Patent Grant
7044145
The present patent application claims the conventional priority under the Paris Convention of co-pending Canadian patent application No. 2,405,007 filed on Sep. 30, 2002 naming the present inventor.
The present invention relates to umbrella-like shelters, and more particularly to a mobile shelter comprising an umbrella-like collapsible marquee.
It is known to install collapsible marquees on outdoor lots for hosting outdoor events therein, for example entertainment events such as circus performances and concerts. Such marquees are vast enough to accommodate the stage area for the performance act as well as a large audience, and can thus be very large and tall, e.g. they can have a diameter of 40 meters and a height of 12 meters. To erect such marquees, several workers are required to piece together poles, canvas, cables and ropes, and other components, and are often required to do so while standing on the narrow rungs of a ladder. This assembling procedure is a fastidious and lengthy process which can involve two or three full days of labour for these several workers, and can further be hazardous for the workers as they may be injured during the installation process.
Some small-scale existing shelters, such as tents or the like, comprise an umbrella-like collapsible framework, which is known for its quick and simplified erection process. This sort of framework can be easily and rapidly collapsed, and put into a compacted transport configuration. Umbrella-like shelter frameworks generally comprise a number of legs, composed of a number of pivotally interconnected rods, and further comprise a post, along which a hollow sleeve can be axially slid. To expand the shelter, the sleeve is slid upwardly along the post, in an analogous manner than for an umbrella, until the legs are completely deployed. Similarly, to collapse the shelter, the sleeve is slid downwardly along the post until the legs are completely retracted.
However, these shelters are small, and are not intended to be constructed at an enlarged scale. Indeed, their structure is too weak, and their internal mechanisms are not intended to be transposed to marquees of greater capacity. Therefore, a need exists for easy to transport, easy to deploy collapsible marquees of large capacity, for example of the type being able to contain up to 2000 persons.
The present invention relates to a mobile shelter comprising:
In one embodiment, an actuator is provided on said marquee, which can be activated to forcibly drive said spreader member along said post.
In one embodiment, said actuator comprises a hoisting system carried by said post, and a pushing member operatively connected to said hoisting system and slidably engaging said post; said spreader member is located intermediate said pushing member and said frame when said spreader member engages said post, and upon activation of said hoisting system, said pushing member will be forcibly driven along said post to slidably carry said spreader member.
In one embodiment, when said spreader member engages said post, said spreader member is releasably attached to said pushing member.
In one embodiment, said post is attached to said vehicle through the instrumentality of a post attachment base which comprises an elongated socket and a post lifting mechanism, said post second end portion slidably engaging said socket, with said post lifting mechanism allowing said post second end to be moved along and within said socket between inner and outer limit positions.
In one embodiment, said post attachment base is pivotally attached to said vehicle, said post attachment base thereby pivotally connecting said post to said vehicle to allow said post to be moved between a first position in which said post lies substantially parallel to said vehicle, and a second limit position in which said post is upstanding within said vehicle.
In one embodiment, each said brace assembly comprises:
In one embodiment, during the movement of said brace assemblies from said first storage position to said second deployed position, said ground-resting end of said brace assemblies will describe a pseudo-parabolic trajectory, and said brace assemblies will avoid said vehicle.
In one embodiment, said vehicle is a trailer.
The present invention also relates to a mobile shelter comprising:
In one embodiment, said post second coupling member is releasable, said post being thereby releasably attached to said vehicle, and said first coupling member is pivotable, said post being thereby pivotally attached to said frame; and when said brace assemblies are in said deployed position, said post can be released from said vehicle, said vehicle can be driven away from said marquee, and said post can be pivoted about said first post coupling member into a stored position adjacent at least one of said brace assemblies to clear said canvas-sheltered usable area.
In one embodiment, said post first coupling member is releasable, said post being thereby releasably attached to said frame; and when said brace assemblies are in said deployed position, said post can be released from said frame, and said vehicle can be driven away with said post from said marquee to clear said canvas-sheltered usable area.
