U.S. patent number 3,929,145 [Application Number 05/550,141] was granted by the patent office on 1975-12-30 for collapsible shelter.
Invention is credited to Allen J. Schroeder.
United States Patent |
3,929,145 |
Schroeder |
December 30, 1975 |
Collapsible shelter
Abstract
A collapsible, tubular shelter adjustable between a stretched or
extended form in which it can accommodate a sleeping hiker on level
ground and a compressed or contracted form in which it can be
easily carried on the hiker's back. The shelter is formed from a
tubular cover of lightweight, weatherproof nylon tenting reinforced
by axially spaced hoops of flat spring steel strip which serve as
ribs for holding the shelter in its tubular shape. The cover is
permanently enclosed at one end and has zippered opening flaps at
the other end to permit entry to and exit from the shelter. The
shelter is stretched apart axially for use and is tied to a
ground-anchored peg at each end by means of a line affixed to the
top of the nearest hoop so that the two lines exert stretching
force on the cover to hold it in its tubular shape. The lines also
pull downwardly on the shelter to flatten it somewhat so that it
can more readily accommodate a sleeping bag, the hoops being
sufficiently resilient to permit this. The pitched shelter can be
easily converted to its compressed form for carrying by
disconnecting the lines from the anchored pegs and pushing the
hoops together to collapse the cover, in accordion-like fashion,
into a relatively flat, lightweight bundle.
Inventors: |
Schroeder; Allen J. (Beaumont,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
24195917 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/550,141 |
Filed: |
February 14, 1975 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
135/128; 5/113;
5/416; 135/905; 135/913; 5/128; 135/93 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H
15/14 (20130101); E04H 15/40 (20130101); E04H
15/32 (20130101); Y10S 135/913 (20130101); Y10S
135/905 (20130101); E04H 2015/328 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04H
15/00 (20060101); E04H 15/34 (20060101); E04H
15/32 (20060101); E04H 15/14 (20060101); E04H
15/40 (20060101); A45F 001/16 (); E04B
001/347 () |
Field of
Search: |
;5/113,128,343
;135/DIG.1,5B,1R,3R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schroeder; Werner H.
Assistant Examiner: Berman; Conrad L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Crowe; John H.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. Collapsible shelter means comprising:
a flexible cover of relatively thin, weatherproof, lightweight
sheet material adapted to assume a tubular shape when suitably
stretched;
a plurality of normally hoop-shaped ribs formed from flat strip
material in general conformity with the cross-sectional size and
shape of said cover in its stretched, tubular form, said ribs being
resiliently deformable under downwardly directed force when
standing on edge;
fastening means for securing said ribs in positions adjacent said
cover in generally coaxial relationship with, and in spaced apart
relationship along the axis of, the cover in its stretched, tubular
form, the spacing of the secured ribs being such as to permit them
to serve as frame means for the stretched cover; and
removably installable anchoring means for exerting oppositely and
downwardly directed pulling force on the upper center portions of
the two end ones of said ribs to stretch the rib-reinforced cover
into the form of a tubular shelter, and help cause flattening
distortion of said shelter to increase its width, on a
substantially horizontal support surface;
said shelter means being axially contractable, when free of the
pulling influence of the anchoring means, into a compact,
lightweight bundle, for easy portability.
2. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 1 adapted
primarily for use as a sleeping shelter for a single person and in
which the tubular shape of said flexible cover is of normally round
cross-section and said ribs are hoops fabricated from spring steel
strip stock.
3. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 2, in which
said flexible cover has ends disposed in substantially parallel
planes generally perpendicular to the axis of the cover in its
tubular shape, a separate one of said ribs is secured in position
at approximately each end of said tubular shape and said anchoring
means comprises a pair of tie-down lines fastenable at their outer
ends to pegs anchored in the ground under sufficient tension to
exert said pulling force on said upper center portions of said two
end ones of said ribs.
4. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 3, in which
said sheet material is lightweight nylon tenting material.
5. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claims 3, in which
said tubular shelter has a permanent enclosure of flexible sheet
material at one end and an opening adapted to permit an occupant to
enter or leave the shelter at the other end.
6. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 5, in which
said opening at said other end is fitted with flexible closure
means which can be opened or closed by said occupant from inside
said shelter to permit movement through said opening or provide
protection from outside influences to one occupying the shelter,
respectively.
7. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 6, in which
said closure means comprises flexible flaps fitted with zipper
fastening means.
8. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 7, in which
said permanent enclosure includes a window opening screened by
insect netting.
9. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 7, in which
the flexible flaps include an inner pair of insect netting flaps
and an outer pair of flaps formed from a relatively thin,
weatherproof, lightweight sheet material.
10. Collapsible shelter means in accordance with claim 8, in which
said permanent enclosure has a flexible flap attached to proper
position to cover said window opening, the means of attachment
being such as to permit temporary folding of the flap away from the
opening to expose the latter for shelter ventilation purposes.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a portable shelter adapted
primarily for use by backpackers or other hikers, and more
particularly to such a shelter which can be quickly and easily
converted back and forth between a pitched position for use at a
campsite and a collapsed condition in which it forms a compact,
lightweight bundle for carrying.
Numerous types of tent shelters for use by campers, hikers,
hunters, etc., have been heretofore proposed. Most of these have
included various parts that require unpacking and assembly for use,
sometimes with a fair amount of difficulty, at campsites, and which
must, after such use, be disassembled and packed for movement or
storage. Moreover, the parts of such tents have often been of such
character that they do not lend themselves to compact consolidation
into a conveniently lightweight bundle or package for easy carrying
by a backpacker, particularly in rough country where steep slopes,
rocks, heavy underbrush, and similar obstacles are encountered.
I am aware of U.S. Pat. No. 2,792,844 to Clark, which discloses a
collapsible tent comprising a coil spring frame around which is
secured, "as by sewing," a cover of water resistant material such
as lightweight canvas. The spring is normally extended and has
coils of progressively smaller size from front to rear. The
extended coil spring frame is shaped and sized primarily to receive
a single camper in sleeping position with a sleeping bag or
suitable bedding for warmth and protection. The Clark tent is
compacted for carrying by compressing its spring frame and drawing
a rope or strap around the contracted unit to hold the compressed
spring against expansion.
While the Clark tent has advantages over more conventional tents in
certain respects, it also possesses some inherent disadvantages.
For one thing, its coil spring frame makes the tent somewhat
difficult to compress, especially by the average woman or child.
Also, the potential energy in the compressed spring frame of the
contracted tent represents a hazard which could lead to accident
and injury, or at the very least, to spilled or scattered camping
gear which would have to be recovered and repacked. Some of this
gear might even be lost by such an accident, particularly if it
occurred in mountainous terrain, or require cleaning before
repacking. Finally, continued usage of the tent over a prolonged
period of time would result in repeated compression and relaxation
of its spring frame which would tend to weaken the frame, and, in
time, even destroy its effectiveness. Conversely, long term storage
of the tent, particularly in its compressed form, might, at least
in some cases, have a deforming or a distorting effect on its
spring frame, a fact of important significance to those persons who
do not have occasion to use their tents very often and must store
them in compressed form, to conserve space, between periods of use.
Thus, the Clark tent is inherently self-deteriorative, an
unavoidable result of the limited life of springs that depend upon
a particular degree of resiliency for effective usage thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have now provided, in the unique collapsible shelter of this
invention, a lightweight, relatively inexpensive, tubular tent
which has many of the advantages of the Clark tent but none of the
above-noted disadvantages of the latter. Thus, my novel shelter is,
like the Clark tent, of generally tubular form when pitched for
use, but, unlike the Clark tent, is readily collapsible lengthwise
by virtually anyone even a fairly young child, into a relatively
flat, lightweight, compact bundle, which can be easily carried on
the back of a hiker, or transported in a vehicle with minimal space
demands. The shelter, in its preferred form, comprises a
lightweight fabric cover which stretches into tubular shape, and a
plurality of hoop-shaped ribs or stays which are fastened in
position around the inside of the cover to serve as frame means for
the shelter when it is extended to its full length, the ribs being
positioned in spaced apart, generally parallel relationship, and
disposed in planes generally perpendicular to the axis of the
cover, when the shelter is so extended. Since the ribs are separate
hoops, and not coils of a spring, it is a relatively simple matter
to compress the tent into a flattened, compact bundle, with the
cover folded in accordion-like fashion between the ribs, for
carrying or storage purposes.
