reference to Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 4. Pneumatic or hydraulic tents constructed substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1895.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.