In the annexed drawings:
Vehicle 12 can be any kind of vehicle, motorized or not, sturdy enough to bear the added weight of post 40 and marquee 100. In the embodiment shown in the appended figures, vehicle 12 is a trailer, and will further be referred to as trailer 12 in the present specification. As shown in
A telescopic support leg 20 is attached to the front end of chassis 14; support leg 20 comprises a tubular sleeve 20a, a crank 20b attached to the top end of sleeve 20a, and a sand shoe 20c attached to a rod (not shown) which slidably engages the inner cavity of tubular sleeve 20a from its bottom end. Sand shoe 20c can be slidably extracted out or retracted in sleeve 20a, by appropriately handling crank 20b.
Two extendable arms 22, 22′ are pivotally attached to the end of beams 15, 15′ adjacent chassis rear end 14b, and can pivot relative to chassis 14 about a vertical pivot axis (not shown). Each one of arms 22, 22′ comprises a tubular sleeve portion 22a, 22a′, and a sliding rod portion 22b, 22b′ engaging the inner cavity of tubular sleeve portion 22a, 22a′. To adjust the overall length of each of arms 22, 22′, rod portion 22b, 22b′ can be selectively slid in and out of sleeve portion 22a, 22a′. Furthermore, telescopic support legs 24, 24′ are perpendicularly fixedly attached to the free end of rod portions 22b, 22b′.
Arms 22, 22′ and support legs 24, 24′, in cooperation with support leg 20, will ensure that trailer 12 will stably rest on when support legs 20, 24, 24′ engage the ground.
As illustrated in
Two pivot levers 29 are attached to flanges 26, 26′, at the vicinity of pivot axis 28, with only one pivot lever 29 being revealed in the drawings (the other pivot lever being concealed behind flange 26′ in
As illustrated in
A through-hole is made in the top face of lip 31, around which is mounted a bearing 38. Lip 31 comprises a drill adaptor 32, which in turn comprises a drill socket 32a destined to receive a compatible drill bit therein (not shown), and fixedly attached to the top end of a shaft 32b. Shaft 32b is journalled to and extends downwardly beyond bearing 38; drill adaptor 32 is thus rotatably mounted onto and extends outwardly over lip 31. In addition, a sprocket wheel 32c is centrically attached to the lower end of shaft 32b.
Sprocket wheel 32c is mechanically coupled to sprocket wheel 34c through the instrumentality of an endless chain 37, which runs from sprocket wheel 34c to 32c through aperture 36. Upon rotation of drill adaptor 32, torque will be transmitted from sprocket wheel 32c to sprocket wheel 34c through chain 37, and endless screw 34 will be rotated due to its rotary engagement to bearing 35b, about longitudinal axis 33.
Elongated post 40, as presented hereinabove, defines a top end portion 40a, a bottom end portion 40b, and a longitudinal axis centrically extending along post 40 between end portions 40a and 40b. Post 40 is made of a sturdy material, for example machined aluminium or stainless steel. Post 40 comprises a discoid bottom plate 42 fixedly attached to the bottom end of post 40, and a cylindrical tubular collar 44 centrically extending through plate 42, collar 44 having a threaded inner wall. Post bottom end portion 40b slidably engages socket 35 of lifting mechanism 27, in order for the longitudinal axis of post 40 to coincide with socket longitudinal axis 33. More particularly, shank 34a of screw 34 threadingly engages collar 44; upon rotary motion of endless screw 34, the threads of shank 34a and that of collar 44 will cooperate together to displace post 40 axially along longitudinal axis 33, in and out of socket 35 of lifting mechanism 27, although post 40 will not rotate. To ease the sliding axial displacement of post end portion 40b about socket 35, two bushings 39 and 41 are installed between the inner peripheral wall of socket 35 and the outer peripheral wall of post 40b; bushing 41 is firmly and fixedly attached to the bottom end of post 40, and bushing 39 is firmly and fixedly attached to the inner wall of socket 35 adjacent the top rim thereof. Rings 39, 41 can be made of a low-friction material, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene, or Teflon®). Bushings 39, 41, in addition to allowing low-friction displacement of post 40 about socket 35, also serve as anti-egress means for preventing an accidental disengagement of post 40 from socket 35. Indeed, as post 40 is axially driven out of socket 35, bushing 41 will eventually abut on bushing 39, and post 40 can thereby be prevented from further egress out of socket 35. Post 40 is therefore axially movable between a bottom limit position in which the post bottom plate 42 downwardly abuts against the socket inner plate 35a, and an upper limit position in which the post lower bushing 41 abuts against upper bushing 39 that is fixedly attached to the socket inner wall.
