Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct.. 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1895-Accepted, 31st Aug.. 1895
I, JOHN BALLANTYNE SMALL of 7 Great George Street, Hillhead, Glasgow,
Clerk and Book-keeper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to tents having no centre pole but otherwise supported by
pneumatic tubes composed of india rubber or analogous material and inflated in the
same manner as a bicycle pneumatic tyre.
(1.) The said invention has for its object lightness and compactness and thereby
increase of portability.
(2.) Briefly described, my pneumatic dome tent is as near as possible an
umbrilla-shaped tent without a tent pole or central support the only supports being
the ribs of whatsoever number these may be; these ribs instead of being made of
steel, as in an umbrilla, are composed of india rubber, or analogous material, and,
air-charged; the acts of inflation and deflation being performed in the same manner
as that of charging and discharging a pneumatic bicycle tyre.
Dated at Glasgow this 29th day of October 1894.
JOHN BALLANTYNE SMALL.
I, JOHN BALLANTYNE SMALL of 7, Great George Street, Hillhead, Glasgow,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say :-
My invention relates to tents having no centre pole but otherwise supported by
pneumatic tubes composed of india rubber or analogous material and inflated in
the same manner as a bicycle pneumatic tyre.
The said invention has for its object lightness and compactness, and thereby
increase of portability.
Briefly described, my pneumatic dome tent is as near as possible an umbrella-
shaped tent without a tent pole or centre support; the only supports being the ribs
of whatsoever number these may be. These ribs instead of being made of steel,
as in an umbrella, are composed of india rubber or analogous material and air-
charged, the acts of inflation and deflation being performed in the same manner as
that of charging and discharging a pneumatic bicycle tyre.
In order that my invention may be better understood, one sheet of drawings
accompanies this application.
Figure 1. is a perspective elevation of the pneumatic inflated rib tubes of a tent
as erected in accordance with my improvements.
Figure 2, is a detached sectional elevation and Figure 3 a corresponding plan
view of the central crown junction part of the four pneumatic ribs shown in
Figure 1.

page_text: Figure 4 is a detached enlarged view of one of the ribs showing the mode of
lacing or securing the tent cover to the pneumatic inflated ribs.
Figure 5, is a detached view of one of the lacing cords; and
"
66
Figure 6 is a detached view of the lower end of one of the pneumatic rib tubes.
Referring to these drawings, a is the "star or crown at the apex, into
which the four ribs b are socketed, c are the valves whereby the india-rubber or
flexible ribs are inflated.
These ribs are preferably encased in an annular cover of seamless hose, or
solutioned canvas hose, of sufficient strength to bear the strain of the rubber tubes,
when inflated, 6' are the sockets made of solutioned canvas or leather into which the
ends of ribs are placed before inflation so that in course of inflation they clench the
tube and prevent the ends from exploding which act is preferably done with the tubes
socketed in the "crown a with the valves c pointing upwards. after which the
structure, or rib work, is reversed (valves downwards) and the structure, as shown
in Figure 1, is held up at the apex. The cover is thrown across and laced to the
ribs by cords 6 from top to bottom (the unlacing is from bottom to top) after
which the tent is guyed down at right angles with ribs and otherwise securely
fixed to the ground by means of spikes at the curtains.
Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the end of each hose covered tube bis encased in
one of the hollow arms or sockets of the "crown" piece a and has a rubber ring on
end to prevent slipping during inflation and grip within socket after inflation.
This crown a is preferably formed of strong canvas with stiffening steel bands
encased in' top part, and with V shaped openings on under surface.
When all the pneumatic ribs have been inflated and become sufficiently rigid,
the structure is then erected and the canvas or waterproof cover, thrown over it
and laced to the ribs as previously described. As the pneumatic ribs acquire
great strength when they describe a correct outer curvature (the same as 3
metallic rib in an umbrella) as shown in Figure 1, my tent can, it will be seen,
assume no other shape than that of an umbrella or dome, hence the designation-
"Pneumatic Dome Tent."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
⚫claim is―
In tents, the structural formation, composed of pneumatic or air-charged ribs, or
tubes having an outer curvature, the convergence or unition of said ribs or tubes
of whatsoever number, at the apex, and in this manner, the formation of an
umbrella-like or dome-shaped pneumatic tent, with cover laced thereto, all sub-
stantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the 26th day of July 1895.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.