GB1596101A - Folding tent - Google Patents

Description

(54) FOLDING TENT (71) We, LUCIANO VESCO and MARCO NEGRO, both of Italian Nationality, and both of Via Stampini, 16 Turin, Italy, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described, in and by the following statement: FOLDING TENT The present invention relates to folding tents.

Folding tents may be autonomous or supported by motor vehicles or towable trucks. When such tents are folded onto a platform, if the platform is too short to contain the highest element of the frame, either this element must be assembled and mounted manually when the tent is erected, or this element must be positioned crosswise when the tent is folded and must be moved automatically into the correct position when the tent is erected, requiring complicated articulations.

What is desired is therefore articulations having a simple structure and a limited manufacturing cost which are suitable to provide automatic erection of the tent when it is opened out.

The present invention provides a folding tent comprising a tent cloth, a fixed platform, movable platforms pivoted to opposite ends of the fixed platform so as to be movable from closed positions in which they overlie the fixed platform to open positions in which they form extensions of the fixed platform, main frames pivoted to the fixed platform, the tent cloth being engaged with the main frames and the movable platforms, and a U-shaped auxiliary frame having two legs and a crosspiece, the legs being pivoted on the uprights of one of the main frames, the free ends of the legs being pivoted on the ends of respective tie rods whose other ends are pivoted on respective links forming an articulation between an end of the fixed platform and the associated movable platform, the arrangement being such that when the movable platforms are moved to the open positions the auxiliary frame is raised so that its crosspiece supports the highest part of the tent cloth when the tent is erected.

The invention will be described further with reference to the accompanying perspective drawings, given only by way of example, in which: Figure 1 is a rear view of a truck on whose platform a tent frame formed by two superimposed sections is folded; Figures 2 to 5 illustrate in a succession the various phases of the frame opening; and Figure 6 and 7 illustrate some details of the frame.

On the fixed platform of a towable truck A there are superposed movable platforms 5,6 (Figure 1) delimited by substantially rectangular frames, pivoted on pairs of links 3 and 4 which, in turn, are pivoted on uprights or fixed points 1,2 of the truck A. The platform 5 can be lifted to pass from the closed position shown in Figure 1, through that of Figure 2, to the open position of Figure 3, in which the platform 5 rests on a leg 12a pivoted to it. Then the platform 6 (Figure 3) can be lifted. The chain-dotted line B indicates the tent cloth serving as a vault, which is engaged, at pre-established distances, to the crosspiece of frames 7, 8, 9, 12 as well as to the free ends of the movable platforms 5 and 6.

On the pair of side links 4, in addition to the platform 5, there are pivoted also a pair of tie rods 10 provided on their top with slots 10a wherein pivot pins 1 la on the legs of a U-shaped frame 11 pivoted at 9a on the uprights of the frame 9 (Figure 6) may slide.

The angular movement imposed to the platform 6, through the tent cloth B, from the position of Figure 3 to that of Figure 5, is transmitted to the frames 7,8,9,10,12. The symmetrical pair of links 4 (Figure 7), actuated in an angular movement by the corresponding platform 5, imposes also on the tie rods 10 a counterclockwise angular movement as viewed in the drawing. The auxiliary frame 11, pivoted at 9a with respect to frame 9, therefore assumes the cantilevered position represented in Figure 5 and supports the tent cloth at its highest point, thus providing central support without requiring uprights which would encumber the central space C or oblique rods which must be manually mounted and demounted.

The folding of the tent is effected by bringing down, to the position C, firstly the platform 6 and then the platform 5 on it. Substantially, the opening and closing of the tent, which when open is stretched on the frame pivoted elements, occurs automitically and without any encumbrance in its central zone.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A folding tent comprising a tent cloth, a fixed platform, movable platforms pivoted to opposite ends of the fixed platform so as to be movable from closed positions in which they overlie the fixed platform to open positions in which they form extensions of the fixed platform, main frames pivoted to the fixed platform, the tent cloth being engaged with the main frames and the movable platforms, and a U-shaped auxiliary frame having two legs and a crosspiece, the legs being pivoted on the uprights of one of the main frames, the free ends of the legs being pivoted on the ends of respective tie rods whose other ends are pivoted on respective links forming an articulation between an end of the fixed platform and the associated movable platform, the arrangement being such that when the movable platforms are moved to the open positions the auxiliary frame is raised so that its crosspiece supports the highest part of the tent cloth when the tent is erected.

2. A folding tent as claimed in claim 1, in which the auxiliary frame assumes a cantilevered position when the tent is erected.

3. A folding tent substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. would encumber the central space C or oblique rods which must be manually mounted and demounted. The folding of the tent is effected by bringing down, to the position C, firstly the platform 6 and then the platform 5 on it. Substantially, the opening and closing of the tent, which when open is stretched on the frame pivoted elements, occurs automitically and without any encumbrance in its central zone. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A folding tent comprising a tent cloth, a fixed platform, movable platforms pivoted to opposite ends of the fixed platform so as to be movable from closed positions in which they overlie the fixed platform to open positions in which they form extensions of the fixed platform, main frames pivoted to the fixed platform, the tent cloth being engaged with the main frames and the movable platforms, and a U-shaped auxiliary frame having two legs and a crosspiece, the legs being pivoted on the uprights of one of the main frames, the free ends of the legs being pivoted on the ends of respective tie rods whose other ends are pivoted on respective links forming an articulation between an end of the fixed platform and the associated movable platform, the arrangement being such that when the movable platforms are moved to the open positions the auxiliary frame is raised so that its crosspiece supports the highest part of the tent cloth when the tent is erected.

2. A folding tent as claimed in claim 1, in which the auxiliary frame assumes a cantilevered position when the tent is erected.

3. A folding tent substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.