A marquee engaging fixture 92 engages and is secured to the inner peripheral wall of post top end portion 40a. Fixture 92 comprises a cylindrical main body 92a, and a circular array of ribs 92b integrally and radially protruding from main body 92a. A circular array of blades 92c integrally upwardly protrude from the top end of fixture 92, as can be seen in the enlarged view of
As illustrated in
As shown in
To deploy marquee 100, push-ring 46 will have to be driven up and down along post 40, either towards top end portion 40a, or towards bottom end portion 40b (as described hereinafter). Mechanical assistance is provided on marquee 100 to forcibly drive push-ring 46 up and down about post 40: a push-ring actuating or hoisting system 48, installed on post 40, and operatively connected to push-ring 46. Push-ring hoisting system 48 (
On the bottom surface of top plate 54 of hoisting base 50, two lateral plates 58, 58′ and two intermediate plates 60, 60′ are fixedly and perpendicularly installed. A shaft 62 rotatably extends transversely and successively through bearings 59, 59′, 61, 61′ carried by plates 58, 58′, 60, 60′ adjacent the edge of top plate 54 opposite indentation 51. A drill socket 64 similar to drill socket 32a of drill adaptor 32 is operatively connected to the end of shaft 62 journalled to and extending through bearing 59′ of lateral plate 58′. By selectively rotating drill socket 64, shaft 62 can be also driven into rotary motion.
Hoisting system 48 comprises a first sprocket mechanism 63 installed between lateral plate 58 and intermediate plate 60, and can be driven in motion upon rotation of shaft 62. A second similar sprocket mechanism 63′, a large portion of which is concealed in
First sprocket mechanism 63 comprises a sprocket wheel 66 fixedly attached to shaft 62, between bearings 59 and 61. Another sprocket wheel 68, to which is bound a drum 70, is rotatably attached between lateral plate 58 and intermediate plate 60, adjacent the edge of top plate 54 in which indentation 51 is recessed. Sprocket wheels 66 and 68 are operatively linked together through the instrumentality of an endless chain 69. Thus, when drill socket 64 is spun, shaft 62 is rotated, and so is sprocket wheel 66, and the rotation of sprocket wheel 66 induces a rotation of the assembly of sprocket wheel 68 and drum 70.
One end of a cable 72 is attached to drum 70. Cable 72 extends upwardly through top plate 54 from drum 70, through an aperture 53. Cable 72 runs from drum 70, to a bottom pulley assembly 74 vertically registering with and located beneath track 52, and then runs upwardly to a top pulley assembly (concealed in the drawings) vertically registering with and located above track 52. Cable 72 runs between flanges 52a, 52b of track 52 a number of times back and forth alternately between pulleys of the top and bottom pulley assemblies, while running intermediately across and being kept untangled by cable guide 49, located in groove 47 of push-ring 46, that simply includes parallel and distinct cable channels for this purpose. The end of cable 72 opposite its attachment to drum 70 is fixedly secured to cable guide 49, with the latter being fixed to push-ring 46.
Upon drill socket 64 being rotated in a first direction, sprocket wheel 68 and drum 70 are rotated, and cable 72 is wound around drum 70. Since cable 72 extends from drum 70, then alternately through the bottom and top pulley assemblies, and finally over the top pulley assembly and down to its attachment to push-ring 46, winding the first end of cable 72 around drum 70 will result in the second end of cable 72, which is attached to push-ring 46, being lifted upwardly along post 40, and consequently hoisting push-ring 46 upwardly slidably along post 40. The two vertically registering pulley assemblies will cooperate with each other to gear down the pulling force required by cable 72, in order for push-ring 46 to ascend slowly yet forcibly along post 40 to allow the heavy marquee 100 to be deployed as described hereinafter under the single rotation torque induced by a conventional hand drill.
It is understood that by spinning drill socket 64 in the other direction, cable 72 can be unwound from drum 70. However, the unwinding of cable 72 from drum 70 is not sufficient to allow push-ring 46 to descend back towards bottom pulley assembly 74; indeed, a downward force must also be manually applied on push-ring 46, to counteract the action of braking pulleys 73 installed on the top and bottom pulley assemblies. Indeed, if push-ring 46 has been hoisted along post 40 upwardly towards post top end portion 40a, and is left in a uplifted position on post 40, braking pulleys 73 will cooperate together to prevent push-ring 46 from descending back towards post bottom end portion 40b under the action of gravity-borne forces applied thereon. Accordingly, for push-ring 46 to descend downwardly along post 40, cable 72 must inevitably be unwound from drum 70, by selectively rotating shaft 60, otherwise braking pulleys would prevent a spontaneous descent.
