U.S. patent number 3,629,982 [Application Number 05/054,952] was granted by the patent office on 1971-12-28 for portable foldable shelter.
Invention is credited to James M. Alexander, Jr., Joseph M. Ballay, Lawrence L. Fabbro, William R. Wakefield.
United States Patent |
3,629,982 |
Ballay , et al. |
December 28, 1971 |
PORTABLE FOLDABLE SHELTER
Abstract
A portable shelter having a storage container and a roof and
wall section that folds in 180.degree. folded configuration for
storage in the storage container, leaving a large storage space in
the lower portion of the container. Foldable roof support beams are
stored below the roof and wall section in the container. End walls
are hinged to floor sections which fold out from opposite sides of
the storage container. Flysheets are secured to the roof and wall
sections and have locking seals which attach to flanges on the
central container endwalls and floor to provide seals. Leveling
jacks are attached to the floor sections to level the floor of the
shelter.
Inventors: |
Ballay; Joseph M. (Cincinnati,
OH), Wakefield; William R. (Cincinnati, OH), Fabbro;
Lawrence L. (River Vale, NJ), Alexander, Jr.; James M.
(Cincinnati, OH) |
Assignee: |
|
Family
ID: |
21994583 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/054,952 |
Filed: |
July 15, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/69; D25/27;
52/79.5; 135/115; 52/71; 52/82; 135/904; 296/26.15 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
1/3444 (20130101); E04H 15/18 (20130101); Y10S
135/904 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
1/344 (20060101); E04H 15/18 (20060101); E04H
15/00 (20060101); E04b 001/344 (); E04b 001/347 ();
E04b 007/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/67,69,71,82,79,86,83,63 ;135/1,1A,4A,5A ;296/27 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
653,204 |
|
Nov 1962 |
|
CA |
|
90,635 |
|
Jun 1961 |
|
DK |
|
Primary Examiner: Abbott; Frank L.
Assistant Examiner: Braun; Leslie A.
Claims
We claim:
1. A portable shelter, comprising: a storage container adapted to
form the central portion of said shelter; a first floor member
being hinged to one side of said container and a second floor
member being hinged to the other side of said container; each floor
member comprising a pair of hinged floor sections; an end wall
member hinged to the outer end of each outermost floor section of
said floor members; said end wall members being foldable with said
floor members into opposite sides of said storage container with
one of the hinged portions of each of the floor sections forming
the sides of said storage container; a pair of accordion-type roof
and wall sections connected to said storage container and
extensible from opposite sides of the storage container toward said
end wall members; said roof and wall sections being formed from
flat sheets of foamboard with the roof and walls being formed in
accordion-type pleats; the direction of the fold at the joints
between the roof and walls being in the opposite direction to the
fold of each of the folds in the remainder of the roof and wall
members; the fold in one direction at the joint of the roof and
wall sections being longer than the folds in the other direction;
said folds in the joint being interconnected by folds in the same
direction as the shorter of the folds of the roof and wall joint
with said interconnecting folds being on lines forming
approximately 90.degree. angles in the unfolded state with the
apices of the angles being located at the junction of the folds of
the roof and wall joints and the opposite folds of the roof and
wall sections whereby said walls extend substantially parallel to
said roofs in said storage container; a plurality of roof support
beams; means for supporting one end of said beams in said storage
container; means for supporting the other end of said beams on said
end walls; means for sealing the roof and wall sections to said
storage container said end wall and said floor members and means
for supporting said roof and wall sections and said support beams
within said storage container.
2. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said support beams are
hinged a predetermined distance from one end whereby said beam can
be folded for storage in said container; means positioned adjacent
the hinge joint for locking said beam in its extended position.
3. The device as recited in claim 2 wherein the means for sealing
the roof and wall sections to the end walls, floors and central
container include flanges on said end walls, floors and central
container and resilient means connected to said roof and wall
sections for engaging said flanges.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has been the common practice when providing troop shelters to
build shelters that are somewhat permanent in nature, though they
may be called portable shelters. However, the need for relocation
and mobility in limited warfare situations requires lightweight,
highly mobile shelters. Experience has proven that troops living in
an austere situation will continue to elevate their standard of
living utilizing any free time available. A design which would
avoid this environmental deficiency would make more man-hours
available to be devoted to the assigned tasks.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to this invention a lightweight 100 percent recoverable
portable shelter which may be stored in storage container 3.times.
8.times.13.times.feet expands into a shelter 8.times.13.times.33
feet. A novel folding pattern for the wall and roof of an
accordion-type structure permits the walls and roof to fold in a
180.degree. configuration for storage to leave about 160 cubic feet
of storage area for personal gear such as cots, pillows and other
gear. Folding end walls and floor members unfold from the sides of
the storage container. Foldable roof support beams are secured to
the center structure and end walls. The accordion wall and roof
structure is secured to the center structure, floor and end walls
with special type seals.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fully erected shelter of the
invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged partially cutaway view of the shelter of FIG.
1.
