US3043320A

US3043320A - Portable shelter

Info

Publication number: US3043320A
Application number: US838353A
Authority: US
Inventors: Moss Charles William
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Walrus Inc
Priority date: 1959-09-04
Filing date: 1959-09-04
Publication date: 1962-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 1979-07-10

Description

Jury 1o, 1932 l C. W. MOSS 3,043,320

PORTABLE SHELTER 1N V EN TOR.

BYCHARLES WILLIAM MOSS FINN G. OLSEN ATTORNEY July 10, 1962 c. w. Moss 3,043,320

PORTABLE SHELTER Filed Sept. 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

In(HARLES WILLIAM MOSS FINN G. OLSEN ATTORNEY United States Patent() 3,043,320 PORTABLE SHELTER Charles William Moss, 1415 Beechwood Drive, Ann Arbor, Mich. Filed Sept. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 838,353 14 Claims. (Cl. 13S-1) The present invention relates to portable shelters such as tents and the like which can be easily erected and collapsed. Y

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable shelter which is constructed and arranged so that it has a simple, low cost frame assembly 'and cover.

It is another object of the present invention to provide l a portable shelter of the foregoing character wherein the frame assembly is of a simple design, easy to assemble, and which when assembled within a cover is held in its assembled position by the cover thereby eliminating the need for additional fastening means.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a `fra-me assembly of the foregoing character which when assembled within its associated cover has no internal obstructions to limit the use of the shelter to its occupants.

=It is still another object of the present invention to provide an elongated tent-like structure which does not require lines attached to the upper portions of the cover in order to maintain the structure in its erected and distended position.

It is s-till another object to provide a portable shelter which has ventilation openings arranged in the cover so that rain and the like normally cannot enter the structure when in its erected position.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a portable shelter having a frame assembly supporting a fabric cover wherein Ithe component parts of the frame assembly can be adjusted relative to one another to assure the most satisfactory tting of the frame assembly with respect to the cover.

Itis still another object of the present invention to provide an elongated portable shelter which is characterized by :the rigid construction provided by a relatively simple frame assembly. Y

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 isa fragmentary perspective view of a portable shelter embodying the present invention and showing the opening iiaps in foul weather position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan view drawn to a reduced lscale of the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URE 1 with the frame assembly shown in broken lines;

FIGURE 3 is a similar fragmentary side elevation of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of the embodiment of FIGURE l with the flaps tied open;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view showing the arrangement for adjustably connecting the trame members together;

FIGURE 6 is another fragmentary view of the frame assembly showing the manner in which the frame members are connected at their upper ends; and

lFIGURE 7 is a perspective View of a portable shelter with a modified frame assembly, and with the cover being shown in phantom for the purposes of better illustrating the frame assembly.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and, of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention be described in greater detail. yThe portable shelter 10 has a cover 12 and a frame assembly 14. The cover 12 has

opposite side walls

16 and 18 which converge and are joined at the upper edge 20. Front and

rear end walls

22 and 24 are connected to the

side walls

16 and 18 and converge toward one another for a limited distance and then diverge as at 26 and 28 until reaching the upper edge 20. Thus, an overhang or an' outwardly extending pocket-like formation is provided at the opposite ends of the upper edge 20, and these overhangs have triangular shaped lower portions which have screens 30 therein to provide ventilation through the upper regions of the portable shelter 10. For the purposes of closing these ventilation openings, interior installed

rain aps

34 and 36 shaped to cover the screens are stored on rollers, as shown.V These

flaps

34 and 36 can be unrolled and attached to conventional snap buttons (not shown) v at the inner upper edges of the screens 30.

'Ilhe front end wall 22 has an opening 38 adapted to be covered by the

flaps

40 and 42. These

flaps

40 and 42 can be tied in an open position as shownin FIG- URE 4, or ca-n be positioned in the foul weather position shown in FIGURE l.

A bottom wall 44 is also provided which isy 'connected to 'the lower edges of the

side walls

16 and 18 and the end walls 22Y and 24. For purposes to be explained, material of multiple thickness may be used at 46 and 48 as shown.

The material of the cover 12 may be a woven tabric, or a nonwoven bonded fabric having a cross-laid web of threads held together by an adhesive with a cellulose coating on opposite sides of the web.

