US1892378A - Tent construction - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1932. s. E. BERNSTEIN TENT CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 21, 192e Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATEN T ori-ICE TENT CONSTRUCTION Application led February 21,1923. Serial No.`256,032.

This invention relates to an enclosure in the nature of a tent and more speciiically to a tent-like structure adapted to enclose a bed unsupported other than by said bed.

In sleeping out of doors whether the person be well or sick, there has always been considerable ditliculty and inconvenience. The present invention will dispense with the necessity for an attendant and will alleviate or obviate the aforesaid diiiiculties or inconveniences. To state a few of these, I may mention that previous devices do not keep out wind or rain and they require expensive or clumsy supports which are in the way and often themselves cause damage by falling down or being blown or knocked down. This invention eliminates all such and reduces the expense as well as providing a simple structure admirably adapted eii'ectively to perform the functions for which it was intended.

Among the objects and advantages of the present invention are: the provision of a simple, inexpensive tent-likestructure requiring no special or extra supports; the provision of a tent-like structure weatherproof in all respects; the provision of a tent-like structure permitting easy ingress and egress and also communication beyond the same; the provision of means to detachably connect the sections of the structure blanket-like when not in use or for egress for a considerable time; the provision of means to p-ermit egress without completely separating the sections but merely by raising a tent-fiy-like portion provided by two intersecting lines of separation, and the provision of a flexible light device entirely operable by the person therewithin.

For the attainment of the foregoing objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawing wherein: Y v

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention in the position it occupies while in use;

Figure 2 is a perspective viewvof the invention when the portions are separated and one throughout the several views.

portion is pushed back blanket-like, a part being broken away to show the 'back piece; and v Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Figure j 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts UponV referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the invention relates to a tent-likeV enclosure for a bed. The bed' itself is desigf' nated by the numeral ll and is preferably of the hospital type as shown although any bed or other article of furniture designed to receive an occupant such as a chair, lounge,

recliner or the like may be used which has ai raised hea-d and foot portion.

The enclosure consists generally of a top2, sides 3 and 4, back 5, and front 6, but has preferablyy no bottom. If desired, however,v a bottom member or partition underneath the bed could be used to keep the dampness or coldness of the floor, ground, etc. from the occupant. The preferred material is canvas or sail cloth which has the flexibility and strength desired. It has, moreover, the ability to keep ott' wind, rain, snow, etc. effectively. If desired, other materials couldbe used and rubber or rubberized fabric, khaki,

etc. are contemplated. In summer or in hot climates` thinner cloth of any suitable kind is practicable such as cotton.I linen, duck, etc.

VIt may be colored or decorated in any suitable manner, if so desired.

In the embodiment shown, the enclosure is in two portions, a head portion and a foot portion, so-called for obvious reasons. Although not absolutely necessary, it isy preferred to secure these portions to the respective parts of the bed to prevent accidental displacement either by the occupant, anattendant. or the elements.V At 7 are shown pairs of eyelets through which a string or cord is passed in a manner to encircle the adacent part of the bed and then tied tightly to hold the enclosure to the bed; The head portion and the foot portion are detachably j oined, as shown, on the top and the two sides by a double row ofv automobile hooks or turn buttons 9 and eyelets l0. A single row could be used but the purpose of the double row lOO will be apparent hereinafter. Also, other types of fasteners could be used, such as snap fasteners, there being no difference in the operation or effect.

At this point it will be clear that the foot portion may be used blanket-like so to speak; that is, it can be detached and pushed or thrown to the foot of the bed forming wrinkles or folds, as desired, and then at any time it can be drawn or pulled up again and fastened to the head section. The hole 8 is provided to allow air to circulate so that foul air will not be breathed within the enclosure. This hole also enables the occupant to fasten the hooks and eyes together more readily as is apparent. If desired, however, the hole 8 may be covered with netting to keep out insects or even with glass or Celluloid.

There is a reinforcement or flap 11 sewed under the edge of the foot portion, as shown, by the line of stitching 12. The flap extends under the edge of the top and both sides of said foot portion. The out out portion 13 is provided so as not to cover up any part of the hole 8. The distance of the transverse cut from the head and foot portions may be altered to suit any particular conditions but is generally nearer the head than the foot of the bed so as to have the fasteners within easy reach of the occupant of the enclosure. Figure 8 clearly illustrates how the connection fastens the head and foot sections together and how the reinforcement or flap 11 cooperates therewith to provide a Weatherproof joint permitting no entrance within the enclosure of any of the elements such as wind. ram, or snow.

