IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS AND SUNSHADES OR WEATHER PROTECTORS SUITABLE FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ritchie, of No. 9, Stonefield Street,
Barnsbury, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS AND SUNSHADES OR WEATHER
PROTECTORS SUITABLE FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES."
Sealed the 16th November 1869, and dated the 27th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ritchie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th August 1869.
I, JOHN RITCHIE, of No. 9, Stonefield Street, Barnsbury, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS AND SUNSHADES OR WEATHER
PROTECTORS BUITABLE FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
In constructing a tent, sunshade, or weather protectors according to
my Invention I employ a central pole upon which is a runner capable
of sliding along the pole and having jointed to it radial arms or ribs to
carry the covering. Each radial arm or rib has jointed to it at a point

page_text: intermediate of its length one end of a link the opposite end of which is
jointed to a cap at the upper end of the pole. By this arrangement if
the runner be drawn downwards it will carry down with it the inner
ends of the arms or ribs, whilst their outer ends will be brought inwards
towards the top of the pole until the arms or ribs lie parallel with the
pole, the covering may then be neatly folded around them. If the
runner be pushed upwards the outer ends of the ribs will be caused
to move out from the pole until the ribs stand out radially at right
angles from the pole or nearly so; the runner then comes against a stop
which prevents its moving up any further, whilst a spring catch or
other fastening prevents the runner from moving downwards until it is
desired again to close up the tent, sunshade, or weather protector. The
arrangement of sunshade or weather protector above described is very
suitable for carriages or other vehicles, the central pole being received in
a suitable socket on the carriage or vehicle, as when it is desired to erect
the weather protector the ribs will not as they open out from the pole
come in the way of those sitting in the carriage. When the protector
is to be used as a tent rods carrying side curtains may be applied to the
outer ends of the ribs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Ritchie in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RITCHIE, of No. 9, Stonefield Street, Barnsbury, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Ritchie, Her special licence
that I, the said John Ritchie, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Ritchie, 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

page_text: "
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS AND SUNSHADES OR WEATHER PROTECTORS SUITABLE
FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Ritchie, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ritchie, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
In constructing a tent or sunshade or weather protector according
to my Invention I employ a central pole upon which is a runner capable
of sliding along the pole and having jointed to it radial arms or ribs to
carry the covering. Each radial arm or rib has jointed to it at a point
intermediate of its length one end of a link the opposite end of which is
jointed to a cap near the upper end of the pole. By this arrangement if
the runner be drawn downwards it will carry down with it the inner
ends of the arms or ribs, whilst their outer ends will be brought inwards
towards the top of the pole until the arms or ribs lie parallel with the
pole, the covering may then be neatly folded around them. If the
runner be pushed upwards the outer ends of the ribs will be caused to
move out from the pole until the ribs stand out radially at right angles
from the pole, or nearly so; the runner then comes against a stop which
prevents it moving up any further, whilst a spring catch or other
fastening prevents the runner from moving downwards until it is
desired again to close up the tent, sunshade, or weather protector. The
arrangement of sunshade or weather protector above described is very
suitable for carriages or other vehicles, the central pole being received in
a suitable socket on the carriage or vehicle, as when it is desired to erect
the weather protector the ribs will not as they open out from the pole
come in the way of those sitting in the carriage. When the protector is
to be used as a tent rods carrying side curtains may be applied to the
outer ends of the ribs.

page_text: At Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed is shown a side view
partly in section, and at Figure 2 a horizontal section of a tent con-
structed according to my
Invention.
a is the central pole, and 6 the runner capable of being slid up and
down upon the pole, and to which are jointed ribs c, c; d, d, are
suspending links jointed at their lower ends to the ribs at the points c',
and at their upper ends to a disc or ring e fixed to the pole; two of
these links are applied to each rib, one on each side of it. When the
runner is moved upwards the upper ends of the runner comes against
the lower end of the tube e¹, which is a fixture upon the pole, and is by
it prevented from moving further, at the same time that the end of the
spring catch h enter a recess in the pole and prevents the runner from
again descending, or a set screw or other fastening may be employed for
preventing the descent of the runner. In order that the frame of the
tent may readily be taken apart if desired the ends of the suspending
links are jointed respectively to the ribs and to the projections e¹ on the
tube e by pins, each pin carrying at its end a spring; this spring is
compressed when the pin is to be passed through the holes in the links,
and when the pin is in its place the spring passes beyond the link and
again flies open, and the pin cannot then get out of place. The ribs
may be jointed to the runner in the manner described in the Provisional
Specification of a Patent lodged by me and another on the 22nd day of
November 1869 (No. 3372), and as is shown by the Drawing. By
causing the runner to which the ribs are jointed to come up to a fixed
stop, as above described, the runner will be held rigidly; if it were not
rigidly held the tent would possess but little stability. The upper. end
of the runner and lower end of the tube e are also formed to interlock,
as shewn, to prevent the runner from turning around the pole. The
lower end of the pole is received and held in a socket f fixed in the
ground. The socket is constructed in the manner described in the
before-mentioned Provisional Specification; it is formed with a spike
which is driven into the ground and has radial arms extending out from
it. These arms extend out to where the side covering g of the tent
meets the ground, and pegs are driven down, as shewn by the Drawings,
through holes or eyes on the covering and through slots in the ends of
the radial arms; the pole will thus be held very firmly in place. The
upper end of the side covering is attached by ties to eyes holes formed in
the ends of the ribs c; this for tents of small size is sufficient holding for

page_text: this side covering, but for larger tents the upper edge of the side covering
may be attached to rods passing from the end of one rib to the ends of
the ribs next to it. The canopy or upper covering of the tent extends
from the upper end of the central pole to the outer extremities of the
ribs and is attached to these extremities by ties. An inner lining to the
canopy is also provided extending from just above the disc e to the outer
extremities of the ribs; this inner lining may, if preferred, be applied
along the under sides of the ribs. In the tent shewn in the Drawing
the runner which slides up and down upon the pole has six radial ribs
jointed to it, but any desired number of ribs might be jointed to it.
When the tent is to be taken down the spring catch his released, the
runner is slid down so as to bring the ribs parallel with the pole, and
the side covering is folded neatly around them. The radial arms of the
socket may also be turned up to lie parallel with the pole.
At Figure 3 is shewn a plan view of a sunshade or weather protector
in the form I prefer to construct it for a wagonette or double chaise; it
is of an oblong form, as shewn, and is constructed in the same manner
as the tent above described, except that the side covering may be dis-
pensed with, it is therefore unnecessary to give any further description
of it.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is, the construction of tents and of sunshades or weather protectors
suitable for carriages and other vehicles, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ritchie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.