Untitled record

Application filed October 1,1888. Serial No. 286,867. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Herman Gentzen, of Fort Ringgold, in the county of Starr and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved 5 Tent, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to tents for the use of soldiers or civilians, and has for its object to provide a simple light inexpensive tent structio ure which maybe made of any required size, and may be easily and quickly pitched or struck, and will be securely anchored to the ground by the weight of its occupants, and will promote their good health, and Avill afford 15 them ready exit in emergencies.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the tent, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lisa perspective view of a tent made 25 and pitched in accordance with my invention and partly broken away at the top and partly open at one end. Fig. 2 is a detail end view of the head or peak block by which the pair of poles at each end of the tent are held at 30 their tops and the end of the ridge-pole secured thereto and a portion of one of the end stay-cords of the tent. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the bed-bottom canvas or fabric and a part of one of its attaching-cords. 35 Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of one of the horizontal side bare and parts of the two end bars, their couplings, and the corner-poles connecting them. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section of the tent. Fig. 6 is an outside view⁷ of 40 one end of the tent, partly broken away. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view, partly sectional, of one of the peak-blocks and the upper ends of tent-poles to which it is adjusted. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the end pins 45 or stakes and part of the tent stay-cord connected thereto. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one end of the tent ridge-pole. Fig. 10 is an end view⁷ of a peak-block, end poles, and canvas of the tent, the latter being in section. 50 Fig. 11 is a plan view of the tent-frame, and attached bed-bottom fabric, the tent-canvas straps being removed from the pole foot-plates. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the pole foot-plates and attached straps, the tent-can vas being shown in part in dotted lines. Fig. 55 13 is a detail vertical sectional view of the frame, foot-plate, canvas, and anchor-straps at one corner of the tent. Fig. 14 is a view of one of the leather-thong fastenings of the tent door or flap, and Fig. 15 is a perspective 60 view of a fastening-pin used with the thong in closing the tent,

The main frame of the tent· consists, principally, of a pair of downwardly and laterally diverging poles, A A, at each end of the tent, 65 and a horizontal frame of four bars, B B B' B', supported on the poles, as presently explained, and giving support to a stretched bed-bottom fabric, C. The pairs of poles A A are connected by a peak-block, D, at'each 70 end of the tent, and a ridge-pole, E, may also be used, especially when the tent is for civilians’ use; but for soldiers’ use the ridge-pole may be dispensed with. Foot plates or blocks F are also employed at the corners of the tent 75 to hold the tent-poles A and provide for anchoring the tent canvas or fabric G to and over the tent-frame bj⁷ straps H, held to the footplates. Stakes or pins and stay-cords are also used at the sides and ends of the tent, which 80 is also provided with thong and pin fastenings at its end flap-doors.

I more particularly describe the tent frame and fixtures as follows:

The four tent-poles A are made alike, and 85 preferablj⁷ of a metal tube or pipe of suitable length, having a short socket-piece, a, of larger pipe shrunk on or otherwise fastened at its lower end. The socket a is adapted to fit over a la terally-inclined pin,/’ which projects up- 90 ward from the metal corner foot-plate, F, and the top of the socket forms a shoulder, which gives support to eyes b', formed on the outer ends of nut-couplings b, which at their larger parts have interior screw-threads, which are 95 adapted to exterior threads formed on opposite ends of the tubular bars or pipes B B', forming the frame or support for the bed-bottom fabric or canvas C. The two opposite side bars, B B, are shown longer than the two 100 opposite end bars, B' B', of the bottom frame, and each of these bars B B' is provided with a nut-coupling, b, at each end.

The two end peak blocks or plates, D, are each provided with two downwardly and lat- 105 erally diverging pins, d d, which enter the upper ends of the two inclined poles A A at one end of the tent, and the blocks are also pro2

394,202 vided with a central upwardly-projecting pin, d', adapted to enter an eye or grommet hole in the tent canvas or fabric G. The ridgepole E is a sheet or plate of galvanized metal, 5 which extends the whole length of the tent, and is bent along the center to an angular form corresponding to the inclines of opposite sides of the tent fabric or canvas G. The ridge-pole is cut away at both ends at its top io to provide thereat a pair of flanges or lips, e e, which allow the peak-block pins d to pass between them, and are to be be bent over inward at the outer faces of the peak-blocks.

