US3342192A - Campers' tent - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 19, 1967 A. L. TOMBARI CAMPERS' TENT Filed July 2, 1965 I NVENTOR. ALDO L.TOMBAm Mr W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,342,192 CAMPERS TENT Aldo L. Tombari, Statesville, N.C., assignor to The Hettrick Manufacturing Company, Statesville, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 2, 1965, Ser. No. 469,192 1 Claim. (Cl. 1351) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is concerned with a hip roof wall tent, such as is used for camping purposes, having rigid inside support for the ridge of the tent and rigid outside support for the eaves on opposite sides of the tent.

Heretofore, ordinary wall tents having vertical side walls are rendered unstable by high winds and driving rain because the side walls receive the direct force or impact and flutter and flap as a result thereof, the same simulating the action of a sail which catches the wind, bellies out and oftentime flutters and flaps. As a result the tent structure is quite unsteady and unreliable. Tents of this character have in many instances been equipped with outside ridge poles and this, too, is quite objectionable for the same reasons above set forth. In such a case the roof line of the tent sags and this not only catches water but also wind which creates a flapping and fluttering condition and seriously aflfects the stability of the tent.

An object of this invention is to produce a flexible fabric side wall tent which has greater stability when subjected to high winds, thereby greatly enhancing the use and comfort to the occupants of the tent.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and, for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawing, in which The figure is a top perspective view of a flexible fabric side wall tent, a portion being broken away to show the inside mounted ridge pole, and illustrating features of the invention.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a campers tent having a body of flexible fabric material suc for example, as canvas and designated generally by the reference numeral 10. As is customary with side wall tents, there are arranged on opposite sides, and in generally parallel relationship, side walls 11. The upper edges of the side walls 11 are joined to the roof wall or panels 12, which in turn are joined at their upper ends to provide a hip roof.

Joined to the front edge portions of the side walls 11 and roof walls 12 is a front wall 13, a portion of which is separated by a zipper fastener 14 to provide door flaps. As shown, there is netting 15 forming part of the door flaps and a rectangular piece of netting 16 is provided in each of the side walls to provide windows. Although not shown on the figure, it will be understood that there is a rear wall to the tent joined to the rear edges of the roof panels 12 and side walls 11.

Arranged within the tent is a ridge pole frame which consists of an inverted U-shaped member 17. The cross part of the U extends substantially the entire ridge of the tent and the depending leg portions are disposed adjacent the front and rear tent walls respectively. The member is preferably of a metallic rod and each depending leg portion slidably fits a metallic tube 18 the lower end of which rests on the ground. A suitable latch 19 carried by each tube 18 secures the parts in adjusted position. When in proper position the ridge pole frame holds the roof line of the tent level and free of wrinkles and sagging.

The eaves of the tent are supported by a pair of U- shaped metal frames 20. Each frame 20 has a U-shaped part and a leg part which is adjustable relatively to the U-shaped part and has associated therewith a latch 21 for securing the respective parts in position of adjustment. It will be apparent, as shown on the drawing, that the U- shaped frames 20 are inclined in opposite directions, the frame on one side inclining in a direction toward the frame on the opposite side. Each of the frames 20 holds an eave in the desired manner by means of a series of loops 22 at the juncture of the side and roof walls, and arranged in equidistantly spaced relation on each of the eaves and through which the horizontal portion of the frame 20 extends. By inclining the frames 20 in the manner shown it will be manifest that the roof panels 12 are maintained free of sagging or wrinkles. It will be recognized that the use of the frames 20 eliminates the necessity for stakes to hold the side walls and roof in a taut condition. Usually side wall tents are provided with a series of ropes which extend from the eaves and the outer ends of these ropes are staked into the ground to hold the roof and side walls in the desired erected position. It is virtually impossible to mount a side wall tent with the ropes and stakes as indicated without having sagging at certain areas and such sagging is most objectionable in high winds and driving rains, due to the ballooning and fluttering action which takes place, seriously affecting the stability of the tent.

At the bottom edge of each side wall 11 is a series of loops 23 to receive stakes 24 for retaining the side walls in the desired sloping condition, as will hereinafter appear.

An important feature of the invention resides in the downward and outward sloping of the side walls 11, which is found more elfectively to resist high winds and to militate against the sail-like effect of these walls in high winds due to flapping, ballooning, fluttering and so forth. The sloping side walls effect greater stability under wind conditions and it is found that a downward and outward sloping angle for each side wall of the order of 15 to 20 is satisfactory for this pur ose. Manifestly, a gentle slope is desired which does not catch the wind and does not act after the manner of a sail.

The positioning of the ridge pole 17 on the inside of the tent, instead of on the outside, has a distinct advantage of preventing the roof line to sag which would provide a pocket for water and cause flapping of the tent material in the wind. The inside ridge pole, as shown and described herein, contributes importantly to the stability of the tent and cooperates with the sloping side Walls 11 in militating against flapping, ballooning and fluttering of the tent walls in high winds and enables the tent to stand without substantial change in position when subjected to air turbulence.

It should be noted that the frames 20 which support the tent at the eaves cooperate with the ridge pole in supporting the roof and roof panels and side wall in a sufiiciently taut manner to eliminate reliance upon. staking and the use of ropes extending out from the eaves normally employed for this purpose. The stakes 24 merely hold the lower edges of the side walls to the ground and ensure that the desired slant or slope is imparted to each side wall.

Numerous changes in details of construction, arrange ment and choice of material may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A side wall tent having a body of flexible fabric material provided with a pair of sloping roof panels forming a hip roof, side walls joined at their upper edges to the lower edges of the roof panels, and front and rear walls, the improvement which comprises a ridge pole on the inside of the tent body and extending from end to end,

adjustable vertical support means for said ridge pole, a vertically adjustable U-shaped metallic supporting frame for each eave disposed wholly outside of said body with the horizontal portion thereof arranged at the juncture of a roof panel and a side Wall, suspending means providing a connection between the horizontal portion of each frame and the respective eave, each frame having ground engaging terminal portions, the terminal portion of one frame inclining at the front and rear of the tent body toward the terminal portion of the other frame, and each 10 side wall sloping downwardly and outwardly from its eave at an angle of the order of from 15 to 20.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,415,343 2/1947 Dunn l35-4 2,705,966 4/1955 Magary l35--1 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

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