The frame assembly 14 has two inverted V-shaped, frame members S0 which are adjustably connected as at 54 at their lower end portions and which have their upper ends extending into the overhangs at the opposite ends of the upper edge 20. As can be seen bset in FIG- URE 3, the inverted V-shaped frame members and 52 are substantially in the planes of the lower walls of the overhangs. These planes are at an angle of approximately 60 With respect to one another and also with respect tothe supporting surface.

The

frame members

50 and 52 are each formed from two rigid elements, such as shown fragmentarily in FIG- URE 6 at 56, and are connected by a suitable looped wire element 58. Thus, in efr'ect the four rigid elements 56 form with the upper edge 20 a pair of triangles with the edge 20 forming a common base and the apexes of the triangles resting on the multilayer pads 48. For the purpose of iitting these rigid members 56 more tightly in the pocket-like formations or overhangs at the opposite ends of the upper edge 20, the adjustable connections 54 are provided. As seen in FIGURE 5, one of the rigid members has a pin 60 in its lower end and the other rigid member has a'series of longitudinally spaced holes 62 adapted to receive the pin 60. Moving the pin 60 upward to a higher hole 62 will have the effect of urging the upper ends of the rigid members 56 more tightly into the pocket-like lformations.

As is believed understood, the frame assembly 14 does not entirely dis-tend the cover 12. In order to completely distend the cover 12 loops 64 are lprovided at each of 3 the corners to which stakes or other securing means can be fitted or connected.

As can be seen, the frame assembly 14 is a very simple construction which can easily be erected within the cover 12. kFurther-more, when erected there are no obstructions within the portalble shelter 10 to limit the use by the occupants.

It is not essential that adjustment means 54 be used with the frame assembly 14. A modified fname assembly 14a is shown in FIGURE 7 wherein the rigid members 56a can be held together by the small V-shaped elements 66 which iit over the ends of the rigid members 56a. In other respects this anodication of the invention is the same as the one illustrated in FIGURES 1 6, inclusive.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A portable shelter comprising a fabric cover having a pair of side walls inclined toward one another and joined together to form an upper edge, and a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and inclined upwardly toward one another a limited distance below said upper edge and thereafter diverging from one another until reaching said upper edge so that a generally triangular shaped downwardly and outwardly facing overhang is provided at each end of said cover, and 'a frame assembly for supporting said cover, said frame assembly having two inverted V-shaped frame members connected together at lower portions thereof and 4diverging upwardly from one another at substantially the same degree that the upper portions of said end walls diverge from one another, theapexes of said inverted V-shaped frame members fitting into the corners of said cover defined by said upper edge and the triangular shaped overhangs, and means to secure to a supporting surface the four lower corners defined by the side and end walls of the cover.

A2. A portable shelter as claimed in claim l wherein said two inverted V-shaped frame members are connected together at their respective ends.

3. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said two inverted V-shaped frame members is connected for adjustable positioning along the lower portion of the other of said two inverted Vashaped frame members. r

4. A portable shelter comprising a fabric cover having a pair of side walls inclined toward one another and joined together to form an upper edge, a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and inclined upwardly toward one another a limited distance below said upper edge and thereafter diverging from one another until reaching said upper edge so that a generally triangular shaped downwardly and outwardly facing overhang is provided `-at each end of said cover, the upper portions of said end walls being detachably connected at their junctures with the side walls so that the triangular shaped downwardly and voutwardly facing overhangs can be opened, and screens mounted in the openings in said overhangs, and a frame assembly for supporting said cover, said frame assembly having two inverted V-shaped frame members connected together at lower portions thereof and diverg ing upwardly from one another at substantially the same degree that the upper portions of said end walls diverge from one another, the apexes of said inverted V-shaped frame members fitting into the corners of said cover delined by said upper edge and the triangular shaped overhangs, and means to secure to a supporting surface the four lower corners defined by the side and end walls of the cover.

