US1342234A - Tent - Google Patents

Description

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Patented 5111101 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFEQE.

WALTER K. SMITH, OF ELLWQOD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

' TENT.

' Application filed October 11, 1919. Serial in. 329,967.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WALTER K. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Ellwood citly, in the county of Lawrence and State of ennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tents; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. My invention relates to tents, ELIlCl'it has special reference to tents of the type having a straight ridge, from which the tent is adapted to be suspended by means of a rope or other non-rigid support, as distinguished from the usual solid ridge pole.

The object of my invention is to provide a tent of the class described in which sagging of the top of the tent will be substantially prevented.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tent constructed 7 in accordance with one form of my inven tion; Fig. 2is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken at the ridge of the tent shown in Fig. 1, the supporting rope being shown as extending through the ridge construction, but not drawn taut; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the supporting rope in its taut or supporting position; Fig; 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the ridge construction shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of ridge construction. I

When tents having straight ridge-pole constructions, such as the ordinary A-tents and wall tents, are to be transported and used at frequent intervals, it is often desirable to dispense with the usual supporting poles and ridge poles, and to suspend the tents from ropes stretched between trees or other convenient supports. However, it is difiicult,'if not impossible, to maintain a supporting rope of this kind in a perfectly horizontal position, and the resultant sagging of the top of the tent is objectionable, not only because of its unsightly appearance, but also on account of the lessened resistance to wind and water presented by a loose and sagging tent.

According to my present invention, I have produced a tent which may be suspended from a rope or other non-rigid support and in which the top of the tent is maintained horizontal in spite of the necessary sagging of the supporting rope. To these ends, I provide the tent with a ridge-piece consisting of a loop of fabric extending lengthwise of the tent ridge, the ridge-piece or loop being provided with means for conforming to the curvature of the supporting rope without distortion of the body of the tent. The ridge-piece may consist of a strip of canvas secured to the sides of the tent, or it may be formed from the sides of the tent themselves, as will more clearly be described below.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawing, the tent 1 is shown, for the purpose of illustration, as an ordinary wall tent provided with guy ropes 2 and suspended from a rope 3, the ends of which may be attached to trees or other convenient supports. A ridge-piece 1 extends lengthwise of the ridge of the tent and defines a space 5 for receiving the supporting rope 3. In this modification of myv invention, the ridge-piece 4 consists of a strip of canvas, or other fabric, cut with its two longer edges curved inwardly. When the strip is attached to the sides of the tent, by stitching or otherwise, the longer edges of the strip are stretched until they are substan tially straight, as shown in Fig. 1, the result being that the space 5 defined by the ridgepiece 4L is deeper at the ends of the tent than in the middle.

Fig. 2 shows the relation of the abovedescribed parts at the time when the rope 3 is passed through the loop or ridge-piece 4, and before the rope is drawn taut; Here the top of the tent is shown as sagging somewhat, while the top of the loop 4: is curved to a greater degree. When the rope 3 is drawn taut, the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 3, the top 6 of the tent 1 being horizontal, while the loop or ridgepiece 4 conforms to the curvature of the rope 3. There is thus no sagging of the tent proper, and, therefore, no wrinkling of the sides of the tent. If desired, the ends of the ridge-piece 4: may be provided with cords 7 or other attaching means. for preventing the tent from slipping lengthwise upon the rope 3.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of tent constructed in accordance with my invention, this form being preferred where it is desired to dispense with even the small amount of curvature present at the top of the ridgepiece, described above and shown in Fig. 1. In the modification of Fig. 5, the ridgepiece 4; is shown integral with the sides of the tent 1, and is formed by stitching the sides of the tent together, as shown at 8. Obviously, the ridge-piece 4, in this modification, may, if desired, consist of a sepa'rate piece attached to the tent as in Fig. 1. The depth of the loop formed by the ridge piece 4 should be suflicient to receive a curved portion of the rope 3 without distortion of the canvas. In order to provide a bearing surface for the supporting rope, the sides of the loop 4 are secured together by means of eyelets 9 or the like, these eye lets being so disposed that a line connecting them conforms to the curve produced by the ropes 3 when the rope is stretched to a convenient degree of tightness. Instead of the eyelets 9, other means may be employed for securing the sides of the ridge piece 4; together at intervals, and if desired, such attaching means may be replaced by one or more curved rows of stitching following the path to be occupied by the supporting rope 3.

Other modifications in the construction and arrangement of parts may readily be made by, those skilled in the art without de- 7 parting from the spirit of my. invention,

and I therefore desire that no limitations,

be imposed upon my invention, except such as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tent having a ridge construction extending substantially the full length of the tent adapted for suspension froma nonrigid support and also adapted to prevent substantial sagging of the ridge when the tent is in use.

2. A tent having a substantially straight tilinear support.

'3. A tent provided with a loop of fabric extending from end to end of the ridge thereof, the said loop'being adapted for suspension from a curved rope or the like while maintaining the ridge of the tent substantially straight.

4. A tent provided with a loop of fabric extending lengthwise of the tent at the ridge 7 thereof, the said loop being adapted toreceive a rope or other support and being deeper at its ends than in the middle;

5. A tent provided with a ridge-piece of fabric secured to the sides of the tent at the ridge thereof, the said ridge-piece form? ing a space lengthwise of the tent for receiving a rope or other support the said space being deeper at its ends than in the middle.

6. A ridge construction for tents com prising a strip of fabric cut with its two longer edges curved inwardly, said strip being secured to the sides of the tent atthe ridge thereof with its originally curved edges substantially straight, whereby the said strip defines a space lengthwise'ofthe ridge of the tent,- the said space being deeper at its ends than in the middle.

In testimony whereof, I the said WALTER K. SMITH, have hereunto set my hand.

WALTER K. SMITH. Witnesses: i

RoBsoN D.'BROWN, I JoHN F. WILL.

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