FIG. 3 shows the shelter of FIG. 1 in its stored condition.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of one wall and roof section for the device
of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 shows the scoring system for the device of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows one of the fold lines of the device of FIG. 4 in its
fully folded condition.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the device of FIG. 1 with one of the
floor and end wall sections in its partially extended position.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the device of FIG. 7 in a further
extended position.
FIG. 9 shows floor leveling jacks attached to the floor
section.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged illustration showing a partially cut away
view of a leveling jack attached to the floor section.
FIG. 11 shows one of the foldable support beams for the device of
FIG. 1.
FIG. 12 shows the locking mechanism for the device of FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 shows the attachment for the support beam of FIG. 11 and an
end wall of the device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 14 shows the support and temporary support for the support
beam within the central storage section.
FIG. 15 shows the central storage section end of the support beam
of FIG. 11 with a roof retainer.
FIG. 16 shows the connection between opposing beams within the
central storage section.
FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration showing the support beams and
roof and wall section stored within the central storage
section.
FIG. 18 is a plan view showing the supports for the support beams
in the central storage section.
FIG. 19 is a schematic view of the device of FIG. 1 with one of the
roof and wall sections partially extended.
FIG. 20 shows the attachment of the roof section to the central
storage section.
FIG. 21 shows the attachment used for attaching roof and wall
section to the end wall and the wall section to the central storage
section.
FIG. 22 shows the attachment used to attach the wall section to the
floor section.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing which shows a
shelter 10 having a central storage section 12, a pair of end wall
sections 14, a pair of expansible roof members 15 and wall sections
16, roof support beams 18 and a pair of floor sections 20. When the
shelter is packed for movement, the roof and wall sections 15 and
16, support beams 18, floor sections 20 and end walls 14 are stored
in the central storage section 12, as shown in FIG. 3.
The roof and wall members 15 and 16 are made by scoring a
plastic-coated polyurethane foam board in the pattern shown in FIG.
4 in the manner shown in FIG. 5, wherein die blocks 22 provide a
double indentation to form a folded configuration as shown in FIG.
6. The positive folds are shown as broken lines 23 and the negative
folds are shown as dotted lines 24. The juncture of the roof and
wall sections shown generally at 25, in FIG. 1, has positive folds
23' forming inverted approximately 90.degree. angles and the
portion 24" between the vertices having an opposite fold to the
fold 23 outside the vertices. Also portion 23" has the opposite
fold to the fold portion 24 outside the juncture section. This fold
configuration permits a 180.degree. fold of the wall sections
16.
Bottom flaps 27 and 28 are taped together to form a substantially
straight line edge for attachment to the floor member, as will be
explained later.
Hinges 26 connect the floor sections to the central section and end
wall and the two parts of the floor section together so that the
floor and end walls fold out from the center storage section 12, in
the manner shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
Jacks 30 are attached to floor studs 29, as shown in FIGS. 9 and
10. The jacks 30 are used to level the floor. A latch mechanism for
securing the floor members 20 in storage section 12 is shown at
19.
Foldable beams 18, shown in greater detail in FIGS. 11 and 12, are
hinged at 31 with the ends brought together and secured by turnable
hooks 32 which engage pins 33. The ends 34 of beam 18 are secured
to end wall 14 in the manner shown in FIG. 13. At the storage
section end, flange 36, as shown in FIG. 14, fits into the end 35
of beam 18, shown in FIG. 15. The beams from one side of the
shelter are placed in hangers 38 until the other side of the
shelter is erected. The ends 35 are placed on flanges 36, when both
sides of the shelter have been erected, and the ends are secured by
latches 39, as shown in FIG. 16.
The roof 15 and walls 16 are stored in the position shown in FIG.
17. Straps 42 and 43 pass through loops 45 attached to the central
storage container 12 and support the folded roof and wall sections
15 and 16. Folded beams 18 are supported on flanges 47 within the
container 12. Items shown schematically at 49, such as tool kits
may be stored on the beams 18. Also the jacks may be stored on
beams 18 and may be taken out through access door 21. The
compartment 51 below the beam may be used for personal items such
as beds. Other items, such as exhaust fan 53, may also be located
in the storage compartment 51.
After the support beams are in place, the roof and wall section is
extended as shown in FIG. 19. The roof is secured to the center
section, as at 55, in FIG. 20. A flysheet 57 is secured to flange
58 by a fastener 60 to form a weather seal between the roof and the
container. Similar weather seals are provided by means of flysheets
62, flanges 63 and fasteners 64 between the roof and wall and the
end wall as shown in FIG. 21. Also, a similar seal is provided
between the wall 16 and the center container. The wall 16 is
secured to the floor by means of flysheets 66, flanges 67 and
fasteners 68 as shown in FIG. 22. The roof 15 is then secured to
beams 18 by means of straps 37, shown in FIG. 15.
The wall of the central section, floor, and end wall are made of
conventional honeycomb material to reduce the weight; however,
other lightweight material could be used.
Though the end walls have been described as hinged to the floor
members, in some applications the end walls can be separate from
the floor members.
Means other than jacks can be used for leveling, for example,
adjustable floor pads.
There is thus provided a lightweight, easily constructed, 100
percent recoverable shelter that can be erected in about 4
man-hours and which stores in a compact storage container.
* * * * *