AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF PORTABLE TENTS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF PORTABLE TENTS
33
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition and Declaration, on the 17th April 1858, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices,
39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM
OP PORTABLE TENTS FOR MILITARY AND OTHER PURPOSES," communicated to me
from a foreigner residing abroad, and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent
for the same, and have made solemn declaration that it is a communication..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specifications under my hand and
seal fully describes and ascertains the nature of the Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, that is to say :--
The Invention, communicated to me, consists in an improved system of

page_text: portable tents, susceptible of a variety of forms according to the purposes for
which they may be intended.
Figure 1 represents the tissue cut in the form of a triangle, which is the
base of the system, and which, when arranged as hereafter described, may be
worn as a cape or cloak, Figure 2, the hood of which latter when detached, as
in Figure 8, may be transformed in turn into a kind of half hammock,
Figure 10.
To form a military tent, say for four men, I take four triangular pieces,
Figure 1, and having spread them on the ground, unite their angles together
by any suitable means, thus forming the square Figure 13, which is fixed to
the ground by a stake, Figure 12, at each corner. The summits of the four
triangles are then united together by a cord passed through the eyelet formed
for this purpose. A pole of wood, Figure 11, six and a half feet long, com-
posed for portability of eight equal pieces, which are fitted to each other when
the tent is to be erected, is passed through the middle of the united triangles,
and secured in a vertical position. By this arrangement we obtain a quad-
rangular pyramid, shewn in perspective, Figure 14. The tent thus erected is
closed by buttons, hooks, or by preference cords, attached to the outer and
inner edges of each piece at a distance of about eight inches from each other.
The closing is effected by simple knots, the edge being lapped over the
projecting angle, which is secured by other knots on the cords left for this
purpose on the outside, the hand being passed from within.
The same method is followed in the erection of a pentagonal tent, as in
Figure 16, for five soldiers, a fifth triangle being added. By altering the
height of the pole, this form of a tent may be changed to that of Figure 15.
The prismatic tent is obtained by the union of the two quadrangular pyramid
tents in such a way that in removing the two sides which face each other and
touch at the base, and then reversing them over the empty space which
separates the two tents, the whole takes the form shewn in Figure 18. The
.structure is strengthened and rendered more "taut" at the upper part by two
cords fixed at a distance of about thirty inches from each side of the face.
Figure 17 represents a parallelogram formed on the same principle, and
which may be prolonged to any extent by the union of a number of tents.
To obtain the raised tent, Figure 19, it is only necessary to add the border
and increase the height of the centre pole.
Figure 10 represents the arrangement of a half hammock formed from the
piece Figure 4; and Figure 20, this hammock in position in the tent. The
triangular piece Figure 1 is transformed into a cloak or "burnous," by
folding it as shewn in Figure, and securing the folds with cords. By folding

page_text: it as shewn in Figure 3, a cape is obtained, which by a slight modification
takes the form of Figure 9, appearing when worn by the soldier as in
Figures 23 and 24.
Figures 5, 6, 7, represent the folds necessary for the formation of the hood.
Figures 21 and 22 represent the base and structure of a large tent or shed
for the use of cavalry.
It is evident that, starting from the base of the system, the adoption of
triangular forms of the tissue employed, we obtain an almost indefinite
variety of tents, of which the capacity and extent are determined by the
dimensions and number of the detached pieces. The jointed poles, pickets,
and other accessories form, when equally distributed with the portion of canvas,
a comparatively trifling burthen to each, while from the union of four pieces
in the manner above described, an ample cover is provided for an equal
number of men. For cavalry purposes increased dimensions are of course
required, but this is counterbalanced by the increased facility of transport.
The choice of material of these tents entirely depends on the purposes for
which they are intended. It should in all cases be rendered thoroughly
waterproof. The poles and pickets employed should be of the toughest wood,
the jointed parts of the former being rendered as strong as possible by iron
bindings or other suitable means.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
putting it into execution, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to any special dimensions or mode of erection of the tents described, as
these may be varied without departing from the fundamental principle of the
system; but what I claim is the general arrangement and construction of tents
for campaigning and other purposes, based on the combination of detached
pieces in triangles, which, when required, may form a cloak for the bearer, and
thus, by equal and useful distribution of weight, reduce to its minimum the
fatigue of transport.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
M. F. MENNONS. (L.S.)