Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bracket for
securing a tent structure to a supporting structure.
BACXGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The type of tent structures to which the
present invention relates is that which is collapsible
and provides a temporary shelter from the elements for
workers carrying out certain tasks under its protection.
Such tents are used, for example, by public utilities
service personel when working at ground level or in
underground installations where the entrance through a
manhole must be sheltered. One example of such collapsible
tent and frame may be found described in U.S. Patent no.
3,810,482 issued May 14, 1974 to Beavers.
It has been found that such tent structures are
also extremely useful on utilities pole or ladder.
Howev~r, as of now, no support bracket has been devised
to securely mount these tent structures on above ground
supporting structures~
OBJECTS AND STATEMEN'r OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present
invention to provide a bracket which enables a tent
structure to be installed at various locations to provide
temporary shelter from the elements to users or workers
~5 carrying out certain tasks under its protection.
It is also an object of the present invention
to provide a tent bracket suitable for various mountings
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(ladder, pole, etc.)
It is a further object of the present invention
to provide a tent bracket which is compact and which may
be folded and carried easily when not in use.
The present invention therefore relates to a
tent bracket for securing a tent structure to a support-
ing structure, comprising:
- a horizontal frame having a central portion
and opposite extremities;
- means provided at the central portion for
securing the horizontal frame to the supporting
structure;
- a pair of arms each having one end rotatably
mounted to a respecti~e extremity of the horizontal frame
and the other end adapted to detachably receive the tent
structure, each arm being angularly adjustable relative
to the horizontal frame; and
- means for fixing the arms in angular position
relative to the horizontal frame.
In one preferred form of the invention, each
arm is formed of a pair of sections wherein one of the
sections is rotatably mounted at one end thereof to the
horizontal frame while the other section has its remote
free end adapted to be connected to the tent structure.
Both sections have their remaining ends interconnected
in a rotatable manner with means for fixing them in a
predetermined angular relation to one another.
The central portion of the tent bracket is
shaped either to fit onto the rung of a ladder or
directly to a pole. However, it should be noted that the
bracket of th~ present invention may have many other uses;
for example it may be mounted to the support structure
which is usually found adjacent a manhole. Furthermore,
the bracket of the present invention should not be
limited to its spplication with tent shelters for
utilities service personel. For example, the tent bracket
could be mounted to the side frame of a boat fox shelter-
ing people, such as fishers, from the elements.
Another embodiment of the present invention is
the arrangement of the arms in a plane which is offset
with respect to the plane of the horizontal frame ~o that
the arms can be folded over the frame and may be compacting-
ly stored for easy transportation.
Other objects and furth~r scope of applicability
of the present invention will become apparent from the
detailed description given hereinafter. It should ~e
understood, however that this detailed description,
while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention
i5 given by way of illustration only since various changes
and modifications withln the spirit and scope of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the
art.
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IN T Æ DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspecti.ve v.iew showing a tent
bracket made in accordance with the present inventiDn,
being mounted on a ladder and supporting a tent
5 structure shown in dotted lines;
Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the
bracket mounted on the ladder;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along
lines 3~3 of figure 2, this figure is seen on the same
sheet as figure 1;
Figure 3a is a view similar to figure 3 showing
the tent bracket mountea on two rungs of a double ladder;
~ igure 4 is a bottom view as seen from lines
4-4 of figure 3;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view as seen
from lines 5-5 of figure 2, this figure being on the
~- sheet showing figure l;
Figure 6 i~ a cross-sectional Yiew ta~en along
lines 6-6 of figure ~ this figure being seen on the
sheet illustrating figure 1;
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken a~ong
lines 7-7 of figure 6~
Figure 8 is a top plan view showing the tent
bracket of the present invention being mounted to a pole,
the figure being illustrated on the sheet showing figure
2;
63~
5 --
Figure 9 is a top plan view of another embodi-
ment of the present invention;
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken
along lines 10~10 of figure 9; and
Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken
along lines 11-11 of figure 9.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBO~IMENTS
Referring to figure 1, there is shown a portion
of a ladder 10 on which is mounted the tent bracket of
the present invention generally desiynated 12. This
bracket supports a tent structure 14 which is formed of
a frame and a skin. Only a pair of Y-shaped struts 16
and 18 of the tent frame have been illustrated in order to
better understand the present invention.
Referring additionally to figure 2, the tent
bracket 12 of the present invention comprises a horizontal
frame 20 and a pair of arms 22 and 24 mounted at each oppo-
site end thereof. The horizontal frame 20 extends across
the two vertical uprights 26 and 28 of the ladder with the
two opposite ends thereof extending beyond the uprights
and displaying a pair of arms 22 and 24 which are adapted
to receive the lower part of th~ struts 16 and 18 of the
tent frame. Each arm 22, 24 is formed of two articulated
sections 22a and 22b, 24a and 24b, respeckively.