5. A portable shelter comprising `a fabric cover having a pair of side Walls inclined toward one another and joined together to form an upper edge, a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and extending upward a limited distance below said upper edge and thereabove diverging from one another until reaching said upper edge so that an overhang is provided at each end of the cover, the end Wall portions in said overhangs being in planes having an included `angle of approximately 60, land a bottom wall connected to the lower edges of said side and end walls, and a frame assembly for supporting said cover, said frame assembly having two inverted V-shaped frame members connected at their lower end portions and being respectively generally in the aforesaid planes of said end wall portions, the lower ends of at least one of said frame members being supported on said bottom wall adjacent the side walls, and means at the corners of the cover defined by said side and end walls for securing the cover to a supporting surface.

6. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 5 wherein ksaid planes are each inclined approximately 60 to said bottom wall.

7. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 5 wherein the included angle between the legs in each V-shaped frame member is approximately 60.

8. A portable shelter comprising a fabric cover having a pair of side walls inclined toward one another and joined together to form an upper edge, a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and extending upward a limited distance below said upper edge and thereabove diverging from one another until reaching said upper edge so that an overhang is provided at each end of the cover, and abottom wall connected to the lower edges of said side and end walls, and a frame assembly for supporting said cover, said frame assembly having rigid members extending respectively from said bottom wall adjacent the side Walls to the apexes of said overhangs, and means at the corners of the cover defined by the side, end and bottom walls for securing said cover to a supporting surface.

9. A portable shelter comprising a fabric cover having a pair of side walls inclined toward one another and joined together to provide an upper edge, a bottom wall connected to the lower edges of said side walls, a pair of end walls joined to said side walls and extending upward a limited distance below said upper edge and thereabove diverging from one another until reaching said upper edge to provide an overhang at each end of the cover, and a frame assembly for supporting said cover, said frame assembly including two rigid members extending respectively from the apex of one of said overhangs to said bottom wall adjacent said side walls and n substantially midway between said end walls, vtwo otherV rigid members extending from the apex of the other of said overhangs to the lower end portions respectively of the first named two rigid members and adapted to be attached selectively Iat longitudinally spaced portions of the said first named two rigid members, said first named rigid members being in a plane at an acute angle to a plane containing said second named rigid members so that moving the lower ends of said second named rigid members upward to new locations of attachment on said first named rigid members will advance the upper ends of said second named rigid members further into said other overhang.

10. A portable shelter comprising a rdistensible fabric cover having a continuous lower edge adapted to rest on a supporting surface and a straight closed upper edge with aligned voutwardly extending pocket-like formations at each end of said upper edge, and a frame assembly for distending said cover comprising two rigid members connected at their lower end portions and adapted to be supported inside said cover adjacent said continuous lower edge by said supporting surface and having their upper ends inserted respectively into said pocket-like formations, two other rigid members similarly constructed and arranged to the irst named two rigid members but with their connected lower end portions on a diametrically opposite side within said cover so that two triangular structures are formed each including two connected members and the straight upper edge, and means for securing other portions of said continuous lower edge to said supporting surface.

1l. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 10 wherein the lower sides of said pocket-like formations have screens therein.

12. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 10 wherein said cover has an opening in the side thereof with aps adapted for closing said opening.

13. A portable shelter comprising a distensible fabric cover having a continuous lower edge and a straight closed upper edge terminating inl outwardly extending pocketlike formations, and a frame assembly for distending and supporting said cover comprising two rigid members adjustably connected at their lower end portions and adapted to be supported inside said cover adjacent said continuous lower edge by said supporting surface and having their upper ends inserted respectively into said pocket-like formations, two other rigid members constructed and arranged similarly to the rst named two rigid frame members but with their lower end portions on an opposite side within said cover so that two trangular structures are formed with said upper edge being in tension and corresponding to the common base of 20 both triangular structures, the adjustable connection at 6 the lower end portions of the two sets of members providing means for varying the tension of said upper edge, rand means for securing otherl portions of said continuous lower edge to said supporting surface.

14. A portable shelter as claimed in claim 13 wherein each of the adjustable connections at the lower end portions of the two sets of members comprise a series of holes spaced longitudinally on one of the associated frame members and a pin extending from the end of the other of the associated members and adapted to t selectively into said holes.

ReferencesCivted in the le of this patent l UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,846,496 Mills Feb. 23, 1932 2,069,479 Pluth Feb. 2, 1937 2,243,984 Singewald June 3, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 89,003 Norway Apr. 1, 1957 677,066 Germany lune 17, 1939