Since my novel shelter has no spring frame, as does the Clark tent,
it is not subject to spring fatigue, and resultant weakening or
failure of the frame, hence is absent the inherent tendency of the
latter toward accelerated self-deterioration and consequent
shortening of its useful life span. Moreover, since my novel
shelter has no spring under compression in its packed form, it
carries no risk of sudden, unexpected spring expansion and the
possible physical dangers, equipment loss and/or clean up work
which could result from such expansion. Obviously, the absence of a
spring frame contributes to the ease with which the shelter can be
set up for use, and, particularly, taken down and compacted for
carrying since there is no necessity to compress a spring by
physical force during such compacting or to keep it under
compression until the compacted shelter is tied or strapped
securely enough to retain the spring under compression until it is
again time to set up, or pitch, the shelter for use.
To pitch my shelter at a suitable campsite, it is necessary only to
pull its ribs apart until the cover is relatively taut and fasten
each end rib in position by means of a tiedown rope, or other line,
preferably by running the line from the top of that rib to a stake
set in the ground fore or aft of the shelter, as the case might be.
This simple installation and tie down procedure can be performed
easily and rapidly, and yields a shelter of sufficient size, in its
preferred form, to accommodate a single individual and one which is
firmly anchored against movement by wind or heavy rain, yet which
can be shifted to another location with minimal difficulty should
this become necessary or desirable. The hoop-shaped ribs are formed
from strip stock of any suitable type (such as, for example, spring
steel stock), and designed with sufficient resiliency to deform
easily into an oval shape when standing on edge in the installed
shelter and subjected to forces exerted by the above-mentioned tie
down lines, yet be of adequate strength to serve as a frame adapted
to hold the shelter in its proper shape after it is pitched in the
above-described manner. The deformation of the hoop-like ribs
causes a widening of the shelter so that it provides more room for
the accommodation of a backpacker's sleeping bag, or other bedding,
than would be possible if the ribs retained their normal hoop, or
circular, shapes. Moreover, the flattening of the shelter into an
oval shape results in the provision of a generally flat support
surface for the sleeping bag, or bedding, to the greater comfort of
the sleeping hiker than perfectly round ribs would provide. The
resilency of the ribs also permits them to give to some extent
under the shifting movements of a sleeping occupant of the shelter,
to contribute still further to his or her sleeping comfort.
The shelter cover is preferably made from lightweight nylon tenting
or other weather resistant plastic material, and provided at its
foot end with an enclosure and at its head end with flaps capable
of being closed by zipper, or other, means for the protection of
its occupant against cold or inclement weather as the occasion
demands.
It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide a
lightweight, collapsible shelter particularly suitable for use by a
backpacker or camper which can be quickly and easily pitched at a
campsite or taken down and formed into a compact bundle for easy
transportation on the back or storage in a limited space.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a shelter
with frame means to hold it in a generally tubular form when it is
pitched for use but which exerts no spring tension on the shelter
cover to be overcome by compressive force during packing of the
shelter for carrying or storage and to create a risk of accidental
frame expansion during transportation of said shelter with possible
injury to persons and/or scattering or damage of packed
equipment.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a shelter
having certain of the advantages of a tubular shelter with a
compressible spring frame yet absent the inherent tendency of the
latter to deteriorate as a result of loss of spring resiliency
through repeated compression and expansion of its frame in use or
prolonged storage of the shelter in a compressed form.
Still another object of the invention is to provide such a shelter
which is compressible into a compact form for carrying without the
need of physical strength to overcome a resisting spring force
(such as required in the case of shelters with spring frames) or to
hold the compressed bundle against expansion until it is tied, or
otherwise, fastened against such expansion.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent in the light of the following disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of collapsible
shelter in accordance with this invention pitched for use on a
level surface.
FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the pitched shelter, as seen from
the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, with one of a pair of zippered flaps at
the front of the shelter being shown in an unzippered position.
FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the shelter, as seen from the line
3--3 of FIG. 1, with a flap cover for an insect netting window in a
rear enclosure of the shelter being shown in partially unopened
position to reveal a portion of the window.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, mostly in section, of the
top center of the front portion of the pitched shelter as seen from
the line 4--4 of FIG. 2, and showing the upper end of a front tie
down line for the shelter.
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but taken at the rear end of the
shelter from the line 5--5 of FIG. 3 and showing the upper end of a
rear tie down line for said shelter.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken from a
vertical plane passing through the axis of the pitched shelter and
showing, in cross-section, one of a plurality of spaced apart ribs
serving to hold a lightweight fabric cover forming the main part of
the shelter in tubular shape and showing, also in section, a fabric
strip sewn to the cover either side of the rib to fasten the latter
in a fixed position relative to said cover.
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but of an alternative form of
the shelter in which the cover is formed from a sheet of
lightweight plastic material and a strip of similar plastic
material is sealed to the cover, either side of the rib, to hold
the latter in proper position relative to said cover.
FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but of another alternative form
of the shelter in which the rib is formed of a suitable plastic
material and is sealed directly to the cover rather than being held
in position by a strip of plastic such as shown in the latter
figure.
FIG. 9 is a slightly enlarged view of the FIG. 1 shelter in a
contracted form suitable for carrying, resting on a flat surface
with its axis turned 90.degree. from the FIG. 1 axis position.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Considereing now the drawing in greater detail, with emphasis first
on FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown generally at 10 a preferred
embodiment of a collapsible shelter in accordance with this
invention pitched for use in a piece of level ground 11. Shelter 10
is composed of a lightweight cover 12 with a main tubular portion
16 and five ring-shaped supporting ribs or stays fixedly secured in
position around the inner wall of said tubular portion 16 to hold
that portion in proper shape to serve its function in the pitched
shelter. The tubular portion 16 of the cover 12 is formed from a
lightweight weatherproof fabric material, preferably lightweight
nylon tenting material. The five ribs are of equal diameter in
their normal circular shapes, and are spaced equidistantly along
the axis of the pitched shelter, with one at each end of the
tubular portion of the cover 12, as seen in 14 in FIG. 1, and the
other three positioned intermediate the two end ones, as seen at 15
in that figure.
Shelter 10 is preferably sized to comfortably accommodate a single
occupant with his sleeping bag, satisfactory dimensions for this
purpose being, I have found, a tubular portion 16 length of about
81/2 feet and a normal rib diameter of about 32 inches. These
dimensions can, of course, vary within the scope of my invention,
so long as the variance is not so great as to mitigate against
satisfactory employment of the pitched shelter for its intended
purpose. The ribs 14 and 15 are sufficiently resilient to flatten
somewhat and assume an oval configuration in the pitched shelter,
as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 showing the front and rear ends of
the shelter, respectively. The main reason for this resiliency is
to insure a flatter floor or bottom for the support of a hiker's
sleeping bag, or other bedding, and thus provide greater comfort
for the shelter's occupant than would be possible if the ribs were
rigid enough to retain their normally circular shape in the pitched
shelter. The ribs are formed from relatively flat strips of a
suitable metal material, such as, for example, spring steel of 18-
to 20-gauge thickness, and are about 11/4 inches wide for a shelter
having substantially the dimensions given above. It will be
appreciated, of course, that the ribs can vary in width within the
scope of my invention. For example, as will be apparent, the larger
the rib diameter, the greater will be the rib width, at least in
most cases. The ribs for smaller embodiments of the shelter might
thus be of 3/4-inch or lesser, width so long as they serve my
purpose, as taught herein. While the ribs can be relatively narrow,
however, I believe they should be of flat cross-section, rather
than of wire-like shape, since wire of sufficient strength for the
purpose, would, I feel, be too rigid to assume a properly flattened
shape in the pitched shelter for the accommodation of an occupant's
sleeping bag or bedding. As indicated above, the ribs for my novel
shelter can be made of any suitable material, so long as they
exhibit properties of resiliency consistent with the teachings
herein, plastic ribs which satisfy the necessary resiliency
requirements, being, for example, perfectly suitable for the use in
the shelter.
