IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS BY LACING INSTEAD OF BUTTONING AS HERETOFORE, AND TRANSFORMING THE SAME INTO AMBULANCES TO CARRY CRIPPLED AND WOUNDED MEN
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Archibald at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th April 1867.
-A communication from abroad by Alfred Varnier, of No. 84, Quai des
Chartrous, Bordeaux, in the Empire of France, Gentleman.
I, JAMES ARCHIBALD, of No. 22, Coleman Street, in the City of London,
Attorney's Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TENTS BY LACING INSTEAD OF BUTTONING
AS HERETOFORE, AND TRANSFORMING THE SAME INTO AMBULANCES TO CARRY CRIPPLED
AND WOUNDED MEN," to be as follows:-
The improvements discovered herein is in the construction of the present
camp and other tents by lacing in lieu of buttoning same as at the present
time is generally adopted, and thereby decreasing the same in weight, saving
time in putting up and taking down; making same more convenient for trans-
port, and transforming the same into ambulances to carry crippled and
wounded men.
The materials and articles required to construct the tent now proposed are
as follows: 1. The necessary number of square sheets of canvass or other
material pierced with eyelet holes round the edges and having a corner ring at
each of the four corners, the edges of such canvass or other material being
strengthened by strips of canvass fixed thereon in order that the same may not
tear or give way.
2. A ring cord or circular loop of cord. 3. An oak peg or
4. 3 or more upright poles with a spike or sharp point at one end.
5. The main staye, being a piece of rope of the necessary length with a spliced

page_text: loop at one end. 6. A lacing cord, which is an ordinary cord for lacing the
tent as herein-after mentioned, with one end bound to prevent unravelling, and
a knot at the other end.
The necessary number of square sheets of canvass or other material are pierced
with eyelet holes round the four edges, as represented by Diagram No. 1
accompanying this Specification, and have also at each of the four corners a
larger hole or what is called a corner ring to admit the ring cord being passed
through to fasten to the oak peg or stave such sheets of canvass or other material
with the view of adding strength, and to prevent the eyelet holes or corner ring
tearing the material when drawn tight have a strip of canvass sewn or fastened
round the edges thereof, thus doubling same at those particular parts of the
sheets.
The ring cord is represented by Diagram No. 2, and is a circular and
endless loop of cord, and is fastened to the corner of each sheet of canvass and
passes over the head of the oak peg or stave.
Diagram No. 3 represents the oak peg or stave; such peg or stave is made
of oak or iron, and has a notch or head at one end and a sharp point at the
other end for driving into the ground.
Diagram No. 4 represents the upright poles used to support the tent; the
same have at one end a sharp point in order that the corner ring of the
canvass sheets may be first passed over and then the loo, end of the
mainstay cord, the end of such mainstay cord fastened to the oak peg or
stave.
Diagram No. 5 represents the loop end of the mainstay cord, and, as before
stated, such loop end of the mainstay cord is passed over the top of the upright
poles and then fastened to an oak peg or stave and carried out a little distance
from the tent in order to keep such poles upright and add strength to the
tent, and prevent the same from being blown down.
made of hemp
The pieces of
Diagrams Nos. 6 and 7 represent the lacing cord at the two ends thereof,
one end being bound round in order to keep the same from unravelling and
making the same easier to pass through the lacing holes in the canvass, and the
other end having a common knot made thereat to prevent the same from slipping
through the holes therein; such lacing end is an ordinary cord
and of the length required for the purpose of lacing the tent.
canvass are quite square, and by using the same pierced as aforesaid, lacing
at the sides and top and fastened and made tight as before described, a com-
plete tent will be formed. At the front and back of the tent square pieces of
canvass are again used, and by doubling and lacing the same the proper angle
will be obtained to make the same a complete shelter from the weather; such

page_text: lacing cord is an ordinary cord of the length required for the purpose of
lacing, and is passed through the eyelet holes in the square sheets of canvass,
the knot end being passed through the one side and carried through the eyelet
holes in the canvass over the top and down to the peg or stave on the other side
of the tent drawn tight and made fast to the said peg. The same process is
gone through with both sides of the tent, and when the canvass is so laced and
drawn tight and the lacing ropes made fast to the peg or staves, the upright
poles in the centre as a support, the mainstay ends made tight, a complete
and compact tent will be found, as shewn by Diagram 8.
Diagram 8 represents a complete tent, and it will be seen that the same
consists of four square pieces of canvass, two being used for each side and joined
by lacing at the sides and top, thus joining the same together by means of lacing
in manner before described. In the same way the tent may be increased in
size by the said method of lacing, adding an additional number of pieces of
canvass, upright poles, pegs, and other articles before described.
The main feature in the construction of the present tent is the substitution
of lacing for buttoning, and thereby not only forming a more compact and
stronger tent, being less in weight and more convenient for transport, but
(and principally) being a saving in time in the putting up and fixing for use,
and taking down when required to be removed; it is also superior to the old
tents by reason of the lacing drawing the edges at the parts where joined closer
together and making such joins weatherproof.
The uses to which portions of the materials used for the present form of
tent may be applied are as follows:-Firstly, as a hammock for carrying the
wounded or dead as follows:- By taking the square piece of canvass and
passing one of the lacing cords through the corner eyelet holes the same is
converted into a hammock capable of carrying wounded soldiers, as repre-
sented by Diagram No. 9; it may also be transformed into a litter for the
like purpose by lacing and folding the canvass and passing two of the upright
poles through the same, as represented by Diagrams 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14, the
same principle of lacing applying for increasing or decreasing or strengthening
the litter.
Although this Specification is confined to tents, hammocks, and litters, yet
the Inventor does not confine himself merely to these articles, but claims as
his discovery the general substitution of lacing for buttoning as at present in
use in articles of a like or similar nature to these herein mentioned.
The strength and size of the different articles and materials required in the
construction of the said tent and other appliances with their appurtenances in
this Specification described depend upon the size of the article required, and

page_text: it is not intended that the covering to such tent shall be made solely of canvass
or that the other articles necessary for forming such tent litters or ham-
mocks shall be made of the materials mentioned, but the same may be made
of any other materials for the purpose of lightness, obtaining the same
weathertight, or for cheapness or convenience in the cost thereof.

page_text: DIAGRAM
N° 3.