US2545535A - Tent construction - Google Patents

Description

March 20, 1951 w. E. TROMBLEY TENT CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 8, 1947 INVENTOR mlliam E- Trombley v BY ATTORNEYS i Zvaww F24;

W. E. TROMBLEY TENT CONSTRUCTION March 20, 1951 Filed NOV. 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE NTOR Tremble Wrh ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,545,535 TENT CONSTRUCTION William E. Trombley, Cleveland, Ohio Application November 8, 1947, Serial N 0. 784,894

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to tent construction and particularly to improvements in the design and construction of a tent to render the same more comfortable during occupancy without impair.- ing its portable nature.

Itis an object of the present invention to provide a tent construction having. a simply designed door frame and door construction to facilitate access .to the interior of the tent.

Another object is to provide a tent construction including a door frame and door assembly which will afford light and air to the interior of the tent but which substantially excludes in.- sects and is capable ofbeing readily stormproofed to keep out the weather.

A further object is to provide a tentconstruction including a door frame and door assembly which may be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled .and which in its demounted 9 dition does not appreciably increase the bulk of the tent.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description accompanied by the drawings, in which:

1 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tent embody ing the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the tent shown .in Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is a plan View of in Figs. v1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sefltional view ofa porthe tent construction tion of the tent taken substantially on line 4-4 Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary @levational view showing details of the door frameand door construction;

, Fig. 6 is an enlar ed hor zontal s tion taken substa tially on line 66. of Fi 1.;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken substantially on line 'i-l of Fig. 5';

Fig. 8 is an enlar f men ry ection ta en substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 1; and

Fig.9 is an enlarged fragmentary section'showing further details of the tent construction.

The dr wi g il strate a preferred form of the present invention as applied to an umbrella type tent. However, it will be obvious that the features of the presen improved tent co s ru tion may be applied with equally satisfactory results to other forms of tents or other similar structures.

. Looking at the drawings, the tent briefly com prises a center pole I which supports a roof ;por tion 2 and depending sidewalls .3. Near the top of the center pole I a plurality of radially extending arms 4. are mounted to .engage and sup, port the roof portion 2 at the corners thereof.=

This may be done by angularly directed end pore tions of the radial arms :1 extending through. grommets at the junction between the corners of the roof portion .2 and side walls 3. This construction assures adequate support .of the marginal portions of the tent roof to provide head room on the interior of the tent. To fur:- thcr stabilize the tent and prevent sagging of the roof portion due to the weight of the depending side walls, guy wires 5 may extend between the: ends of the radial arms 4 and the top .of the;

center pole I.

It is customary for an umbrella type tent toi be formed in a substantially pyramidal Q0119 fi uration with an opening in one of th slopin side walls to perm-it access. It is common prac-, rice to provide a protective cover or awning 5. extending from the roof portion of the tent on. the side w e th oor openin i to b loc te This awning may be supported by substantially vertical poles held by guy wires 3. Generally the door o ening i adapt d to be c v ed by a draped piece of some suitable fabric such as f raminous ma er a t dm i t an ai but adapted to exclude insects, etc. v

.A ten construc ion mbody n the p esent invention obviates the use of the drape type of door covering, substituting therefor a simple but sturdy door frame and door construction which will provide an insect-proof closure and will also permit the use of a simple but adequate fitorm closure in the event of inclement weather. I Briefly, the oor frame and door construe tion of the present invention comprise a pair of} spaced upri h s, o of which i p o ally mou and has secured to i an u per and lower cross p e and a con c n up i ht to. provide a door. The spaced uprights are secured to the marginal portions of the tent side wall defining the door opening or extensions thereof and the pi-votally mounted upright acts both as a door frame member and as the hinged edge o f the door.