Referring more particularly to figure 3, the
horizontal frame 20 includes a central portion 30 which
is formed of a horizontal plate 32 which extends rear-
wardly between the ladder uprights and is adapted to
engage one rung 3~a of the ladder and of a vertical plate
36 which is adapted to engage the next lower runy 34b of
the ladder. The horizontal plate 32 has a downward
rear wall 38, the innerface of which abuts a pair of
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springs 40 which have their spposite ends acting agains~
an inverted U-shaped rung engaging member 42. The
spring forces its end wall 42a against the rung 34a.
In figure 3a, member 42 is shown engaging two adjacent
rungs 37 and 39 of a double ladder generally denoted 41.
Referring to figure 4, the horizontal portion
of member 42 slides into an elongated bracket 44 having
its opposite ends 46 and 48 fixed to the undersurface of
the horizontal plate 32. The opposite end 42b of member
42 bears against a semi-circular portion 48 of a lever
50. It will be seen that pivoting the lever 50 about a
pin 52 in the direction of arrow 54 will cause portion
48 to move member 42 against the force exerted by the
pair of springs 40, to thereby free wall 42a from the
rung 34a.
Figure 2 illustrates various positions of the
arm sections 22a, 22b/ 24a, 24b. Hence, arm sections
22a and 24a may adopt various angular positions with
respect to the horizontal frame 20 while arm sections
22b, 24b may adopt various angular positions with
respect to the arm sections 22a and 24a, and, consequently,
to the horizontal frame 20. Means are provided at 56,
58, 60 and 62 to fix the various arm sections into a
predetermined angular position with respect to frame 20
25 as well as to one another. Referring more particularly
to figures 5 and 6, these fixing means are illustrated
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as consisting of a handle 64, 66, respectively, which is
manually operated vertically l:o extend a vertical lock-
ing pin 68 and 70 under the action of a spring 72, 74 in
and out of circumferentially spaced holes 76 (see figure
7 for handle 66).
In the embodiment illustrated in figure 7, the
arm sections 24a and 24b are shown disposed in separate
horizontal planes. This allows for possible rotation of
360 of arms 22b, 24b relative to arms 22a, 24a. As
both arm sections extend in planes above that of the
horizontal plate 32, they may be folded over this plate
to form a compact instrument for transport and storing.
The arm sections~ together, are capable of
rotating 360 with respect to frame 20 so that the tent
bracket of the present invention can be mounted to
various support structures such as the pub~ic utilities
pole 80, shown in figure 8. In this embodiment, the arm
sections 22 and 24 are pivoted towards the plate side of
the central portion 30. The vertical plate 36 has a
curved outer surface 36a to abut the pole surface and
the bracket is attached to the pole by means of a strap
82 or the like.
Referring to figures 9, 10 and 11, another
tent bracket made in accordance with the present in-
vention is shownO The horizontal frame 132 of thecentral portion 130 has a T-shaped opening 131 in which
rests a handle 150. One curved extremity 151 of the
:
handle is equipped with a pair of rollers 153 and 155
which contact the rear wall 142b of the rung engaging
member 142 when the handle is pivoted in the direction
of arrow 154 about pin 152. Also, in this embodiment,
member 142 is mounted to slide on a pair of rods 156 and
158 fixed to plates 136 and 138 of the central frame
132. A pair of springs 140 are coaxially mounted on
rods 156 and 158 and abut the inner wall of frame 138
and the upper portion of wall 142a. By abutting wall
142b~ rollers 153 and 155 forces member rearwardly
against the springs 140 to free a rung (not shown) from
the inner engaging face of wall 142a.
To reinforce the horizontal frame 123, a pair
of braces 117 and 119 are soldered thereto on opposite
sides of the central portion 130.
In this embodiment, the arm sections 122a,
122b, 124a and 124b extend in the same horizontal plane
which is offset vertically, however, relati~e to the
horizontal frame 120. As illustrated in figure 11, the
end of arm section 122a is arranged to be recei~ed
between the upper and lower plates of arm section 122b.
The fixing means 162 of this embodiment are similar to
those shown in figure 6 with the exception that the
handle 166 has an inclined bottom wall 167 which
maintains the locking pin 170 in the raised position
after a sliyht rotation of the handle. Similarly con-
structed handles are provided at 170~ 172, 174.
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A detailed description of the other elements
of the embodiment illustrated in figures 9, 10 and 11 ls
not deemed necessary since their cons-truction and oper-
ation are similar to that given for the embodiment
illustrated in figures 1-8.
Although the invention has been described with
respect to some forms of the invention, it will be
understood that it may be refined and modified in vari-
ous ways. Furthermore, the use of the tent bracket of
the present in~ention is not to be limited to that of a
working instrument for the public utilities personel.
Indeed, one can envisage that the tent bracket could be
mounted for example to the side rim of a motor or row
boat. It is therefore wished to have it understood that
the present invention should not be limited in interpre-
tation except by the terms of the following claims.
