CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Jackson, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Decorator, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS."
Sealed the 6th March 1855, and dated the 16th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Jackson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
January 1855.
I, GEORGE JACKSON, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Decorator,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS" to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in producing a tent without a central support, in
which the roof is self-containing, and when secured to the poles, posts, or
shafts will be portable for small dimensions, or made to cover extended spaces
with security.
I effect this object by placing at the apex of the roof or key block, of
circular, square, or polygonal form, with mortices or openings to receive the
number of rafters or ribs required by the intended form of the tent; these
mortices or openings to be shaped or formed to receive the rafter or rib, also
shaped at such angles as are required to ensure the desired pitch or inclination
of the roof, and to receive the pressure of the outward band or ring to retain
them in their places.

page_text: The number of rafters or ribs aregulated by the intended form or figure,
to be each shaped or formed at the top ends, 'to fit the mortices or openings in
the central key block at such angles as the inclination requires, and to have a
groove, hook, dovetail, or other contrivance to receive the pressure of the outer
ring or band. The binder or ring to attach the rafters or ribs to the central
key block may be of galvanized india-rubber, or the same combined with
metal, or with metallic springs and metal combined; or wholly of metal, the
same to be in one piece, or made to fasten as a cellar, with screws, hooks, &c.;
or the rafters or ribs may be attached-to-the-central-key-block with pins,
nutts, screws, hinges, or dovetail joints, ropes, cords, strings, chains, or other
modes of ensuring the required tension, pressure, or force to retain the rafters
or ribs in the position at the angle required for the pitch or inclination of the
roof. The rafters or ribs of-the-roof-are-placed on or attached to the top
of the poles, posts, or shafts of the required heights, previously shaped to the
pitch or inclination, and secured, by hinges, nutts, and screws, pins; sockets,
dovetail joints, or the same may be made to tie or fasten together with ropes,
cords, chains, metals, or elastic bands.
The upright poles, posts, or shafts are to be braced together at or near the
top horizontally with wires or bars of metal, or with wood, with hooks, screws,
or pins at the ends, to fit into eyes, nutts, or sockets, or with ropes, cords, or
chains, or other modes of producing tension, in case of portability, or to increase
the stability; these braces are repeated near the ground or floor line. Angular,
diagonal, or other braces are also introduced to fender the framework self-
containing, supporting, and capable of being moved from place to place in
small dimensions. In the construction of tents to cover large spaces, the
same principle of construction is followed. By this principle of, construction
I am enabled to combine or construct any number of rooms, chambers, or
divisions either under one general or subdivided roof. "In this; case provision
will be made for carrying off, the water that may, fall: on, and drain, from the
surfaces by channelled or hollow connecting, braces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Jackson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th July 1855. :
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
JACKSON, of Manchester, 'in the County of Lancaster, Decorator, send greeting.,
1

page_text: WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing, date the Sixteenth day of January; in the year of our Lord
One thousand; eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign; did,. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Jackson, Her especial license that I, the said George Jackson,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, or such others as: I, the said George
Jackson, my, executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others; from time to. time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should. and, lawfully might make, use,, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS," upon the condition, amongst others, that I,, the
said George Jackson, by an instrument in writing under, my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and.in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to, be
filed in, the Great Seal Patent. Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that Ị, the said George Jackson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per..
formed; to be particularly described and ascertained-in and by the following
statement and-accompanying Drawings (that is to say):
My improvements consist in producing a tent-without a central support, in
which the roof is self-containing, and when secured to the posts, poles; or shafts
will be portable for small dimensions, 'or made to cover extended spaces with
security.
...
จ
..
...I effect this object by placing at the apex of the roof a key block; of circular,
square, or polygonal form, with mortices or openings to receive the number of
rafters or ribs required by the intended form of the tent; these mortices or
openings to be shaped or formed to receive the rafter or rib, also shaped at
such angles, as are required to ensure the desired pitch or inclination of the
roof, and to receive the pressure of the outward band' or ring to retain them
in their places.
The number of rafters or ribs regulated by the intended form or figure, to
be each shaped, or formed at the top ends to fit the mortices, or openings in
the central key block at such angles as the inclination requires, and to have
a groove, tooth, dovetail, or other contrivance to receive the pressure of the
outer ring or band. The binder or ring to attach the rafters or ribs to the cen-
tral key block may be of vulcanized india-rubber, or the same combined with
metal, or with metallic springs and metal' combined,' or wholly of metal, the