It is understood that the second sprocket mechanism 63′, including its own drum, cable and pulley assemblies, will act simultaneously and symmetrically on push-ring 46 for hoisting it along post 40, and allowing its cable to unwind for descending push-ring 46 along post 40.
As illustrated in
Eyelet 90 is destined to be manually rotated, for example with an independent, manually controlled elongated hook-provided stick or the like tool (not shown), to rotate bolt 86. Upon bolt 86 being rotated about its attachment to pivot members 87, 88, the threads of bolt 86 cooperate with that of nut 84 in order for the latter to be set in axial motion about bolt 86. As nut 84 axially moves about bolt 86, the end of levers 82, 82′ connected to pins 83 of nut 84 will follow the latter's movement about bolt 86, hence pivoting axles 77, 77′, and thus fingers 76, 76′, about axes 80, 80′. Upon nut 84 being driven upwardly along bolt 86, fingers 76, 76′ will be pivoted away from post 40, as illustrated in
As shown in
An attachment ring 108 is fixedly mounted to frame 102, at the junction between trunk member 104 and rod portion 106; ring 108 comprises a circular array of brace attachment members 109. A circular array of articulated brace assemblies 110 is attached to frame 102, through the instrumentality of attachment ring 108.
Each brace assembly 110 comprises the following pivotally interconnected braces:
Braces 112, 114, 116, 118 are made of a sturdy material, such as machined aluminium or other composite materials such as Kevlar® fibres or fibreglass, and are suitably profiled to withstand high quantities of mechanical stresses without deforming.
Moreover, each ground-resting brace 118 comprises two longitudinal canvas attachment slots 208, as shown in
As presented hereinabove, spreader brace 114 is connected at one end to spreader ring 120. Spreader ring 120 comprises a circular array of brace attachment members 121 integrally, outwardly and radially protruding therefrom, to which spreader braces 114 are pivotally attached. Spreader ring 120 comprises two lateral grooves 122, 122′, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Attachment mechanism 130 comprises an elbowed attachment bracket 132 firmly secured to the inner wall of collar 131. A cylindrical post engagement neck 134 is integrally attached to bracket 132, and neck 134 is suitably disposed within frame trunk member 104 to be coaxially aligned therewith. Opposite its attachment to bracket 132, post engagement neck 134 integrally comprises an alignment tab 136, whose free end pressurizingly engages the inner wall of collar 131, to prevent an accidental displacement of neck 134 relative to marquee frame trunk member 104, and to thus keep neck 134 coaxially aligned within trunk member 104.
Neck 134 further comprises two integral side attachment pivot members 138, 138′ depending from neck 134 in an elbowed fashion, and located at diametrically opposite locations thereon. Two releasable attachment hook members 140, 140′, defining a main shank portion 140a, 140a′ and a retaining portion 140b, 140b′ protruding from the lower end of shank portion 140a, 140a′, are pivotally attached at the middle area of shank portion 140a, 140a′ to pivot members 138, 138′. Each one of retaining portions 140b, 140b′ defines a top horizontal flat edge 141a, 141a′, and a push-edge 141b, 141b′ sloped inwardly downwardly. Retaining portions 140b, 140b′ emerge radially outwardly from the inside of frame trunk member 104 through two apertures 142, 142′ made thereon. Retaining portions 140b, 140b′ are continuously radially outwardly biased through the instrumentality of springs 144, 144′ tensioned between the upper end of shank portion 140a, 140a′ and the top rim of collar 131.
Attachment mechanism 130 is also provided with a post disengagement lever 146. Lever 146 defines a handle portion 146a, and a wedge portion 146b integrally attached to an inner end of handle portion 146a and forming an elbow therewith. Wedge portion 146b comprises a hook portion 146c protruding from its lower free extremity. Hook portion 146c possesses a horizontal top edge and an inwardly sloping bottom edge similar to edges 141a, 141a′ and 141b, 141b′ of nibs 140a, 140a′. Lever 146 is pivotally attached, at the elbowed junction of handle portion 146a and wedge portion 146b, to the free end of bracket 132. Two registering holes are made in both collar 131 and in frame trunk member 104, through which handle portion 146a can extend outwardly of frame trunk member 104. A spring 150 is compressed between wedge-portion 146b and bracket 132, which continually biases handle portion 146a of lever 146 upwardly in
Attachment mechanism 130 will serve the dual purpose of releasably securing spreader ring 120 to frame trunk member 104, and of releasably securing post 40 to frame 102, as described hereinafter.