The tent-frame is erected easily and quickly 15 by first setting the pole-sockets a onto the footplate pins f and then slipping the eyes V of the bars B B' over the upper ends of the poles and down until the two- eyes of one side bar, B, and one end bar, B', rest on the top shoul2o der of the socket of each pole and on each other, thus forming a complete horizontal frame of these bars, which has substantial support upon the sockets a of all four of the tent-poles. The two peak-blocks D D will 25 now be adjusted to the end pairs of holes, A A, by setting their pins d d therein, and should the ridge-pole not be used-the tent-frame now is complete; but should this pole E be employed its ends will be placed on top of the 30 peak-blocks, and its end lips, e e, will then be bent inward at the outer faces of the blocks, as will be understood from Fig. .2 of the drawings. _: Should the tent be for civilians’ use, the foot-plates E will- now be anchored or fast35 ened to the ground by stakes or pins/', and thq tent-frame., is ready to receive its, canvas or covering fabric, G. When the tent is to be used by soldiers, the stakes f - are not re: quired. After the frame is erected as above 40 .described, and before or after the -canvas Gis placed upon it, the bed-bottom canvas or fabric C will be stretched within the horizontalbar frame, and will lie secured thereto; and to _:-· the tent corner-poles A by series of cords c, 45 which have a knot at their inner ends 1<>prevent ; their pulling- through grommet or eyeleted holes c' in the bottom fabric, and are wound around the.bars and poles and secured thereto, by two half-hitches of the cords. The 50 corner cords are passed around lire corner tent-poles, A, and above one side bar, B, and below the adjacent end bar, !!', and thus prevent upward movement or rattling of the eyes of these bars on the tent-poles. The bed may 55 be made on the;bottom fabric C either before or after the, canvas G is. stretched or placed over the tent-frame. . .

_: The tent-canvas G, which, is shaped to fit , : on the tent-frame, 1ms worked or eyeleted 60 holes fitting over or around the peak-block pins d', and the canvas is divided vertically at each end of the tent nearly to its top, to form entrances and exits at both ends. To one half of each end of the tent-canvas is 65 fixed a flap, g, which when, the tent is closed laps onto the other half of; the; end, canvas and is provided with thongs, which are,to be engaged by pins held to the canvas to fasten the tent closed, as hereinafter more fully explained. All around near its lower edge, or 70 about a foot therefrom, the material of the tent-canvas G is folded on itself vertically and sewed to form a pendent tuck or doublethick portion, g’, to which the canvas-holding straps and corcls are attached, as presently de- 75 scribed, that part·, g², of the canvas next the ground and below the tuck &lt;7' being left free to allow desired circulation of air to and below the tent.

The drawings, in Figs. 11, 12, and 13 more 80 particularly, show that the, tent-pole footplates F are each provided with vertical slots h, ranging in pairs, three pairs of said slots being shown, two pairs of slots, one pair ranging at right angles to the other pair, being 85 necessary to receive two straps, H—one to engage the side and the other to engage the end of the tent-canvas G at each of its corners. The third pair of slots h are provided in the foot-plate to accommodate one of the two 90 straps H should the plate F be shifted to the other side of the tent. The cross bar or partition Id between the two slots h of each pair of slots is cut away at the bottom of the plate, as shown best in Fig. 13 of the drawings, to 95 give room for the bend of the strap H, said strap being passed downward through one of the slots and then upward through the other slot, and the free end of the strap is passed through a retaining-loop, h², on the strap next 100 its buckle /1³. This construction and arrangement protects the strap from being cut or worn by the ground on which the foot-plate rests, and also holds the strap to the foot-plate, ready to have its free end passed upward 105 through a grommeted hole, g^s, in the tentcanvas tuck g', and thence downward for engagement by the buckle 7i³. When both straps IIII at each corner of the tent are thus buckled, at the foot-plates, the entire canvas will be no securely held onto the tent-frame. In very windy or stormy weather I will use auxiliary stay-cords, I, engaging the tent-canvas at its opposite sides, and preferably run through grommeted holes in the canvas tuck g' and 115 held to stakes or pins J, driven into the ground, as shown in Figs. 1 and δ of the drawings.