The ribs 15 are fastened in position against the inner wall of the
tubular portion 16 of cover 12 by means of strips of fabric wide
enough to fit over the inner surfaces of the ribs and extend
laterally beyond the edges of the latter, one such strip being
shown in cross-section at 80 in FIG. 6. The fabric strips are
preferably, but not necessarily, made of the same material from
which the tubular portion 16 of the cover 12 is formed, and are
fastened in position to prevent axial movement of the ribs to any
significant extent by means of stitching either side of the rib
(see FIG. 6).
The rear end of the cover 12 is protected by a fabric enclosure 18
formed for the most part from a lightweight weatherproof fabric
which is preferably, but again not necessarily, the same as the
fabric from which the tubular portion 16 of cover 12 is formed. The
enclosure 18 has a window with an insect netting screen 20 and an
attached flap 24 sized and positioned to normally hang down over
the window opening and serve as a cover therefor. The method of
attachment of the flap is such as to permit it to be folded up and
back against the outer surface of enclosure 18 to expose the window
opening when this is desirable. Flap 24 is provided with a pair of
ties 26 at its lower corners, and enclosure 18 has two pairs of
similar ties 28 and 30, positioned to permit fastening of the flap
so as to expose the window opening, or cover the window,
respectively. FIG. 3 illustrates these features by showing the flap
24 partially fastened in its window covering position by a knot 29
between one of its ties 26 and one of the ties 30, and partially
pulled up to expose a portion of the insect netting window screen
20.
The front end of the shelter cover 12 has a pair of inner flaps,
formed from insect netting, and a pair of overlying flaps formed
preferably, but once again not necessarily, from the same
lightweight fabric material as that from which the tubular portion
16 of cover 12 is formed. FIG. 2, showing the front end of the
pitched shelter, reveals one of the inner insect netting flaps at
42 and the two outer flaps at 32 and 34, respectively, flap 32
being shown in a closed, and flap 34 in an open, position (see
below). Both the inner and outer flaps are provided with zipper
fasteners as illustrated in FIG. 2, so arranged as to permit
closure of the front of the shelter completely or closure of only
the insect netting flaps from the inside of the shelter.
Each set of overlapping inner and outer flaps encloses half of the
front opening of the shelter as FIG. 2 makers clear, and where
these flaps are fastened to the tubular portion of cover 12, they
have inturned edges which fit around the inside of an inturned fold
46 of said tubular portion so that the in turned edge of the inner
flap sandwiches that of the outer flap between it and the inturned
fold 46 of said tubular portion, all as illustrated in FIG. 4 where
the inturned edges of one of the sets of inner and outer flaps are
shown at 50 and 56, respectively. The inner and outer flaps, so
positioned, are sewn in place to the folded front end of the
tubular portion 16 of cover 12 by stitching means as illustrated at
60 in FIG. 4.
The inturned fold 46 of the tubular portion cover 12 extends
inwardly far enough to cover the rib 14 at the front end of shelter
10, and is sewn to the wall of said tubular portion, as shown at 48
in FIG. 4, to provide snug encasement of that rib between stitches
60 and 48 all as illustrated in FIG. 4. At its rear, tubular
portion 16 of cover 12 is turned inwardly, similarly to the way it
is at its front end, and sewn around the rib 14 at the rest of the
shelter by means of stitches 74, in front of the rib, and stitches
78, in back of the rib, to provide encasement of that rib for
holding it in position similarly to the way front rib 14 is held in
position by the inturned front end of said tubular portion. The
enclosure 18 at the rear of the shelter has its edge folded toward
the front of the shelter far enough to permit it to be sewn to the
tubular portion 16 of cover 12 by the stitches 78 passing through
the folded end of said tubular portion, in the manner illustrated
in FIG. 5. It will thus be seen that all of the ribs 14 and 15 are
encased in snug fitting "tunnels" to keep them properly positioned
to provide adequate support for cover 12 when shelter 10 is pitched
for use.