During its transportation, marquee 100 is set in a storage/transport configuration in which it is positioned horizontally to lie atop trailer 12, as illustrated in
Spreader ring 120 engages post 40 in the storage configuration of marquee 100, and is coaxially juxtaposed to and located above push-ring 46. Moreover, fingers 76, 76′ of push-ring 46 are pivoted towards post 40, and nibs 76b, 76b′ of fingers 76, 76′ engage apertures 122, 122′ in spreader ring 120; accordingly, push-ring 46 and spreader ring 120 are releasably bound together. Moreover, the assembly of rings 46 and 120 is located at a bottom limit position downwardly on post 40, in order for the lower rim of push-ring 46 to abut against the flat horizontal top edge of brackets 56 (as shown in
Finally, in this storage configuration, braces 112, 114, 116, 118 are mutually pivoted in order for brace assemblies 110 to be collapsed and folded towards post 40 and frame 102.
The erection procedure of marquee 100 will now be detailed. This procedure consists in shifting the configuration of marquee 100 from the above-described storage configuration, to an erected and deployed configuration. The erection of marquee 100 is sequentially shown in
Firstly, shelter 10 is secured to a car or truck through tow hitch 18 of trailer 12, and shelter 10 is driven to the desired anchoring area, where marquee 100 will be installed. Thereafter, trailer support arms 22, 22′, which are folded towards chassis 14 when shelter 10 is being transported (as shown in
Hydraulic cylinders 30, 30′ are then selectively activated and extracted. As cylinders 30, 30′ are being extracted, pivot levers 29, and thus also post base 25, is pivoted about axis 28, as suggested by arrow A in
Afterwards, the workman can disengage his drill bit from drill socket 32a, and can fit his drill bit into drill socket 64 of hoisting system 48. Upon selective activation of the drill, socket 64 is rotated, which commands hoisting system 48 to hoist push-ring 46 upwardly towards post top end portion 40a, through the instrumentality of cables 72, 72′ and of the pulley assemblies through which they run. At this point, push-ring 46 is bound to spreader ring 120 through the instrumentality of fingers 76, 76′; consequently, spreader ring 120 is pushed upwardly by push-ring 46, and both rings ascend along post 40 in unison.
Spreader brace 114 is pivotally attached to spreader ring 120, as described hereinabove. Accordingly, as spreader ring 120 ascends along post 40 towards post top end 40a and thus towards frame trunk member 104, brace 114 will alter the mutual pivotal arrangement of braces 112, 116, and 118: brace assemblies 110 will be progressively shifted from their folded position, where they are collapsed against post 40, and where their ground-resting feet 122 are located at the vicinity of post 40, to a deployed position, where they are expanded away from post 40, and where feet 122 and positioned away from post 40. The deployment of brace assemblies 110 is similar to that of the branches of an umbrella, as illustrated in
The mutual interconnection of braces 112, 114, 116, 118 is such that feet 122 describe a pseudo-parabolic trajectory during the expansion of brace assemblies 110. When post 40 is extracted out of socket 35, and when brace assemblies 110 are collapsed against post 40, feet 122 are located spacedly over ground and above trailer 12. In a first uphill stage of the deployment course of brace assemblies 110, feet 122 are moved radially away from post 40, and are slightly uplifted relative to their initial collapsed position, hence avoiding trailer 12. Then, after feet 122 have reached the apex of their pseudo-parabolic trajectory, brace assemblies 110 will enter into the second downhill stage of their deployment course, where feet 122 will descend back towards the ground to reach the position illustrated in
Spreader ring 120, at the end of its upward course, will have to slide on post 40 beyond the top end thereof, and onto frame trunk member 104. Since post 40 is inserted in and coupled to frame trunk member 104, their outer walls are coextensively joined and form a continuous sliding surface, because they both have the same outer diameter. Consequently, spreader ring 120 can slidably ascend along post 40, and slidably pass from post 40 to frame trunk member 104 smoothly and uninterruptedly.
