GB2332457A

GB2332457A - An aid for rendering tent anchorages more visible

Info

Publication number: GB2332457A
Application number: GB9726750A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vivien Sieglinde Shaw; Martin John Ward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-12-19
Filing date: 1997-12-19
Publication date: 1999-06-23
Also published as: GB9726750D0

Abstract

An aid, and associated method, for improving the visibility of tent anchorages at night comprising an article (4) having a through passage adapted to receive a guy rope or like tent support, at least the exterior surface of the article or a portion thereof being of a material adapted to increase its visibility more especially when illuminated by torchlight or moonlight. The article may be a sleeve, as shown, a helix, or a cleat.

Description

j- 1 1 CAMPING AID 2332457 The present invention relates to aids for

camping and more particularly to a method and means for improving the visibility of tent anchorages at night.

Tents are normally anchored by guy ropes or like supports including ropes or cords attached to e.g. corners of the tent at one end and, at the other end, to pegs driven into the ground. Usually a loop is take.n around the peg, the end of the rope being fastened to a travelling cleat by which,,,the tension on the rope can be adjusted. At a camp site the numerous anchorages constitute a hazard in the dark to wandering campers who frequently trip over them, often harming themselves as well as disturbing the occupants of the anchored tents. Modern tents frequently use narrow cords which are very difficult to see at night and also in poor daylight.

The invention is directed to alleviating this problem. According to one aspect it provides an aid to improving the visibility of tent anchorages at night comprising an article having a through passage adapted to receive a guy rope or like tent support, at least the exterior surface of the article or a portion thereof being of a material adapted to increase its visibility more especially when illuminated by torchlight or moonlight.

Hereinafter the word "rope" will be used generically to include relatively narrow cords. Likewise "peg" will include any suitable tent anchor and 1uminous" will be used to include any suitable material adapted to increase the visibility of the article more especially when illurhinated by torchlight or moonlight.

The luminous material may be selected from fluorescent, chemiluminescent, and continuous or discontinuous reflective material. Many examples of such materials are known and readily available. Continuous reflective material may include for example partial or complete coverings of metal foil or plastics sheet such as polyester having a mirror surface. Discontinuous reflective material may include reflective particles dispersed in a coating layer or throughout the article.

The article itself may be tubular, in which case ittan. be threaded over a guy rope. Alternatively the article may be of resilient material and comprise a longitudinal slit, in which case it can be fitted around the rope after attachment to a peg. The edges of the slit may be turned outwardly or bevelled.

2 The article may also be in the form of a helix, in which case it can be threaded on to the rope after attachment to a peg A plurality of such articles may be attached to each guy rope. For example, a group of large beads e.g. 1 to 10 or more preferably 2 to 8 cm outside diameter may be attached to each guy rope, the beads having reflective or refractive facets. They may be of moulded plastics material. A single large bead may be used, e.g. formed with two passages to constitute a travelling cleat.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of improving the visibility of tent anchorages at night comprising surrounding a guy rope or like tent support with one or more articles each having a through passage for receiving said rope or support, at least the exterior surface of the article or a portion thereof being of a material adapted to increase its visibility more especially when illuminated by torchlight or moonlight.

The article or articles may be as already described above.

Embodiments of aids in accordance with the invention, illustrating preferred methods in accordance with the invention, are hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:- Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section and not to scale, showing a tubular aid in place around an anchored guy rope, Figure 2 is a similar view of a modification of tubular aid, Figure 3 is a perspective view of an aid in the form of a slit tube, Figure 4 is a perspective view of an aid in the form of a helix, and Figure 5 is an elevational view, not to scale showing an aid of the invention in the form of a travelling cleat.

In Figure 1 there is shown the anchored end of a guy rope 1. The rope 1 is threaded through a travelling cleat 2, forming a loop which is looped over a peg 3. Tension can be increased by pulling the cleat 3 upwardly along the rope 1.

Before attachment to the peg, the looped end of the rope 1 is threaded through a tube 4, constituting an aid in accordance with the invention, the internal diameter of the tube being sufficient (e.g. 5 to 10 cm) to enclose two strands of the rope and if necessary the cleat. To adjust the tension the tube 4 can be slid up the rope clear of the cleat and allowed to fall back afterwards to a resting position against the peg.