Due to the pyramidal configuration of the um brella type tent and the desirability of having the door frame and door construction disposed in a substantiallly vertical position with the ibafstf of the door at the outer margin of the tent bot: tom, it is necessary to extend the tent side wall I outwardly for securement to the door frame to make a suitable enclosure.

u h rou hly triangularly shaped elements I 0, which :may best be .seen in Fig. 2, are secured to the marginal;

portions of the tent side wall 3 along both side edges of the door opening through the tent side wall. It will be understood that when applied to a tent having a substantially straight side wall portion, these extensions are not required. To form a closed cover for the entry way formed by the triangularly shaped extensions Iii, a portion of the awning 6 may be secured to the top edge of the triangular extensions lil.

Along the vertical side edge of each of th extensions II], a tubular hem ll may be formed for insertion of spaced uprights 52 and [3. The up rights 12 and [3 are provided at their extremities with pin extensions or spikes M which at the lower ends of the uprights may be used to anchor them firmly to the ground on which the tent rests. To properly position thes uprights with respect to the main body of the tent, the pins I4 at the lower portions of the uprights l2 and 13 may pass through apertures or grommets l5 disposed in the tent floor or other surface covering l6 spread on the ground on which the tent stands to provide a ground covering within the tent (see Fig. 8). To hold the uprights l2 and I3 in their proper spaced relationship at the top thereof, a cross piece ll may be provided and the cross piece Il may be suitably apertured so that it may be slid downwardly on the pins I4 extending from the tops of the uprights I2 and I3, as may best be seen in Fig. 5. To properly enclose the door frame at the top thereof, the awning or roof extension 6 may overlie the cross piece H with the pins M of the uprights l2 and i3 passing through apertures or grommets in such awning.

If desired, the awning or roof extension may be 1 held against the cross piece I! by a slat l8 apertured so that it may be received on the pins l-i of the uprights I2 and I3. This will prevent wind getting under the awning or roof extension and lifting it from the pins M of the uprights.

It will be seen that the upright I3 is capable of pivotal movement about the pins I4 at its upper and lower extremities and while this upright acts as a portion of the door frame because of its pivotal movement, it also acts as the hinged edge of a suitable door. The door may be formed by a lower cross piece 20, an upper cross piece 2| and an upright member 22 extending between Such cross pieces. The door ma be detachably held together by thumb screws 23 threaded through the uprights l3 and 22 into the ends of the lower and upper cross pieces 2% and 2i. To hold the door frame rigid, it is desirable to utilize a diagonal bracing wire 24 secured to the upright I3 near the top thereof and to the upright 22 near the bottom thereof, as may be seen in Fig. l. The lower and upper cross pieces and 2| are of a length approximating the width of the door frame opening so that when the door is in its closed position, the upright 22 will be approximately in line with and will abut the upright l2, as will be seen in Fig. 6. To latch the door a hook 25 carried by the upright 22 on the door may be detachably secured to an eye 26 secured to the upright l2.

The door frame just described may be covered by any suitable door covering, preferably to provide for entrance of light and air but to exclude insects and the like. One desirable manner of securing a door covering to the door frame is illustrated in the drawings. As may be seen in Figs. 6 through 8, a layer 27 of cheesecloth or net material may be secured to the tent wall in the region of the pivotally mounted upright 13, such as by sewing to the edge portion of the tri- 4 angularly shaped wall extension H]. The material forming the door covering 21 may then be provided with tubular hem portions 28, which hem portions enclose the lower and upper cross pieces 29 and 2! of the door fram and the connecting upright 22.

For purposes of storm protection in the event of rain, wind, etc., a suitable storm covering for the door may also be provided. Such covering is indicated by the numeral 30 in the drawings and comprises a piece of tent fabric or other suitable material secured to the tent side wall or the extension it extending longitudinall alongside the pivotally mounted upright 13. In fact, it is economical to fasten with a single line of stitching the hem portion H of the tent side Wall extension iii, the door covering 2? and the storm covering or flap 30, such common stitching being indicated in Fig. 6 by the numeral 3!. To hold the storm fiap 3a in position on the door, it may be provided with a plurality of buttonholes or fastener sockets adapted to be secured to studs or posts 32 on the door upright 22, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 9.