As spreader ring 120 is slidably pushed from post 40 to frame trunk member 104, the top rim of spreader ring 120 will eventually come in contact with spring-biased retaining portions 140b, 140b′ of attachment mechanism 130. As spreader ring 120 is further upwardly pushed, the top rim of spreader ring 120 will push against the sloped pushing edge 141b, 141b′ of retaining portion 140b, 140b′. Retaining portions 140b, 140b′ are then yieldingly pushed radially inwardly relative to frame trunk member 104, and spreader ring 120 is slid onto and overlaps apertures 142, 142′. The end of the sliding ascension course of spreader ring 120 is reached when push-ring 46 is slid to its highest position on post 40 (it cannot slide past the top pulley assemblies). At this point, apertures 124, 124′ of spreader ring 120, which are still engaged by nibs 76b, 76b′ of fingers 76, 76′, are in facing and touching register with apertures 142, 142′ of frame trunk member 104, and brace assemblies 110 are completely deployed.
Then, the workman, having in his possession an hook-provided elongated stick (not shown) or the like, inserts the hook of the elongated hook-provided stick in eyelet 90 of mechanism 75, and manually rotates the stick about its longitudinal axis to engender a rotary movement of eyelet 90. Accordingly, revolving eyelet 90 sets bolt 86 in a similar rotary motion, in order for nut 84 to ascend along bolt 86. Consequently, both assemblies of levers 82, 82′, axle 77, 77′ and fingers 76, 76′ are pivoted about pivot axes 80, 80′ respectively, in order for fingers 76, 76′ to be pivoted away from spreader ring 120, and for their nibs 76b, 76′ to progressively move out of apertures 124, 124′ of spreader ring 120. As they are progressively cleared out of apertures 124, 124′, nibs 76b, 76b′ will give way to retaining members 140b, 140b′, which will progressively engage apertures 124, 124′, as spring-biased hook members 140, 140′ are pivoted about pivot members 138, 138′. When nibs 76b, 76b′ are fully cleared from apertures 124, 124′, spreader ring 120 is detached from push-ring 46, and retaining members 140b, 140b′ extend through apertures 124, 124′, thus releasably securing spreader ring 120 to frame trunk member 104.
The workman can then approach lifting mechanism 27 of post base 25, having the drill in his possession, to drive drill socket 32a in the opposite direction than that used to uplift post 40; meanwhile another workman can use the hook-provided elongated stick to pull handle portion 146a of lever 146 downwardly, in order to undo the releasable attachment of post 40 to frame trunk member 104. Accordingly post 40 will retract back into socket 35, as suggested by arrow C in
It is understood that during thus installation procedure, canvas 200 will remain attached to its corresponding braces and deploy from a folded configuration to a relatively stretched configuration to cover the whole area located underneath the marquee braces.
The uninstallation procedure will now be detailed. Firstly, trailer 12 is driven underneath marquee 100 between two consecutive ground-resting braces 118, 118, through canvas opening 204, and is stably installed on the ground using arms 22, 22′ and support legs 20, 24, 24′, and post 40 is pivoted in a vertical stance, in vertical alignment with marquee trunk member 104. Trailer 12 has to be positioned underneath marquee 100 in order for tracks 52, 52′ of post 40 to register vertically below guiding grooves 122, 122′ of spreader ring 120. If tracks 52, 52′ do not register vertically below guiding grooves 122, 122′, the workman can align them by manually pivoting post 40 about socket 35. Then, the workman approaches post lifting mechanism 27, and rotates socket 32 with his drill, in order to axially uplift post 40, until fixture 92 progressively engages bottom end 104b of frame trunk member 104 and hook portion 146c of lever 146 releasably engages indentations 92d, i.e. until post 40 is releasably attached to marquee frame trunk member 104.