It will be observed that there is another connection or joint running longitudinally .of the enclosure for a part of the distance and intersecting the previously mentioned connection or oint. This connection may be like the other connection in the manner of the out and fasteners or it may be a flapcovered slit as shown. v This may be on either or both sides or ends as required but is preferably on a side so that the hereinafter mentioned features will be most effective in use. Along the side 4- is a slit 14 which is just above the level of the bed and which extends the length of the head portion and part of the length of the foot portion, although this latter could be omitted altogether. In order to make this slit weatherproof, a i'iap 15 is sewed just above so that it hangs over the slit. The flap may be fastened to the enclosure where the edge overlaps and at 16 are shown such fasteners which may be conventional snap fasteners. There may be one or more as desired and the fasteners serve also to prevent the portions below the slit from falling to the floor when t e enclosure is open as in Figure 2. The head and foot portions are there shown in an unnatural position to illustrate the use for in fact the portions would yield to the force of gravity in an obvious manner, the foot portion resting on the bed and the head portion hanging downwardly from the fastenings 7. In Figure 1, a corner of the flap 15 is shown raised to reveal the slit 14 thereunder more clearly.

Although it is thought that the` uses and operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing, it may be well to state some of them at this point. Let us first assume that the occupant has just left the enclosure after an occupancy or a rest there-4 in. The parts will be as seen in Figure 2 except that they will drop down, as explained above, by their weight. The rows of hooks and eyelets have been opened and the foot portion has been pushed back blanket-like towards the foot of the bed. The best procedure inl separating the portions is for the occupant to reach through the hole 8 to turn the hooks nearest the hole. This will permit a hand to be readily inserted between the portions where they overlap and the rest of `the hooks to be opened quickly and easily on the top and both sides. The foot section is then pushed back in a manner now clear. The occupant can then readily leave the enclosure and this procedure is usually followed where the occupant leaves for a considerable time. Upon returning, the reverse operations are carried out to maire the enclosure ready for undisturbed occupancy: the foot portion is drawn up and the hooks on the sides are pressed through the eyelets and the hooks turned. The hooks on top are then fastened proceeding from each side toward the hole 8. The last hooks may be fastened by reaching one hand through the hole, the other hand ,pressing from within the enclosure. The enclosure is now ready for u se. Suppose, however, that the occupant wishes to obtain something on a table outside the enclosure but near the bed as is often the case or perhaps someone wishes to hand something in to the occupant. The occupant merely needs to extend a hand through the slit 14 to receive the article. This act will displace the iiap 15 which will drop down again when the hand is withdrawn thus providing a weatherproof means of communication. Either part of the slit may be used.

vIf snap fasteners are used, they can merely be separated by a slight pulling apart of the halves. When the enclosure is closed up the opening of said fasteners will bring about no inconvenience as the portions of the side et below the slit cannot drop much or at all due to the presence of the hooks and eyelets in juxtaposition thereto. the hooks and eyelets shown are merely illustra-tive as they may obviously be located wherever desire l. The slit may be closed by hooks and eyelets such as 9 and 10 and in that case are so positioned that the heads of The positions of q the hooks are inside so that they can be operated from within the enclosure.

An importa-nt use of the invention will now be explained wherein the occupant may easily leave the enclosure temporarily or for a short time without opening up the head and foot sections and thus letting in the wind or cold etc. It will be observed that the slit in the side 4 of the head port-ion only may be independently opened. The occupant needs merely to open any snaps or hooks thereon and thus a tent-iiy-lilre portion will be provided which may be raised to permit egress. It any Jfasteners 9 and 10 are closed and need to be opened one pair or more can be opened also. This will allow the occupant to push open a short right-angled section of material bounded horizontally by the slit 14 in the side 4 of the head portion and vertically by the section of material between the slit and the top of the side portion. This section may thus be raised out of the way and the occupant can then leave the enclosure, the said section dropping back into place when the hand is removed therefrom. Upon returning` to the enclosure, this section may be Vraised to permit the occupant to enter the enclosure again whereupon any opened fasteners are re-fastened.

It will thus be clear that aV simple and convenient enclosure is provided needing no supports other than the bed. Rods could be inserted in longitudinal pockets in the top 2 ii' desired but the same are not required as the enclosure fits snugly and does not sag un duly. Any undesired sag of thek material can be taken up by manipulation of the fastenings 7 to place more tension on the material. A little sag may even be desirable as the air space will be reduced and the hole 8 brought more nearly opposite to the face of the occupant. Excellent operation has been experienced in using this device and no supports have, other than the bed, been required. The

' material may be cleaned or laundered without diliculty also.

character described, a head and a foot section, means for detachably uniting said sec- All the above matters are intended to be more illustrative than limitative so that I do not limit myself thereto except as contained in the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A tent adapted to enclose a bed and supported solely thereby, comprising two sections, a head section secured to the head of the bed and a foot section secured to the foot of the bed, means for detachably connecting the two sections along a. line nearer the head than the foot of the bed, one of said sections having a Ventilating aperture, and said tent having means for communicating with the outside.

2. In a flexible tent-like structure of the

Images