To provide for privacy the door opening may be closed to prevent transmission of light by a conventional roller shade 33 carried by brackets 34 suitably secured to the door frame cross piece il, as illustrated in Fig. 7. Also, to further effect a weather-proof and insect-proof seal when the door is in its closed position, a flap 35 of canvas or other weather-proof material may be secured to the bottom of the cross piece I1 and depend in overlapping relationship with the top of the door.

To avoid difficulties in closing the door due to rough or uneven ground, it is desirable to form the door so that it does not reach completely to th ground and thus the .door opening in the tent side wall is spaced above the bottom of the tent, leaving a panel 36 of the tent side wall, which is shown in cross section in Fig. 8. To suitably seal the bottom of the door a flap 31 of canvas or other water-proof material may be secured to the bottom of the door such as by sewing to the tubular hem 2B of the door covering 21, as shown in Fig. 8. To assist in maintaining the door in its closed position it may be supported on the ground surface, even though the bottom cross piece thereof is disposed at a point above the ground level. This may be done by extending the upright 22 of the door downwardly past its connection with the lower cross piece 29. The diagonal brace 24 adequately holds the door so that adjacent sides thereof are substantially erpendicular.

Although the previously described construction provides a re;atively sturdy and rigid door frame and door construction, the construction is such that the component parts thereof may be readily disassembled for storage or moving. All the pieces which are too long for convenient handling may be formed in sections with joints to permit their assembly into the required length. Such constructions are not illustrated in the drawing as they are well known in the manufacture of demountable tents and the like.

The tent construction described is readily adapted for quick and easy assembly to provide an extremely desirable door frame and door construction for the tent. With the tent erected the door frame maybe readily provided by inserting the uprights l2 and l3through the tubular hems ll of the triangularly shaped extensions [0 and anchoring the pins l4 onthe-lower ends of these uprights through the grommets IS in the tent floor l6 into the ground, with the lower ends of the uprights disposed within the panel 36 across the'bottom of the door opening in the tent side wall. Cross piece ll which carried the roller shade 38 and the depending flap '35 may then .be mounted on the pins 14 at the upper ends of the uprights l2 and i3. Then the pins M at the tops of the uprights I2 and 13 may be inserted through the grommets in the awning or roof extension 6 and the awning poles 7 may then be located and anchored by guy wires 8. To complete the connectionof the roof structure to the doorfr-ame, the-slat -l8 may be mounted on the pins l4 holding the awning or roof extension 6 against the cross piece H. To facilitate the assembly of the door frame and the roof structure'the cross piece ll may be held to the upright [2 by a hook and eye mechanism indicated by'the numeral 38 in Figs. 2 and 5. After assembly this connection will assist in stabilizing the door frame and maintaining the connection between the cross piece H and the upright I2.

The door may then be assembled by inserting the lower and upper cross pieces 2:: and 2! and the door upright 22 into the tubular hems 28 of thedoor covering Ti and inserting the thumb screws 23 through the uprights I3 and 22 into the lower and upper cross pieces 2s and 2!. Ihe diagonal wire brace 24 may then be secured to the uprights l3 and 22 to stabilize and brace the door. The door is now ready for use and it will be noted that the storm flap 33 remains available alongside the upright l3 ready to be stretched across the door and secured to the posts 32 on the upright 22 to protect the door opening against the elements.

It will be noted that the guy wires 5 extending between the ends of the radial arms 4 and the center pole l cooperate with the door frame and door construction since they support and make more rigid the radial arms 4, and thus the roof structure of the tent as a whole. This feature facilitates properly supporting the door frame and better operation of the door. In addition it is frequently desirable to use the radial arms 4 on the interior of the tent to support loads such as clothes hangers and the like, and when the guy wires 5 are utilized the problem of sagging of the radial arms and thence the roof structure is obviated. Further, in Warm and humid weather the tent material tends to sag and since in an umbrella tent the side walls depend from the roof structure and place a considerable load thereon, the use of the guy wires 5 is beneficial in properly supporting the tent.