When post 40 is properly engaged in frame trunk member 104, the workman will use his elongated hook-provided stick to rotate eyelet 90, in order to pivot fingers 76, 76′ towards apertures 124, 124′, provided that push-ring 46 has reached its highest limit position on post 40. As fingers 76, 76′ are pivoted towards and progressively engage apertures 124, 124′, retaining members 140b, 140b′ will be yieldingly pushed by nibs 76b, 76b′ radially and inwardly into trunk member 104, against the bias of springs 144, 144′, retaining members 140b, 140b′ thus releasing their grip on spreader ring 120. Then, the workman drives drill socket 64 in rotation with his drill, in order to unwind cables 72, 72′ from drums 70 of hoisting system 48; meanwhile another worker will pull push-ring 46 down, by gripping it though eyelet 90 and using the hook-provided elongated stick; push ring 46 will in turn pull spreader ring 120 down, and both rings 46, 120 will descend along post 40 in unison. While this is achieved, brace assemblies 110 will progressively fold back and collapse against post 40. When push-ring 46 and spreader ring 120 are in their lowermost position, where the bottom rim of push-ring 46 abuts against the top edge of brackets 56 of hoisting system 48, brace assemblies 110 are fully collapsed. Post 40 can then be retracted downwardly inside socket 35, and post 40, along with collapsed marquee 100, can be pivoted back in a horizontal stance onto trailer 12, where top frame portion 106 will abut on and be supported by bracket 21. The trailer anchoring ensured by support legs 20, 24, 24′ is then undone, arms 22, 22′ are folded back towards chassis 14, and the uninstallation is complete. It is understood that canvas 200 remains installed on the marquee braces in this collapsed configuration of the braces, even though it is not shown in
Deployed marquee 100, which can be very vast, e.g. can have a 40 meter (130 ft.) diameter, a height of 12 meters (40 ft.), and a total underlying area of 1256 square meters (13200 ft2), can be collapsed into a very compact form. Indeed, the assembly of trailer 12 carrying a marquee 100 in a stored position will relatively compact, i.e. this assembly will have a height of 2.5 meters (8 ft.) and a length of 13.75 meters (45 ft.), for a marquee having the above-mentioned dimensions in a deployed position.
Moreover, as can be inferred from the above-described installation and uninstallation procedures, marquee 100 can be assembled quickly and easily. In a general manner, only a drill, an elongated post, a motorized vehicle to which is attached trailer 12, and two workers are required to assemble marquee 100. According to some alternate embodiments, a single worker without any power tools could even be sufficient to install marquee 100. Its assembly approximately takes one hour to complete, and requires no intense physical effort. Moreover, these two workers need very little knowledge in order to set up the marquee. For a traditional marquee of these dimensions, the team of numerous workers required to assemble the marquee needs in-depth knowledge of its installation and uninstallation procedures. Finally, accidents are not likely to happen during the installation/uninstallation of marquee 100, as opposed to the high risk which workers are exposed to when setting up a traditional marquee (accidental collapse of the marquee because of incorrectly assembled parts, etc.)
Alternate ways could be envisioned to carry out some aspects of the present invention. For example, post lifting mechanism 27 could be designed in any suitable way that could allow an axial displacement of post 40 about socket 35. Also, instead of providing post 40 with a push-ring 46 and a hoisting system 48, any means known in the art could be provided on post 40 for actuating spreader ring 120 up and down about post 40. Also, instead of attachment mechanism 130, alternate releasable attachment means could be provided to attach spreader ring 120, and post 40, to frame 102.
Also, reinforcement cables could be attached between each two consecutive brace assemblies 110, to further strengthen the marquee's structure, thereby providing it with increased stability and enhanced resistance to high winds impinging on the marquee's canvas.
It is further envisioned, in yet another alternate embodiment, to provide a post that is pivotally mounted to the marquee frame trunk at its top end, and that is releasably attached to the trailer at its bottom end. With a shelter according to this alternate embodiment, upon the spreader ring reaching its topmost position when the braces are completely deployed, the post would be detached from the trailer and upwardly pivoted about its top end to a stored position adjacent the spreader braces, instead of being carried away by the trailer.
In another alternate embodiment of the invention, it is envisioned to provide a post divided into two portions linked with a pivotable articulation. This articulation would allow to install and/or retrieve the marquee without having to align the vehicle vertically under the marquee frame trunk, since the first post portion extending from the vehicle could be inclined while the second post portion extending from the marquee frame trunk would remain vertical to engage the marquee frame trunk.
Other modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have not been included herein for the sake of conciseness, but are properly within the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2405007 | Sep 2002 | CA | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050178616 A1 | Aug 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CA2003/001480 | Sep 2003 | US |
| Child | 11085469 | US |