page_text: same to be in one piece, or made to fasten as a collar, with screws, hooks, or
similar appliances; or the rafters or ribs may be attached to the central key
block with pins, nuts, and screws, hinges, or dovetail joints, ropes, cords,
chains, or other modes of ensuring the required tension, pressure, or force to
retain the rafters or ribs in the position at the angle required for the pitch
or inclination of the roof. The rafters or ribs of the roof are placed on or
attached to the top of the poles, posts, or shafts of the required height,
previously shaped to the pitch or inclination, and secured by hinges, nuts, and
screws, rivets, pins, sockets, dovetail joints; or the same may be made to tie
or fasten together with ropes, cords, chains, or similar means, or by metal or
elastic bands.
The upright poles, posts, or shafts are to be braced together at or near the
tops horizontally with wires or bars of metal, or with laths of wood provided
with hooks, screws, or pins at the ends to fit into eyes, nuts, or pockets; or
they may be secured with ropes, cords, chains, or other modes of producing
tension in case of portability, or to increase the stability these braces are
repeated near the ground or floor line. Angular, diagonal, or other braces
are also introduced to render the framework self-containing or supporting,
and capable of being moved from place to place in small dimensions.
By this principle of construction I am enabled to confine or construct any s
number of rooms, chambers, or divisions either one general or subdivided roof.
In this case provision may be made for carrying off the water that may fall
on and drain from the surfaces by channelled or hollow connecting braces.
In the construction of tents to cover large spaces, the same principle of con-
struction is followed by removing one or more of the inclined rafters or ribs
and substituting horizontal ridge plates or bars, and coupling together as many
as are required on the key blocks and inclined rafters or ribs as may be neces-
sary to give sufficient strength until the length required is attained. Extended
width is attained by introducing bracing rods or ridge plates coupled to the
central key block, rafters, or ribs by king, queen, or other posts and braces,
until the tension is equivalent to the pressure, and sufficient security obtained
to support the weight of the structure and covering of canvass or other material
required to complete the roof.
For securing the tent in its position, I avail myself of the usual appliances
or modes of security by ropes, cords, chains, or other similar means, attached
to stakes or other fastenings secured in the ground; also to the use of spikes to
enter the ground, secured at one end of the vertical poles, posts, or shafts;
or the same may be seated on level or rocky ground, having a shoe or sole
resting on the surface of the ground,.

page_text: The bellmoat or fall under the roof drip may for better security be attached
by string, hooks, or other fastenings to the supports and braces, or staked and
fixed to the ground, either in contact with the structure or at a distance
from it.
In order that this Invention may be the better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached two sheets of Drawing, having throughout
the several Figures illustrated, marked similar letters upon corresponding parts
of the apparatus.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of a square tent con-
structed according to these improvements; Fig. 2 exhibits a longitudinal
sectional elevation, showing the method of construction by which the same
tent may be extended lengthways; Fig. 3 represents a plan of a central or key
block, looking upwards from the interior of the tent; Fig. 4 (Sheet 1) is an
clevation of the central or key block, part of it being shewn in section, the
better to illustrate the coupling ring or band which secures and tightens up
the rafters or ridge pieces. On Sheet 1, Figs. 1 and 2 are made upon a scale
of about two inches to the foot; Figures 3 and 4 being about full size. On
Sheet 2, Fig. 1 is a plan view, looking down upon the tent, illustrative of
the method by which a small tent constructed according to these improve-
ments may be extended or increased in area, the black lines denominating the
boundary of a small square tent; the blue lines represent the ready lengthening
of the same tent by the simple addition of a second central block and two
ridge pieces with supports, thereby doubling the area of the tent; the "red"
lines indicating the more than quadrupling the area of the tent by the still
further ready and simple addition of two more central blocks with ridge pieces
and supports. A section taken through the centre of the enlarged tent in
direction of the dotted line would be similar to the sectional elevation exhi-
bited at Fig. 2 (Sheet 1). Fig. 6 (Sheet 2) represents a front elevation of a
metal plate, secured upon the upright shafts, for the purpose of carrying the
longitudinal and diagonal braces of the tent; Fig. 7 (Sheet 2) is a section of
the same; Fig. 6 and 7 (Sheet 2) are about full size. On reference to Fig. 1
(Sheet 1), although the section is taken diagonally through a square tent, it is
not necessary for the full and necessary explanation of the Figure to show or
illustrate more than the central block or key a will be better understood by
referring to Figs. 3 and 4 (Sheet 1). It will be seen that the whole effective
action of the key block a is regulated by the click wheel 6 and small drum c
(Fig. 4). The peculiarly formed tongues or tenons of the ridge pieces or plates
d, d, having been inserted in the corresponding mortices of the central block a,
the band e, composed of metal, elastic medium cord, chain, or either, combined
'

page_text: with other substances, is passed over and through the channels ff, of the ridge
pieces, or through the similar channels g,g, of the horizontal lengthening or
encreasing pieces, by the aid of the studs h, h, and click wheel b. The band e
is now tightened up from the interior of the tent, securing at the proper angle,
by means of the formation of the mortice in the central block a,.and the tenon
on the ridge piece, the required angle of the 'ridge k, k. The supports 1, 1,
being now caused to close up to their proper position, it remains but for the
horizontal bars m, m, to be secured from one support to the other, by inserting
the tongue piece 'n into the eyelet o, and hooking in the diagonal braces
p', p³, p³, and p to their respective eyelets q;,q; and the framing of the
tent is complete, all the sets of diagonal: braces conveyed to their common
central rings r¹, r. These braces may be composed of elastic or other materials,
as circumstances may render-advisable or necessary.
.
Having now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same may be performed, I wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that I claim, the novel application, employment, and use of..a central or
key block in the construction of tents, in combination with ridge-pieces, side
posts, horizontal and diagonal braces, &c, as herein particularly described
and set forth, and fully. illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, whereby all
interior posts or supports springing from the floor line within the tent are
dispensed with, and the entire area of the tent rendered free of all obstructions.
In witness whereof, I the said George Jackson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-fively smal
GEORGE JACKSON (L.S.)^
AL