A CONICAL TENT
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Talbot Pitman, of the American & European
Patent Offices, No. 67, Gracechurch Street, London, for the Invention of
"A CONICAL TENT."- A communication.
Sealed the 8th January 1858, and dated the 8th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Talbot Pitman at
the Office of the Commissioners of. Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th July 1857.
I, JOHN TALBOT PITMAN, of the American & European Patent Offices,.
No. 67, Gracechurch S, London, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A CONICAL TENT," a communication from a citizen of the United.
States, to be as follows:-
The tent is in shape the frustrum of a cone; at the top the canvas is
securely fastened to an iron ring or strong wooden hoop. Eyelets are inserted.
around this ring or hoop, through which cords pass, terminating in a central
knob of wood or plate of metal, having a hole in its centre to receive a pin
projecting from the upper end of the tent pole.

page_text: To assist the escape of smoke in windy weather a triangular piece of canvas
with an eyelet hole in each angle is attached by one angle to the pin on top
of the pole, the other angles being secured by cords to the tent pins.
The doorway is of usual height and closed by a flap of triangular shape,
sewed along one side & fastened by cords & eyelots on the other. I make a
similar opening to the doorway, though smaller, on the opposite side of the
tent, to assist the ventilation.
The tent is pitched by means of a single pole having a tripod at bottom,
whose legs work upon strong hinges and fold up against the pole when not
This tripod has a socket into which the lower end of the tent pole fits
in use.
snugly.
This
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Talbot Pitman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TALBOT PITMAN, of the American and European Patent Office, No. 67, Gracc-
church Street, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, IIer heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Talbot Pitman, Her special licence that I, the said John Talbot Pitman,
or my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Talbot Pitman, or 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 makė, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A CONICAL TENT," a com-
munication, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Talbot
Pitman, or my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Talbot Pitman, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a front view of the tent; Figure 2, the knob which fits on top
of the tent pole; Figure 3, a metallic plate, which may be substituted for the
knob, if preferred; Figure 4 is a back view of the tent, shewing the half door;
Figure 5 is the tent pole with its pin, strap, and pot hook; Figure 6, the
tripod of the tent pole; Figure 7, the triangular cowl for top of tent; Figure 8
is a perspective view of the tent complete, shewing the door open & the cowl.
attached; Figure 9, the top of the tent pole with knob, cords, and hoop in
place; Figure 10 is a vertical section, shewing the interior of the tent with
the pole and tripod in place, and arrangements for cooking.
The tent is in shape the frustrum of a cone, as shewn in Figures 1, 4, and 8,
the diameter of the base being 18 feet, the height 12 feet, and the diameter.
of the apex or opening 18 inches. At the apex the canvas is held in position.
by means of an iron ring or wooden hoop (Figure 9). If the latter, it should
be made of the best white oak, two inches wide and half an inch thick.
The canyas should be strongly sewed over it and reinforced for twelve or.
eighteen inches down, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, & 8. Eight holes (shewn by.
dots in Fig. 9) are made around the circumference, through which eight cords
pass, terminating in the wooden knob, Fig. 2. This knob is, as shewn,
rounded at top and flat at bottom, three inches in diameter and three inches
thick, with a neck or throat to which the cords from the ring or boop are
attached. In the centre of the bottom of the knob is a bole an inch in
diameter and an inch and a half deep to receive the pin, which projects froņi
the centre of the top of the tent pole. In place of the wooden knob just
described, a metallic dise or plate like that shewn in Figure 3 may be used,
having a hole in its centre to receive the pin of the pole, and eight. holes in
the perimeter for the cords to pass through and be secured. The doorway
(see Figs. 1 and 8). is 9. feet 2 inches in length measured along one of the
elements, and closed by means of a flap of triangular shape, eight inches wide
at top and the ordinary width of canvas at bottom. The straight edge of the
flap and the upper lap are sewed fast respectively to one side of the doorway
and across the top. The lower point has a loop by which it is fastened to one
of the tent pins. To secure a more perfect ventilation, an opening is made in
the seam opposite the doorway five feet in length, measured along the seam
from the ground up (see Fig. 4). This half door admits of the wall being

page_text: raised at the rear of the tent sufficiently for all purposes of draft and ventila-
tion. This door is fastened by means of cords passed through eyelet holes in
its edges. At proper points on the tent wall loops should be strongly sewed
on for the purpose of fastening up the canvas of the half door when open.
Instead of this half door, a doorway in all respects similar to the one in the
front of the tent may be substituted, if preferred.
The tent is pitched by means of a single pole (Fig. 5), arranged with an
iron tripod (Fig. 6) so constructed that the legs shall work upon strong
hinges, and fold against the pole, to which they are secured by means of a
cord or strap passing through a hole in the pole (see Fig. 5). Each leg is
made in the shape of a trough or segment of a hollow cylinder, so as to enable
it to fit the pole suugly & also to increase its strength. The tripod is to be
furnished with a socket three inches deep, into which the lower end of the
pole fits snugly, and is fastened by means of a rivet. For the socket may be
substituted a swivel ring or plate of iron with a hole, through which the end
of the pole shod with iron may pass, the pole resting by a shoulder on top of
the plate. The legs of the tripod are four feet six inches long, two inches
wide, and a quarter of an inch thick. The pole, which is from two and a half
to three inches thick, may be in length half the diameter of the base of the
tent; it has a pin at the top to receive the knob (Fig. 2) or plate (Fig. 3)
and a staple in the bottom or a hook and chain, to which to hang a camp
kettle or other cooking utensils. Each leg is to be provided with one or more
holes for suspending meats for roasting. When pitched the space between
the legs of the tripod is to be excavated about six inches deep in the centre,
sloping upwards to the sides, and the removed earth used to form a ridge
around the outer edge of the hole to keep the fire placed there in position.
To assist the escape of smoke in windy weather a triangular piece of canvas,
shewn at Fig. 7, with an eyelet hole in each corner, is fitted by one angle to
the pin on top of the pole, the other angles being secured by means of cords
to the tent pins, as shewn in Fig. 8.
To pitch the tent, the points of the four quarters are first secured; the pole
is then inserted, the apex raised, and the tripod adjusted, the remaining points
being then drawn taut. It is recommended that red chalk marks designate
the three quarters of the tent, while the door indicates the fourth, to facilitate
pitching. Twenty-four pins have been found amply sufficient for the ground
fastening.
This tent will hold comfortably twenty men with their arms and equip-
ments. It has the advantages of warmth in cold weather, cooking arrange-
ments for rainy weather, more perfect ventilation, and superior lightness.

page_text: Having thus described my improved tent, I wish it understood that I do not
limit myself to the particular dimensions named, as these may be varied; but
what I claim under the above in part recited Letters Patent is,--
First, constructing the tent with its door, half door, apex, & cowl, to
facilitate ventilation and the escape of smoke, substantially as described.
Second, the tripod, or its equivalent device, attached to a single pole, as
described, to admit of easily building a fire, all as & for the purpose set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Talbot Pitman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JOHN TALBOT PITMAN. (L.S.)