The tube can be formed suitably of extruded plastics such as PVC, e.g. as commonly used in domestic plumbing. To improve its visibility in accordance with the invention it can be coated with a fluorescent or chemiluminescent paint, or 1 3 paint containing reflective particles. Alternatively luminescent material can be included in the extruded plastics. Alternatively reflective sheet material as already described can be bonded to the exterior surface of the tube.

A modification is shown in Figure 2 where similar features have the same numbers as in Figure 1 preceded by the numeral 2. in this case the tube 24 (which can be constructed as described with Figure 1) is of narrower internal diameter so that it requires to be threaded on to the rope 21 before this is attached to the cleat 22. The tube 24 will be held above the cleat 22, which can be an advantage in some circumstances, and the aid has the advantage that the 10 tube is more permanently attached and cannot be lost.

Figure 3 (where similar features have the same numbers as in Figure 1 preceded by the numeral 3) shows an aid in the form of a tube 34 of resilient material having a longitudinal slit 35. The edges of the slit may be turned outwardly in the form of lips, or bevelled, to assist the tube's attachment to the rope 31 from the side. The material may e.g. be of resilient closed cell foamed plastics, for example as used for insulating domestic water pipes. If necessary the tube may be dipped in a sealing or waterproofing or reinforcing coating material, and this coating material (or another.coating material) may incorporate fluorescent or chemiluminescent pigment to provide the necessary improvement in visibility.

Figure 4 (where similar features have the same numbers as in Figure 1 preceded by the numeral 4) shows an aid in the form of a helix 44 e.g. of resilient plastics strip. The strip can be threaded on to the guy rope. It may be of narrow dimension and used as in Figure 2 or of larger dimension and used as in Figure 1. Again the strip may be of plastics having luminescent material incorporated, or it may be painted with luminescent paint or bonded to luminescent material, e.g. reflective material, on one or both sides. Thus a laminated strip may be used. Another possibility is to form the strip itself of reflective or fluorescent sheet e.g. of polyester or like plastics material of suitable thickness.

The invention includes the use of a plurality or group of articles as described attached to a single guy rope. In particular, a group of large, facetted beads as already described can be used. The beads are more preferably threaded on to a single strand of rope as shown in Figure 2.

In the embodiment of Figure,5 (where similar features have the same numbers as in Figure 1 preceded by the numeral 5) the article itself is formed as the travelling cleat 55. The cleat 55 may be of moulded transparent plastics acrylic resin, e.g. methyl methacrylate, with numerous facets which will reflect or 4 refract the light from a torch, rendering the anchorage highly visible. In an alternative the article may be of any suitable material with the facets rendered reflective e.g. through the use of bonded reflective sheeting.

It will be apparent that numerous modifications are possible and the features described in association with the various embodiments can be alternated or combined.

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Claims

1. An aid to improving the visibility of tent anchorages at night comprising an article having a through passage adapted to receive a guy rope or like tent support, at least the exterior surface of the article or a portion thereof being of a material adapted to increase its visibility more especially when illuminated by torchlight or moonlight.

2. An aid according to claim 1 wherein the said material is selected from fluorescent, chemiluminescent, and continuous or discontinuous reflective material.

3. An aid according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the article is tubular.

4. An aid according to any preceding claim wherein the article is of resilient material and comprises a longitudinal slit.

5. An aid according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the article is in the form of 20 a helix.

6. An aid according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the article is in the form of a bead of from 1 to 10 cm outside diameter having reflective or refractive facets.

7. An aid according to claim 6 wherein the bead is formed as a cleat with two through passages.

8. An aid according to claim 1 comprising a group of articles as defined in any preceding claim.

9. An aid according to claim 1 substantially as described herein with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 5.

6 A method of improving the visibility of tent anchorages at night comprising surrounding a guy rope or like tent support with one or more articles each having a through passage for receiving said rope or support, at least the exterior surface of the article or a portion thereof being of a material adapted to increase its visibility more especially when illuminated by torchlight or moonlight.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the article constitutes the anchoring cleat of a guy rope or cord.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein the article is as defined in any one of claims 2 to 9.

13. A method according to claim 10 substantially as described herein with 15 reference to the accompanying drawing.

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