Passing through aligned openings in the inturned fold 46 of the
tubular cover, the front rib 14 and the outer wall of the cover is
a first grommet 64 adapted to receive a front tie-down line 66,
knotted at its inner end as shown at 67 in FIG. 4, which serves to
anchor the front end of the pitched shelter in position. Passing
similarly through aligned openings in the inturned fold at the rear
of the tubular portion of cover 12, the rear rib 14 and the outer
wall of said tubular portion, is a second grommet 64, adapted to
receive a rear tie-down line 71, knotted at its inner end as shown
at 73 to prevent the passage of that end through the grommet
opening, all as illustrated in FIG. 5.
FIG. 9 shows the shelter in collapsed condition for carrying, with
the ribs 14 and 15 pushed together and the tubular portion 16 of
the cover 12 compressed in accordion-like fashion between the ribs.
Because of the lightweight character of the fabric from which the
tubular portion 16 is made, the shelter folds into a relatively
flat and compact bundle which can be tied securely for carrying on
the back, or in a vehicle, by means of the tie-down lines 66 and
71. When it is time to pitch the packed shelter for use, it is a
simple matter to simply loosen the tie-down lines 66 and 71,
stretch the shelter to substantially its full length along the
ground with the ribs standing upright, and fasten the tie-down
lines 66 and 71 to approriately positioned pegs 79 and 81 driven
into the ground generally in line with the center of the shelter
and spaced outwardly from the front and rear ends of the latter in
the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. The tie-down lines are pulled
taut enough to exert outward and downward pressure on the two end
ribs 14 and cause slight flattening of the shelter to make it more
readily receptive of a sleeping body and help hold it formly
against the ground so that it will remain in position without
danger of movement as a result of inclement weather conditions.
When the shelter is occupied, it is, of course, even more firmly
anchored in position by the weight of the occupant. The forces
exerted by the tie-down lines act on the ribs 15 between the ribs
14 through cover 12, to a certain extent, and, additionally, those
ribs, as well as ribs 14, tend to flatten to a certain degree under
the force of gravity as a result of their resiliency. These
flattening forces combine to compress the shelter into the oval
shape shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 which, as previously indicated, is
advantageous in providing a roomy and comfortable interior for a
sleeping occupant.
When it is time to prepare the pitched shelter for movement, it is
only necessary to unfasten the tie-down lines from pegs 79 and 81,
compress the shelter to a form similar to that shown in FIG. 9 and
fasten it into a compact bundle with the tie-down lines in any
suitable fashion. The resulting bundle, because of its compactness
and lightness of weight, can be carried without difficulty, even by
a child, or easily stowed in a limited space in a vehicle or on a
pack animal.
As previously indicated, the cover for the novel shelter of this
invention can be made from a lightweight plastic sheet material,
instead of a weatherproof fabric such as nylon tenting, and the
ribs can be formed from suitably resilient plastic rather than
metal strip stock, if desired. Where both the cover and ribs are
made of plastic, the ribs can be welded or glued to the cover in
the manner illustrated in FIG. 8 which shows such a construction in
which a plastic rib 17 is fastened to a plastic cover 19 at 21 by
welding means. Where a combination of metal ribs and sheet plastic
cover is employed, the middle ribs can be held in position by means
of strips of the sheet plastic similar to the way the rib 15 is
held by the nylon strip 80 in FIG. 6. The sheet plastic strips will
preferably, however, be welded or glued to the cover, rather than
being sewn thereto. This arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 7,
which shows a metal rib 85 fastened in position between a sheet
plastic cover 86 and a strip of the plastic material 88, the strip
being fastened to the cover at 31 and 33 by welding means.
While my novel lightweight shelter has been herein described and
illustrated in what I consider to be its preferred embodiments, it
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that my invention
is not limited to those embodiments but is broad enough in concept
to encompass all modifications thereof incorporative of the
structural and functional essence of the invention as taught
herein. Certain of these modifications have already been mentioned,
and other will occur to those skilled in the art in the light of
present teachings. An example of one such modification would be the
combined use of plastic ribs, a sheet plastic cover and sheet
plastic holding strips in the shelter construction, rather than
just the plastic rib and sheet plastic cover construction of FIG.
8. In summary, it is emphasized that the scope of the present
invention includes all variant forms thereof encompassed by the
language of the following claims.
* * * * *