After the canvas G is set over the tentframe, and more particularly when the ridgepole E is not used, I stay the opposite ends of 120 the tent to the ground by cords K, held to the peak-blocks D and to pins or staples L, driven into the ground. These pins L (see Fig. 8) are made, preferably, with wooden body por-tions I, having a sharp metal point, V, and a 125 top,metal ring or ferrule, I²,provided withan eye,; Z³, for attachment of the stay - cord K, which, is provided at each end with an eye or loop, k, In setting these stays K L one end of the cord will be slipped through the pin- 130 eye. Z³, and the larger part of the cord will then be slipped through the cord-eye k at the pin, and after; the eye k at the other end of the cord is slipped over the pin d' of the peak

394,262 block D of the tent-frame the pin will be set off as far as possible from the end of the tent and driven into the ground, the stay-cord K at each end of the tent being adjusted in like manner. Cords Μ M, attached at one end to the two parts of the ends of the tent, may be tied at their free ends to adjacent side stakes or pins, J, to hold the ends of the tent either half open or fully open, as xvill be understood from Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The tent-door fastenings consist of thongs or straps N and metal pins 0, xvhich are shown in detail in Figs. 14 and 15 of the drawings. The thongs N are preferably made of leather and in two or more thicknesses, both slit lengthwise at one end to form series of narrow strips, which., when the two or more layers are laid face to face, are tied together to form a secure knot, n, at the inner end of the thong, the outer end of xvhich is made tapering by scarfing off its layers edgewise, and these scarfed ends are then, wrapped or whipped around with fine cord or xx’ire n', thus making a durable and easily-entered point to the thong fastener. Between the cord n' and the knot n the thong is provided with a series of holes, n², which are preferably re-enforced by metal eyelets, and are intended to receive the latch-pins 0, which are held to the canvas or fabric G of the tent by cords o. The fastener N may be made of a single piece of leather slit at one end to form strips, xvhich, when tied, form the knot-retainer for the fastener, and the pointed end of this single piece or layer may or may not be whipped xvith cord or wire, as may be preferred. These thongand-pin fastenings admit of fastening the tent closed either from the inside or outside of it, and in either case t he thong N is passed through a grommeted or eyeleted hole in one flap or part of the end of the tent until stopped by its knot n, and after the thong is passed through an eyeleted hole, P, in the other flap or part of the end of the tent the pin 0 xvill be passed though one of the eyeleted holes 7i²of the thong fastener to hold the tent closed. I prefer to use six thong-and-pin fastenings at each end of the tent, the thongs being held to the flap g in horizon tally-ranging pairs, and the corresponding pairs of pin-holes P being made in the other half of the end canvas or fabric of the tent. Fig. 1 of the drawings shows the thongs passed through the flap p from the outside to allow- them to be passed inxvard through the holes P and be held by pins 0 at the inside of the tent; but Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings shoxx' the thongs passed outward through the flap &lt;7 and outward through the tent-holes P to receive the pins 0 at the outside of the tent. Whether the tent-doors be fastened by inside or outside pins, the latter may be almost instantly removed by quickly-roused and nervous or excited men, who thus may much more easily open the tent in emergencies than if the tent were fastened by knotted cords, xvhich it would be difficult for them to untie. With the thong-and-pin fastenings the instant the pins are removed the end flaps of the tent may be parted by pressing on them as the thongs N draw 70 through and out of the holes P, as will readily be understood.

Aside from the advantages of quick and easj^T pitching and striking of the tent and convenient means for fastening and unfast- 75 ening its doors or end flaps, and of easy transportation and replacement of any broken part, which the construction of the tent affords, it is manifest that when it is once pitched the tent stands firmly, and the weight 80 of the occupant or occupants on the bed-bottom fabric C tends to keei) it down or anchor it to the ground and prevent its being bloxvn away or disordered by strong winds, and the occupants are supported on the bed clear 85 above the. ground, and thus are not so subject to rheumatism, dysentery, or other severe sicknesses entailed by sleeping on the ground, and freedom from, the discomfort of stones, roots, or other ground inequalities is assured 90 to promote sound sleep.

It is obvious that the pins d d on the peakblocks D may be fixed to the tent-poles A to enter holes in the blocks, and the foot-plates F may have holes receiving pins on the poles 95 instead of having pins entering holes in the poles, these constructions clearly being equivalent detachable pin-and-socket connections between the foot-plates, peak-blocks, and tentpoles. 100

The tent-poles A are adapted to form shafts of light carts to be pulled by soldiers or others using the tents xvhen the struck tents are being moved from place to place, at xvhich times the other parts of the tent-frame xvill 105 be stowed away on the carts and the tent-canvas G xvill form a storm-proof covering for tlie carts or the goods or accouterments thereon.