THE METHOD

The invention concerns a method of erecting a tent, such as a site protection tent or an exhibition tent. In this context the tents are of the kind comprising a numbe of frame sections which are interconnected by means of longitudinal beams, each frame section consisting of a pair of legs members and interconnected roof beams, said roof beams being attached to said leg members.

A tent of this kind is delivered e.g. to a building site where it is to be erected above a surface that may need protection against the effects of rain, for example while casting work is in progress. The mounting of the tent is effected by assembling the legs and the roof beam in such a manner that they form frame sections which are erected into a vertical position, whereupon the required number of such frame sections are placed in spaced-apart positions and are interconnected by means of longitudinal beams. A canvas cover is then deposited over one of the long sides of the thus assembled frame construction and the ends of a couple of ropes are attached thereto, whereupon the ropes are flung across the frame construc- tion, to the opposite side thereof. By means of the ropes the tent canvas is pulled over the frame construction at this side and is secured thereto in many places.

This mounting method is unsatisfactory in several respects. A large number of components must be assembled to form the frame sections which are subsequently raised and may have a height of generally 3 to 6 meters. The subsequent assembly steps, involving mounting of the longitudinal beams, thus must be performed at this high level from ladders. Several persons are needed to pull the tent canvas across the frame construction, both to pull the ropes and to adjust the position of the canvas at the pull-up side of the frame construction, in order to pre-

vent the canvas from catching in the structure and from tearing. When the canvas is in position, it is secured to the frame construction by means of laces or otherwise at a large number of attachment points, several of which are positioned at the upper part of the construction. Again, ladders must be used and they must be moved around the tent thus erected.

The invention provides a method of erecting a tent in a considerably more rational manner. The features charac- terizing this method are defined in claim 1.

The invention also concerns a device to be used in performing the method. The characterizing features of this device are defined in claim 2.

The invention will be described in closer detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 illustrates a frame section in the collapsed position and

Fig. 2 a frame section in the unfolded position, Fig. 3 shows several frame sections in a lateral view, the sections being placed in readiness for erection of a tent,

Fig. 4 illustrates the construction at a later stage of the erection procedure, and Fig. 5 is a broken view of the erected tent as seen from the side.

Fig. 1 illustrates a frame section 1 forming a part of a tent construction and in accordance with the embodi¬ ment shown consisting of two leg members 2 and two roof beams 3. The leg members 2 are articulated to their respective roof beam 3 and the beams are hingedly inter¬ connected. Fig. 1 illustrates these parts in their col¬ lapsed position, wherein they form a compact package, whereas in the view of Fig. 2 the leg members 2 and the roof beams 3 have been pivoted outwards in such a manner that the frame section 1 forms an arch. In the unfolded position, the components 2, 3 are locked together rigidly

by means of their joints to resist moment forces.

In accordance with the method of the invention, a number of unfolded frame sections 1 of this kind - for instance three as illustrated in Fig. 2 - are placed on the ground 4 somewhat spaced apart, the leg members 2 supported against the ground 4 and the roof beams 3 directed obliquely upwards, approximately one meter above the ground, with the aid of supplementary props 5. The frame sections 1 are then hingedly interconnected by longitudinal beams 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, and some of these beams are in turn interconnected by cross-pieces 12.

In accordance with the embodiment illustrated (Fig. 4), a winch 13 is attached to the beam 6. From the winch a wire 14 extends in the same direction as the direction of inclination of the frame sections 1, up to a point of attachment 15 on the beam 8. A second wire 16 is attached to the beam 7 and extends in the opposite direction, up to a point of attachment 17 on the beam 9. In the position of the frame construction illustrated in Fig 4, the wire 16 is slackened.

A rolled-up canvas cloth 18 is then deposited on the ground 4 at one of the short-end sides of the frame con¬ struction, whereafter the cloth is unrolled on top of the latter. Because of the comfortable working level, about one meter above ground, this work may be performed rapidly and conveniently by one or at the most two persons. As soon as the canvas 18 covers the entire frame construction the latter may be gradually raised from the reclining towards an upright, vertical position, with the aid of the winch 13 and the wire 14 attached thereto. When the rais¬ ing movement of the frame construction has progressed sufficiently far to provide sufficient headroom for a person to stand underneath the canvas 18, further erection is temporarily interrupted, and from a comfortable posi- tion, the workman may stretch the canvas 18 and secure it at a number of attachment points not illustrated in the drawings. The hoisting of the frame construction then

continues, until the latter assumes the upright vertical position, in which the second wire 16 is stretched and taut, see Fig. 5. This wire 16 prevents the frame sections 1 from moving past the vertical position and tilt in the opposite direction from their previous direction of in¬ clination. At the same time, also the wire 14 remains in a taut condition, preventing the frame sections 1 from col¬ lapsing after the erection.

The tent is now in a stable, erected position and ready to be used. Owing to the method in accordance with the invention it becomes possible to assemble and erect a building-protection or exhibition tent much quicker than has hitherto been possible. The frame sections 1, the longitudinal beams 6 - 11, the canvas 18 and other com- ponents are delivered to the erection place as one single compact unit. The fitters need not use any specialty tools or threaded bolts and nuts to assemble the components. The frame sections 1 as such are delivered as finished units and they are easily unfolded into the shape illustrated in Fig. 2. The longitudinal beams 6 - 11 are hooked onto the frame sections 1 and are locked in position with the aid of pins. This step as also the subsequent application of the canvas 18 and the securement thereof to the frame con¬ struction may be performed at a comfortable working level by a person standing on the ground 4. In this way, he may work much faster than when, as according to earlier methods, he had to stand on a ladder and secure beams and frames by means of screws and move the ladder repeatedly from one mounting place to the next. Because the work is performed at ground level instead of on a ladder, 4 - 5 meters above ground, the method in accordance with the invention provides the additional advantage of eliminating hazardous working steps.

The same advantages as those found in erecting the tent are provided when the tent is to be dismantled in that initially the frame sections 1 may be tilted somewhat downwards with the aid of the winch 13, whereafter all

parts of the construction are accessible from the ground 4.

The invention is not limited to the features illus¬ trated and described. The method as well as the device may be modified as to their details in several ways within the scope of the appended claims.