It will be understood that the foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention is for the purpose of explanation and illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as described and claimed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a tent having an opening in a side wall thereof, a door frame and door construction which comprises a pair of upright members, a cross piece holding said upright members in spaced relationship, one of said uprights being mounted for pivotal movement, a door including two cross pieces and an upright member detachably secured to said pivotally mounted upright, said pivotally mounted upright being detachably secured to portions of said tent side wall defining said opening, and a door covering detachably secured to said members making up said door.

2. A tent having an opening in a side wall thereof the vertical marginal portions of said opening being-hemmed, a pair of spaced upright members each insertable into one of the marginal hemmed portions of the side wall, a cross piece connecting said uprights near the top thereof to hold the same in spaced relation, one of said uprights being pivotally mounted, said pivotally mounted upright having detachably secured thereto a pair of cross pieces and door upright to form a door, a door covering having one edge secured to the tent adjacent said pivotally mounted upright and its other side edges terminating in hem portions enclosing portions of the members making up said door.

3. In a tent having an angularly disposed side wall with .an opening therethrough at a point above the ground level, a door frame and door construction which comprises a pair of roughly triangularly shaped pieces connected to said side wall along the side edges of said opening, a pair of spaced substantially vertical uprights connected to said triangular members to define a door frame, a cross piece detachably secured to said uprights to hold the same in spacedrelation, a cover portion secured to said tent and to said triangularly shaped pieces and overlying said door frame, one of said uprights being adapted for pivotal movement about its substantially vertical axis, a lower cross piece detachably secured to said pivotally mounted upright and positioned adjacent the bottom of said opening in said tent side wall to form the bottom edge of a door, an upper cross piece detachably secured to said pivotally mounted upright and positioned adjacent the cross piece extending between said upright members to form the top edge of a door, an upright member detachably secured to said lower and upper cross pieces to form the side edge of a door, and a door covering secured to said pivotally mounted upright and said cross pieces and upright making up said door.

4. In an umbrella type tent having angularly disposed side wall portions and an opening in one of said side walls, a door frame and door construction which comprises a pair of roughly triangularly shaped extensions of said side wall along the side edges of said opening, a pair of spaced substantially vertical uprights connected to said extensions to define a door opening, a cross piece detachably secured to said uprights to hold the same in spaced relation, a cover portion secured to said tent and to the top edges of said extensions and overlying said cross piece, one of said uprights being adapted for pivotal movement about its substantially vertical axis, and a door member detachably secured to said pivotally mounted upright. Y

5. In a tent having an opening in a side wall thereof, a pair of spaced upright members detachably secured to marginal portions of said side wall adjacent said opening to define a door tachably secured to marginal portions of said side wall adjacent said opening to define a door opening, one of said uprights having a pin extending at the top thereof, a cross piece extending between said upright members and mounted on said pin to permit pivotal movement of said pin carrying upright, door members secured to said pin carrying upright and adapted to close the space defined by said spaced upright members and said cross piece, and a door covering having one edge secured to said tent along said pin carrying upright, said covering being securable to said door members.

'7. In a tent having an opening in a side wall thereof, a door frame and door construction which comprises a pair of spaced upright members detach-ably secured to marginal portions of said tent side wall adjacent said opening to define a door opening, a cross member extending between and detachably connected to said spaced upright members, one of said upright members being mounted for pivotal movement about its vertical axis, and door members including cross pieces and a door upright secured to said pivotally mounted upright member, whereby said pivotally mounted upright and said door members constitute a door swingable in position to close said door opening,

8'. In a tent having an opening in a side wall thereof, a pair of spaced upright members detachably secured to marginal portions of said side wall to define a door opening, one of said uprights having a pin extending at the top thereof, a cross piece extending between said upright members and detachably engaging said pin to space said upright members, said pin carrying upright member being mounted to pivot on its vertical axis and a door upright member secured to said pivotally mounted upright in spaced relation thereto to form therewith a door, said door being swingable to close the door opening.

WILLIAM E. 'IROMBLEY. I

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inithe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Bittick Jan. 30, 1940

Images